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Old 12-24-2014, 02:23 PM
 
7 posts, read 23,091 times
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Hey all! I'm looking to move into an apartment in Chicago. I'm 22 and will be going to college at Columbia College, so I need to find a place close by. I've been told that housing on campus there is too expensive and that it's best to live off campus. I'm looking to bring along with me one roommate... apartment price, approx. $500 (I wish)- $1000.

I'm looking to find a place that's most inexpensive, safe, hip, young, and trendy!

I've done some research and thought these top 3 neighborhoods seemed the best suited for me: Bucktown, Logan Square, and Wicker Park. I know Wicker Park is the most expensive of the three and that I'd have a hard time looking for something I could afford, but just throwing it out there.

If anybody could give me some extremely detailed information of these areas and their opinions (demographics, stores, food... etc), please do! Thanks!

Last edited by neutralcat; 12-24-2014 at 03:30 PM..
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Old 12-24-2014, 02:51 PM
 
28,455 posts, read 85,361,596 times
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Default Close?

Quote:
Originally Posted by neutralcat View Post
Hey all! I'm looking to move into an apartment in Chicago. I'm 22 and will be going to college at Columbia College, so I need to find a place close by. I've been told that housing on campus there is too expensive and that it's best to live off campus. I'm looking to bring along with me one roommate... apartment price, approx. $500 (I wish)- $800.

I'm looking to find a place that's most inexpensive, safe, hip, young, and trendy!

I've done some research and thought these top 3 neighborhoods seemed the best suited for me: Bucktown, Logan Square, and Wicker Park. I know Wicker Park is the most expensive of the three and that I'd have a hard time looking for something I could afford, but just throwing it out there.

If anybody could give me some extremely detailed information of these areas and their opinions (demographics, stores, food... etc), please do! Thanks!
Colombia is in the SOUTH LOOP. College sponsored housing nearby is probably not cheap but stuff in Bucktown/Wicker Park / Logan Square is neither any cheaper nor particularly close.

Try Pilsen, which is closer and likely not as pricey. Also worth looking at Bridgeport if you want convenient to school and more affordable.

Pilsen is getting increasingly hip / trendy. Bridgeport is improving too. You will pay a huge premium for hotter areas and if you want close to school you are looking in the wrong areas.

Extremely detailed info? Try this, open up a maps.google.com page in your browser and you can trace how much farther you'd be from Colombia in a Northside area vs Pilsen or Bridgeport. While you have that browser open you can search for resturants too, but if you are looking to save money instead focus on grocery stores. There is nice enough Jewel on Halsted in Bridgeport and plenty of super mercados near Pilsen. If you are lazy most of these places will sell taco meat / menudo in bulk. Cheap. For what you spend on one meal at a trendy Wicker Park resturant you can probably buy a week's worth of food ...
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Old 12-24-2014, 02:57 PM
 
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you can eat at sultan's market in wicker park for $3.95

However, I don't think you are going to get a $500 or even $800 room in any of the neighborhoods listed. It is 2015 not 1995.
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Old 12-24-2014, 02:59 PM
 
7 posts, read 23,091 times
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Quote:
Originally Posted by chet everett View Post
Colombia is in the SOUTH LOOP. College sponsored housing nearby is probably not cheap but stuff in Bucktown/Wicker Park / Logan Square is neither any cheaper nor particularly close.

Try Pilsen, which is closer and likely not as pricey. Also worth looking at Bridgeport if you want convenient to school and more affordable.

Pilsen is getting increasingly hip / trendy. Bridgeport is improving too. You will pay a huge premium for hotter areas and if you want close to school you are looking in the wrong areas.

Extremely detailed info? Try this, open up a maps.google.com page in your browser and you can trace how much farther you'd be from Colombia in a Northside area vs Pilsen or Bridgeport. While you have that browser open you can search for resturants too, but if you are looking to save money instead focus on grocery stores. There is nice enough Jewel on Halsted in Bridgeport and plenty of super mercados near Pilsen. If you are lazy most of these places will sell taco meat / menudo in bulk. Cheap. For what you spend on one meal at a trendy Wicker Park resturant you can probably buy a week's worth of food ...
Thanks for the info! Just found this, and find it rather funny that the term "hipster" is being used here, but I guess I have no other term here haha, anyways, what about any of the places listed here:
What Are Chicago's Most Hipsterific Neighborhoods?

