Chicago Apartments
Accepted FT in gold coast and pretty lost on apartment search process. Anybody know of any good buildings that fit a first year ib budget? What should I expect for rent?
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Gold Coast going to be more expensive than River North or Old Town (which are nearby, 10-15 minute walk away). Can get nice studio in nice building in those two areas for 1800-2500, with nice one bedroom going to cost you 2500-3200.
Echo same, those numbers are spot on, and stick with old town or river north. That’s where a lot of young professionals live. Good bars and restaurants as well. You’ll likely be able to walk to work which is nice because public transport to Gold Coast isn’t great unless you want to take the bus.
Try to find a condo to rent over an apartment building, usually cheaper, nicer and with better amenities. When I was renting I had a 900 sq ft 1 bedroom on the 25th floor with a balcony right at the end of wacker drive on the lake for $2500
As someone who has lived in Gold Coast and the other neighborhoods above, I would say ur best bet around Gold Coast would be either river north or old town. Both have better night life and food scenes imo for cheaper. However, the best part of Chicago is by far west town/loop area.
Definitely would not live in the Loop. Dead at night and on weekends, more dangerous, you won't hang out at any bars/restaurants in that area.
You may be confusing west loop with the western part of the loop. I agree with your views on the loop though, and staying west of the river is much better. Having lived in west town/loop for a long time as well as Gold Coast, Gold Coast post Covid has been more dangerous.
For OP’s sake - west town, west loop, Greek town and Fulton are all phenomenal areas.
Check out Eugenie Terrace on the Park. Reasonably priced, great amenities and short walk to Gold Coast.
Have bopped around Chicago for some time now, some commentary on the "major" neighborhoods that are closest to city center:
The Loop: Mostly just offices / workplaces; place is a ghost town after 8 PM every weekday and weekends. Do not live in the Loop
West Loop: West across the river from the Loop; lots of newer, modern office and mixed-use real estate, but plenty of mid and high rise apartments with more development planned for the near future. Fulton Market, which has been the subject of tons of redevelopment over the past decade (was the former meatpacking district) is located within West Loop. Tons of fantastic restaurants, good bar scene, good demographic in area, also very close to the Loop which makes for easy commute for many whose workplace is in Loop. I reside in the West Loop currently. My only complaint would be the lack of 1) public transportation; there is some, but not as convenient as other neighborhoods (plenty of cabs and Uber access might offset some of this) & 2) Not many fast casual food spots (think Chipotle, Five Guys, Potbelly). This could just be the case in my area, but have found that on some weekends when I want to just go pick-up a casual bite, options are relatively scarce. More than offset by the rest of the dining scene in the area
Old Town: Lived here for several years. Fantastic area to live in your early to mid 20s; I'd argue best bar / nightlife area in Chicago for those in that same age demographic. Between the bars on Wells St and Division St, there will be at least 2-3 packed locations a night Thursday - Saturday. Fireplace Inn is the mecca for football spectation days in Chicago. I noticed a large population increase in this area coming out of COVID lockdown - think it's an effect of River North bars becoming less popular (will address). Good restaurant scene, nothing elite but good spots and plenty of fast casual options, average demographic is 23 - 27 year olds. Old Town is centrally located with good public transportation which makes other neighborhoods more accessible. Lots of mid and high rise apartment options available for different price points. Only negatives I'd report would be that there are some large government housing projects close to the area that can bring some sketchy characters and activity with it, but really a non-issue if you're not a moron. Great place to live.
