Chicago, IL

[glg96]

On 3/9/2018 at 2:19 PM, Policy.Planner.NYC said:

I'll likely be attending U Chicago for my MPP (Harris) next fall. Assuming that I can incorporate Metra into my travels, how crazy is it to live in a north/northwestern neighborhood like Lakeview, Logan Square, or Wicker Park while studying at U Chicago? I'm coming to Chicago from NYC and I really found that Hyde Park really lacks the atmosphere I've become accustomed to over the past 6-7 years in NYC. Even Morningside Heights where I spent 4 years as an undergrad at Columbia feels more vibrant/urban than Hyde Park. 

I'm dealing with the same issue. I spent a summer in a program for UChicago and I loved it! But what I mostly loved was that I spent most of my time in Logan Square, Pilsen, Wicker Park, etc. instead of Hyde Park—which gets so boring. I'm mostly worried about commute (especially in the winters) if I choose to live further up. 

[Yaris]

On 3/12/2018 at 1:15 PM, deshypothequiez said:

I will very likely be moving to Chicago to attend Northwestern and am trying to get a sense of the livability/commute from various neighborhoods. I know Rogers Park is a popular one (we even had current students take us on a walking tour), but I'm kinda eyeing places off the express Purple stops. As a queer Asian American I'm especially curious about the area around Belmont (due to its proximity to Boystown) and Wilson (due to its proximity to "New Chinatown"/Little Saigon). Is it likely to find a room to rent out (not a 1br or studio) in either of those areas for ~$700/mo, and does anyone have experience with/advice about the commute to NU from there during peak or off-peak hours? Also, any advice for places to look for rooms other than Craigslist and Facebook groups?

As a queer man I enjoyed living in Edgewater, and found myself going out in Rogers Park and Andersonville much more than Boystown. In addition to being much more affordable than Boystown, any of the Far North neighborhoods also tend to be safer (with the exception of northern Rogers Park, near Howard). Apartment People ( https://www.apartmentpeople.com/) is a pretty convenient resource for finding housing. Just for comparison, I paid ~$950 for a 1BR in Edgewater, two blocks from the "gay beach" (Hollywood). Anywhere around Belmont runs at least $1200+ for a decent 1BR. Studios run about $100-200 cheaper in their respective neighborhoods.

[0musubi]

are there any apartment rental agencies/property management companies people recommend or recommend avoiding

Edited March 24, 2018 by 0musubi
clarity

[deshypothequiez]

@Yaris Thanks for the tips!

[narple]

Commuting to HP for Uchicago is doable from the north side, but not ideal. Plan on it taking about 40 minutes to get down to HP on a Weekday in morning traffic from Lincoln Park. Closer to an hour if your driving down from 90/94. And an hour-hour and a half if busing/metra. And similar back. If you can make sure your driving during non traffic hour times that time can be cut in half or a third. If you want something in between check out Pilsen. its still on the south side so you won't deal with traffic but has more of an "urban feel". West loop is kinda the dining area and nicer bars, if you can afford it. 

[Sparkybob]

Hello friends,

I was recently admitted to DePaul University. The stipend they offer me is $18,700 for 9 months and I am just wondering how much of a struggle living on that will be? For reference I lived in NYC all my life so I have a general idea what it is like living in a big city. 

[shiningorb]

19 minutes ago, Sparkybob said:

Hello friends,

I was recently admitted to DePaul University. The stipend they offer me is $18,700 for 9 months and I am just wondering how much of a struggle living on that will be? For reference I lived in NYC all my life so I have a general idea what it is like living in a big city. 

It should be very doable. You can find a bedroom in a 3 bed apartment for around ~$500 per month in Rogers Park, which is not too long of a commute from Lincoln Park. Also, since you’d be attending a university in the city proper, you’d be able to get a discounted pass for the L train system and CTA (called a U-Pass) that allows for unlimited rides for college students. Groceries wouldn’t be too bad either, I live in one of the most expensive cities in the country right now and can manage on $25 per week in groceries (just groceries - I budget another $30ish for eating out for myself each week) so Chicago should be around the same if not a little bit cheaper. Your money will run you a lot further in Chicago than it would in NYC, in my opinion. 

Edited March 28, 2018 by shiningorb

[Sparkybob]

11 minutes ago, shiningorb said:

It should be very doable. You can find a bedroom in a 3 bed apartment for around ~$500 per month in Rogers Park, which is not too long of a commute from Lincoln Park. Also, since you’d be attending a university in the city proper, you’d be able to get a discounted pass for the L train system and CTA (called a U-Pass) that allows for unlimited rides for college students. Groceries wouldn’t be too bad either, I live in one of the most expensive cities in the country right now and can manage on $25 per week in groceries (just groceries - I budget another $30ish for eating out for myself each week) so Chicago should be around the same if not a little bit cheaper. Your money will run you a lot further in Chicago than it would in NYC, in my opinion. 

Thanks for the advice!

Do you think it is possible to save money on such a stipend? 

