Moving to Chicago! (Lincoln, Downs: to rent, crime rates, safe area)

[Ak1234123]

Hello! I am a single male approaching 40 (no kids) looking to rent in an inexpensive, safe, and quiet part of either Chicago or the surrounding suburbs, with the ability to get to downtown (where my new job is) via public transportation. Less important, but still a factor, is the ability to meet someone of the opposite sex for a long term romantic relationship as well, so hopefully an area where there are those kinds of opportunities and I don't just have to go to the city.

Are there areas that meet this criteria?

Happy to give more details if it would help with a suggestion.

Thanks!

[ebitdadada]

Originally Posted by Ak1234123

Hello! I am a single male approaching 40 (no kids) looking to rent in an inexpensive, safe, and quiet part of either Chicago or the surrounding suburbs, with the ability to get to downtown (where my new job is) via public transportation. Less important, but still a factor, is the ability to meet someone of the opposite sex for a long term romantic relationship as well, so hopefully an area where there are those kinds of opportunities and I don't just have to go to the city.

Are there areas that meet this criteria?

Happy to give more details if it would help with a suggestion.

Thanks!

As a fellow 40 year old male.

Lots of options and hopefully others add more but I’d personally check out Rogers Park or Edgewater near the lake.

Downside is it’s a bit further from downtown / not as easy to get to non-red line neighborhoods but it’s just really great to have beach / lake access and both neighborhoods are almost magical on some ways.

Some other thoughts:

1. The El is usually the best option but don’t ignore the Metra and busses. Sometimes those open up options that wouldn’t work via El.

2. I used to work downtown and found biking to and from the loop to be great (turned the commute into my exercise time / a useful use of time and I also got to work in a better headspace with endorphins and whatnot). If you wanted to do that on the north side you probably don’t want to go north of Edgewater beach where the lakefront trail starts.

Good luck!

[Ak1234123]

Thanks so much ebitdadada!

[marukai]

I'm 39 moved here in March of 2023. The people here are some of the most pretentious and arrogant types. I moved from the DC area, so I am familiar with DC, Baltimore, andPhiladelphia. The subway and bus system is one of the worst I've encountered. To add insult to injury the come and crazy inflation with high taxes is just another excuse to run away.


On a positive note the Chinatown here has some of the best Sichuan food "Chef Xiong " that I've ever had in any of the previous cities. The west Roger's Park area of Devon st hss excellent middle eastern and Indian cuisine. The ethnic foods are the only pro to this city.


Too much crime for the price and such a vast distance to and from destinations throutght the city, unless you're within the Loop.

[Master Jay]

Good day, all.

Some of the most pretentious and arrogant people are Chicagoans?!?.... Well then fortunately for me, those are not my experiences....

Ethnic foods are indeed a pro. AS ARE the ethnic neighborhoods, most with their own little museums.

And soeaking of neighborhoods, what GREAT neighborhood FESTS Chicago offers.

In fact, I'll be in Lincoln Square Oktoberfest today. PROST!

[BigLake]

Originally Posted by Master Jay

Good day, all.

Some of the most pretentious and arrogant people are Chicagoans?!?.... Well then fortunately for me, those are not my experiences....

Ethnic foods are indeed a pro. AS ARE the ethnic neighborhoods, most with their own little museums.

And soeaking of neighborhoods, what GREAT neighborhood FESTS Chicago offers.

In fact, I'll be in Lincoln Square Oktoberfest today. PROST!

Yup. I've been here for 30+ years and "most pretentious and arrogant types" is probably the last thing I was call Chicagoans. There are problems here, but arrogance and pretense among the populace would not be one of them.

[marukai]

The taxes alone have created a huge exodus og chicago
. There seems to be no accountability with finances

[IronWright]

Originally Posted by marukai

I'm 39 moved here in March of 2023. The people here are some of the most pretentious and arrogant types. I moved from the DC area, so I am familiar with DC, Baltimore, andPhiladelphia. The subway and bus system is one of the worst I've encountered. To add insult to injury the come and crazy inflation with high taxes is just another excuse to run away.


On a positive note the Chinatown here has some of the best Sichuan food "Chef Xiong " that I've ever had in any of the previous cities. The west Roger's Park area of Devon st hss excellent middle eastern and Indian cuisine. The ethnic foods are the only pro to this city.


Too much crime for the price and such a vast distance to and from destinations throutght the city, unless you're within the Loop.

While you're certainly entitled to your opinions your views are rather contrarian to conventional wisdom. You say people are arrogant but the city is known for having down-to-earth, 'don't put on airs' types. Chicago's public transit by U.S. standards is ranked right at the top by anyone who knows anything about mass transit planning and operations. Chicago is widely regarded as 'the best bang for your buck' city in the U.S. yet you claim it's too expensive for what you get.

Then you claim destinations are spread too far out yet Chicago is consistently criticized for being too centralized by a large number of people. Inflation isn't unique to Chicago so I'm not sure how running away remedies that. Finally Chicago is renowned for it's culinary scene and considered one of the top 'foodie' destinations yet ethnic foods are the only pro.

Big cities have big city problems so crime is part & parcel with that, if you're familiar with D.C., Philly and Baltimore then Chicago should feel either somewhat normal or even safer seeing all three have similar or higher homicide/crime rates.

I've never met anyone that's ever claimed the problems with Chicago are the food sucks, transit is horrible, people are pretentious and its too expensive compared to the east coast. Bravo

[ChiGuy2.5]

Originally Posted by Ak1234123

Hello! I am a single male approaching 40 (no kids) looking to rent in an inexpensive, safe, and quiet part of either Chicago or the surrounding suburbs, with the ability to get to downtown (where my new job is) via public transportation. Less important, but still a factor, is the ability to meet someone of the opposite sex for a long term romantic relationship as well, so hopefully an area where there are those kinds of opportunities and I don't just have to go to the city.

Are there areas that meet this criteria?

Happy to give more details if it would help with a suggestion.

Thanks!

So your requested criteria is inexpensive, safe, and quiet w/ potential to meet women? That's not much to go on. Even just a budget would be very helpful to recommend.

There are inexpensive places to live all over chicago, but it's all relative. There are quiet areas in all neighborhoods. Safety is also relative, but you can certainly look up the unsafe areas of Chicago which should give you a good idea of what to avoid. Women are all over so that should come with wherever you decide to live.

If you can give us a budget, unit size (1 bedroom or 2, etc?). Any other desires like being close to the lake or close to good restaurants? We need more to go off of.

[Kmanshouse]

Anything that's cheap, quiet, AND a place to meet women is going to be tough. You'll likely need to sacrifice one of those three things. You can get two, but not three.

For meeting women who haven't already been married....you'll need to be in the city. If you don't mind divorcees with a kid or two, then you can do the 'burbs but likely they are going to be pretty ingrained with their circle of friends. The single women I've known in your age group in the suburbs aren't typically the greatest catches in the world...

If you do the city, and want quiet, you might find some options way up in Ravenswood or Logan Square. Not quiet, but not as crazy busy as other parts of the city.