Evanston, IL

[Guest]

Do you know which area NWU students normally live in? Do they normally live in Evanston or in Chicago and commute to school? I heard not so many people prefer living in Evanston, why is that?

[basille]

Do you know which area NWU students normally live in? Do they normally live in Evanston or in Chicago and commute to school? I heard not so many people prefer living in Evanston, why is that?

I've had NWU pals that have lived in Evanston and liked the proximity to campus. The downtown has really sprung up in the past few years and so there are many little places to grab a nibble. And there is a new movie theater and plenty of nice little shops. That said, the biggest complaint tends to be that the nightlife in Evanston is somewhat stilted and not as good as you could get in Chicago. Those pals that attended NWU but lived in Chicago tended to do so because they wanted to be closer to the action, so to speak. If you live near the purple line, you'd be just fine. The commute from the city to NWU via the purple train line runs from 20 to 35 miuntes depending upon where you live. Apartments can be a shade cheaper in Evanston, but not by much. I've not known anyone to accept NWU housing, so I can't speak to that. I know that when I lived in the Lincoln Park neighborhood, there were a handful of NWU students that would grab the purple line at the Fullerton stop. Lincoln Park is a very active area and so I imagine they liked the nightlife.

[polisciapp]

You cannot live in Chicago and commute to Evanston w/o a long commute except for during certain, very limited, times of the day. Evanston living is, on average, less than Chicago. Factor in commuting money and Evanston will be less expensive. Rent in Chicago can vary by area, but if you want to be safe, Evanston living would probably be a little cheaper. That said, 2k for a single person should be enough--you just have to find a place with rent around $500-800 w/ utilities and heat. If you have 2k a month you must have a nice stipend.

[123456789]

Thanks for the responses. My post was confusing. I am hoping to live as close to Evanston as possible, and just said Chicago since it was "Chicago area". Sounds like that is feasible, so that's good news.

[rollinson]

I don't know anything about this area, but is it possible to get by on a $2000/mo stipend without a 1hr commute?

You can do it, although I don't know your loan/credit situation which can obviously complicate things. I'd recommend looking into, say, Rogers Park or Uptown as neighborhoods to live in--from when I was apartment searching, they seemed to be quite affordable, and they're the regions of the city closest to Evanston (and are on the same train line that goes there).

[visoke]

you can definitely get by with that. you can find an apartment in rogers park - about a ten minute train ride from evanston - for as low as 400 per person for a 2 bedroom. or you can get a nice one bedroom for around 700. i live right by evanston. you should have no problem.

[JordanJames]

You should have no problem getting by on $2000 a month if you live in Evanston or Rogers Park. But if you choose to live in Rogers Park (I lived there for 2 years), you should be very careful about what building and where in Rogers Park you are living. There are a lot of slum lords there that have buildings that look perfectly fine, but are really falling apart on the inside. Also, even if the rent is a little more in Evanston (Rogers Park is one of the cheaper Chicago neighborhoods), live in Evanston. The cost of living (much cheaper) in Evanston will more than make up for the difference in rent, and you will enjoy living there more. If I were you, I would try to find an apartment and a roommate right now before the summer mad dash on apartments begins. You'll probably be able to find something cheaper now. I'd also look for apartments within walking distance of the El because it'll take you anywhere you want to go and I'm pretty sure NW will give you a pass that lets you ride for free. Also, I'm not sure, but I think graduate housing at NW isn't too expensive, so I would consider that option.

But yes, you will be fine living on $2000 a month.

Good luck!

[rollinson]

Hey there

First of all, thanks for all of this effort. Since I am an International Student who has never been to Chicago its great to get a general overview and it makes me feel a lot more comfortable with the prospect of flying out to the big bad city.

Anyways, I am trying to do some pre-screening of the different neighborhoods and housing options for me, but I was wondering if you all could give me some general pointers which areas I should consider. I got accepted by Northwestern (and boy am I still elated about that) and I would prefer to live closer to campus, rather than closer to Chicago. However, since I am used to commuting, I also would not mind a direct commute. (on the redline, right?) I don't mind partying, but since I doubt I will have all that much time for it, being close to the "action" is not a necessity. I would however prefer to avoid the rougher neighborhoods, because I am still somewhat intimidated by the imposing nature of US cities.

