Where should I live in Chicago area (Lincoln: neighborhoods, living in)

[Larry Siegel]

Originally Posted by Teri4417

I'll be working at Wacker and Adams.

Then you are closer to the West Loop than any other residential area. As somebody above said, the West Loop is not that bland although, outside the Randolph Street restaurant corridor, it is not a wild scene either. There are some dance clubs if you enjoy that kind of thing, but the all-day, all-night street scene that many young people enjoy isn't quite there yet, and, because of the somewhat corporate feel of the area, may never be.

[smegmatite]

Near north side is the best for a short commute

[SkylarkPhotoBooth]

If your goal is shortest commute, and you literally don't care about anything else but your budget, then the answer depends on where in the "downtown area" you'll be working. You might be able to live across the street!

[SkylarkPhotoBooth]

Originally Posted by Teri4417

I'll be working at Wacker and Adams.

In that case I would start at your work location and gradually move west through West Loop in the direction of Greektown (just a few blocks away) until you find something you like. You won't find anything big or fancy for that price in that location, but if your only concern is commute time, that would be the way to go, IMO (and, as a bonus, it's a decent area).

[FriedMiltman]

Can you post some photos.

[personone]

I am a little confused by the question as well. It would seem the OP already knows the answer. A google search or apartment search for apartments near where she works in the “downtown area,” limited to <$1800. Then pick from the closest ones since commute is the #1 priority.

[MassVt]

How about Lincoln Square, near the Brown Line? Nice neighborhood, and the commute wouldn't be all that bad..

[fusillirob1983]

Originally Posted by MassVt

How about Lincoln Square, near the Brown Line? Nice neighborhood, and the commute wouldn't be all that bad..

It's a nice neighborhood, but I agree with many others suggesting closer in neighborhoods if he wants to pay under $1800 for the shortest commute possible. I don't think Lincoln Square meets that criteria.

[Vlajos]

What can you get for $1800 downtown? Curious, because all I hear is how high the rents are, that seems like a reasonable rent.

[personone]

Originally Posted by Vlajos

What can you get for $1800 downtown? Curious, because all I hear is how high the rents are, that seems like a reasonable rent.

You can still find a reasonable number of studios or 1BRs (in some buildings) for this price. The problem is that in the downtown core, many of the buildings are very new and modern. So they have new appliances, many have new flooring, doorman, and many amenities (gym in building, business room, entertainment room, etc). All of those amenities are passed onto renters, so many studios and maybe a few 1 BRs (on the lower end) start at around $1800. When you add on parking, utilities, cable/internet, you are easily over $2000.

There are obviously exceptions. There are some older buildings and there are some buildings that have condos that the owner rents out for lower prices. A search on the common apartment websites of “Apartments Chicago Loop” shows that studios roughly average $1800. They are about $1600 in older buildings and $2000-2200 in newer buildings. 1BRs tend to range from $2200-4000. This was a quick browse of Loop proper only. Searching in South Loop/West Loop may give you slightly more bang for your buck, and River North/ Streeterville will probably be similar to Loop proper prices. Gold Coast has some much cheaper properties because the buildings tend to be much older, so that is another option for being quasi-downtown and getting good value.