SubmarineReflection Posted January 27, 2015 Share Posted January 27, 2015 Define 'work'...I mean I think if you're enrolled in a PhD program, you're full time, obviously including once you're done with CW and into TAing/writing up/whatever. Part time would be stuff like the weekend MBA courses, I imagine. The pricing is comparable/better than elsewhere, unless you can find a private landlord (very difficult in HP, thanks to MAC). The service level and convenience make it good value. I don't think there is dorm-housing, although there might be some 2-bed apartments available. FWIW I pay $811 including all bills, for a 1-bed, 15 mins walk or 5 mins free bus from the library, on the main shopping street in HP. It's good enough that I'll try to find a subletter and stay here for the summer. Also, if you decide to take up your place at UC, there's a website where students/staff/faculty post classified ads for subleases and apartments, so it's really easy to find something at super short notice should you decide not to go for grad housing. Agreed, real estate in Hyde Park is really affordable. Chicago in general has really great rental prices compared to New York or the Bay Area. My best friend in Chicago is a PhD student in Chicago and I think her building is technically campus housing, but really all that means is that a bunch of grad students live in her building. I don't know how much her rent is-- Last year I lived in a 2 bedroom, 2 bathroom, with a sunroom and my roommate and I paid around 700 each, plus utilities. I wouldn't bother with dorms (I think there are grad student dorms). Some grad students eventually decide to leave the Hyde Park bubble anyway. Message me if you have more questions about Chicago-- I lived there for over 20 years. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
StatsG0d Posted February 3, 2015 Share Posted February 3, 2015 I was an undergrad at Loyola, so I can attest to the very affordable rent prices in Chicago (especially compared to where I currently live--DC). I see a lot of questions are about downtown or the south side (Hyde Park), but if anyone has questions about living on the North Side, I'll be happy to answer them. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
MBDT Posted February 5, 2015 Share Posted February 5, 2015 Define 'work'...I mean I think if you're enrolled in a PhD program, you're full time, obviously including once you're done with CW and into TAing/writing up/whatever. Part time would be stuff like the weekend MBA courses, I imagine. The pricing is comparable/better than elsewhere, unless you can find a private landlord (very difficult in HP, thanks to MAC). The service level and convenience make it good value. I don't think there is dorm-housing, although there might be some 2-bed apartments available. FWIW I pay $811 including all bills, for a 1-bed, 15 mins walk or 5 mins free bus from the library, on the main shopping street in HP. It's good enough that I'll try to find a subletter and stay here for the summer. Also, if you decide to take up your place at UC, there's a website where students/staff/faculty post classified ads for subleases and apartments, so it's really easy to find something at super short notice should you decide not to go for grad housing. Thank you for the information! I was just accepted to UChicago. $23000 annual stipend plus $3000 for summers. I'm coming from Detroit, so $800 definitely sounds a bit steep -- but hopefully manageable given the stipend? Does $26000/year sound roughly sufficient to live in Hyde Park? (Sidenote: I've lived with roommates my entire adult life, and would ideally have a studio or 1B as a PhD student...) Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
music Posted February 5, 2015 Share Posted February 5, 2015 Thank you for the information! I was just accepted to UChicago. $23000 annual stipend plus $3000 for summers. I'm coming from Detroit, so $800 definitely sounds a bit steep -- but hopefully manageable given the stipend? Does $26000/year sound roughly sufficient to live in Hyde Park? (Sidenote: I've lived with roommates my entire adult life, and would ideally have a studio or 1B as a PhD student...) I'm managing on that, plus international taxes, plus flying home to the UK 3x a year (about $1000/time). You'll be fine if you just make a budget and stick to it. I find food to be cheap, and tbh my expenses beyond rent and food (and flights) are next to nothing, thanks to the free transport around HP, free healthcare and free gym membership for PhD students. There's also enough free events going on in HP that you can have fun on a budget too. Bear in mind my $811 for a 1 bed w/ utilities is seriously hard to come by, and my apartment is only 420 sq ft. Realistically you're looking at more like $900-1100/month for a 1 bed, or maybe $750-900 for a studio. Everyone manages, and everyone has the same stipend, so you'd be just fine. insaneinthemembrane and Atlantis 2 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
