Moving to Chicago (Lincoln: loft, neighborhoods, school)

[ja.]

I am looking to attend UIC for my masters. I have never lived in a large city before and am looking for some pointers. Is it in a good neighborhood? Is it easy to reach with public transportation? Would you recommend bringing a car? I would like to live off campus. Any suggestions would be helpful! Thanks!

[dragoro]

Theres public trans to almost anywhere. Plenty of posts on nieghborhoods already. I wouldnt take a car, I do fine without one, and parking is a real pain in this city (and lots are crazy expensive: 100+ a month, or 20+ for first hour). Your in for quite an experience living in a big city for first time, dont let it intimidate you.

[sharkylittleton]

Living on campus would be the easy choice. UIC area is very developed. There are other neighborhoods that are a short train ride away with unique characteristics that may drastically change your experience. For example proximity towards the lake for outdoor activity, trendy social scenes, culture, sports, etc.

IMO commonly overlooked... Keep a positive and open minded attitude to accommodate different types of people and cultures and you will get the most from your experience. Basically, respect the city and it will respect you.

Good luck!

[NearWestSider]

I live just south of UIC, and I do not hesitate to recommend the surrounding area. In fact I would recommend that you start out there, since you can't beat walking to school, and there are a lot of students living in the surrounding areas.

Roosevelt Road has blossomed into a major retail corridor in recent years, so you can get most of the stuff you need (groceries, Target, etc.) close by.

Public transportation consists mainly of the Blue Line, the Halsted bus and the Roosevelt Road bus.

In terms of personal transportation, a car certainly comes in handy, but a bike will get you just about anywhere you need to go, at least around the neighborhood, because it is a fairly compact area. A bike can also get you to places like Lincoln Park and Wicker Park (during the day, of course). I have a car, but my car rarely moves during the summer. In fact, the only thing I use my car for anymore is for heavy (literally) shopping and discretionary outings on the weekends.

If you are a big night life person, however, you will definitely want a car, because although public transit can theoretically get you where you want to go, the reality of the situation is that the buses and trains run a less frequently late at night, which means you will find yourself standing on the street corner at odd hours.

The compactness I referred to above is one of the most endearing aspects of the UIC area. You are literally within 2 miles of the Loop and the lakefront.

There are four neighborhoods surrounding the campus: Taylor Street (immediately to the west), West Loop (immediately to the north), University Village (immediately to the south), and Pilsen (just south of University Village).

UV, where I live, has almost a suburban vibe to it, right down to the kids playing soccer and the mini downtown on Maxwell Street. If you are not accustomed to big city life, it could provide an easy transition.

Taylor Street, aka "Little Italy", is a classic Chicago neighborhood, historically Italian, that has gone upscale in recent years.

West Loop is a loft district just west of (you guessed it), the Loop.

Pilsen is the land of cheap rents, artists, galleries, slackers, and bohemians. It is also one of the final vestiges of the old West Side.

In terms of cost, from highest to lowest: UV, WL, TS, and Pilsen.
In terms of access to public transportation: WL, TS, UV, and Pilsen.

Hope this helps, and best of luck.

[ja.]

Thanks NearWestSider. Did you attend UIC? If so, what did you think of your experience there?