Chicago, IL

[Norman G]

4500 won't go far. You won't find a place for under $800 a month. Also, to park a car in Hyde isn't cheap; so, if you don't need it you might consider going "car-less"

[InquilineKea]

Hm okay. What about living in the surburbs and then commuting via train? Or is that not worth it?

The $4500 is on top of my stipend (as it was a fellowship for top students).

[Norman G]

Hm okay. What about living in the surburbs and then commuting via train? Or is that not worth it?

The $4500 is on top of my stipend (as it was a fellowship for top students).

Oh, well I didn't know that you also had a stipend. If the stipend is around 10-15k you should be fine with the $4500. And, you might even have enough to bring a car!!!!!!!!

[Blurry]

What are the best areas if one is going to UIC? How is Bridgeport?

I've also found apartments on craig'list that are well under 800$ in the chicago area, even 2 bedroom apartments in the 600$ range or 700+ square foot one bedrooms also in that price range.

[2011 MSW Hopeful]

4500 won't go far. You won't find a place for under $800 a month. Also, to park a car in Hyde isn't cheap; so, if you don't need it you might consider going "car-less"

I live in Hyde Park now, and my rather large studio is $750. We live to the east towards the lake where there's plenty of free parking on Everett and South Shore. I mean, you have to drive around the block hunting for spots occasionally, but we've never really had an issue with it. If you're more central, it's true that a car might be more trouble than it's worth.

[emilyrobot]

What are the best areas if one is going to UIC? How is Bridgeport?

I've also found apartments on craig'list that are well under 800$ in the chicago area, even 2 bedroom apartments in the 600$ range or 700+ square foot one bedrooms also in that price range.

Most of the folks I know who go to UIC are Chicago natives, so they just live in whichever neighborhood they already like. It seems like it's pretty easy to commute to the UIC campus via the CTA, and if you live on the blue line, it'll be easy as pie. There may be some student neighborhoods around UIC, but I don't know 'em. What are your priorities for a neighborhood? Open spaces or urban density? Stuff for families to do or bars to go out to?

[Blurry]

Most of the folks I know who go to UIC are Chicago natives, so they just live in whichever neighborhood they already like. It seems like it's pretty easy to commute to the UIC campus via the CTA, and if you live on the blue line, it'll be easy as pie. There may be some student neighborhoods around UIC, but I don't know 'em. What are your priorities for a neighborhood? Open spaces or urban density? Stuff for families to do or bars to go out to?

I will most likely be going with my girlfriend and night life isn't all that important to us. I'm thinking of proximity to Chicago's downtown, close to museums, cafes, restaurants, grocery stores, etc. Walkability is my priority, I guess, as well as being able to commute to UIC in 10-15 minutes or less. I prefer urban density.

[superbygk]

Hey guys,

I'm a new user to the forum, but used the results section heavily a couple of years ago and am using it again this year.

@Blurry, I went to UIC for grad school until 2010, and I lived in Bridgeport for a time. Bridgeport is a good place to live if you're not really into night life. My friend and I lived in a very affordable 2 bedroom apartment for $750/month. Granted, it was really small and it didn't look nice, but there are other places that are affordable and a lot nicer looking. Because it's not really the south side it's not dangerous. There are a good number of families that live around that area. You can take the train to UIC campus (you'll have to transfer once), or there's a number 8 bus I used to take that would take me right to the East Campus, and it took maybe 15-20 minutes.

Alternatively, you can live closer to campus. Right south of campus is called University Village, but those are nicer and pricier apartments probably into the thousands per month. Some undergrad students and grad students live there. There's also another neighborhood called Pilsen, which is close to UIC campus that is really affordable. It's a primarily Latino neighborhood, and most of the streets are safe 'cause there are alot of families (my friend's apartment once did get robbed, but that was because he lived on the ground floor and the door was very conspicuous).

Right now I live in Chinatown, which is also a great place to live: Close to trains, good restaurants, and rent is fairly cheap. The only caveat is you need to know someone to rent here: I tried living here about four years ago but couldn't get an apartment until I moved in with someone who already lived here.

@InquilineKea, it would be highly impractical to live in the suburbs and commute by train: There's one set of train systems that connect the city to the suburbs, and there's another set that connects the city to itself. As far as I know, there isn't a direct train from the suburbs to the UChicago area.

If you are not going to live in Hyde Park (but you want to live in the city nonetheless), you can drive or take the train/bus. If you take the train I think you'll still have to transfer to a bus that'll take you to campus (you can take the red or green line). There are buses that go directly down there, too, but I'm not so familiar with them.

Hope that helps!

