For UIC I would say Blue Line is a great option! I really like the neighborhood of Logan Square, which is right along the blue line. There are a lot of affordable apartments and it's a very trendy neighborhood. Alternatively, along the blue line you also have the neighborhood of Jefferson Park, which is more of a family oriented neighborhood if that is something you are more interested in. I'll admit I am a bit biased as a life-long Northsider. But I hope this helps all the same! I am moving to Nashville for grad school in July, but feel free to message me if you have any other questions about UIC/Chicago.