I usually ask about nyc real estate but I am interested in Chicago too.
I have only been to Chicago a few times and my memory is muddy. I have been to Wrigley Field. I walked by Oprah’s place. The company I was working with had an office on S Wacker and I usually stayed at a Marriott a few blocks from Michigan Ave. When I in town I walked from S Wacker to Michigan Ave and then make a left on Michigan Ave…
Maybe the walk was 4 miles?
My point is to show I don’t know Chicago that well.
What is fhe Chicago equivalent of the West Village or Greenwich Village?
You’re asking about single people? Lots of young college graduates live on the near north side (River North, Gold Coast, Old Town), or in Lincoln Park, Wrigleyville, or Wicker Park/Bucktown/Ukrainian Village. Bronzeville, Pilsen, and Bridgeport are popular with the artsy crowd and those looking for better prices.
If your standard is the West Village, everything in every neighborhood in Chicago is going to look like a palace and seem dirt cheap.
Those areas all have different “feels,” which of course is a matter of personal preference.
Fwiw, my 23 yo D lives in Lincoln Park close to DePaul and is moving to Lakeview in the fall, close to Wrigley. Those areas have a similar feel - older vintage buildings, walk-ups, lots of small retail. My 27 yo niece lives in River North and it’s an entirely different vibe - high rises with guards, nice restaurants but not a lot going on at street level.
I remember standing in Lincoln Park with a guy I was working with. I remember thinking that Lincoln Park is a great place but I can’t actually remember Lincoln Park. I remember what I was thinking but I don’t remember what I was seeing.
Thanks for the suggestions. I am going to look those places up.
I am going to look at some photos of Lincoln Park. Maybe my memory will come back.
I loved in Chicago for 3 years after we were first married. It’s a wonderful place, full of terrific places to explore. But as for living there year round? Hmm. The suburbs would be nice, say about 300-400 miles south.
I lived in Lincoln Park while in grad school many years ago. It was a fun, vibrant area for a young person. I lived on Fullerton, between DePaul and the lake. We would frequently walk to the Lincoln Park Zoo (on the lakefront), and there were lots of restaurants and other nightlife on Clark Street. We drove through there recently and it still looked fun - just updated from when we were there. Our old haunts have all been replaced by new businesses.
What demographic and style do your son and his friends match? That would determine a lot. What rent price-point are we talking about? Shared housing or solo?
My D presently lives in Lincoln Park. I love the area, as has a neighborhood feel, lots of energy, close to City, Lake and mass transit. She & fiance want to move to River North in the future…again, nice, younger area with lots of energy, but they would be able to walk to work. Coming from Bay Area, I am jealous of the housing prices, the availability of housing, the cleanliness of the downtown area, etc. The winter weather? Not so much…
Do you prefer to invest in a high-rise, a loft-type of building, or a vintage building with charm? If the latter, do you want something to rehab yourself, or do you want something that’s already rehabbed?
Do you value being on the lake (having views of the lake), near the downtown area / Loop, being near a restaurant-row area, being near to theater?
Are you open to investing in an “up and coming” neighborhood, or do you want to be in a neighborhood that is more of a sure bet and mostly / fully developed?
Do you want the neighborhood to be diverse or predominantly upper middle class professional?
You’re going to want a map of Chicago to look at so when we talk about these things, you can have a sense where these places all are in relation to one another.
@dstark, my D (works in Loop) and roomie had lovely, spacious 2 bed/2ba, granite/stainless kitchen, in unit laundry, doorman, workout room, pool on top of bldg, cleaners in bldg, 1/2 block from bus, block from Lake…her share was $1200! She is well aware of what $1200 would get her in SF!
DH and I met while living in an apartment building at the foot of Lincoln Park, then later we rented a tiny townhouse by Oz Park. Loved both areas and tons of restaurants et al within walking distance. But this was a long time ago and I suspect most of the high rise buildings went condo. I think younger people have been getting priced out of these areas and moving further north and west, which is also full of clubs and restaurants.
I was idly looking when DS needed a place (he preferred the burbs though). Some of his old high school friends ended up in the Gold Coast. There were some interesting buildings in the broad general vicinity of, say, Chicago and Dearborn. This would be a very lively (and noisy) area. your son would need to share. There are also buildings in the River North section and a few West Loop. These areas could possibly be walk to work. The Loop isn’t actually all THAT big compared to Midtown Manhattan!
@gosmom, I remember we talked about the big rainstorm in the SF bay area a year and a half ago.
$1200 a month? I like that cost.
I see that you like the Lincoln Park area. How does your daughter like Chicago?
How long is the commute from Lincoln Park to the Willis Tower? Doesn’t look walkable. I guess the tower isn’t called Sears anymore.
Talking just for myself, I would like to be able to walk to work. From the descriptions , I might prefer River North. Of course, this isn’t really about me.
@Marilyn, yeah. On the map, the Loop doesn’t look that big. Everything makes sense now that I looked at a map. I used to stay on East Ontario.
dstark, she loves that her fiance, her friends, her job are in Chicago. It’s a fun city for twentysomethings.
Depending upon where in LP, I’m guessing it’s about 1/2 by bus or Divvy bike, which is quite popular (and cheap!) to Willis. Probably 5-10 minutes by Uber or Lyft. (Sidebar: On my last visit, of the 17 Ubers we used, longest wait time was 4 minutes. ) Not sure WIllis would be walkable on a daily basis, but other more knowledgeable posters may be able to help.
D loves Chicago—except the winters are painful for my California girl. She gives up all attempts at fashion and goes strictly for warmth in the winter…
Well, I can hope! In her fantasies, she is coming back, but the reality is she doesn’t want to pay a fortune to live in a closet in the Bay Area. And she someone to keep her warm in the winter now