[Blurry]

Hey guys,

I'm a new user to the forum, but used the results section heavily a couple of years ago and am using it again this year.

@Blurry, I went to UIC for grad school until 2010, and I lived in Bridgeport for a time. Bridgeport is a good place to live if you're not really into night life. My friend and I lived in a very affordable 2 bedroom apartment for $750/month. Granted, it was really small and it didn't look nice, but there are other places that are affordable and a lot nicer looking. Because it's not really the south side it's not dangerous. There are a good number of families that live around that area. You can take the train to UIC campus (you'll have to transfer once), or there's a number 8 bus I used to take that would take me right to the East Campus, and it took maybe 15-20 minutes.

Alternatively, you can live closer to campus. Right south of campus is called University Village, but those are nicer and pricier apartments probably into the thousands per month. Some undergrad students and grad students live there. There's also another neighborhood called Pilsen, which is close to UIC campus that is really affordable. It's a primarily Latino neighborhood, and most of the streets are safe 'cause there are alot of families (my friend's apartment once did get robbed, but that was because he lived on the ground floor and the door was very conspicuous).

Right now I live in Chinatown, which is also a great place to live: Close to trains, good restaurants, and rent is fairly cheap. The only caveat is you need to know someone to rent here: I tried living here about four years ago but couldn't get an apartment until I moved in with someone who already lived here.

@InquilineKea, it would be highly impractical to live in the suburbs and commute by train: There's one set of train systems that connect the city to the suburbs, and there's another set that connects the city to itself. As far as I know, there isn't a direct train from the suburbs to the UChicago area.

If you are not going to live in Hyde Park (but you want to live in the city nonetheless), you can drive or take the train/bus. If you take the train I think you'll still have to transfer to a bus that'll take you to campus (you can take the red or green line). There are buses that go directly down there, too, but I'm not so familiar with them.

Hope that helps!

Thanks. I've heard conflicting things abut Bridgeport: some say its unsafe; some say its great. I tend not to want to listen to the negative feedback since I come from a neighbourhood that people often protray negatively but that is quite safe and a great place to live. Are there better/worse areas of Bridgeport? Is it walkable?

Is pIlsen generally more expensive than Bridgeport?

[emilyrobot]

I don't know the south side all that well, but my take on Bridgeport was never that it was unsafe, just maybe that it was a little boring. I, too, live in a neighborhood that some would consider unsafe (but that I love), though, so I know what you mean about not wanting to take the negative feedback seriously--people's perceptions of neighborhoods are not always helpful. The best thing to do is visit if you can.

Do look into Pilsen! It's gotten a little more hip (and therefore more expensive!) over the last couple years, but there are still deals to be had. It's closer to downtown than Bridgeport is and has a good share of art galleries and cultural life. Remember, when looking into rentals in Chicago that whether or not the heat is included in the rent can make a big difference in the actual cost of living (if heat's not included, the landlord has to tell you about how much your monthly heating cost will be before you sign the lease).

[superbygk]

Pilsen may be a little more expensive than Bridgeport, but I am not too sure; I'll defer to emilyrobot on that.

If there are areas considered more safe, it's probably closer up north towards Chinatown and towards the east (closer to the highway/green and red train lines). Walking around is not dangerous (there are parks where people hang out on good days off of Halsted and 31st street), though I wouldn't necessarily do it nonchalantly near the Sox-35th train station during the night because that's the converging point for Bridgeport, Bronzeville and part of the South side.

The one bad thing about Bridgeport is that there isn't really a big supermarket nearby (at least not when I lived there). There's a grocer called Halsted grocery I used to go to sometimes, and there are Walgreens and CVS, but generally I'd take the bus or train to a bigger supermarket and carry my food home. Pilsen to my knowledge has a lot more good chain and local supermarkets.

[Blurry]

Thank you both for the info.

[Behavioral]

What are the best areas if one is going to UIC? How is Bridgeport?

I've also found apartments on craig'list that are well under 800$ in the chicago area, even 2 bedroom apartments in the 600$ range or 700+ square foot one bedrooms also in that price range.

Anywhere that's convenient to the Blue Line (or walking distance if you can afford living in West Loop).

The apartments you're finding for that cheap are usually either too far to walk to a CTA and/or in a 'bad' neighborhood. It seems like anywhere in the North side served by the Red or Brown line is pretty expensive and the areas in between those two trains are far less expensive.

