My wife and I are moving to Chicago. Where are good places to live?

[motorcity]

We are in our 30s and currently living in downtown Ann Arbor MI, where we love being able to walk around to eat, shop, exercise, go to the movies and what have you. We don't prefer the big yard, suburbia, gotta drive everywhere life yet. We aren't late night party people, but it would be nice to be in an area where I don't have to worry about my wife riding her bike home from work at night. She will be working in the loop, so she would prefer to be able to get there in under 30 minutes using a bike or public transportation, no more than 45 minutes. I'd like to get house since I work in audio and would like to be in a separate building from my neighbors. I imagine houses are hard to come by in many areas, but a fixer upper would be ideal.

We have only been to Chicago a few times, and usually it has been to see a show at the Metro, House of Blues or the Doubledoor. I have never paid attention to all the different neighborhoods, so I am not sure where to begin.

It will be pretty weird to work for, write to, and get pissed off about a whole new set of politicians! Goodbye to Dingell, Levin, Stabenow and Granholm.

I don't post here a lot, but I figured I'd ask you guys what you think. I don't really know anyone in Chicago, and this situation has come up very suddenly. What areas should I look into? What areas should I avoid? Tell me as much as you want about your city. Thanks!

[rosesaylavee]

1. I live west but think I can still say 'Welcome'

to Chicago! It's a world class beautiful city. How lucky you get to come to live here. It's got a little of everything. No mountains but just about everything else.

[motorcity]

2. Actually, my wife's job is in Streeterville, not the loop

I am still learning!

[whathehell]

3. Hey Motorcity!

Welcome to Chicago!..As someone who relocated here from the East Coast, reluctantly, I might add, I can pretty well assure you that you are in for a treat....A former Philadelphian, I find Chicago to be one the friendliest, most entertaining cities I've ever lived in...an interesting coincidence is that my husband (who also loves Chicago) was raised just outside detroit and went to UM, so he's lived in Ann Arbor too.

Good Neighborhoods:Lakeview* Lincoldn Park, Old Town -- all good places to live. My husband and I live in the northwest suburbs (for his job) but maintain a large studio apartment on the 3500 Block of Lakeshore Drive. It is a GREAT neighborhood, very walkable, people out most of the time, full of restaurants, clubs, small theaters, shopping, etc....The only problem is they CAN be expensive areas to live, so I don't know what your budget is...We got a "good deal" with our condo when we bought it after renting it for three years. If you want to buy a HOUSE, or say a 2 bedroom condo, you're looking at 300,000 at least. Streeterville, the Gold Coast, all of these places are good -- but the closer you get to the Loop, the more expensive it seems to get.

Because of the economy, there are some "rent to own" deals and "fixer uppers" too..I suggest you check out Craigslist (use caution) The Reader (an alternative paper that is also online) and the Chicago Tribune, plus some real estate places.

*Lakeview..I don't live in Lakeview all the time, but it is a very popular place. In saying that, I should warn you that there HAS been a mugger prowling around lately, I believe he merely robs, but sometimes knocks people to the ground...You could check with the police department in the area, he may even have been caught by now.

pm me if I can help you with anything.

Whathehell

[motorcity]

4. Great info, thanks

What do you know about the Ravenswood area? Some future co-workers recommended it.

[whathehell]

6. I don't know that area well. You're better off listening to those who do.

[Hassin Bin Sober]

12. Ravenswood is great but the single families will be very expensive.

You might try heading a little west from there to a few up and coming "family" neighborhoods with a little less nightlife but still close to transportation. Albany Park? Irving Park? You might pick up a bungalow for around the 300s.

Maybe a fixer-upper in the mid to high 200s.

I just did a couple deals in those areas (I'm a banker) and I was surprised at how affordable things have become.

If you go the condo route your options will open up and move you closer to what's goin on.

[OneAngryDemocrat]

5. Northside...

Wrigleyville (http://www.google.com/search?hl=en&source=hp&q=wrigleyville&aq=f&oq=&aqi=g10).

