living in Chicago with 2 dogs (apartment, to rent, crime)

[Kentclarkjr]

Any help appreciated. My wife, dtr and I live in San Antonio and will be moving Chicago in early March. My office is downtown and would prefer to live close to downtown. We want to rent for about 2 yrs and our budget is about 2k per month. Here's the challenge. We have 2 dogs, both rescue dogs. One is about 70 lbs. Is living close to downtown unrealistic or what areas would be good close to that area? Thx.

[chet everett]

You almost certainly can find some place that is within a breif commute of the Loop in your price range, there are suburbs that are under 25 minutes via Metra if you strike out with city landlords -- the general attitudes towards larger dogs / multiple pets tends to be a bigger hurdle in the hotter areas...

If you do the math on spending $48k in rent over two years it very well might make sense to shop for a well priced purchase.

[nightlysparrow]

Think about where you are going to walk them, and think about doing it in freezing cold wind/rain/sleet/snow.

In other words, how far is your dwelling going to be to walk to a grassy area?

And think about the crime stats for the neighborhood you'll be walking in the dark.

[marothisu]

What do you mean by close to downtown? Chicago is very public transit oriented and most people in the city who work downtown commute via train or bus. Now, here's the deal. The places CLOSE to downtown a lot of the time have a 40 pound limit to dogs. It really depends on where though. I'm sure there are places that would take in larger dogs, but you'll have to search for them. If you go a little outside of downtown, not only will you get more bang for your buck, but you'll probably have better luck with a heavier dog like the one you have. There is also more green space outside of downtown. Remember too that during the winters, it's a lot colder here than in Texas. Your dogs might hate you sometimes if you keep them on the cold, icy concrete.

I know areas of Lakeview where you can get a 3 bedroom for $2000/month and other areas too. Near downtown? $2000/month will MAYBE get you a 2 bedroom at an older place. The 2 bedrooms in my place start at around $2050 or $2100 (no dog apartment) downtown and that is under the average rent.

If you want a 1 bedroom then you could live anywhere almost, but 2+ bedrooms..you're pushing it CLOSE to downtown. I would honestly look outside of downtown. It's quite easy to ride a train into downtown. It's fast (for the most part) and everyone does it.

[aragx6]

Wicker Park is still, to this day, one of the most dog-friendly neighborhoods in which I've ever lived. So many landlords there seemed to have few, if any, size restrictions. You'll do best with private landlords and small property management companies as opposed to the larger buildings, but I feel confident you can find something with a bit of effort.