Possibly moving to Chicago...

[jay-gee34]

What about East Village? Is that area about the same as UK Village?

[marothisu]

Originally Posted by jay-gee34

What about East Village? Is that area about the same as UK Village?

Yeah they're right next to each other and pretty similar I'd say. Next to that is Noble Square too..

[jay-gee34]

So as far as actually living in Bridgeport, would that be an acceptable commute to Oak Brook? Is it a walkable area?

[marothisu]

Originally Posted by jay-gee34

So as far as actually living in Bridgeport, would that be an acceptable commute to Oak Brook? Is it a walkable area?

In light traffic it might take you 30-40 minutes. You can always cut up a street like Ashland to get to I-290 instead of taking I90/94 for a few miles to get there (especially if it's crowded).

Walkable? It's fairly neighborhoody. You aren't going to find stores EVERYWHERE but there are streets that are "walkable" like areas of Archer, Halsted, 31st Street..Compared to something like Lakeview or Wicker Park,yeah it's not AMAZING but it's not bad.

I know for "racial" things the area used to be bad if you were non-white, but I think it's better now. It's actually almost just as much Asian as it is White now and if you add in Hispanic in there, then whites are definitely a minority. Chinatown is also pretty closeby to Bridgeport.

[jay-gee34]

Originally Posted by marothisu

In light traffic it might take you 30-40 minutes. You can always cut up a street like Ashland to get to I-290 instead of taking I90/94 for a few miles to get there (especially if it's crowded).

Walkable? It's fairly neighborhoody. You aren't going to find stores EVERYWHERE but there are streets that are "walkable" like areas of Archer, Halsted, 31st Street..Compared to something like Lakeview or Wicker Park,yeah it's not AMAZING but it's not bad.

I know for "racial" things the area used to be bad if you were non-white, but I think it's better now. It's actually almost just as much Asian as it is White now and if you add in Hispanic in there, then whites are definitely a minority. Chinatown is also pretty closeby to Bridgeport.

I've been researching the racial issues of Bridgeport and it does seem like it has come a long ways. It definitely is interesting. It plays a role in a decision but race is not the main factor. What I really hope for is a walkable neighborhood which means also I can ride my bike around neighborhoods close by and not worry too much about ending up in a bad situation.

Rent is also much cheaper in Bridgeport, which is nice. But I don't want to sacrifice safety for money. I want to be able to know that when I'm at work, my wife feels safe to walk about the area and not feel threatened. I might be thinking too much about everything, we just want an enjoyable Chicago experience for as long as we are living there.

[marothisu]

Yeah it seems to have come a long way. I have never rode my bike through the area so I have no idea about that. I know Bridgeport is urban-ish but not like some of the north side neighborhoods. You do have a lot of houses there, but a lot of other stuff too. Some good restaurants (like Gio's) and stuff.

Chinatown (Armour Square) is another place to consider. The problem with this is that the places here seem to be advertised in Chinese. I can never find apartment listings, but maybe I'm looking in the wrong places.

I still think places like Ukrainian Village would be real good if you found a good place and it is possible. Bridgeport is cheaper on average for sure, but IMO UK Village/East Village area is the better neighborhood overall.

[jay-gee34]

Originally Posted by marothisu

Yeah it seems to have come a long way. I have never rode my bike through the area so I have no idea about that. I know Bridgeport is urban-ish but not like some of the north side neighborhoods. You do have a lot of houses there, but a lot of other stuff too. Some good restaurants (like Gio's) and stuff.

Chinatown (Armour Square) is another place to consider. The problem with this is that the places here seem to be advertised in Chinese. I can never find apartment listings, but maybe I'm looking in the wrong places.

I still think places like Ukrainian Village would be real good if you found a good place and it is possible. Bridgeport is cheaper on average for sure, but IMO UK Village/East Village area is the better neighborhood overall.

Thanks for all the advice. I just had my interview today so hopefully I can start looking more seriously very soon! I have found some nice rentals in UK Village. Do you have rental websites that you would recommend?

[marothisu]

Originally Posted by jay-gee34

Thanks for all the advice. I just had my interview today so hopefully I can start looking more seriously very soon! I have found some nice rentals in UK Village. Do you have rental websites that you would recommend?

Very cool! The rental websites I use would be ones like Rent.com (got my current place with them) but they are for the rentals with actual management companies. You won't find too many places, if any usually, in Wicker Park, UK Village, Bridgeport, etc on there.

You can also check meta providers like padmapper or other sites like domu. Craigslist will show up on Padmapper, but really it's like a mixed bag. Some legit listings, some scams for sure.

Chicago Reader also has postings...and some other sites. It really depends on what you want and it sounds like you should go the duplex/2 flat/3 flat/private condo type of route which sites like domu, Chicago Reader, padmapper, etc are great for. Just make sure on these sites when they are Craigslist ads..