I think I should be able to spend between$700 - $800 on rent ( plus utilities?) and I would prefer to live by myself. A studio is ok, although a one bedroom would be really great, too.

Do you have any pointers on neighborhoods I should look into?

Also, on a more general thing, help me to get excited about Chicago , so tell me what YOU think makes Chicago unique and great?

Thanks in advance for all your help ( and also for all the pointers already given)

Here is a link to the CTA (Chicago Transit Authority) map for northern Chicago (including Evanston):

http://www.transitchicago.com/maps/maps/2007N.html

So, yeah, if you don't live in Evanston, you'll need at least somewhat easy access to the Red Line (technically, you'll have to transfer to the Purple Line to complete the trip--the Purple Line serves Evanston; during rush hour during the week, it also runs direct to downtown Chicago, the Loop, as well).

Rogers Park, Edgewater, and Uptown are, I believe, the closest and more affordable areas in Chicago itself to Evanston. They can be fairly affordable, from what I've seen. Not sure about whether they are rough or not. Going further south along the Red Line, you'll come to Lake View, and particularly Wrigleyville--a bit more rowdy, especially in and around Wrigley Stadium. Going further South you have Lincoln Park, which is a fairly tony, with generally higher rents.

Here is a link to a page with rent-ranges; it's put together by Apartment People, which is an apartment finding service I've used before. If you're going to go off-campus, it might be a good idea to stop by their offices (maybe make an appointment first), or the offices of a similar agency; they can take you around to a bunch of places so you get a feel for different neighborhoods with greater ease.

http://www.apartmentpeople.com/myAptSearch/rentRanges/

I'm not sure of the accuracy of that link, but it can at least give you a rough sense of what you'd be looking at.

[liszt85]

Hi Scout44 and others would might be able to advise me,

I just got accepted to NWU and would like to know more about housing options in Evanston, not far away from the NWU campus. My monthly stipend is around $1710 before taxes. I guess I'd get around 1500 after taxes. Now, I'm an international student planning to move to Evanston with my spouse who will accompany me on a F2 dependent visa. So she will be unable to work. That puts me in a tight spot financially but I hope to make this work. I would therefore look for a 1BR apartment or a spacious enough studio for two, and can pay about $700-900(max) for some such place (and with all utilities included!). I would also need a furnished place. Do you think this would be possible?

If I spend say $900 on a place to live, would the remaining $600 be sufficient for the rest of our expenses (food, occasional visits to the Chicago city, some minimal entertainment)? We are prepared to live the simplest life possible. I also heard from a former grad student that the taxes can be claimed when filing for tax returns. Are all F1 students eligible for this? It was my understanding earlier that this was possible only when the student could show that the money went solely into educational purposes (books, tuition, etc). Any advice would be greatly appreciated!

-Vishnu

[lycoris]

Hi Scout44 and others would might be able to advise me,

I just got accepted to NWU and would like to know more about housing options in Evanston, not far away from the NWU campus. My monthly stipend is around $1710 before taxes. I guess I'd get around 1500 after taxes. Now, I'm an international student planning to move to Evanston with my spouse who will accompany me on a F2 dependent visa. So she will be unable to work. That puts me in a tight spot financially but I hope to make this work. I would therefore look for a 1BR apartment or a spacious enough studio for two, and can pay about $700-900(max) for some such place (and with all utilities included!). I would also need a furnished place. Do you think this would be possible?

If I spend say $900 on a place to live, would the remaining $600 be sufficient for the rest of our expenses (food, occasional visits to the Chicago city, some minimal entertainment)? We are prepared to live the simplest life possible. I also heard from a former grad student that the taxes can be claimed when filing for tax returns. Are all F1 students eligible for this? It was my understanding earlier that this was possible only when the student could show that the money went solely into educational purposes (books, tuition, etc). Any advice would be greatly appreciated!