[surrealAmerican]

7. Your wife is more likely to want to take public transit ...

... than to bike to and from work. Biking is difficult in many neighborhoods, and almost impossible in the winter (snow on the roads makes it unsafe). Check the CTA website to see which train she might take to work, and look at neighborhoods along that route.

[show us yer moobs]

30. Hey, someone of us are 12-month cyclists in Chicago!

The only time I don't ride is when there has been snow newly fallen and over two inches!

[mopinko]

8. she can take her bike on any bus or train, so

my rec would be my hood- rogers park. there are some houses here, and right now they are pretty much of a bargain. we are the last hood on the lake, and there is a bike path all the way to streeterville. edgewater is nice, too, just south. pricier, but closer. some single families there, but mostly big bucks.
but as a friend who was looking with similar criteria (looking for a home where no one would complain about his noisy cockatoo) found out, detached single families start at $1m in most places. especially near the loop, if you can even find one. wicker park is the next "big" hood, with maybe a few fixer uppers left. (north and west of the loop) bucktown is just west, and still has many fixers, and a very edgy, artsy feel. lots to do, and bike friendly.
the south side is where a lot of bargains are still available. if you hurry, you might find something down in the pres's hood, hyde park. kenwood/oaklawn, nearby, has been on the way up for a long time. nice old places in a hood that is still "scary". i think this area will pick up if we don't completely go down the shitter.
west loop is fun, close in, lots of bargains, but no single families to speak of.
there are certainly lots of foreclosures available. be very careful if you start looking at condos. many developments, although cheap, are having a lot of organizational problems that you do not want to get into.

if there is anything i can do for you, do not hesitate to pm. do you facebook? i know a very aggressive realtor there. i know his daughter, and she is a great, hardworking blue, blue, blue liberal.

[barb162]

9. I think just about anywhere near the lake you'd be satisfied.

I'd completely forget about the bike in the winter.

Welcome!!!

[mopinko]

10. there are precious few houses near the lake to be had.

even for $1m.

[barb162]

11. I was thinking perhaps a Lakeview fixer upper for about 6-700,000

Hyde Park area could be very nice but I don't know if that would work with the 45 minutes travel. Depends how far one's house is from public transport and the same goes for where work is in Streeterville (and how fast one walks).

[Peregrine Took]

13. If I were you I would try to rent a coach house in Lincoln Park or Lakeview.

You have your own house (although on an alley...beep beep) but you can be (within reason) pretty noisy and your wife could definitely bike to the loop.

Cyclists are getting killed and injured here quite often - if they go down city streets, that is. I would advise her to walk the bike over to the lakefront multi use trail that goes from downtown almost up to Evanston. Don't use the city streets!

Both Lincoln Park and Lakeview are incredible in terms of things to do. You don't need a car if you live there.

Let me know what else you would like to find out. I live in Lakeview.

[ChicagoSuz219]

14. You'll love Chicago!! (more)

Go to www.craigslist.org, Click on Illinois, then Chicago, then housing... you'll get an idea about what houses, apartments, condos are going for in different neighborhoods.

Then, go to www.ChicagoReader.com & check on their housing.

If/when you find something that interests you, contact me & I'll tell you whatever I know about the neighborhood, etc.

I'm originally from New York, but I've been here for 22+ years & have lived in several different neighborhoods over the years...

[surrealAmerican]

16. I second that advice about the Reader's site.

It's a great resource.

Welcome to DU ChicagoSuz219.

[ChicagoSuz219]

17. Thanks, surrealAmerican! Is there a Chicago club? nt

[mopinko]

18. on du, you mean?

we are so disorganized! i keep trying to drum up reasons to get together, and rarely get a nibble. perhaps when motorcity gets here we can have a welcome party of some sort.

[ChicagoSuz219]

19. I guess so... nt

[surrealAmerican]

20. I don't know of one.

I was hoping somebody who knew would respond to you.