[emhafe]

I have a stipend slight smaller than yours (18,000) and live in the northern part of the city. I've always been frugal, but I've been extra careful since starting my PhD with budgeting. I have been able to save money--one, because I set it in my budget and, two, because I don't feel the need to spend every cent in my monthly budget if at the end I have money left over. Next year I'm going to find a studio which will make my housing more expensive and I doubt I can save as much (if any), but it was a decision I had to make for my own happiness.

[Sparkybob]

26 minutes ago, emhafe said:

I have a stipend slight smaller than yours (18,000) and live in the northern part of the city. I've always been frugal, but I've been extra careful since starting my PhD with budgeting. I have been able to save money--one, because I set it in my budget and, two, because I don't feel the need to spend every cent in my monthly budget if at the end I have money left over. Next year I'm going to find a studio which will make my housing more expensive and I doubt I can save as much (if any), but it was a decision I had to make for my own happiness.

That is good to hear! Did you have any problems commuting to your school?

[emhafe]

Since this is my first year in Chicago, I opted to live close to campus until I had a better understanding of the city. So, I walk a couple blocks over! I've been quite spoiled this year by that. 

[HannahRae]

On 3/9/2018 at 1:19 PM, Policy.Planner.NYC said:

I'll likely be attending U Chicago for my MPP (Harris) next fall. Assuming that I can incorporate Metra into my travels, how crazy is it to live in a north/northwestern neighborhood like Lakeview, Logan Square, or Wicker Park while studying at U Chicago? I'm coming to Chicago from NYC and I really found that Hyde Park really lacks the atmosphere I've become accustomed to over the past 6-7 years in NYC. Even Morningside Heights where I spent 4 years as an undergrad at Columbia feels more vibrant/urban than Hyde Park. 

As someone who lived in Logan square and dated someone who lives in Hyde park, honestly it was pretty exhausting. The metra is more expensive and I don't believe it is covered by the UPass. I live in Hyde Park now and I think it gets a bad reputation for being not very exciting. The university is always having events and so is the Promotory, the revival theater, the bookstores and the Hyde Park art center. There is lots of stuff to do it just takes some investigating. It also isn't too difficult to get downtown if you live near the bus or train. I live close to the buses that take you to campus and downtown and my apartment is pretty inexpensive! 

[shmcewen]

What's the parking situation like at University of Chicago? I'll be commuting from Logan Square (near the Western station) and I haven't quite decided if I should use public transportation or drive down.

[Account6567]

On 4/11/2018 at 12:18 PM, shmcewen said:

What's the parking situation like at University of Chicago? I'll be commuting from Logan Square (near the Western station) and I haven't quite decided if I should use public transportation or drive down.

Basically same here except commuting from the suburbs- I heard parking on campus is really tough; I don't mind paying a bit but I'd much rather just have an easy space and walk a few minutes than worry about finding a spot after making the drive over. Any suggestions?

[raj95]

I'll be joining UIC this upcoming Fall. Can anyone help me with the Housing??? I am ready to commute 30-45 mins from my housing also. Can someone please help me with it with the rent details if possible. Any help is much much appreciated. 

[christinaelena]

Hi, I am an international student and I will be attending UChicago, so I am trying to figure out the housing situation from abroad. Would it be a bad idea to sublet a room which is available for the fall quarter and then look for a place to sign a longer lease? This has the advantage of actually being able to see the place in person and having a better idea of the exact area I want to live at. Will it be much harder to find a good deal for a room/studio starting from January?

Thanks

[slouching]

On 6/8/2018 at 2:12 PM, christinaelena said:

Hi, I am an international student and I will be attending UChicago, so I am trying to figure out the housing situation from abroad. Would it be a bad idea to sublet a room which is available for the fall quarter and then look for a place to sign a longer lease? This has the advantage of actually being able to see the place in person and having a better idea of the exact area I want to live at. Will it be much harder to find a good deal for a room/studio starting from January?

Thanks

Yeah, I definitely recommend moving into a place that you're able to see in person first. If you're coming from out of the country, I can see how it might be easier to sublet for a bit to give yourself more time to look at longer-term options. If you're hoping to sign a lease starting in January, you may find that your options are somewhat limited, since that's not a super popular period for leases to start/end. Of course, the flip side is that you may be able to get a lower rate, since landlords will be eager to fill those units. But also, keep in mind that moving in Chicago in the middle of winter would be...a (cold, wet) challenge.

[ayeshakhan]

What should be my expenses for a month on an average?

[slouching]

On 7/2/2018 at 1:53 AM, ayeshakhan said:

What should be my expenses for a month on an average?

Depends on neighborhood and lifestyle, but Chicago as a whole is expensive. I lived in a studio on the far north side and probably spent about $950 on rent and utilities; I would recommend finding roommates to lower your housing costs. Monthly Ventra pass (for CTA access) is $105. 

