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The big problem with Chicago is the violent crime rate, especially homicides. I think Philly is almost as bad.
The thing that most people fail to realize about Chicago is exactly this and if you know the city, you know that most of it is actually very safe:
1) 75% of the homicides since 2007 are centered in 3 main areas. These 3 main areas account for only 25% of Chicago's overall neighborhood makeup. I say three main areas because they usually span a few neighborhoods that are all adjacent to one another, so things spill out. These 3 main areas are areas in which you or I have no need to even be in almost EVER, unless you get a government based job there (i.e. Chicago Public Schools as a teacher) or help out in a charity/charitable act based in one of these neighborhoods. They are far enough removed too where it's not like you're in a "hot" neighborhood, then all of a sudden you're in a bad neighborhood.
2) Most homicide in this city is gang or drug related and is not random targeted homicide usually. This means that gang members are killing other gang members and drug people are killing other drug people. You have more of a chance of getting hit by a car hopping the curb in a downtown neighborhood here than you do some gang member actually targeting and killing you for no reason. If you aren't involved in drugs or a gang here, the chances of you being involved in a violent crime go drastically down. Don't get me wrong, it can happen to you even if you aren't part of one, but the chances are a lot lower.
3) If you were to take the other 75% of neighborhoods where the homicides haven't happened all that much, and take those 25% bad neighborhoods and normalize to the other 75%, maybe take a little more, the homicide rate would be similar to that of NYC or Los Angeles.
4) Chicago has the 16th highest homicide rate in the US amongst cities. Most people will have you believe it's #1. Some cities above it? Washington DC, Philadelphia, Miami, Atlanta, New Orleans, St. Louis, Detroit, Cleveland, Memphis, etc.
Aggravated Assault? Chicago is 24th. All the cities above are higher. Even Boston is higher. Burglary? 38th. Larceny-Theft? 39th. The worst ranking of the major categories is Robbery at 12th. DC, Philadelphia, Detroit, etc are still worse.
DC, Philadelphia, etc are ranked worse than Chicago in pretty much every major statistical category for crime.
Many of the neighborhoods where you would live in this city don't have that much crime. They have some, but it's usually pretty petty stuff. Every once in awhile a major one happens, but it's not all that much. I feel just as safe in many neighborhoods here as I did in the city I went to college in located in Iowa.
Listen, if this city was really what you and many others think it was, there wouldn't be a lot of people even living here. It's home to the 3rd most millionaires of any city in the US. They could live anywhere they want. Chicago has the 3rd most Fortune 500 company HQ in the US. They could relocate to many other places if they really wanted to.
I walk alone in my neighborhood and many others at all hours of the day and nothing even remotely bad has happened to me once. People really need to learn their facts better about the city. Stay away from the major 3 areas and the chances of you even seeing a real crime aren't even that great (I'm not talking about jay walking or public intoxication).
I live in Chicago and I don't know where these people are getting that Chicago is affordable...it is...if you have money... where I live in Chicago...a 1 bd 1ba condo costs about $230K avg. to me, that is not affordable...but to each their own. Evenh to rent a 2bd in the areas I would live in is going to cost someone about $1500 avg in rent. And for the homicide rate here...it's pretty much all in the bad neighborhoods...nowhere anyone I know lives!
For major cities...you will get the most bang for your buck in Chicago without a doubt.
My girlfriend lives in one of the most desirable parts of the city. A 3 minute walk out her door opens up literally hundreds of restaurants, bars, shops, theaters, etc and continues that way in each direction (except towards the lake) for literally miles. She is right near 4 bus stops and a few blocks from a major train line. She is 500 feet from a huge lake that has a huge park right near her including even a golf course on it and of course walking paths. She is a 15 minute train ride from the "downtown" neighborhoods even though her neighborhood is teeming with people and nightlife on the weekend nights (and of course in the summer just in general). Her place though is quiet surprisingly.