[ChicagoSuz219]

22. That's OK... thx, anyway! nt

[show us yer moobs]

31. Ah, the Reader doesn't seem to have as many differing ads anymore

I seem to see the same ones over and over. I'd recommend Craig's List and the Suburban Pioneer Press weeklies.

[izzybeans]

15. Logan Square, Ukrainian Village, West Town, Wicker Park, Pilsen

if you like more quirky, hipster type establishments and neighbors. Along the Blue and Green lines to the loop.

Lakeview, Lincoln Park, Old Town, River North, South Loop if you like more mainstream big box retail and walk up apartments. Along the red line to the loop.

Ravenswood, Roscoe Village, UpTown, NorthCenter, Edgewater, Lincoln Square (far north) if you like the more suburban feel. Along the red and brown lines.

Andersonville is a mixture of all of the above but its pretty far north if you are working downtown. Definitely not bikable. If you are into biking I would recommend the Uk Village, Wicker Park. Milwaukee Ave. is a pretty standard bike trail to downtown or much closer to the lake with easy access to the lakeshore bike path (LIncoln Park and Lakeview).

My wife and I live in the far western part of the Ukrainian Village. We moved her from Roscoe Village because it was way too suburban for our taste and we can afford a much larger place here. Close to Humboldt Park. Right now we live in a large single family coach house for the same price as renting a tiny two bedroom flat in Roscoe.

The further west you go the more quirky (and interesting imo) Chicago gets (to a point). Far west side neighborhoods have their problems with crime and joblessness. But we are happy with the mix of affordability and interesting restaurants, bars, shops to walk to where we live. You are much more likely to find an owner operated establishment in these neighborhoods (including bars, restaurants, shops, etc.).

[frazzled]

21. Consider the bus and train lines (el or Metra).

That's my advice, because driving to commute from one of the neighborhoods to Streeterville can be hell (and expensive to park).

Some possibilities: Lincoln Square (good restaurants and street life), Ravenswood, Andersonville. These are all pretty far north, yet still commutable by public transport.

But if you can't find a single-family house in your price range, consider a smaller condo building. We live just on the edge of the Loop in what is called "Fulton River District." You can walk downtown, but it's quiet. We live in a six-story building with only 8 units per floor, and since our unit is on the sixth floor, we have a large roof terrace as well: we grow vegetables and dine outside all summer. It is like having a house, especially because we have a master br and bath on a second floor, which allows us to "get away" and not feel so much like we are in an apartment.

Townhomes are also popular, though imo, it's too many stairs and too little space on each floor. But if you don't mind walking up and down stairs a lot, these can be an economical alternative to the single-family home.

[show us yer moobs]

32. I think the OP is thinking Chicagoland, though, don't you?

I live outside the city but we always say we're from Chicago. It's just the way you think when you live fairly close to the border of Chitown.

[motorcity]

23. Thanks everybody! We learned a lot while we were in Chicago this weekend.

And your posts helped guide us a lot. There are so many great neighborhoods that it is impossible to narrow our search down to just one.

We learned one big thing this weekend, and it is that we would like a garage or at very least a driveway. My job involves occasionally hauling heavy items around in my trunk, and it looks like my wife's job will involve about two non-public transportation friendly commutes a week. Driving around and looking for street parking is really unappealing to us.

Our favorite place is Andersonville. Pros: shops on Clark street, close to our best public transport option the red line, roomier houses, garages, a few fixer uppers. Cons: too far away for biking to work. Maybe she can take the red line for part of it, bike part of it? We need to research this possibility some more.

We also liked the Lakeview/ Wrigleyville / Lincoln Park area. Pros: plenty of activity around, close to the red line, close enough to the bike paths near the lake. Cons: tougher to find houses w/ garages within our price range, and it is bit big city busy for me.