[ayeshakhan]

On 7/6/2018 at 1:02 AM, slouching said:

Depends on neighborhood and lifestyle, but Chicago as a whole is expensive. I lived in a studio on the far north side and probably spent about $950 on rent and utilities; I would recommend finding roommates to lower your housing costs. Monthly Ventra pass (for CTA access) is $105. 

Alright, thank you. So, I would say that if I manage to find a roommate, my monthly expense should be about $700 right?

[thenewkidaw71]

16 hours ago, ayeshakhan said:

Alright, thank you. So, I would say that if I manage to find a roommate, my monthly expense should be about $700 right? 

So I am a new grad student at UChicago, and after spending a couple of weeks here I would plan for a little bigger budget. You can find reasonable rent in the Hyde Park area, especially if you are willing to squeeze an extra person in an apartment or live south of 59th street (a word of caution though is that, although you can find some nicer looking apartments between 60th-62nd, it rapidly becomes an unsafe neighborhood), but other expenses are really high. There are only two grocery stores in Hyde Park, both of which seem outrageously expensive, at least coming from Ohio, and my utilities are about twice what I paid in Ohio. There is also no discount shopping center like Walmart for basic goods unless you have a car or take a 20 minute train ride, so you are stuck at CVS or Target. It is a beautiful area and cheaper than many other neighborhoods in Chicago, but it is still city living and the costs add up!

[HannahRae]

On 7/10/2018 at 8:58 PM, thenewkidaw71 said:

So I am a new grad student at UChicago, and after spending a couple of weeks here I would plan for a little bigger budget. You can find reasonable rent in the Hyde Park area, especially if you are willing to squeeze an extra person in an apartment or live south of 59th street (a word of caution though is that, although you can find some nicer looking apartments between 60th-62nd, it rapidly becomes an unsafe neighborhood), but other expenses are really high. There are only two grocery stores in Hyde Park, both of which seem outrageously expensive, at least coming from Ohio, and my utilities are about twice what I paid in Ohio. There is also no discount shopping center like Walmart for basic goods unless you have a car or take a 20 minute train ride, so you are stuck at CVS or Target. It is a beautiful area and cheaper than many other neighborhoods in Chicago, but it is still city living and the costs add up!

As someone who has lived in Hyde Park for a while now I would definitely say that if you have a roommate you can make around 750 work for housing costs. 

HP actually has 4 grocery stores! Treasure Island and Whole Foods are definitely not the cheapest places to go but, Hyde Park Produce is amazing! It doesn't always have everything you need but prices are great and so is Open Produce which is small but is open till 2 am. 

We also have a a Walgreen's and a pretty quality dollar store on 53rd and an Office Depot for school supplies and it is right next to an ACE Hardware. 

Hyde Park is a cool place with a lot of great things sometimes it just takes a bit of exploring to find it all! 

[green_dots21]

On 4/15/2018 at 11:44 PM, raj95 said:

I'll be joining UIC this upcoming Fall. Can anyone help me with the Housing??? I am ready to commute 30-45 mins from my housing also. Can someone please help me with it with the rent details if possible. Any help is much much appreciated. 

I used to commute to UIC from Logan Square/Avondale. It's super easy, but CTA (from Damen to Logan Square) gets annoying in the morning with the crowds. You can also take the Metra two stops to Union Station and hop on the bus to UIC, it takes about ~35-40 minutes with waiting included. The 157 will take you from East campus to West. 

You can find a bedroom for $400-600 almost anywhere off the blue line, even Wicker Park if you do a well enough search. 

[green_dots21]

On 7/2/2018 at 1:53 AM, ayeshakhan said:

What should be my expenses for a month on an average?

Depending on the neighborhood, you should be able to find a bedroom for $400-600. I have only heard of studios as low as $625 in Uptown, other places would be $700+ but under $1k. I don't think there's any reason for anyone to pay more than $600 for a bedroom in Chicago if they have more than one roommate. At the same time, some people have more safety concerns than I do and might opt to live closer to a train stop. 

As a single person, I used to spend $30-40 a week on groceries, sometimes less. Don't shop at Whole Foods or Trader Joe's if you want to save money. There are plenty of great grocery stores if you pick the right neighborhood, especially if you are in Rogers Park, Edgewater, Uptown, Logan Square, and nearby areas. You might have to hop on a bus, but most people do.  

During summer, your electric bill will be high with A/C. During winter, your gas bill will be high with heat. Make sure you save more than you think you'll need, especially if you are living alone. 

Internet is pretty cheap. 

[zoetrope]

So I'm a long time Chicago resident, but I haven't spent a ton of time in Hyde Park, where I'll likely be attending UChicago. I know about Medici, Seminary Co-op, Salonica, and the Regenstein-- are there any out of the way places I should know about for studying/hanging out? Preferably quiet and with good vibes.

In terms of commute, I'm in Ukrainian Village, and it looks like I'll be slogging it on the green line for an hour and 15 mins each way (ick). Is there really not an intercampus shuttle from downtown or anything like that? Just checking. And any commute tips in general would be welcome.

Edited February 9, 2019 by zoetrope