River North: Mixed review here that I'm sure will draw disagreement from others. River North is home to some of the best restaurants and nicest apartment buildings in Chicago. You are very likely close to your workplace and public transportation. Good shopping places, although grocery stores are relatively scarce here. There are some good bars in River North that I still enjoy visiting, and then there are the clubs. I'm not very old, and still very much enjoy nights out at clubs with loud music and dancing, but most of the clubs in River North I have found to be utterly horrible since COVID lockdown ended. Between the crowds of people (both how packed it gets and who comprises the crowd), the sexual harassments I've seen / heard of, and overall completely shocking activity that takes place in the clubs / area make these places just unvisitable outside of special occasions. I personally have noticed a large shift in weekend night crowds from River North to Old Town pre-covid to post, and I think it's for many of the reasons I mentioned above. A lot of these clubs are also run by douchebags whose staff reflects their owner who treat the patrons like shit. And yes, I have gotten tables with groups at these places and it doesn't improve your experience but increases the expense. As I mentioned before, River North has good areas and good places to live. Complaints would be the clubs, crime, and crowdedness. Think it can be overpriced but to each their own.
Gold Coast: Near lake and very nice areas demographically but not much else to say. Not many restaurants / bars, tons of condos. There are spots in Gold Coast that are further inland (closer to Old Town) that are probably worth exploring. Overall wouldn't recommend as there is not much public transportation, nor entertainment outside of lake, so when weather is poor, you're shit out of luck. (just my experience, mind you)
Lincoln Park / Lakeview: Very popular for the youngest, newest residents in Chicago (fresh grads). Most likely will live in a brownstone in LP (think 3 story walkups, townhomes type buildings). Less amenities with these living arrangements but the amount of space you get is incredible. Although it probably skews towards older vintage, less luxurious type product, you can find some really nice spots if you spend time looking. Cannot overstate the living space most get, both in your apartment and outside. Feels a lot less crowded than other neighborhoods, which is why you'll see more families in the area. Good restaurants and bars scattered throughout the area, although will be farther apart by nature of the neighborhood. In good weather you are close to lake and I'm convinced bringing a dog to Lincoln Park itself would be the easiest way to meet beautiful, wholesome Midwest women in Chicago. Good transportation to Loop and River North for commutes. Demographic is a mixed bag: I mentioned the recent grads, but you also have DePaul's campus in the neighborhood, so lots of college kids in some of the bars on Lincoln Ave. There are also a decent amount of families in the area, which didn't bother me personally but has created problems for friends that lived next to them and would be constantly calling in noise complaints on weekends if they had company. Overall a great neighborhood to live in.
Wrigleyville - obviously centered around the Cubs & Wrigley Field; fantastic time on Cubs Fridays / Saturdays during summer but find the bars to be kind of meh outside of summer. There is a popular Santa / Christmas themed bar there during holiday season. Decent restaurants, good bars, not really a grocery store that close to Wrigley Field however. North of LP, so commute can be long but there are public transport options available. Never lived there personally so can't say for certain but I'd lean elsewhere.
TLDR; several good areas in Chicago to live dependent on your personal preferences. Best of luck with your search / move / new gig.
(Hoping this comment sparks some debate about Chicago neighborhoods)
Adding my 2c having lived in Chicago for several years, across a few different neighborhoods.
1) A neighborhood left off the list: Wicker Park / Bucktown: Bucktown is just north of Wicker but I lump them together. Both have access to the Loop and O'Hare via the Blue Line which runs diagonally through the neighborhoods. Good restaurant and bar scene, but tends toward the more casual and not as ritzy (e.g., neighborhood bistros, breweries & beer gardens, small music venues, things of that nature rather than swanky cocktail lounges & steakhouses). Nice little stretch of restaurants & decent shopping options on Damen b/w North and Armitage. Bucktown (centered around Damen & Armitage) will be a bit quieter and more residential than Wicker (Damen & Division/North Ave). Both neighborhoods are quieter than River North and Old Town but definitely have a younger demographic with probably more families in Bucktown. These neighborhoods have a reputation for being a bit hipster, but I think that's changed to be more mainstream gradually. Only downside is distance to Old Town / River North / Gold Coast since the Blue Line goes to the Loop and will not provide great access to those neighborhoods. But, Wicker and especially Bucktown will be cheaper. Very few high-rises and amenity filled buildings, will be more walkups in older buildings, but can get a lot of space for relatively cheap (e.g., 2b/2ba for $2400 or something like that).