We didn't get enough time to spend around the Wicker Park area so we will have to do that next time. I like the shops there, but I feel like biking would be pretty challenging. The blue line also leaves her about a mile and a half from work. She could easily walk that, but in the winter I imagine that might suck.

Clearly every neighborhood is going to have pros and cons for us. We are still trying to figure out where our priorities are.

[izzybeans]

24. The bus system is pretty comprehensive. I'd be surprised if she couldn't catch a bus to work off the

train.

the CTA has a trip planner that you can plug your potential addresses in to. It'll break down everything from walking distance, to bus and train routes.

Good luck. :)

[mopinko]

25. just so you know, you just

rattled off the most expensive neighborhoods in the city, fixer-uppers not withstandlng.
and a there are no driveways in chicago. not many garages, either. but we have alleys, and it is not that hard to get one if you try. a handful of driveways, tho.
good luck, and keep us up to date. you probably already figured out that we love to talk about our city.

[Kittycat]

26. Another option...

I know you enjoy the city, but you can get great deals on condos and rentals near the train lines, in the suburbs - many of which are safer, and have nice downtowns for shopping and restaurants. The furthest out I'd go for a more accessible suburban lifestyle is Naperville which essentially has an outdoor mall comprised of their downtown streets (though I do live further out, but enjoy the house thing with the fenced yard, etc). But if you look along the Union Pacific metra line which leads out to Wheaton (wouldn't go that far out though - maybe glen ellyn), or along Burlington Northern Santa Fe (BNSF) which runs to Naperville/Aurora - you can find several great condos right near the train (walkable-bikable distances). On BNSF, anything near Hinsdale and Naperville will give you great shopping (Hinsdale is closer to the city). On Union Pacific (UP) - you have several choices. I'd ask a realtor to help. I'm not sure if you're looking for rental or purchase, but when I relo'd here from Columbus a Realtor helped me find my place in Wheaton, and I was very happy. It came with 2br, 1ba, garage w/extra parking, it was a total refurb.

[Sannum]

27. Evanston is awesome as well.

Downtown Evanston is a great place to live. There are fixer-upper bungalows close to METRA stations.

[Ava83]

28. If you do not being right outside the city

I have always loved Oak Park (I grew up in Berwyn) It has some beautiful homes and is near the Blue and Green line as far as public transportation

[show us yer moobs]

29. I would look at Oak Park, which is west of Chicago

It's not one of those far-out 'burbs (about 20 min. on the Metra to downtown) and it's very progressive. The only issue is that the taxes are outrageous, but so are most of the nice neighborhoods in Chicago proper!

[AngryAmish]

33. Oak Park to the Loop is a terrifying bicycle commute

No way would I want my wife biking through the west side.

[WestSide BB]

34. you might enjoy Beverly on far south side

I've lived in Wicker Park (before it got too expensive), I've lived on the wild West Side, and have also lived on the Far South Side in Beverly (90-115th St and Western Ave). It's a pretty safe, tree-lined hood with nearby grocery stores, coffee shops, bikeable streets and Metra stations. Lots of Irish Catholics including Catholic schools. But all kinds of other folks too. Disadvantages: it's physically quite far from downtown and it takes awhile to get anywhere. Might be some bargain houses down there.

[barb162]

35. It 's really fast

getting to downtown from Beverly... like 20 minutes or less on the expressway. Friends just sold their beautiful Beverly house to move mid-north in a condo. Now they're in a highly congested area around Belmont where it takes longer than 20 minutes to get downtown.

[digitalgiga]

36. Skokie

I think you should for sure move to Skokie. It is a place with a nice community and nice neighborhood. It's also not far from the city. If this helps i used Chicago Movers to move my stuff out for me. They were pretty helpful and got the job done. I hope i can help!

[bakerjk]

37. Moving to Chicago

Did you find a place yet?

[DailyGrind51]

38. Anywhere near North Sheridan Road and university row!

There is nothing like a summer's evening walk through a lake-front campus.