What To Expect? (Chicago, Oak Park, Lincoln: apartment, crime, how much)

[Megalomaniac]

Hello, I'm new to this forum and would like to just ask a few questions about Chicago. I live in a very (can't stress that enough) small farming town in Illinois and, am planning on going to College in Chicago. Can anyone give me details on what to expect and, is it okay if I'm experiencing anxiety because of the culture shock in it all.

[Intergalactic]

Remember, people are the same everywhere. Think of it like a first date; be yourself, but don't chew with your mouth open.

Since I grew up in a city, I can't really explain what it is like to a person from a small town. There's more traffic, more people, more buildings and more to do and see. The scale is impressive; the Sears Tower has its own Zip Code, as does the Merchandise Mart (or they used to, but you get the idea).

Chicago, like all cities, is made of neighborhoods that don't always interact much. A native Chicagoan will ask another, "What high school did you go to?" and be able to know a lot about them just from the answer. Some people go to the same diner every day their whole lives, while others are making an effort to eat at every one of the ten thousand non-chain restaurants in Chicago at least once.

Chicago is oriented towards the Loop (downtown), especially as far as its transportation systems are concerned. The Lakefront is nice; this makes property values near Lake Michigan much higher than inland.

It is okay to feel anxious. I would suggest reading about Chicago in a book or on Wikipedia. People keep that article in pretty good shape.

[oakparkV]

Hey, this sounds a lot like my own personal experience. I grew up in a smallish, suburban town in Wisconsin, went to college in the suburbs of Chicago, then moved near the city in 2005. I can tell you, the first year will be the hardest. After that, it gets easier, and eventually you'll come to love it! I've been here 4 years now and couldn't imagine going back to small-town life!

Some good, practical advice, from my POV...

1) Get a bicycle. It's a cheap, quick, eco-friendly way to get around the city. I bought my bike for $50 from Working Bikes.

2) If you're moving to a certain area, research the neighborhood first. For me, I decided that I liked Oak Park, but I didn't know that it bordered on the Austin neighborhood, a rough area on the West side of Chicago. Unwittingly, I got an apartment on the Austin border... hence why my first year was the hardest!

3) Get to know your neighbors. If you're not from the area, they'll be your best source of help, advice, etc. Plus, they're probably going to be some cool, interesting, unique characters!

4) Mind your own business, and act like you know what you're doing, even when you don't... it might sound harsh, but the easiest way to get along in Chicago is to just "blend in." After awhile, it'll become second-nature to you...

Also, being that you're going to college here, you'll soon make a group of friends and find your own sense of community here. Best of luck, and don't be too scared! Chicago's an amazing city and the people here are cool. You'll come to love it here, and you'll be glad to call it home!

[Costa Rica Chica]

You'll be astounded at how much there is to do here. Chicago's a great city, you'll love it.

[Manigault]

My friend, if you live in IL, Chicago can't be that far away. Come visit.

[Megalomaniac]

I've visited Chicago a number of times but that's just visiting, I've never stayed and seen day in and day out what it was like. I think I'm going to live in Presidential Towers, is that a good area? Thanks for all your help too, I really appreciate it.

[long101]

Originally Posted by Megalomaniac

I've visited Chicago a number of times but that's just visiting, I've never stayed and seen day in and day out what it was like. I think I'm going to live in Presidential Towers, is that a good area? Thanks for all your help too, I really appreciate it.

Where are you going to school at? I would assume UIC has the towers are semi close. I would definetly not recommend it, after 6PM you will be twiddiling your thumbs looking for stuff to do in the loop.

[Megalomaniac]

I'm going to college at Kendall for culinary arts and, by the looks of my schedule I'm not going to be having much free time as it is. I just want to know if it's in a good part of town so I could walk from point A to point B or even bike.

[Intergalactic]

One of the Presidential Towers is at 555 W Madison St, and is somewhat isolated at night. Kendall College is on Goose Island, also somewhat isolated. The bike route from Kendall College would be down Halsted St to Milwaukee, over to Desplains St and then to Presidential Towers.

That stretch of Halsted runs over and under freeways and train tracks and is busy and ugly. I would never consider biking it, but not because of crime as much as danger from traffic. Walking would be something I would do once, on a nice summer day because I a weirdo who likes that sort of cityscape.

Here is an example from Google Street View (give it a second to load)
900 N.North Branch Street, chicago il - Google Maps
you can see the four identical Presidential Towers in the distance. "Drive" down it using the arrows. Now imagine it in winter.

So what will happen is you'll end up taking the bus. Not so bad, but you could live in much better neighborhoods equally far away.

For example, you could live north of Goose Island on Halsted in the southern end of Lincoln Park (North of North Ave. Finding an apartment there will be hard, I think). Or you could live in Wicker Park or the northern edge of Ukrainian Village (in other words, west of Ashland Ave).

These "happening" neighborhoods are where many twenty to "thirty-nine" year olds live, and have driven up the rents. Amusingly, you are one of the few people who could actually justify living there.

Use this " + theTitle + " and select neighborhoods to get the boundaries. Also, you can see the bike maps here Chicago Bike Map (http://www.cityofchicago.org/Transportation/bikemap/keymap.html - broken link) .

[Tenzo]

I would not stay in presidential towers.
They are way isolated. There are some much nicer places just west of their that have a neighborhood feel and are less expensive.