MBDT Posted February 5, 2015 Share Posted February 5, 2015 I'm managing on that, plus international taxes, plus flying home to the UK 3x a year (about $1000/time). You'll be fine if you just make a budget and stick to it. I find food to be cheap, and tbh my expenses beyond rent and food (and flights) are next to nothing, thanks to the free transport around HP, free healthcare and free gym membership for PhD students. There's also enough free events going on in HP that you can have fun on a budget too. Bear in mind my $811 for a 1 bed w/ utilities is seriously hard to come by, and my apartment is only 420 sq ft. Realistically you're looking at more like $900-1100/month for a 1 bed, or maybe $750-900 for a studio. Everyone manages, and everyone has the same stipend, so you'd be just fine. I'm managing on that, plus international taxes, plus flying home to the UK 3x a year (about $1000/time). You'll be fine if you just make a budget and stick to it. I find food to be cheap, and tbh my expenses beyond rent and food (and flights) are next to nothing, thanks to the free transport around HP, free healthcare and free gym membership for PhD students. There's also enough free events going on in HP that you can have fun on a budget too. Bear in mind my $811 for a 1 bed w/ utilities is seriously hard to come by, and my apartment is only 420 sq ft. Realistically you're looking at more like $900-1100/month for a 1 bed, or maybe $750-900 for a studio. Everyone manages, and everyone has the same stipend, so you'd be just fine. Thank you!! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Atlantis Posted February 6, 2015 Share Posted February 6, 2015 I agree. PhD Student in Hyde Park myself. Your stipend will be plenty… just don't spend 1k a month on rent, as I did! It may get you into trouble. But there are other options, besides MAC in Hyde Park. Look at Parker Holsman for example. They have a couple of properties, also in the 'safer', Eastern part of Hyde Park, like on Harper, where I lived for a while, and absolutely loved it. And you can get a bike. Really. It's perfect, especially in the summer. Happy to answer more questions, too. MBDT 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
StatsG0d Posted February 7, 2015 Share Posted February 7, 2015 Thank you for the information! I was just accepted to UChicago. $23000 annual stipend plus $3000 for summers. I'm coming from Detroit, so $800 definitely sounds a bit steep -- but hopefully manageable given the stipend? Does $26000/year sound roughly sufficient to live in Hyde Park? (Sidenote: I've lived with roommates my entire adult life, and would ideally have a studio or 1B as a PhD student...) You can probably live quite comfortably in Chicago with that amount of money. Chicago is surprisingly affordable for how large of a city it is. Hyde Park is a nice area, though, so the apartments there (despite being on the south side) are more expensive than surrounding neighborhoods, which are not so nice. Probably the cheapest you could find for a studio is around $700, but don't forget to tack on utilities. As much as it isn't ideal, Chicago is significantly more affordable if you have a roommate. MBDT 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
insaneinthemembrane Posted February 16, 2015 Share Posted February 16, 2015 I agree. PhD Student in Hyde Park myself. Your stipend will be plenty… just don't spend 1k a month on rent, as I did! It may get you into trouble. But there are other options, besides MAC in Hyde Park. Look at Parker Holsman for example. They have a couple of properties, also in the 'safer', Eastern part of Hyde Park, like on Harper, where I lived for a while, and absolutely loved it. And you can get a bike. Really. It's perfect, especially in the summer. Happy to answer more questions, too. Are there furnished properties available? I got accepted into UChicago but I don't think I can bring all of my stuff out before the quarter starts. Also, what are the best areas to live in around Hyde Park (ie is access to the Metro line significantly farther out from the University?) Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
StatsG0d Posted February 19, 2015 Share Posted February 19, 2015 Are there furnished properties available? I got accepted into UChicago but I don't think I can bring all of my stuff out before the quarter starts. Also, what are the best areas to live in around Hyde Park (ie is access to the Metro line significantly farther out from the University?) The closest El station is Cottage Grove, which is about a 15 minute walk from the south part of the campus. I wouldn't say it's the safest place in the world, but if you go with a group you should be fine. There's also a shuttle that runs from 6:30pm to 12:00am on weekend nights that goes to South Loop. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
insaneinthemembrane Posted February 19, 2015 Share Posted February 19, 2015 The closest El station is Cottage Grove, which is about a 15 minute walk from the south part of the campus. I wouldn't say it's the safest place in the world, but if you go with a group you should be fine. There's also a shuttle that runs from 6:30pm to 12:00am on weekend nights that goes to South Loop. I'm pretty used to unsafe neighborhoods (i grew up in pretty bad parts of NYC) but are people usually fine walking around past 10pm or is it one of those things where everyone is home by 9 every night because I might have late nights working in the library or the lab. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
