Help me find a place. (Chicago, Madison: middle-class, for rent, condos)

[Mental]

Originally Posted by Brunette2010

there are areas of Chicago that are much lower priced then the "trendy areas and yes, you can find them in safe, abiet maybe not as "xcitin" areas. I encourage you t check out Portage Park, Six Corners, Jefferson Park, etc--Theres a LOT of living in Chicago west !!

Thanks Brunette if you have any other areas to list I'm open, and if you have better places to look for places. I'm not really familliar with these neiborhoods. I would appreciate it if you say a bit about each of them. You've been helpful.
Thanks

[Avengerfire]

Originally Posted by Mental

...It's me and 2 others, and the most we can pay is $900 plus utilities. I can pay more if any utilities are covered...

Is this for a three bedroom?

[Ace Rothstein]

You should definitely check out Bridgeport. You can find 3 bedrooms for under 1k per month within walking distance of the Halsted Orange Line or the 35th Red Line station. Going to a grocery store isn't the easiest thing since the Jewel on 30th & Halsted closed but Halsted Foods is still open on 33rd & Halsted.

[Mental]

I'll check out brigeport. I'm looking for a place that's at least 1000sf (real square feet); more room would be better. I need at least 2 bed rooms, but 3 or 4 rooms might be best. I need a large room or area for doing art work. A former store front, office, or storage turned into an apartment would be good. I think I have a relative that would help with the cost of making rooms in a big empty area, but I would prefer a place with rooms already there. I had found a perfect place in pilsen for $700 in pilsen that was a former store, but apparently taken. What is brigeport like as a neiborhood?

There is this one place in East Garfeild Park. Is that a terrible area? I've heard bad stuff.

[TempesT68]

Originally Posted by Mental

I'll check out brigeport. I'm looking for a place that's at least 1000sf (real square feet); more room would be better. I need at least 2 bed rooms, but 3 or 4 rooms might be best. I need a large room or area for doing art work. A former store front, office, or storage turned into an apartment would be good. I think I have a relative that would help with the cost of making rooms in a big empty area, but I would prefer a place with rooms already there. I had found a perfect place in pilsen for $700 in pilsen that was a former store, but apparently taken. What is brigeport like as a neiborhood?

There is this one place in East Garfeild Park. Is that a terrible area? I've heard bad stuff.

Garfield park is ghetto. For that much space needed and that little to spend you've only got two choices, live in the ghetto or find a smaller place. you MAY be able to pull off a $900 rent for a two bed in a decent area, but nothing in the "premium" locations.

[TempesT68]

Originally Posted by PokerPlayer1

This is a variant of the same old question....

"Hello! I am moving to Chicago because of (insert life-circumstance here).

Because of (said circumstance), I require a nice place in a safe area of the city, however, I can only afford to pay (insert absurdly low sum here) a month. It must include (insert ridiculously unattainable amenities here) and be within walking distance to both the lake and an El Stop..."

The answer to this question is always the same: LOL. No. Go move to Des Moines.

Haha pretty much sums it up

[Mental]

What kind of area is 47TH AND THROOP

I have seen good places in areas like pilsen for $700 its just hard finding them.

[chitown85]

Avoid 47th and Throop at all costs. It's the Back of the Yards neighborhood, one of the more objectively dangerous in the city.

[Mental]

I've been using Craigslist and the reader, but I'm looking not only for apartments but live/work spaces. Anything from former store fronts to warehouses and such. Are there any other places on or off the web to look for those types of places, but they must have listings of places I can both work and live.

Also, what are the rules regarding these spaces. The work I'll be doing is artwork, but one landlord in an email said if I could live in his space mattered on what type of artwork I was doing? Why would it matter? Work is work. Do I need to be doing more industrial work or what?

One of the reasons it's hard to look at normal apartments is they rarely say how large they are, or if they do it's a flat out lie. 1300 sf is the size of a phone booth, or every one says huge which tells me nothing. More comercial spaces are easier to decifer. I don't have a car so I must be selective.

[Mental]

Also, is East Garfield as unsafe in the really industrial areas like Carroll at Kedzie. You know the areas that are all warehouses with almost no one around. Perhaps they are more dangerous?