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Old 06-01-2014, 08:06 AM
 
30 posts, read 39,618 times
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Good Morning!

I have the opportunity to relocate to a few different cities, and Chicago is one of them. I have never been to Chicago (though I plan on visiting at least twice if I do decide to move) Please see below and provide suggestions for areas if you would please, and thank you!

A little about me:

29, single, female.. no kids. I love being out and about, trying new restaurants, happy hour, lounges, festivals, farmers markets, flea markets, shopping (anywhere from bargain shopping to high end), sports, and I love jogging/walking/running.

Looking to rent, and budget would be between 1000-1200. I am definitely looking for an area that has good walkability. Doesn't necessarily mean I need to be able to walk to EVERY restaurant/bar/shopping/grocery.. but I'd like to at least be able to walk to a few places for coffee, quick lunch, and be close to a park or jogging area.
If I choose to move, work would be on S Wacker Drive (not sure if you all need a cross street or anything, sorry!) I'd like to keep my commute no more than 30 minutes, and would like to take the train if possible. Not sure how driving around the city is, but I imagine it is similar to here...... not great/no parking/expensive parking.

Lastly, safety would be a thing of importance for me since I am moving alone and know zero about the city.


Any suggestions would be great - thank you!
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Old 06-01-2014, 08:21 AM
 
28,453 posts, read 85,642,292 times
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S. Wacker Drive is home to many very large office towers and is easy to get to from any of the popular locations for folks like you. A pleasant CTA ride from any of the other downtown-ish locations like south Loop, Streeterville, Gold Coast or River North would be feasible. It would only be slightly longer from places like Lincoln Park, Lakeview, or Old Town. More up and coming spots like Bucktown, Near West Side, and Ukranian Village are also possibilities...

I am sorta shocked that there is a 29 yr old alive in America working in a corporate setting that has offices open to transfer in Chicago that is not all over the various hot spots of our fair city but no doubt within a few posts the hordes of similar folks will fill you in on why you should not consider any place other than Chicago...
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Old 06-01-2014, 08:29 AM
 
30 posts, read 39,618 times
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Quote:
Originally Posted by chet everett View Post
S. Wacker Drive is home to many very large office towers and is easy to get to from any of the popular locations for folks like you. A pleasant CTA ride from any of the other downtown-ish locations like south Loop, Streeterville, Gold Coast or River North would be feasible. It would only be slightly longer from places like Lincoln Park, Lakeview, or Old Town. More up and coming spots like Bucktown, Near West Side, and Ukranian Village are also possibilities...

I am sorta shocked that there is a 29 yr old alive in America working in a corporate setting that has offices open to transfer in Chicago that is not all over the various hot spots of our fair city but no doubt within a few posts the hordes of similar folks will fill you in on why you should not consider any place other than Chicago...
Well.. I've never been out west period, with the exception of Texas, and no where near the midwest.. I am truely an East Coast girl at heart and not sure of the differences between here and there. I have the opportunity to move to Dallas, Chicago, or Cali (just north of LA), so just weighing my options and trying to get as much info as I can from locals or people who have made a similar move.
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Old 06-01-2014, 09:07 AM
 
Location: Upper West Side, Manhattan, NYC
15,323 posts, read 24,023,244 times
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A few areas I'd suggest based on what you said and your budget would be Lakeview East or Lincoln Square/Ravenswood. These won't have much in the way of lounges (most of those are downtown - which is easy to get to from either area) but the other stuff is possible. Lakeview East is along a lake and there is a bike/running path along that which is 18 miles long (from start to finish). Very walkable - a number of shops and restaurants. Lincoln Square/Ravenswood is a mix of kind of families and people in their late 20s and above but has walkability, shops, etc. It's a little west of the lake but there's some park space there too.