music Posted February 20, 2015 Share Posted February 20, 2015 The closest El station is Cottage Grove, which is about a 15 minute walk from the south part of the campus. I wouldn't say it's the safest place in the world, but if you go with a group you should be fine. There's also a shuttle that runs from 6:30pm to 12:00am on weekend nights that goes to South Loop. Depending where you live, the best way to access the L is either the 55 bus to the green line, or the 15 bus from 51st St to green (@51st) or red (@47th) line. They all go directly to the L stop. Most people use the 6 bus to get downtown though, or sometimes the Metro. Both of those run close to the university. Google maps will tell you more, or check the transloc website/app. I too am from a rough part of London and figured all the talk about Chicago being unsafe was BS, but actually, you're hyper-visible in the "wrong" neighbourhood here because of the intense racial/wealth segregation by area - and I say this being married to a black man, who also doesn't want to live anywhere requiring a potentially dodgy commute (http://www.radicalcartography.net/index.html?chicagodots). I would recommend living (inclusively) south of 47th, north of 61st, and east of Cottage Grove. Most prefer to be south of 51st, north of 59th, and east of Ellis. Or else commute via the 6 bus or Metro, which some do. People are not all home by 9pm by a long shot, undergrads love pulling all nighters, and there are 4 night shuttle routes to take account of that. You just have to be wise (to an extent reflected somewhat by your own demographic) as to how you get home after dark. I've personally had no issues, but guns and gangs are a real thing on Chicago's South Side, and some risks are not worth taking. navyblackmaroon 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
cinoadam Posted February 22, 2015 Share Posted February 22, 2015 So I might go to University of Chicago as a Masters student. Full time course load for my program is considered to be 3 courses. So does this mean that if I only take 2 courses per semester I won't be able to live in the university owned graduate apartments? Also are the university owned apartments any safer than other apartments in the area? Do they feature any more security? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
im4nrt Posted March 17, 2015 Share Posted March 17, 2015 Also curious about UChicago graduate student apartments!! Any reviews out there?? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
music Posted March 19, 2015 Share Posted March 19, 2015 Also curious about UChicago graduate student apartments!! Any reviews out there?? I live in grad housing. I'd say it's your best bet in HP. The management is decent, the rent is reasonable, the upkeep is great, and they don't turn off the heating once it's above 40 degrees like MAC do. The big downside is that you can't choose exactly where you live. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
victorydance Posted March 19, 2015 Share Posted March 19, 2015 I live in grad housing. I'd say it's your best bet in HP. The management is decent, the rent is reasonable, the upkeep is great, and they don't turn off the heating once it's above 40 degrees like MAC do. The big downside is that you can't choose exactly where you live. How much is rent approximately? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
music Posted March 20, 2015 Share Posted March 20, 2015 How much is rent approximately? Varies a lot depending on the size of the apartment, which utilities are included, and how many bedrooms. The Residential Properties website shows prices. I'm paying $811/month for a tiny 1-bed place including all bills except wifi. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Senior Posted March 22, 2015 Share Posted March 22, 2015 Hi everybody, I'm an international student and I have never been to US. I have accpeted my offer of admission to UChicago for a Ph.D. program in Molecular Eng. and I'm considering my housing options now. (I want to spend about $800 on rent and utilities) As I'm kind of a social person and I don't like being alone, I prefer to have a roommate. But, if I apply for a shared apartment in the graduate housing of the university, I will end up with a random roommate, which I don't think would be a good idea, since we may not get along well. After reading the university website and this forum, I think I have three options. One is the International House, which I like the idea of getting to know many students and their cultures from different parts of the world in a friendly atmosphere. Also, I won't feel lonely besides having my privacy. The problem is I would have just one room, meaning that I have to share the kitchen and the bathroom with others. The other option would be applying for a studio in the graduate housing apartments, which I think will be a little depressing, especially during winter . The last option is looking for an apartment with roommates on the Marketplace or other websites (in the safer parts of the Hyde Park), which as I said is somehow risky regarding the house itself (as I can't check before my arrival) and the roommates. Ragarding the I-House, since the admission is a selective process, is it possible that my application may be rejected?! The reason that I'm asking is that to apply for the I-house I have to wait till mid-May to get my Student ID, but for the graduate apartments of the university I can apply now and it is not a selective process, and the sooner I apply the higher will be my chance of ending up with my desired building. I'm afraid that if I wait to apply for the I-House, I might lose both of my options in case my application gets rejected. What are the chances of one being accepted to I-House ? Also, do I have to pay the rent of the first quarter at the beginning or does it work on a monthly basis? I wanted to know which one of the above options do you recommend? And by any chance, are you or any of your friends looking for a roommate (it would be great if you are a UChicago grad student)? Thanks a lot for your help. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