-Vishnu

Hi Vishnu,

Evanston can actually be quite expensive. Look on craigslist and the apartment people's website for rents. One of my roommates was paying $800 a month (including utilities) for his studio in Evanston last year.

Your best bet for living cheaply near Northwestern is Rogers Park, which is the northernmost neighborhood in Chicago (it abuts Evanston) and is diverse, inexpensive, well-served by public transportation, and convenient to the beach. You can get a decent 1-bedroom for around $700 in Rogers Park, including heat; factor in roughly $50 a month for electric (if you're good about conserving energy) and $30 or so for internet (if you want it) and cable (if you want it) and you're still well within your budget. Folks might tell you RP is dangerous but I think that's an old reputation that just hasn't been updated - I was working part time as a bartender and temping for a while and would regularly take the CTA home by myself at 3 or 4 in the morning and was never even nervous. Particularly around the Morse stop, the area is frequently patrolled by Chicago police and stays busy enough that you don't need to be nervous. The commute to NU will be about 30 minutes at the most.

Personally, I think you get a lot more out of living in Chicago in terms of rent, transportation options, and city amenities like Park District facilities and programs and the public library, but if you really must live in Evanston, definitely talk to the Housing Office at Northwestern (every school has one) about what they recommend. In terms of the rest - $600 is not a lot of money for two people to live on. You could probably get by on $400 a month for groceries, though if you attend a lot of functions where they give you food you might be able to save money on that.

Won't your wife get bored without a job? I'd go stir crazy, though I guess some people prefer it.

[liszt85]

Hi Vishnu,

Evanston can actually be quite expensive. Look on craigslist and the apartment people's website for rents. One of my roommates was paying $800 a month (including utilities) for his studio in Evanston last year.

Your best bet for living cheaply near Northwestern is Rogers Park, which is the northernmost neighborhood in Chicago (it abuts Evanston) and is diverse, inexpensive, well-served by public transportation, and convenient to the beach. You can get a decent 1-bedroom for around $700 in Rogers Park, including heat; factor in roughly $50 a month for electric (if you're good about conserving energy) and $30 or so for internet (if you want it) and cable (if you want it) and you're still well within your budget. Folks might tell you RP is dangerous but I think that's an old reputation that just hasn't been updated - I was working part time as a bartender and temping for a while and would regularly take the CTA home by myself at 3 or 4 in the morning and was never even nervous. Particularly around the Morse stop, the area is frequently patrolled by Chicago police and stays busy enough that you don't need to be nervous. The commute to NU will be about 30 minutes at the most.

Personally, I think you get a lot more out of living in Chicago in terms of rent, transportation options, and city amenities like Park District facilities and programs and the public library, but if you really must live in Evanston, definitely talk to the Housing Office at Northwestern (every school has one) about what they recommend. In terms of the rest - $600 is not a lot of money for two people to live on. You could probably get by on $400 a month for groceries, though if you attend a lot of functions where they give you food you might be able to save money on that.

Won't your wife get bored without a job? I'd go stir crazy, though I guess some people prefer it.

My wife has no other option! They don't allow F2 visa holders to work at all. She loves painting and singing. I was hoping that she'd find some interesting program in NWU, even if its a ug program and then apply for some scholarship back from here in India (maybe at the US consulate). She holds a masters in Physics. I do not know what options she might have of getting employed and even if she finds work, I do not know if they'd convert her F2 into a type which permits work.

$700 for a 1 BR apartment in RP would be nice, and hope I can find a furnished place. The university gives me a free pass for the transit system. So traveling shouldn't be a problem. Btw, wouldn't a studio in Evanston for $800 including utilities be a better idea than a 1BR apartment in RP for about the same (including utilities)? If RP used to have a reputation for crime, I wouldn't want to have my spouse stay alone for most part of the day and a long way away from where I work.. If its Evanston, I could maybe have lunch with her back at the studio/apartment and then go back to the University, etc and also end up spending a little more time with her in the process.