You may also enjoy an area like Ukrainian Village/West Town, though the stock of 1 bedrooms and I think studios there is pretty short.
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Old 06-01-2014, 10:01 AM
 
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What is the cost of public transit commuting from areas like Lakeview/Lincoln Square, as well as Ukranian Village/West Town into work? Are 1bedrooms in my budget going to run small/old? I'd like to be in a highrise building, or at least not a walk up that sends me up to the 4th floor. I did that in Philly for a year and it was hell carrying things back and forth on my own.
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Old 06-01-2014, 11:21 AM
 
Location: Chicago
287 posts, read 1,030,932 times
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There are more high rise buildings near the lake so Lakeview, Lincoln Park, River North, Gold Coast. I loved living in West Town and highly recommend it, but the housing stock is more often 2,3,4 flats. Not that there aren't bigger buildings, but in general that's what you get. Lakeview in particular has many studios and one bedrooms, if that's what you're looking for. Public transit is $2.25 for the train $2 for the bus and $.25 for a transfer so it will likely run you about $4.50 a day.
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Old 06-01-2014, 12:59 PM
 
30 posts, read 39,618 times
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Quote:
Originally Posted by wickedripeplum View Post
There are more high rise buildings near the lake so Lakeview, Lincoln Park, River North, Gold Coast. I loved living in West Town and highly recommend it, but the housing stock is more often 2,3,4 flats. Not that there aren't bigger buildings, but in general that's what you get. Lakeview in particular has many studios and one bedrooms, if that's what you're looking for. Public transit is $2.25 for the train $2 for the bus and $.25 for a transfer so it will likely run you about $4.50 a day.
Wow.. transit costs wouldn't be bad at all. I'm thinking of ditching my car (actually, it is probable) if I end up in Chicago. I just did some research on Lakeview, looks really nice. Definitely seems like a quaint area with lots of walkability.
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Old 06-01-2014, 02:11 PM
 
Location: Chicago
38,707 posts, read 103,453,099 times
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If you want something of an East Coast vibe, Chicago is the only city on your list that bears any physical or cultural resemblance to an east coast city, and only slightly on both counts. But IMO there's just enough in both cases that you'll still be fundamentally within your comfort zone. I should say that any resemblance in either case fades quickly in the suburbs or even in the outskirts of the city itself. Of course if you want a completely different experience, I'm guessing both of your other options will deliver it.
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Old 06-01-2014, 02:11 PM
 
Location: Upper West Side, Manhattan, NYC
15,323 posts, read 24,023,244 times
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Quote:
Originally Posted by PhilliesGirl View Post
Wow.. transit costs wouldn't be bad at all. I'm thinking of ditching my car (actually, it is probable) if I end up in Chicago. I just did some research on Lakeview, looks really nice. Definitely seems like a quaint area with lots of walkability.
You can get an unlimited public transit pass for $100/month as well, so if you take it twice a day for more than 5 days/week, it could become cheaper than just a pay as you go. There's also a bike share program called Divvy which is popular as well as thousands of cabs and the ride share stuff like Uber, Lyft, etc. Based on what you said, I'd think that Lakeview East would be the best fit for you if you were looking in Lakeview itself. To the west of that is Boystown, which is the main LGBT area of town, and to the west of that is Wrigleyville which is where the Cubs play and there's a bunch of bars (most of them are those halfway ****ty sports bar types). Then west of that is Southport, etc. Lincoln Square/Ravenswood would also be good for you.

I should mention that the trail along the lake goes through Lincoln Park (the actual park - largest in Chicago) where there's a bunch of green space, and it also connects pretty much all the beaches in Chicago together.
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Old 06-01-2014, 04:41 PM
 
30 posts, read 39,618 times
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Quote:
Originally Posted by Drover View Post
If you want something of an East Coast vibe, Chicago is the only city on your list that bears any physical or cultural resemblance to an east coast city, and only slightly on both counts. But IMO there's just enough in both cases that you'll still be fundamentally within your comfort zone. I should say that any resemblance in either case fades quickly in the suburbs or even in the outskirts of the city itself. Of course if you want a completely different experience, I'm guessing both of your other options will deliver it.
I am definitely looking for a city that is going to give me a new experience, yet still some of the East Coast vibe. And, you are right.. I am quickly realizing that my other 2 options are not going to give me that, at all. When I think of NY/Philly.. the next thing that comes to mind is Chicago. DC doesn't really compare at all in my opinion. So I'm hoping maybe Chicago will give me that, at least just a bit.
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