Guess how much she pays for that? $750 a month. I have other friends in the area who pay less than $600/month in a big 4 bedroom place which includes a full kitchen and not one but two living rooms. Try finding this in NYC, San Francisco, Los Angeles, Boston, Washington DC. You aren't going to find it in these cities or even close to it.
There are other big cities in the US, but they don't offer nearly as much as Chicago. As far as the "league of cities" go, Chicago is in the league with NYC, Los Angeles, Boston, DC, and San Fran. They're all in the same league, but Chicago is by far the cheapest out of all of them.
Houston? Big city, but it doesn't offer nearly as much. Phoenix? Same thing. Cleveland? Can be a cool city, but not even close. Indianapolis? No thanks. Atlanta? So so.
Chicago in many areas is a smaller, less dense version of New York City with DC and a tiny bit of Boston mixed in but it's incredibly cheaper in the areas you want to be in if you are the type to want to live in an area with tons of stuff. It all depends on what you want of course. Maybe you don't want a city of almost 3 million people and there are other much smaller cities like Minneapolis, Milwaukee, Cleveland (some of it), Pittsburgh, etc which are still cheap, great cities.
Okay seriously...where is she living that is supposedly one of the most desireable parts of the city and her rent is only that much??
Okay seriously...where is she living that is supposedly one of the most desireable parts of the city and her rent is only that much??
Lakeview. Tons of places around there are that price. It's a 2 bedroom for a total of $1500 total. Before that, she lived in Ravenswood along the Brown line for $550/month. if you look around at studios in the area, you'll see a bunch for under $700/month. I have friends in the area who pay less than $600/month for large 4 bedrooms (although they converted a 3 bedroom into a 4 bedroom since it had 2 living rooms, so if you used it as such, it would be around $700-$800/month for each person).
I have been to parties in Wicker Park for newly rehabbed apartments..this one had 2 decks, 3 bedrooms, wood floors, nice and brand new everything (cabinets, toilets, fixtures, new flooring, a front balcony right near Damen & Division) and it was $900/month per person. In an area like Pilsen or Bridgeport, you can get a 2 bedroom for under $1000/month total. Edgewater has studios for under $600/month and the 1 bedrooms are under $850/month. I have friends who were in Irving Park in a large 3 bedroom apartment semi near the blue line for a total of $1500/month ($500/month per person). I have some other friends who've paid around or less than $500/month with roommates in Logan Square.
Hell, my ex girlfriend's studio (convertible) in Lincoln Park near a bunch of stuff was $800/month. I have a friend who rents from an old building in Gold Coast for $775/month. My girlfriend moved this summer from her Ravenswood place and I got to see a ton of places both in person and online. The amount of places affordable is staggering, especially if you're willing to have one roommate.
If you really don't think Chicago is affordable in a lot of places, you need to do your homework way more.
Lakeview. Tons of places around there are that price. It's a 2 bedroom for a total of $1500 total. Before that, she lived in Ravenswood along the Brown line for $550/month. if you look around at studios in the area, you'll see a bunch for under $700/month. I have friends in the area who pay less than $600/month for large 4 bedrooms (although they converted a 3 bedroom into a 4 bedroom since it had 2 living rooms, so if you used it as such, it would be around $700-$800/month for each person).
I have been to parties in Wicker Park for newly rehabbed apartments..this one had 2 decks, 3 bedrooms, wood floors, nice and brand new everything (cabinets, toilets, fixtures, new flooring, a front balcony right near Damen & Division) and it was $900/month per person. In an area like Pilsen or Bridgeport, you can get a 2 bedroom for under $1000/month total. Edgewater has studios for under $600/month and the 1 bedrooms are under $850/month. I have friends who were in Irving Park in a large 3 bedroom apartment semi near the blue line for a total of $1500/month ($500/month per person). I have some other friends who've paid around or less than $500/month with roommates in Logan Square.
Hell, my ex girlfriend's studio (convertible) in Lincoln Park near a bunch of stuff was $800/month. I have a friend who rents from an old building in Gold Coast for $775/month. My girlfriend moved this summer from her Ravenswood place and I got to see a ton of places both in person and online. The amount of places affordable is staggering, especially if you're willing to have one roommate.