[purpledinosaur]

Hey, I'm a new user who just got accepted to the University of Chicago! I visited campus briefly in November after a conference in Minneapolis and I absolutely loved it. I was wondering what living in Hyde Park is like, though, since I will probably want to live there in grad housing at least for my first year. I mostly cook at home since I'm a vegetarian; are there good grocery stores in the area? The only veg restaurant I know of is the Chicago Diner (I've never been but I'm excited to try!) but that seems really far away and I don't know of any others. Anyone know anything about that? I've heard that it is quite safe, can people who have lived there confirm that?

What's it like getting to downtown Chicago? I didn't actually go downtown when I visited in November, partly because there was plenty to do on campus and partly because I am a shy, shy mouse who can only travel small amounts out of her comfort zone at a time. Is there a good bus route downtown or something?

As I said, I really loved Chicago when I visited, so I'm super excited at the thought that I might be living there in the near future!!

[InquilineKea]

Hey, I'm a new user who just got accepted to the University of Chicago! I visited campus briefly in November after a conference in Minneapolis and I absolutely loved it. I was wondering what living in Hyde Park is like, though, since I will probably want to live there in grad housing at least for my first year. I mostly cook at home since I'm a vegetarian; are there good grocery stores in the area? The only veg restaurant I know of is the Chicago Diner (I've never been but I'm excited to try!) but that seems really far away and I don't know of any others. Anyone know anything about that? I've heard that it is quite safe, can people who have lived there confirm that?

What's it like getting to downtown Chicago? I didn't actually go downtown when I visited in November, partly because there was plenty to do on campus and partly because I am a shy, shy mouse who can only travel small amounts out of her comfort zone at a time. Is there a good bus route downtown or something?

As I said, I really loved Chicago when I visited, so I'm super excited at the thought that I might be living there in the near future!!

Wow so cool - we both got into the same school and we're both vegetarian too.

Anyways, there does seem to be an "Open Produce" store over at http://www.yelp.com/...of+chicago&ns=1. Not sure how much food it has in there though.

Also, "Hyde Park Produce" at http://www.yelp.com/search?find_desc=grocery&find_loc=university+of+chicago&ns=1#find_loc=S+Woodlawn+Ave+%26+E+55th+St,+Chicago,+IL&show_filters=1

Edited February 1, 2012 by InquilineKea

[purpledinosaur]

Wow, Open Produce looks great! Vegan-friendly, open til 2 am, organic and local produce?? Woot! Thanks for the tips, InquilineKea! Also: yay, U of C/vegetarian buddies!

[emilyrobot]

Hey purpledinosaur, congrats on your acceptance! I don't know too much about Hyde Park in particular, so I'll leave it to others to make specific recommendations about the neighborhood, but I was a vegetarian living in Chicago for about ten years, so maybe I can help out there.

The Chicago Diner is pretty good, but I was never really the kind of vegetarian who craved a tempeh Ruben, you know? IMO, the great thing about vegetarian living in Chicago is the awesomeness of our ethnic restaurant scene--Ethiopian, Thai and Indian are all great choices for eating out where you don't have to choose between ordering "a chef salad, hold the meat" or just settling for a plate of fries. Mexican and Mediterranean places can be good, too (depends on which one). Ethnic markets are good places to find veggie/vegan friendly things to eat that aren't at Whole Foods prices (I always bought my tofu from the Korean market around the corner). I almost never felt deprived or restricted because I was veggie.

Also, there's the nearly vegetarian (sometimes they have one fish dish on the menu) fine dining place Green Zebra. It's my favorite restaurant in the city--but fancy and pricey! Bad for a grad student budget, but great for bookmarking for celebrating achievements and special occasions!

[purpledinosaur]

That's really helpful! Thanks emilyrobot. Here in Montreal, Ethiopian food is way overpriced, so I am psyched that it is affordable in Chicago! We have lots of good Indian places, especially in my hood, but our Thai food is not always the greatest.

I will try to scout out some ethnic markets as well, and I'll check out Green Zebra--it sound lovely!

[InquilineKea]

Wow, Open Produce looks great! Vegan-friendly, open til 2 am, organic and local produce?? Woot! Thanks for the tips, InquilineKea! Also: yay, U of C/vegetarian buddies!

Awesome, nice. What do you think are the chances of you ultimately accepting Chicago's offer?

[Blurry]

Anywhere that's convenient to the Blue Line (or walking distance if you can afford living in West Loop).

The apartments you're finding for that cheap are usually either too far to walk to a CTA and/or in a 'bad' neighborhood. It seems like anywhere in the North side served by the Red or Brown line is pretty expensive and the areas in between those two trains are far less expensive.

I've seen these prices on Craig's list in Bridgeport, Pilsen and Logan Square. Some in Pilsen and LS were steps away from the CTA. To be honest, I've found the prices in Chicago very reasonable.