Thank you for the advice.. more's welcome!

[lycoris]

My wife has no other option! They don't allow F2 visa holders to work at all. She loves painting and singing. I was hoping that she'd find some interesting program in NWU, even if its a ug program and then apply for some scholarship back from here in India (maybe at the US consulate). She holds a masters in Physics. I do not know what options she might have of getting employed and even if she finds work, I do not know if they'd convert her F2 into a type which permits work.

$700 for a 1 BR apartment in RP would be nice, and hope I can find a furnished place. The university gives me a free pass for the transit system. So traveling shouldn't be a problem. Btw, wouldn't a studio in Evanston for $800 including utilities be a better idea than a 1BR apartment in RP for about the same (including utilities)? If RP used to have a reputation for crime, I wouldn't want to have my spouse stay alone for most part of the day and a long way away from where I work.. If its Evanston, I could maybe have lunch with her back at the studio/apartment and then go back to the University, etc and also end up spending a little more time with her in the process.

Thank you for the advice.. more's welcome!

Unfortunately, I don't know much about visas. I would definitely encourage you and your wife to look into the details of it to see whether it can be changed to a different type of visa if, for example, someone wants to hire her, or if she is able to get a scholarship for an academic program. She may also be able to find work tutoring for cash, which obviously will not require a visa since no one will be checking. One advantage of university communities and neighborhoods like Rogers Park is that there are always lots of people interested in taking lessons, or, failing that, in starting free cooperative groups - so your wife might be able to post on Craigslist or NWU's message boards to find others who share her interests and want to get together.

It is worth noting that the largest concentration of Indian and Pakistani people in Chicago is in southern Rogers Park, about a mile west of the Loyola stop on the Red Line (at Devon Avenue). Apartments are very inexpensive around there, but it is far enough west that it would not be as easy for you to get to and from Evanston - you would probably, at least in the cold weather, want to take a bus to the train. I DO feel very strongly that the southern area of Rogers Park is extremely safe, particularly east of Clark St. When looking on Craigslist for apartments in Rogers Park, use Google Maps and look for something that:

1) is within a few blocks of the Red Line - a standard Chicago block is 1/8 of a mile long by 1/16th of a mile wide (or vice-versa), so you will want, probably, to be within 2 or 4 long blocks of a Red or Purple line stop.

2) is as far east as possible - ideally within 2 blocks of Sheridan Road, which will likely keep you within 4 blocks of a Red Line stop. Sheridan Road is 1200 W. at that point, so on streets that run E-W you would want to find apartments with address numbered 1000 (right at the lake) to about 1400 (Ashland Ave). If you go further west, there is also a Metra commuter rail stop at Lunt. It is somewhat more expensive and runs less frequently, but is very comfortable and serves Evanston and downtown as well as the further north suburbs.

3) is far enough north to be convenient to Northwestern, but not so far north that you get into the still-questionable areas of Rogers Park. I would say that the area between 6200 N. and 7200 N. is rather gentrified, well-patrolled by police, and generally very nice and safe without being expensive or totally whitewashed. Of course, it's still the city, and city rules apply (even in Evanston). In Chicago, the "first floor" is half a floor up off the ground. I don't recommend basement or "Garden" apartments to new city-dwellers, since they're much easier to break into (not to suggest that it's that common - it's not), but even on the first floor, and definitely on the 2nd and up, you don't need to worry about break-ins. You can also look for a building that has a buzzer for the front door and a gate for the back.

4) has heat included. I mentioned this before. If you're looking at a $100/mo price difference, though, it's probably not worth it. I currently share a 3-bedroom, 1800 square foot apartment with 2 roommates. We averaged our heating bill out over the course of a year, and are only paying $76 a month. This has been a particularly cold winter, but we have actually been using even less than that amount. Of course, none of us is home during the day, so we turn the heat down for the morning and afternoon (to 60, to keep our cats happy) and that probably saves quite a bit.