If you really don't think Chicago is affordable in a lot of places, you need to do your homework way more.
See that's the thing...you're totally talking about "per person"...You said she lived in one of the most desirable places and only paid $750 a month...you didn't say anything about a roommate,etc... most people are going to assume that you are talking about that she's living in an apt and she's only paying that much for that apt to live there by herself!! Most people when talking about apts here don't quote "per person"
I know how much it is to live here...I grew up in the burbs..and have been living in Chicago ever since 1987...I've lived in Rogers Park, Lakeview, Lincoln Park, Roscoe Village/North Center, and I have lived in Wicker Park and have been here since 2001... Sure if you have some roommates it's affordable...but I would assume the majority of people...especially as you get older...don't want a roommate. Just my opinion but when you are quoting how much someone is paying for rent...you should mention that the apartment is $1500 or that your girlfriend is sharing an apt with someone so her share of the rent is $750...instead of just saying that she pays $750! It sounds like you are saying her apt is only that much.. Yah, in Irving Park $1500 for a 3 bedroom apt is reasonable...but that's not always the case... I have friends living in 2 bd apts...not with roommates...who are paying $1500-2500...that's not all that affordable if you ask me! Chicago is expensive period...I would not call Chicago "affordable"...
I live in Chicago and I don't know where these people are getting that Chicago is affordable...it is...if you have money... where I live in Chicago...a 1 bd 1ba condo costs about $230K avg. to me, that is not affordable...but to each their own.
You have to realize that, compared to many other extremely urban areas that are major cities in the U.S. (NYC, LA, D.C., Boston, SF) it is really inexpensive. I mean, sure, compared to other smaller Midwestern cities (Kansas City, St. Louis, Indianapolis, etc.) Chicago COL is more expensive, but if you want some of the most affordable largest cities in the country, Chicago, Philly and Houston are easily towards the top. It's all relative.
See that's the thing...you're totally talking about "per person"...You said she lived in one of the most desirable places and only paid $750 a month...you didn't say anything about a roommate,etc... most people are going to assume that you are talking about that she's living in an apt and she's only paying that much for that apt to live there by herself!! Most people when talking about apts here don't quote "per person"
Yeah, but I said in there that there's studios in that area for under $700 a month....so..? And I have mentioned a lot of other areas, even ones like my friend living alone in Gold Coast for under $800/month, my ex girlfriend living alone for $800/month in Lincoln Park, and citing 1 bedrooms in Edgewater for under $850/month. I don't get what your point is. Yeah sure my girlfriend doesn't live alone, but I mentioned all these other places.
There are TONS more...I just listed mostly ones in Lakeview (one in LP and one in Uptown).
I could easily show you stuff like 1 bedrooms in Edgewater starting at $650/month like this one, studios starting at $525.
- http://www.rent.com/illinois/chicago...=1&rank=2&fl=0
You are also talking about one part. Yeah, I'm aware that people want to live alone sometimes. I have a 1 bedroom myself in the Gold Coast, but you have to realize that not everyone else is like you either. You can't just say, in the name of affordability, that affordability ONLY counts for 1 bedrooms and studios.
Also, yeah compared to the Midwest cities, sure Chicago is "expensive", but guess what? No other midwest city comes close to packing a punch like Chicago. You want to compare it to Indianapolis? Not even close. You compare it to its peers. Compare it to NYC, Los Angeles, Boston, DC, and San Francisco which offer similar living in places and it's a ****ing outright bargain. I can't even tell you how many times my NYC friends are amazed by how my apartment in the Gold Coast isn't $3500-$4000/month. Try getting a legit 1 bedroom apartment in NYC for under $1000/month in some areas that isn't even Manhattan. You can't.
Last edited by marothisu; 02-02-2013 at 10:22 AM..
You can't find a more major city that's actually affordable than Philadelphia.
Could be due to the serious crime problem Philadelphia is experiencing right now. Over 400 murders in 2012...
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