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Old 03-24-2012, 10:44 PM
 
2 posts, read 2,105 times
Reputation: 10

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Hello,
I just moved here to Chicago and the US and very soon I will be starting to look for apartments so I need opinions from you nice folks here. I read extensively on here on the forum and on the internet about the neighborhoods and I've narrowed my choices to a few and I'm interested in your opinions on safety in these areas.

Edgewater - I have some friends that live close to Loyola and the lake on N. Kenmore (6000 blocks). But I've read that it's best to stick to Sheridan. Is that true and in what areas is best to look for a place? I've found some decently priced apartments on N. Kenmore, W. Thorndale and N. Winthrop. Why is there so much variety in pricing?

Lakeview and Lincoln Park - How much better and safer are they considering the price difference. I love these two neighborhoods but I don't know how affordable would they be for me since I don't have a set budget yet (still waiting for my green card to arrive any day now so I can get a job and see how much I can spend).

Another concern of mine are bed bugs which I read about all over the internet. Are they such a regular issue or is it just me? If yes how not get trapped with them?

Also I think I should mention that I'm a 22 year old male IT Professional/Administrator fresh out of college which means I'll probably will be working in the loop. I don’t own a car and probably won’t get one soon.

Looking forward for all of your opinions and any help would be much appreciated in solving my dilemmas.
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Old 03-24-2012, 11:42 PM
 
Location: Chicago
38,707 posts, read 103,648,282 times
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To me the price premium of Lincoln Park and Lakeview over Edgewater isn't worth it on account of safety alone -- IMO the price premium in those neighborhoods has more to do with other intangibles such as shopping/dining/nightlife and quicker access to downtown. While there are some problem buildings in Edgewater, typically east of Broadway, overall the area is quite safe by city standards.

Bedbugs is not a major issue. It happens but it's not anything close to an epidemic.
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Old 03-24-2012, 11:50 PM
 
Location: Chicago
5,559 posts, read 4,669,465 times
Reputation: 2202
Quote:
Originally Posted by Nick.ku View Post
Edgewater - I have some friends that live close to Loyola and the lake on N. Kenmore (6000 blocks). But I've read that it's best to stick to Sheridan. Is that true and in what areas is best to look for a place? I've found some decently priced apartments on N. Kenmore, W. Thorndale and N. Winthrop. Why is there so much variety in pricing?

Lakeview and Lincoln Park - How much better and safer are they considering the price difference. I love these two neighborhoods but I don't know how affordable would they be for me since I don't have a set budget yet (still waiting for my green card to arrive any day now so I can get a job and see how much I can spend).

Another concern of mine are bed bugs which I read about all over the internet. Are they such a regular issue or is it just me? If yes how not get trapped with them?

Also I think I should mention that I'm a 22 year old male IT Professional/Administrator fresh out of college which means I'll probably will be working in the loop. I don’t own a car and probably won’t get one soon.

Looking forward for all of your opinions and any help would be much appreciated in solving my dilemmas.
Edgewater along the lake is fine, going North from Foster to Hollywood. The hi-rises along the lake are pretty nice but the better maintained ones, in general, are closer to Foster. The problem with all hi-rises that are condos and condo rentals, is that they cost lots of money to maintain so each building will have its own characteristics.

As you go further west, each block has its own characteristics and some are much better than others, so you need to know the neighborhood and investigate the crime statistics. e.g.

Crimes | EveryBlock Chicago

Lakeview and Lincoln Park buildings are in general nicer (but this is a gross statement) and safer. However, more crimes are actually reported in these areas because of the number of bars that are in these areas which is the source of most of the crime. Rents are higher commensurate with the neighborhood.

I have many friends who live in different hi-rises and there doesn't seem to be a problem. At least no one has ever mentioned that there is a "building problem". I have head of individual outbreaks which are a result of people traveling and bringing back bugs in their luggage. Usually these problems are dealt with promptly. But given the thousands of apts. and condos in these areas, some problems of all sorts are inevitable.

The best thing to do is get in touch with a rental agency for the area that you are looking at and just ask questions. You can have your friends check out any particular block or neighborhood that you are looking at. In general, the places you are looking at are fine, but each building and block has its own characteristics. Some are better than others.
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Old 03-26-2012, 11:06 AM
 
2 posts, read 2,105 times
Reputation: 10
Thank you so much for your feedback.
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