allinduetime Posted March 24, 2015 Share Posted March 24, 2015 I will be staying at a hotel during my upcoming visit to U of Chicago. Can you recommend something that is clean, safe, close to the University, and not over the top expensive? Thanks. This isn't the easiest combo for Hyde Park. I think airbnb would be your best bet since close hotel options are slim. You should be able to find a nice apartment close to campus for under $100/night on airbnb. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
expandyourmind Posted March 25, 2015 Share Posted March 25, 2015 is there generally a good area to live in? i've heard anywhere between 50th and 60th and youre fine. a friend of mine goes to UChicago and said never to come to campus from the south... is this true? i'm looking at apartments and a lot of relatively cheaper ones are a block south of campus. thanks! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
qeta Posted March 25, 2015 Share Posted March 25, 2015 This isn't the easiest combo for Hyde Park. I think airbnb would be your best bet since close hotel options are slim. You should be able to find a nice apartment close to campus for under $100/night on airbnb. I have stayed at the McCormick Theological Seminary near the campus and quite liked it. Utilitarian, but clean and close to the campus and relatively affordable at 60/night. They don't let everyone stay there, but I think they usually make allowances for UChicago visitors. http://mccormick.edu/content/guest-housing-facilities. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
music Posted March 26, 2015 Share Posted March 26, 2015 is there generally a good area to live in? i've heard anywhere between 50th and 60th and youre fine. a friend of mine goes to UChicago and said never to come to campus from the south... is this true? i'm looking at apartments and a lot of relatively cheaper ones are a block south of campus. thanks! 47th to 61st is fine. Stay east of Washington Park. Most live between 51st and 59th just because it's a shorter commute and that's where most of the university free transport goes. Many students are scared of people who are economically and racially different from themselves, which leads to a lot of dumb paranoia around HP's neighbouring communities. That's why housing south of the Midway is cheaper. Lots of UC's newest buildings are on 60th/61st, and it's totally safe. University police patrol down to 63rd. Just check out the uni bus routes and plan accommodation accordingly. Not only for safety reasons but also because when it's cold, you want to know you can get home without walking for 30 minutes. I found this out during the blizzard. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
expandyourmind Posted March 30, 2015 Share Posted March 30, 2015 how feasible would it be to have a car and just do street parking in the residential area? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
pascal_barbots_wager Posted April 8, 2015 Share Posted April 8, 2015 (edited) Hi everybody, I'm an international student and I have never been to US. I have accpeted my offer of admission to UChicago for a Ph.D. program in Molecular Eng. and I'm considering my housing options now. (I want to spend about $800 on rent and utilities) As I'm kind of a social person and I don't like being alone, I prefer to have a roommate. But, if I apply for a shared apartment in the graduate housing of the university, I will end up with a random roommate, which I don't think would be a good idea, since we may not get along well. After reading the university website and this forum, I think I have three options. One is the International House, which I like the idea of getting to know many students and their cultures from different parts of the world in a friendly atmosphere. Also, I won't feel lonely besides having my privacy. The problem is I would have just one room, meaning that I have to share the kitchen and the bathroom with others. The other option would be applying for a studio in the graduate housing apartments, which I think will be a little depressing, especially during winter . The last option is looking for an apartment with roommates on the Marketplace or other websites (in the safer parts of the Hyde Park), which as I said is somehow risky regarding the house itself (as I can't check before my arrival) and the roommates. Ragarding the I-House, since the admission is a selective process, is it possible that my application may be rejected?! The reason that I'm asking is that to apply for the I-house I have to wait till mid-May to get my Student ID, but for the graduate apartments of the university I can apply now and it is not a selective process, and the sooner I apply the higher will be my chance of ending up with my desired building. I'm afraid that if I wait to apply for the I-House, I might lose both of my options in case my application gets rejected. What are the chances of one being accepted to I-House ? Also, do I have to pay the rent of the first quarter at the beginning or does it work on a monthly basis? I wanted to know which one of the above options do you recommend? And by any chance, are you or any of your friends looking for a roommate (it would be great if you are a UChicago grad student)? Thanks a lot for your help. I did my undergrad at UChicago and spent 12-13 and 13-14 living in IHouse, so it might have changed since then but...if you