2) Gold Coast - agree with the comments, but would add the demographic skews older & wealthier, especially in the areas closest to the lake and north of Division St. The area of Lasalle / Division can be a bit sketchy at night but you are still close to the Division St bars which can be fun. Restaurant scene tends to be upscale, think higher end steakhouses and the like, but there's still some fast casual (Chipotle and the like)
3) River North - I'd avoid like the plague for the aforementioned reasons. Very expensive, loud, and frankly not that interesting. Plus can be sketchy at night, but not dangerous, per se.
4) Old Town - the GOAT. Fun bar & restaurant scene on Wells St that is very very busy on weekends. Definitely the 23-28yo crowd, a bit fratty but the people are fun and it is safe especially on the Wells corridor. Also good access to Lincoln Park (the actual park) and relatively close to the lake.
5) West Loop - Baby GOAT, just try to stay close to Halsted and Randolph or Fulton. West Loop is still developing its neighborhood feel, because it is a lot of high-rises and a lot of people come in for the restaurants who do not actually live in West Loop. If you want a neighborhood feel, probably not the spot, but I personally really like West Loop. World class restaurant scene, bars are solid, shopping is decent, and accessible grocery stores. Plus it's pretty vibey especially in the summer when people are out on the patios / sidewalk eating & drinking.
TLDR: If you are working in Gold Coast, I'd say - 1) Old Town, 2) Lincoln Park, 3) West Loop (if you don't mind an annoying commute)
If you are going to work in the loop, where you would recommend?
Within West Loop, are there any areas to avoid? Is West Loop Gate materially different than Fulton Market when it comes to walkability? Are people basically walking from every other area in the West Loop to Fulton Market?
I lived in the Loop for a year (worked in the Loop as well) and tbh it's not THAT bad overall. Nobody on this forum will have much time during the week to go out or anything anyway, and depending on where you are it's accessible to many CTA lines, which was great for us
Great color. Asked for some additional details on West Loop above and would love your opinion.
I had not heard of "West loop gate" until just now - Google search tells me its the couple blocks between the Loop and true West Loop? I walk / divvy by here everyday on commute to work, no major issues come to mind. Both Union and Ogilvy Metra Stations are in this immediate area so there can be lots of commuter traffic at rush hour from those taking train in from suburbs and exiting at EOD.
On the Fulton Market vs West Loop question, there's really not much of a difference. I guess I'd say Fulton Market is where most of the new restaurants and bars in the wider area are located (all fantastic) so if you want to be a sub-3 minute walk to that strip you'd want to live in Fulton. I technically do not live in Fulton Market but can walk there in less than 10 minutes from West Loop. I don't know for certain but I'd bet that the average apartment costs more in Fulton Market, not only due to location, but likely newer / higher end construction. If you're really just trying to be in the area, I wouldn't limit your search to one or the other. Don't go west of Racine though; IMO the commute to Loop (if that's where your office is) / east neighborhoods (River North, Old Town, Gold Coast) and Lake Michigan is just too long.
Agree with LeveredLegend above. West Loop Gate is the area around Ogilvie station. It's fine, closer to the Loop for work, but definitely not as 'happening' as actual West Loop - in fact not much of anything goes on in this area AFAIK. It's not quite as busy, has no charm whatsoever, but is cheaper than West Loop proper. The issue I'd point out is the traffic / streets around there. You have the expressway next door (the Jane Byrne Interchange - in between West Loop Gate and West Loop) which can be loud & unsightly and is seemingly constantly under construction and there's a few North/South thoroughfares that are a little annoying to walk across. Not much to look at in that neighborhood. Additionally, the lack of retail / restaurant type businesses and resulting lack of people around can mean it feels a little desolate at times. It's not unsafe, but might feel less safe than West Loop proper (I don't have crime statistics to back this observation).
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