dzmfntz Wrote: ------------------------------------------------------- > Is saving that extra couple hundred a month really > going to improve your long-term financial outlook? > If you are right out of college, live in Old Town > or Lincoln Park. Easy transportation to work and > great neighborhoods. You can find slighly cheaper > places in Bucktown or Wicker however I found that > transportation was not as convenient. Great bus > routes AND trains from Old Town or Lincoln. I > have lived in Old Town, Lincoln Park, Lakeview and > now live in the Gold Coast. Living in Lincoln > Park out of college was the best year of my > post-college life. You only live once…live in a > fun neighborhood for now while you can! I also > lived in Elgin, St. Charles and in Chicago by > O’hare. O’hare was to save money…my commute > went from 20 minutes to 45-50 minutes door to door > (you have to get to the train early or else you > miss it which no one ever thinks about…the train > ride was only 36 minutes)…it was NOT worth > saving money each month to be a slave to the train > schedule. Have faith in your work ethic and you > will make enough money as you advance in your > career to cover this extra amount now!! I’m you young in my career (infantile… maybe even embryonic…) but I’ve already figured out that when it comes to success career wise (and erg long-term financial outlook) a lot has to do with the relationships you make. Living close by and among those you are trying to emulate can be of great help in building these connections- that way instead of rushing off at 6pm for the train to your $200/month cheaper apartment you can go out and throw back a few with your managers, etc. That investment will pay off- I’ve climbed relatively quickly and I think a lot of it has to do as much with my likability as my intelligence, work ethic, etc. You make friends, they move on - you’ve got a connection. Just snowballs from there.
Sorry folks. I’ve been busy with packing and stuff, and hence couldn’t respond any earlier. I need to save up as much money as possible. Hence, I’m not looking for a “happenning” neighborhood. I’m not interested in neighborhoods like Lincoln Park. Too expensive for me. I’m looking at Rogers Park. Is that a good neighbourhood?
mad_hatter Wrote: ------------------------------------------------------- > what sort of job were you able to get (ie which > jobs are out there in Chicago?) > > thanks. Umm…not sure if its a good idea to give out the name. I’ll PM you. *Edit* - No PM on these forums…Sorta Quant job at a financial services company. Trading related.
Thanks for all the responses, folks! I’ve narrowed my search down to 1. Rogers Park 2. Albany Park 3. Irving Park 4. Possibly O’hare The suburbs seem really expensive. $800 for a 1 br, when I can find one in the city for around the same price. I don’t get it… My gf doesn’t have a job yet. She’ll be looking for one, once we move there. So its just me that’ll be paying, atleast for a while…
BTW, here is a wikipedia link to neighborhoods ranked according to the crime rate. Does it look correct to you guys? http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/2/29/Chicago_violent_crime_map_2006.png I’d like to look at apartments in the North Park-Jefferson Park-Irving Park area. Looks really safe from the map.
I’d recommend Lincoln Square. Parts of Rogers Park are pretty sketchy, Ohare is far away & I don’t think there is anything to do out there.
mh7 Wrote: ------------------------------------------------------- > I’d recommend Lincoln Square. > > Parts of Rogers Park are pretty sketchy, Ohare is > far away & I don’t think there is anything to do > out there. I am looking at Lincoln Square too. I have friends that live in Little Italy. I’d just go there on the weekends.
Rogers Park, ew.
randb, thanks for the effort. I have been applying to firms in Chicago, but from out of state and the economy flailing the responses have been indifferent at best. Also no financial experience probably does not help, but maybe does (or should) in this environment 
Anyway jsut trying to find my way. Congrats on your job though. bluebumpus@hotmail.com
Try Suburbs, if you don’t mind taking Metra pass. Schuamburg, Naperville, Oakbrook on and on. It is lot cheaper to live outside city but you may miss all the downtown action.
If you’re not in Lincoln Park, Lakeview, Old Town, Bucktown, Wrigleyville or Wicker Park…you might as well not even live in Chicago. The rest in crap. If you’re young, which it sounds you are, why would you want to live in the suburbs? I understand that you’re on this $800 budget, but for $200 more a month you’re gonna be alot happier not commuting and having the accesibility of the city at your fingertips. Trust me.
A few years ago, I lived in West Rogers Park in a 1-bedroom apartment. Some of Rogers Park is iffy, but where I was wasn’t too bad. Rent back then was around $600 for a 1-bedroom, though I am sure it has gone up since 2000
I’ve got way too much in loans to pay off, and these are loans from family members that I can’t pay off with montly payments. I have to pay as soon as possible.
mad_hatter Wrote: ------------------------------------------------------- > randb, > > thanks for the effort. I have been applying to > firms in Chicago, but from out of state and the > economy flailing the responses have been > indifferent at best. Also no financial experience > probably does not help, but maybe does (or should) > in this environment Anyway jsut trying to find > my way. Congrats on your job though. > > bluebumpus@hotmail.com Thank you. Email sent. Hope that helps!
randb Wrote: ------------------------------------------------------- > Thanks for all the responses, folks! I’ve narrowed > my search down to > 1. Rogers Park > 2. Albany Park > 3. Irving Park > 4. Possibly O’hare > Good luck with those choices…don’t worry, you’ll figure it out by next year. I didn’t listen to chicagoans before I moved and I regretted it too. > The suburbs seem really expensive. $800 for a 1 > br, when I can find one in the city for around the > same price. I don’t get it… Yep…add to that gas at $4-5/gallon and a 50+ minute commute irrespective of what form of transportation you take. I agree with the above posters - with these neighborhood choices, you may as well not even live in chicago…sorry. On a lighter note, check out the west loop-it’s a better option than the four above…they may have some things in your price range and you will be close to downtown and relatively closer to the good nieghborhoods once the weekend hits:)
hi randb, just another suggeestion when determing which location. it takes about 2 minutes between train stops for most CTA stations during rush hour. so you can figure how long it takes for you to get downtown. this is usually regardless of distance between stops, because during rush hour its mostly due to how long it takes people to get on and off red line may looks shorter near rogers park, but you have a bunch of stops between there and Belmont. Brown line can also take a while for similar reasons. one benefit to living farther away from downtown however, is that it is a lot easier to get a seat during rush hour if you’re headed downtown. so it can be 30 minutes, but at least your sitting down, reading or whatever, versus standing the entire time, even if it is only 15 minutes. anyway, good luck.