[purpledinosaur]

@InquilineKea: U of Chicago has always been one of my top schools. I like all the people I've met from my department, I love the campus, and the interdisciplinary nature of the department seems perfect for the kind of research I'd like to pursue. I'm quite intimidated by the school in general and I'm having a hard time processing my acceptance in general, but once I've done that and heard from some other schools... well, U of C is pretty highly ranked in my own pro/con lists!

[emilyrobot]

I've seen these prices on Craig's list in Bridgeport, Pilsen and Logan Square. Some in Pilsen and LS were steps away from the CTA. To be honest, I've found the prices in Chicago very reasonable.

Hey Blurry! I lived in Logan Square for a long time, so I'd be able to answer specific questions about that area, if you have any. It does tend to be a pricier area than the other two you mentioned, but reasonable living is still possible around there. Bucktown is also something you might want to check into.

Behavioral isn't wrong, though--plenty of landlords will list their places as "steps from the CTA" when they mean "kinda close to a bus that runs once an hour during weekday rush hour". If you're not already doing this, you can easily check commute times and walking distances with the google transit directions function--it's so helpful! I'm certain that some of the places you're seeing are "too good to be true"--but some of them are not! That's just the way craigslist is. Also, keep in mind that the listing you see at this time of year are only just a fraction of the amount there will be when you're actually going to move (assuming you'll come in the late summer/early fall). Nobody plans to move during the winter if they can help it, and a lot of leases are timed to come up June 1st or October 1st. I think with an 800$ budget, you'll have plenty of good choices! If you can swing a visit a monthish before your move date, you might look into using a rental agent--they'll drive you around and show you places, at no cost to you, which is really helpful if you don't know the city.

[Blurry]

Hey Blurry! I lived in Logan Square for a long time, so I'd be able to answer specific questions about that area, if you have any. It does tend to be a pricier area than the other two you mentioned, but reasonable living is still possible around there. Bucktown is also something you might want to check into.

Behavioral isn't wrong, though--plenty of landlords will list their places as "steps from the CTA" when they mean "kinda close to a bus that runs once an hour during weekday rush hour". If you're not already doing this, you can easily check commute times and walking distances with the google transit directions function--it's so helpful! I'm certain that some of the places you're seeing are "too good to be true"--but some of them are not! That's just the way craigslist is. Also, keep in mind that the listing you see at this time of year are only just a fraction of the amount there will be when you're actually going to move (assuming you'll come in the late summer/early fall). Nobody plans to move during the winter if they can help it, and a lot of leases are timed to come up June 1st or October 1st. I think with an 800$ budget, you'll have plenty of good choices! If you can swing a visit a monthish before your move date, you might look into using a rental agent--they'll drive you around and show you places, at no cost to you, which is really helpful if you don't know the city.

Thanks!

I waas looking at Logan square because of its proximity to the blue line. One can get to UIC by bus from Pilsen and Bridgeport.

How would one go about getting a rental agent? What do they ask for (money)?

[PhDreams]

Thanks!

I waas looking at Logan square because of its proximity to the blue line. One can get to UIC by bus from Pilsen and Bridgeport.

How would one go about getting a rental agent? What do they ask for (money)?

Logan Square is actually a really good option if you are going to attend UIC. Logan has a blue line stop and that's really all you need. You can take buses (or maybe the pink line) from Pilsen or Bridgeport to UIC, but my preference has always been the train (quicker, on time, etc). Also, Logan will give you a much better local nightlife (restaurants and bars) than the other two options. It's also pretty accessible. The expressway is close and there are tons of bus options plus the blue line.

I lived in Pilsen for a while and the only draw back I found was that you really need a car if you're going to enjoy the nightlife. Bars cluster at certain points in the city- Wicker Park, Wrigleyville, and Downtown. That being said, if that's not something you care about than it really doesn't matter. Taking a cab every time you go to Wicker or Bucktown for a bar will start to get expensive.

Also, definitely check to see if heat is included. Most places in Pilsen will not include heat. There are plenty of agents in the city and they are free. The landlords pay the fee to get their places rented- Chicago Apartment Finders, etc. I've used them twice and have good experiences. FYI always lowball your price range because they will mostly show you apartments at your max and a smidge above. So, if your max is really $1000, say $900. They're on commission, but generally pretty solid agents.

Good luck!

Edited February 1, 2012 by FutureEdStudent12

[InquilineKea]

Does anyone know how bikable Chicago is? And if it's possible to carry the bikes on the Chicago trains?

And does Chicago have a problem with bike thieves?