Moving from Orange County CA to Chicago IL (Waukegan, Evanston: best cities, apartment)

[catp]

My boyfriend and I are considering moving to Chicago from Orange County at the end of our lease in mid-March. I was born in Lake Forest and lived in Waukegan and Wisconsin before moving to CA and I visit often since my family still lives there so I am somewhat used to the weather but that was a long time ago so I will probably still need some helpful tips on clothing . My boyfriend is studying to get into grad school and would like to apply to Northwestern eventually. We're wondering where the best cities are to rent that are reasonably priced, safe and close to Northwestern (we've been checking out Evanston in general but are wondering if there are any other areas we should consider). We're both 25 years old but we don't necessarily want a "party" town - we're pretty low key but somewhere with good grocery stores, public transportation, etc. near by.

Also, any tips on finding a place to rent would be great! What are good places? should we look at craigslist, zillow, or somewhere else? Should we rent from an apartment community or go through a private owner?

As far as rent - we're thinking $1300 (rent only) for a 1 bedroom/1 bath or a 2 bedroom/2 bath for up to $1700 - or are we crazy??

Any helpful feedback would be great!

[droti]

This is the Colorado forum, but I'm moving from Chicago and the only advice I can give is to go with an individual owner if possible. The bigger the building the less help you'll have, I might be biased since I'm a landlord...but I always tried to avoid large companies.

Also, keep in mind that the purple line runs to Northwestern, so you can live anywhere on the north side of the city too and easily get there.

[Mike from back east]

Originally Posted by droti

This is the Colorado forum, ....

Moved to the Chicago forum.

[marothisu]

The city in which Northwestern is in, Evanston, is pretty good in spots. Some walkable areas even though it's a suburb. Probably would be able to find stuff like that there - there is a weird part of Evanston though so you should be aware of that. Otherwise, you could probably go cheaper in the city of Chicago not terribly far south. I'd look into the Edgewater neighborhood for example closer to the lake and the red line. You could also look in Lakeview East, which is a nice area but further south. Lincoln Square/Ravenswood might be good for you too. Those would be my suggestions right away.

[NealIRC]

Originally Posted by catp

My boyfriend is studying to get into grad school and would like to apply to Northwestern eventually.

Yea, ask this question once you find out he actually got accepted.

This did not belong in the Colorado forum.

[catp]

NealIRC - Sorry, this was moved out of the Colorado forum. Also, the point of moving isn't in hopes that he'll get accepted there but we would like to move to that area regardless if he ends of going to school there as I've heard it has some nice areas so if you have any feedback that would be great.

[catp]

marothisu thank you for the feedback! What's the weird part of Evanston, exactly?

[chet everett]

Originally Posted by NealIRC

Yea, ask this question once you find out he actually got accepted.

...

Depending on the outcome of the acceptance, and even what graduate program the OP's bf is considering, it may be wise to understand that Northwestern has both an Evanston Campus as well as major presence in Chicago between North Michigan Ave and Lake Shore Drive. While commuting to either campus from someplace like Rogers Park / Edgwater is technically possible, the advantage of living in a part of Chicago or Evanston that would make commuting MUCH EASIER cannot be overstated. If courses are at Evanston it would be a huge plus to live where many (?most) NU grad students would be. Converesely, if courses are primarily in Chicago that campus has a far different feel, with even students in the professional programs at the Medical or Law schools being far less visible...

[marothisu]

Originally Posted by catp

marothisu thank you for the feedback! What's the weird part of Evanston, exactly?

Like the very southern part bordering the city of Chicago and some on the west side of it. Downtown Evanston and near Northwestern is pretty nice. One of the better suburbs you'll see IMO. It's not necessarily cheap though but still offers enough in the way of eating out, bars, and some walkability. Even some public transit goes there from the city. The budget though at least for the nice places there might be at the top end - some parts aren't necessarily as cheap as you might think even though you may equate suburbs to cheaper.

However, since your boyfriend hasn't been accepted there yet and you might be doing something else, I'd suggest something in the city a little south such as Edgewater near the Red Line. Or even a little further south in an area like Lakeview East closer to the lake as that, even though there's a number of shops and eateries on Broadway, is pretty low key.

[catp]

Originally Posted by chet everett

Depending on the outcome of the acceptance, and even what graduate program the OP's bf is considering, it may be wise to understand that Northwestern has both an Evanston Campus as well as major presence in Chicago between North Michigan Ave and Lake Shore Drive. While commuting to either campus from someplace like Rogers Park / Edgwater is technically possible, the advantage of living in a part of Chicago or Evanston that would make commuting MUCH EASIER cannot be overstated.

If he were to go to Northwestern, he would be attending Kellogg. I should have made myself a little more clear on my original post - we aren't interested in just moving with hope that he's going to be accepted. He won't even be applying right away but it would be a plus if he could go there eventually. Regardless, we both like Chicago and we're looking to move somewhere much more affordable than Orange County, CA that also makes sense for our age. I also like being closer to the lake. What are the pros and cons of living in Evanston or a little south in another part of Chicago?