The advantage of a 1-bedroom over a studio is space and privacy. I do not know what your/your wife's needs are, but if I had to share a single room with someone for a year, I'd go nuts. That's just me, though. The building I used to live in at 7000 N. Sheridan (Sheridan Road and Lunt Avenue) was great and I know it had one-bedroom apartments - really big ones, with separate living and dining rooms -for $825 a month including heat. That might stretch your budget a bit, but is well worth it if you want some space. I know for certain that in the same area you can find a (still nicely-sized) 1-bedroom for $700 or even less in many cases. The management company who ran that property was called Urban Equities. You can google them - they kept the building and grounds in pretty good shape and weren't half bad as far as management companies go.

I hope this is helping. I don't mean to knock Evanston, I just feel like it's really expensive and not quite as diverse as the northern areas of the city.

[liszt85]

The advantage of a 1-bedroom over a studio is space and privacy. I do not know what your/your wife's needs are, but if I had to share a single room with someone for a year, I'd go nuts. That's just me, though. The building I used to live in at 7000 N. Sheridan (Sheridan Road and Lunt Avenue) was great and I know it had one-bedroom apartments - really big ones, with separate living and dining rooms -for $825 a month including heat. That might stretch your budget a bit, but is well worth it if you want some space. I know for certain that in the same area you can find a (still nicely-sized) 1-bedroom for $700 or even less in many cases. The management company who ran that property was called Urban Equities. You can google them - they kept the building and grounds in pretty good shape and weren't half bad as far as management companies go.

I hope this is helping. I don't mean to knock Evanston, I just feel like it's really expensive and not quite as diverse as the northern areas of the city.

That's some great bit of info! Thanks so much.. and yea, I agree about the studio. I had plans to look for a studio only so that we could do with something cheaper for the initial bit and then maybe look for something better when we save a little cash. Also, I'd be away for most part of the day but yea, one year in a studio would be too much lack of privacy. One more question, would I be able to find furnished apartments at similar rates? If these apartments that you mention are mostly not furnished, how much approximately do you think would it take to furnish a place (beds, chairs, tables, lamps, a long couch, etc)?

[twocosmicfish]

Does anyone know anything about family friendly areas near Evanston? Advice on local elementary schools would be especially welcome!

[heu mihi]

I've gotten into Northwestern, and it looks like there's a good chance I could end up there. I've decided I'd rather live in Chicago than in Evanston, as I highly value access to good ethnic food, ethnic groceries, good bars, etc. I've never been to Chicago before, nor do I know anyone there, but from doing a lot of research online, I think I've decided that I'd like to live in or near Andersonville (maybe in that part of Edgewater close to it, or Ravenswood). Being close to a Red Line or Metra stop is key. But otherwise, I know nothing. So can anyone tell me anything about this northern area of Chicago? Where are some good places to check out? How reliable are the Metra and Red Line trains? How easy is it to get downtown? And, most importantly, what is Chicago like in general? If I choose Chicago, I'll be doing so over New York, which I really love. I know Chicago isn't New York, and I can't expect it to be, but basically I just want someone to convince me that Chicago is just as cool as New York (if not more).

[geichat]

I've gotten into Northwestern, and it looks like there's a good chance I could end up there. I've decided I'd rather live in Chicago than in Evanston, as I highly value access to good ethnic food, ethnic groceries, good bars, etc. I've never been to Chicago before, nor do I know anyone there, but from doing a lot of research online, I think I've decided that I'd like to live in or near Andersonville (maybe in that part of Edgewater close to it, or Ravenswood). Being close to a Red Line or Metra stop is key. But otherwise, I know nothing. So can anyone tell me anything about this northern area of Chicago? Where are some good places to check out? How reliable are the Metra and Red Line trains? How easy is it to get downtown? And, most importantly, what is Chicago like in general? If I choose Chicago, I'll be doing so over New York, which I really love. I know Chicago isn't New York, and I can't expect it to be, but basically I just want someone to convince me that Chicago is just as cool as New York (if not more).

im also trying to compare chicago vs. nyc, and it would be great if people who know these cities better could convince me one way or the other. i personally know nyc pretty well but have never been to chicago...