Most safe, affordable ($500 - $1000), and "hipster" of the bunch?

Last edited by neutralcat; 12-24-2014 at 03:29 PM..
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Old 12-24-2014, 05:12 PM
 
Location: Upper West Side, Manhattan, NYC
15,323 posts, read 23,915,941 times
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The only way you're going to live in Wicker Park or Bucktown on that budget is with roommates (probably 2 or 3 others). Logan Square, Ukrainian Village area, or Pilsen are areas you may want to look in that you may have better luck finding places in for that budget. Housing availability is a different story so you'll have to look. You could also try Avondale which is tamer and has a few hip things in it but it still feels "eh" compared to an area like WP.
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Old 12-24-2014, 05:41 PM
 
7 posts, read 23,091 times
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Originally Posted by marothisu View Post
The only way you're going to live in Wicker Park or Bucktown on that budget is with roommates (probably 2 or 3 others). Logan Square, Ukrainian Village area, or Pilsen are areas you may want to look in that you may have better luck finding places in for that budget. Housing availability is a different story so you'll have to look. You could also try Avondale which is tamer and has a few hip things in it but it still feels "eh" compared to an area like WP.
How would you rate Logan Square to Wicker Park? Are they similar?
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Old 12-26-2014, 12:30 PM
 
Location: Chicago
6,025 posts, read 15,343,192 times
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What, I'm confused, are you looking for an apartment that's $500-1000/month, or are you looking to only pay that much for your share? Your original post made it seem like the former.

Oh, and living off of the blue line and getting to Columbia isn't that convenient, especially depending on what major you are. Columbia's buildings are spread across several blocks and some are closer to come train lines than others.
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Old 12-26-2014, 08:09 PM
 
62 posts, read 79,510 times
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I have lived in the South Loop when I went to Roosevelt for college, which is right next door to Columbia. The South Loop is the most expensive area of the bunch you listed. The Clinton Blue Line stop at Congress makes commuting from Bucktown/WP/Logan Square convenient. After graduating I moved to Bucktown close to the Western Blue Line and I loved it. Logan is an area I have never lived in but would not hesitate to. I would keep all these options open and see what you find.
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Old 12-26-2014, 08:29 PM
 
28,455 posts, read 85,361,596 times
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Default Kind of a bizarre definition of "convenience"...

Quote:
Originally Posted by JohnWestTown View Post
I have lived in the South Loop when I went to Roosevelt for college, which is right next door to Columbia. The South Loop is the most expensive area of the bunch you listed. The Clinton Blue Line stop at Congress makes commuting from Bucktown/WP/Logan Square convenient. After graduating I moved to Bucktown close to the Western Blue Line and I loved it. Logan is an area I have never lived in but would not hesitate to. I would keep all these options open and see what you find.
Open a google maps. Find the Clinton St Blue line stop. It is literally underneath the Congress Expressway / Eisenhower entrance ramp.

The walk to the nearest building that is part of Colombia is well over a mile. You gotta cross under the expressway, which in bad weather is going to guarantee you get wet /cold. You gotta cross under the railroad tracks at LaSalle St station, a dank decrypt viaduct, cross over the Chicago River on a not particularly pedestrian friendly bridge, walk down streets that are essentially alleys until you get to State St, where you cross under the State St El (which is where the Red line that serve Bridgeport runs) as well the Orange line that serves Pilsen and FINALLY you at the campus....
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Old 12-27-2014, 01:45 PM
 
62 posts, read 79,510 times
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Quote:
Originally Posted by chet everett View Post
Open a google maps. Find the Clinton St Blue line stop. It is literally underneath the Congress Expressway / Eisenhower entrance ramp.

The walk to the nearest building that is part of Colombia is well over a mile. You gotta cross under the expressway, which in bad weather is going to guarantee you get wet /cold. You gotta cross under the railroad tracks at LaSalle St station, a dank decrypt viaduct, cross over the Chicago River on a not particularly pedestrian friendly bridge, walk down streets that are essentially alleys until you get to State St, where you cross under the State St El (which is where the Red line that serve Bridgeport runs) as well the Orange line that serves Pilsen and FINALLY you at the campus....
Ah sorry, I meant to say the LaSalle Blue Line station, not Clinton. The LaSalle station is 0.2 miles from the Columbia dorms.
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