like the idea of mixing a (small) private living space with a wider community right outside your door, IHouse might be a good fit. Every evening there were usually plenty of little groups in the common area playing pool, foosball, watching a movie, etc. You won't be lonely there unless you want to be. Just in case you don't know how IHouse is set up: there's a giant main kitchen with 12-15 full gas stove/oven combos and a bunch of stainless steel countertops and several deep sinks. It's effectively a commercial kitchen and the thing I miss most about the place. Unless you're cooking on a Saturday night - the one night the dining halls close and undergrads have to fend for themselves - there will probably be plenty of space to cook. I actually met some of my best friends from UChicago cooking in that kitchen, so I have a soft spot for it (it's also just a good kitchen). Some people share pots and pans, but there are also lockers (of varying sizes) that you can rent per quarter for some reasonable amount that I don't remember. There are also a few walk-in refrigerators and freezers where you can also rent bins. At any rate, I really loved cooking in that kitchen, and I cooked there a ton. Definitely not the horrorshow that communal kitchens typically are. People tend to be reasonably good at cleaning up after themselves, and the whole thing gets cleaned by the custodial staff daily. Near the kitchen is a large dining room/recreation room with a bunch of chairs and tables, a TV, a foosball table, a pool table, and a piano. The rooms themselves are in separate wings that require keycard access and are set up like dorm rooms with a bathroom/showers on each floor. These are communal so they aren't perfect but, again, they're cleaned several times per week so it's never so bad. There's a pretty good gym in the basement (stationary bike, elliptical, treadmill, freeweight dumbbells from 5-60 lbs, a pull-up bar, a dip station, various balls and mats and bands) as well as study/practice rooms, a Mac lab with about 6 desktops and a printer, and a laundry room. IHouse also has several events per week ranging from musical performances to lectures to whatever. These are held in an auditorium in IHouse and don't disturb residents much. Sometimes you come home and there's a line out the front door for some event, but then you just swipe your ID and walk past into the residential area and it's quiet and fine. One thing that might have changed since I left is the proportion of undergrads, but with the new dorm I don't know what will happen with that. I don't remember the "application" process ever rejecting actual UChicago students - I think it was more for people who might not be affiliated with the university - but I'm not 100% sure about that. At any rate no one I knew who applied ever got turned down. It might be a decent plan to live in IHouse your first year, make some friends, and look for an apartment together for the next year. Even many of the people who did this come back to IHouse frequently throughout the quarter to hang out with people. It's a pretty nice place to live and there is a good sense of community if you want to get involved. It's a good location for getting around Chicago too, since it's only a 2-minute walk from the Metra station and a 5-10-minute walk from the 6 bus stop, both of which get you back and forth from downtown. Trying to think back to what I disliked about living there...it is a bit pricey. I think it's $800+ a month for a very small private space. Communal bathrooms, even if they're clean, can be kind of a drag. It's about a mile and a half from Hyde Park's best grocery store (Hyde Park Produce), and it's an annoying walk/bus ride to do every week. Although it is only a half mile from Treasure Island, which is expensive but not so bad. And it is a bit dorm-ish, which gets old. I always felt kind of embarrassed living there because it didn't feel like I was really living on my own. But yeah, I mostly stayed there for the kitchen. So many burners, endless indestructible counter space... Edited April 8, 2015 by pascal_barbots_wager music 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
music Posted April 8, 2015 Share Posted April 8, 2015 I-House is also fantastically diverse (in terms of nationality, age range, degree level etc), plus you're right on campus. I considered it, but the cost for the room that you get turned me off. FWIW, I-House seem to always have vacancies even throughout the school year, so IDK if it's really that competitive. Maybe they just struggle to fill certain rooms. For $800/month, you could try marketplace.uchicago.edu and look for a roommate. You'll find something very nice for that money if you're ok to share with 1 or more others. Consider getting skype tours of wherever you look into. Or look for sublets - if someone wants to keep their room whilst they're abroad for a year, chances are it's a good place to live, or they'd save the hassle of subletting and just end their contract. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Sarochan Posted April 11, 2015 Share Posted April 11, 2015 I may be going to UIC this fall, so I'm wondering if anyone has suggestions for relatively safe places to live that are not too far away from UIC's campus? Trying to get an idea about the cost of living, so I wanted to look at rental prices, but don't know how to tell the good locations from the not so good. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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