Areas to live for grad student (Chicago, Evanston: neighborhoods, school, income)

[bbang]

Hello all,

I've been searching the forums and have seen some topics on this, but I still have no idea where to live!

I'm considering going to Chicago for grad school this fall, either UIC or IIT and don't know where to live. I was raised in the suburbs of Chicago but have been in NYC for the past few years...

So I know Streeterville is very Manhattan-y, which is what I am used to and like, but is probably unaffordable on a student's budget, right? Also, I heard Streeterville is mostly older people (I'll be 25 when I start school).

I am looking for an area with a great city feel (although I know NYC is NYC and Chicago is Chicago) where I don't need a car. If I go to IIT the program I'm looking at is in their downtown campus, and UIC is nowhere near downtow, right? Either way I would need to be close to public transportation (preferably the el, rather than the bus). Ideally I would like to live in the Loop, but I also heard it basically dies at night, kind of like the financial dist in NYC, is that true?? I think many Chicago neighborhoods have more of a NYC boro feel, rather than a Manhattan feel, right?

My budget is around 900/month give or take a little, for a studio bigger than a Manhattan shoebox. I also looked at the Gold Coast, but once again, I imagine that's not really affordable on my broke student income... I am most concerned about the city-life feel to the area (so no suburbs, no Evanston or Skokie). Would like an area with a younger population (20s-ish). I've heard Lincoln Park is good for this, but how easy are the commutes to IIC/UIC since I don't know which school I would be going to yet?

If anyone is familiar with Manhattan, I would like to live somewhere that is similar to either Village, Union Square, certain areas of UES (where the young professionals live).


Any advice would be appreciated!

[OrangeAndBlue]

You may want to consider Printers Row and the near West Loop (around Greektown). It won't be very active there at nights either, but not nearly as dead as the heart of the loop (like the financial district in NYC). Otherwise, for $900 you may be able to find a studio in an older building in the Gold Coast or River North. Both of those neighborhoods match your description somewhat and do not clear out after 6PM. Finding a studio in Streeterville for below $1000 is probably difficult, but you may get lucky. Check Craigslist and see what you find.