Moving to Chicago - Roomates? (North Chicago, Lincoln: apartment, lease, loans)

[mbevier]

I will be moving at the start of July to Chicago as a recent college grad (May 2007). Considering that I will be starting at a bout 55-60k a year, and am low on funds and have some nice college loans to start paying, I am looking to live as lean as possible at the start.

I want to live in the Near north/North Chicago area...around Lincoln Park/Lakeview or Lincoln Square/Ravenswood would also do well.

My question is...purely as a matter of opinion...do you think its a good idea to just get my own studio or 1BR place, or try to find some a place that needs a roomate and move in with some people?

I question whether or not moving in with relative strangers would be a good idea, but the savings on rent, etc, is hard to ignore. It would allow me to have a nicer place for less money, in most cases.

My seconds, and perhaps more important question is...does anyone happen to know of someone needing to rent a room? I have looked on many online sites for that very thing, but it is difficult to get an idea of what it really is...and usually requires me to spend money just to have a dialog with those people. That is rather annoying when I'm not even sure if I want to move in to those places, and the fact that there are free apartment searching places in Chicago. However, to my knowledge, these services won't find my a roomate situation.

Any suggestions, or leads, would be great.

Thanks!

[dieschweiz]

Dont do roommates! Get a 1 bedroom in a vintage will cost you less. But again not everyone is a big fan of those vintages, me included. My two cents

[Ilovejazz]

Originally Posted by mbevier

My question is...purely as a matter of opinion...do you think its a good idea to just get my own studio or 1BR place, or try to find some a place that needs a roomate and move in with some people?

That's a question only you can answer for yourself. Some people cannot stand living alone or are extremely flexible and don't mind living with others. For those people, living with a roommate may be ideal.

However, for others, having one's own place, no matter how small, is essential. You set the rules for your own place, and you don't have any disagreements with the other roomies.

Just to let you know, my daughter just moved to Chicago and found a studio for $650 in Lincoln Park. She's a grad student and doesn't have much money at all, but for her, finding a place for just herself was the right decision.

Your mileage may vary.

[untuchableface]

I wouldn't recommend moving in with people you don't know. I have friends that have done it and it worked out fine, though, so if you're leaning that way then you will probably be fine. My qualm is that you don't really know what you're getting yourself into and if you sign a lease you're kind of stuck.

As for your own place, you can afford it. Especially if you get a studio.

Check out Wicker Park (off of Division street and Ashland Ave) as you may be able to find a cheaper place there than Lincoln Park yet still have your shops, restaurants, bars and lots of 20 -somethings. Plus the El is right there.

[jessiegirl_98]

I think it's up to you. I would never have a random roommate, but some of my friends have and it really worked out. They found their roommates on craigslist.

[Mel2882]

I have found roommates on roommates.com and craigslist. They have all worked out fine. In fact, I'll be moving to Chicago in 2 weeks and I found my roommate on Craigslist...I visited a month ago to meet her and check out the place. You just have to be careful and make sure your money is going to the right place and the person is trustworthy. You'd be amazed at all the possibilities there are when you go online to look, and it's free. I've also lived by myself, so I figure I'll save money for a while and if I want to move out on my own again, I always can.

[preppyboyofIL]

I've done the roomates thing and with some it worked out well, and with others it was a nightmare. I also did the whole roomates.com thing and surprisingly I really lucked out with that. He was actually my best roomate and was a complete stranger! Its the old saying dont do business with friends or family and boy was that the truth. The roomates.com thing allowed us to be able to run the apartment like a business and everything was fair and square or cut and dry so to say. There were no hurt feelings in the end when he finally moved out, so, yes it can work, but is one's own preference. The best thing you can do is talk to some of your friends or family and see what they have to say about this situation. For me, being alone means that you will have more freedom, but at a cost of less money and it can get kind of lonely. Roomates on the other hand give you more money to spend, but can come at the cost of company you don't always want.