[jeanne]

I've lived in both Evanston (NU for undergrad) and Chicago (Lakeview after graduation) and the surrounding suburbs (before college) so I can give some good advice for those looking for it.

Living in Evanston is pretty exensive - comparable to Lakeview. I've seen decent 1-bedrooms go for as little as $700, but you'll have to look for something like that and it would be a couple train stops away from campus. But if you have a car, there's no reason why you can't live in one of the more affordable suburbs (Skokie, Morton Grove, Lincolnwood) and commute to school (or even just further away in Evanston). It's probably not the ideal thing but if it gets you to school then it's worth it, right? Public transportation from the suburbs is probably not the most reliable - I've always had a car so I'm not positive.

The other option would be to live in Rogers Park. You will get mixed reviews on how people feel about this neighborhood. Many people have posted on it here, so I'll let you decide based off that, since I've never lived there.

As for Chicago in general - it's a great city! Anything you want is within a train or bus ride and you can find a lot of cool things to do for free - like the zoo and the Botanic Gardens (if you bike in - you have to pay for parking). It's a good city to live in within a car.

For people looking into apartments near Chicago, try out apartmentpeople.com or apartments.com. Craigslist will also have tons of listings.

Hope this is helpful for some of you!

[laowai]

So I've accepted Northwestern's offer and now know that I will definitely be in Chicago next year. I'm planning to live in Edgewater/Andersonville. Can anyone recommend places to check out (restaurants, bars, anything really) in that neighborhood and elsewhere? Particularly, any good grocery stores/ethnic markets/farm markets?

There are tons of amazing places in and around Andersonville. (And personally, I'd choose Andersonville over Edgewater; it's a nice 15-20 minute walk from Andersonville to places like Uptown and Lincoln Square, whereas Edgewater feels like it's a little further removed from the city. You'd only be a stop or two further away from Evanston on the Red Line, as well.)

The Middle East Bakery and Grocery is one of my favorite small grocery stores in the city, with all sorts of imported treats, fresh baba ganoush, hummus, spinach dip, falafel, meat and veggie pies...

Then the Hopleaf is possibly the best bar in Chicago, with a number of Belgian beers on tap, delicious mussels, macaroni and blue cheese (!), and even a small selection of Polish mead.

The Neo-Futurists put on an amazing hour-long show called Too Much Light Makes the Baby Go Blind--60 original shows in 60 minutes, and the line-up changes every week.

There are a couple of decent pizza joints, a bunch of great coffee shops (Kopi Cafe comes to mind, but there are lots of others), an Ann Sather, a wonderful crepe restaurant at the corner of Clark and Foster... and the list goes on. In sum, it's a lovely place to live. I'm living in China now and miss it quite a lot.

[laowai]

I've gotten into Northwestern, and it looks like there's a good chance I could end up there. I've decided I'd rather live in Chicago than in Evanston, as I highly value access to good ethnic food, ethnic groceries, good bars, etc. I've never been to Chicago before, nor do I know anyone there, but from doing a lot of research online, I think I've decided that I'd like to live in or near Andersonville (maybe in that part of Edgewater close to it, or Ravenswood). Being close to a Red Line or Metra stop is key. But otherwise, I know nothing. So can anyone tell me anything about this northern area of Chicago? Where are some good places to check out? How reliable are the Metra and Red Line trains? How easy is it to get downtown? And, most importantly, what is Chicago like in general? If I choose Chicago, I'll be doing so over New York, which I really love. I know Chicago isn't New York, and I can't expect it to be, but basically I just want someone to convince me that Chicago is just as cool as New York (if not more).

I just saw your other post and wanted to add that Ravenswood is a good option, as well--especially if you want to be closer to the Metra line. You'd be right between Andersonville and Lincoln Square (cute, formerly German neighborhood). You could take the Brown Line or the Red Line downtown (both around 35-40 minutes--the Brown Line is more scenic, but the Red is usually a little quicker). The Metra is only 15 minutes or so, but it drops you off on the west side of the Loop--good if you're going to Union Station, Greek Town, the UIC campus, or the opera, but otherwise not so convenient, I've found.

