22 year old male looking to move to Chicago (Lincoln: apartment, leases)

[Champion Willis]

The long and short of it is this. I've spent most of my life in a small town, a couple years in a college town. I've always felt like a big city guy stuck in a the wrong place. Now I'm at a point in my life where I am ready to take the leap and (re)start my life in the Chi-town. My plan for the next year and a half in Chicago is: read, work and party. After which I will likely move upstate to one of the state colleges.

As of right now, once I've accquired what I feel is the necessary funds to keep me on my feet, I'm gonig to cut my ties and catch the next flight to the Windy City. To make the move a bit less erratic, I'm looking for advice on an area that fits my criteria.

My budget is $650 a month. I am looking for a place crime-free and easy to access public transit. Other than that, I am not trying to turn a house into a home or make materialistic people think highly of me because of my neighbors. I just want a place I can lay my head at night, and not have to worry about someone breaking in while I'm doing so. Studio apartment, sharing a house, condo, it doesn't really matter.

I'm looking for a location close to the thick of things concerning nightlife because I intended to use it a lot. I went to university in a college town prior and saved hundreds of dollars because of my close proximity to the downtown area. Definitely a plus for me considering I'm only going to be using public transportation.

This is also why, besides the usual shared affection for partying, a close proximity to a decent-sized college campus sounds reasonable, especially if there are any community colleges nearby that I can enroll in during my spare time. Also, I like the fact that housing around college campuses tends to be more affordable. However, I don't want to be in a ghost town during the holidays and summer-time either. At 22, I don't need to surround myself with university students, but in my life so far it has been the main arena for meeting like-minded individuals.

I don't mind diversity, I actually prefer it. I also wouldn't mind staying in a poorer neighborhood as long as gangs and guns aren't present, I don't want anything to do with either and that thread on gangs in Chicago almost made me look elsewhere but I have faith in the city I suppose.

Technically, I don't need to be IN Chicago but if i can live there, why not? If not, I'm thinking no more than a 45 minutes away from downtown. Because I'm going to be asking the question, "Will the public transit allow get me home whenever <random club's name here> closes on a regular basis?" and I know things get a little shoddy as you move out of the main metropolitan area...

So there's what I can think of so far. Hope the responses are good. If I get shot at the place you recommend, my ghost is coming back to e-haunt you.

[surlycue]

So just to clarify. You want an apartment/house with great access to public transportation, in a super safe neighborhood amidst all the nightlife and you want it for $650.

Fat chance.

[Champion Willis]

Okay, just to clarify.

Safe neighborhood - Doesn't matter. Just no guns

Public transportation - I can walk a couple blocks, no biggie

Wanting an apartment/house - I considered a tent, but someone always leaves the zipper door open and the hot air gets out

Nightlife - I just want to be able to get there for free/cheap. If I get a transit pass and the buses/trains run late, i'm set

[surlycue]

If you don't care about having roommates you should look to join someone else's two or three bedroom. There should be plenty to choose from on Craigslist since many college kids sign leases to start August 1st. I'd probably recommend Logan Square to you since it's along the blue line which is one of the two El lines that run 24 hours. The Belmont bus also runs 24 hours so you can go cross-town late and tranfer to the blue line there.

The neighborhood itself has its issues but if you are a white male you won't have to worry about sexual assault or gang profiling. Just try not to be an idiot if you come home drunk at 4am, keep your wits about you to avoid getting mugged. There are guns there but they stick to the gangs and the western side of Kimball for the most part. The neighborhood is chock full of twenty-somethings and is 10 minutes from the WP/Bucktown bars or 15 from Boystown/Wrigleyville.

[jdiddy]

Just look for roommates in Lincoln Park or Lakeview. You'll probably still be able to find a place for that price with a roommate or three, and that's clearly the lifestyle you're after.

[Avengerfire]

First point of advice.
Please do not call Chicago C*&-Town.
People will look at you with suspicion if you use that term.

[UnderTheLiveOaks]

Yes. Roommates. Get them. You'll be able to afford a better place in a better area and will be, I think, happier.

[Avengerfire]

Originally Posted by surlycue

So just to clarify. You want an apartment/house with great access to public transportation, in a super safe neighborhood amidst all the nightlife and you want it for $650.

Fat chance.

I know plenty of people that pay $650 and less in Lake View and Lincoln Park for a studio apartment or to share a really nice place.

Furthermore this is what the OP said: "My budget is $650 a month. I am looking for a place crime-free and easy to access public transit. Other than that, I am not trying to turn a house into a home or make materialistic people think highly of me because of my neighbors. I just want a place I can lay my head at night, and not have to worry about someone breaking in while I'm doing so. Studio apartment, sharing a house, condo, it doesn't really matter."

Are you having trouble reading today? Where did he say he though he could buy a house or condo for $650 a month?

Now of course you were plenty justified to rip on him for thinking he can find ANY place in a major large city that is completely crime free.

[brainiac138]

Check out Buena Park, it is close to LakeView and I always see ads for studios in the area in the 600-700 range.

[surlycue]

Originally Posted by Avengerfire

Where did he say he though he could buy a house or condo for $650 a month?

Where did I say anything about him buying either?