Finally, Chicago is awesome! But then, I've never been to New York...

[zind]

Hey there, so the last informative thread is a year old, and I can really use an update as I have to decide between the cold of Chicago and the friendly weather of San Diego.

As far as the academics go, I'm extremely excited to go to NW next fall, but I have absolutely no idea about the grad life there. I was in Cambridge (MA) last summer, and the city was filled with events for international students, grad or non-grad, so I was wondering how Chicago and Evanston would compare.

Im also curious about the grad life at NWU, but perhaps that belongs to a different thread. Anyways, so any comments on Chicago 2010-2011 are greatly appreciated. Thanks!

[Salsero22]

Hey there, so the last informative thread is a year old, and I can really use an update as I have to decide between the cold of Chicago and the friendly weather of San Diego.

As far as the academics go, I'm extremely excited to go to NW next fall, but I have absolutely no idea about the grad life there. I was in Cambridge (MA) last summer, and the city was filled with events for international students, grad or non-grad, so I was wondering how Chicago and Evanston would compare.

Im also curious about the grad life at NWU, but perhaps that belongs to a different thread. Anyways, so any comments on Chicago 2010-2011 are greatly appreciated. Thanks!

I have grown up in Chicago, went to undergrad at DePaul and will be going to UIC for graduate school. So, I'm a bit biased. I love my city! Regarding events for international students, you can find almost every ethnic and national group in Chicago. I'm not sure where you are from, but I'm sure you can find events, restaurants, cultural organizations, etc. from your culture here in Chicago. Evanston is separate from the city of Chicago, but its easy to get to Chicago using public transportation. The summers are amazing here (a festival every week) and the winters make you appreciate them even more! (Nice spin =D). Chicago is one of my more segregated cities in the country, if not the world. The up side to this is the presence of many ethnic enclaves that are rich in culture.

[beelz]

I have grown up in Chicago, went to undergrad at DePaul and will be going to UIC for graduate school. So, I'm a bit biased. I love my city! Regarding events for international students, you can find almost every ethnic and national group in Chicago. I'm not sure where you are from, but I'm sure you can find events, restaurants, cultural organizations, etc. from your culture here in Chicago. Evanston is separate from the city of Chicago, but its easy to get to Chicago using public transportation. The summers are amazing here (a festival every week) and the winters make you appreciate them even more! (Nice spin =D). Chicago is one of my more segregated cities in the country, if not the world. The up side to this is the presence of many ethnic enclaves that are rich in culture.

Hey! I saw that you went to DePaul for undergrad, and I am seriously considering going there for grad school this fall. Can you offer some suggestions for where to live? What areas are safest? How did you like DePaul?

[Behavioral]

I just can't find any incoming Northwestern students!

Come 2nd year, I'll probably be living in the city (first year staying in Evanston), and may be looking for a roommate to live with near Downtown/Streeterville area.

[Behavioral]

I''ll be going to Northwestern next fall, so my wife and I will be moving this summer. If anyone knows of a sublet (studio or 1-bedroom) for the month of August, please message me, since I think it'll be better to sublet for a month and then look for a place for September than to accept something sight unseen.

Hey! If you need a place to crash for a few days near the end of the month, you can stay at my place. It will be largely unfurnished since I'm just moving in, but I think I'll have a Queen-sized airbed by then at least.

PM me if interested!

[smilingurl]

Hi I'm heading to NWU Fall 11 and I'm having trouble finding any others who are headed there so please do send me a message if you're heading there too! I'd be glad to have the chance to discuss housing and classes and what not!

Hello! I've been looking for someone to meet, too. Going to NU for fall 2011- looking for roommates, friends, etc. From California so definitely new to this area. Let me know if you have suggestions or would like to meet up. Will be there June 13-16 to look at some apartments!

Thanks!