Places to live in Chicago

Originally Posted by TheD0n

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We all know you're a first-year analyst working in the financial district (which, might I add, is completely irrelevant to our advice on where to live); we know you won't be living on the street. Unless you're completely sheltered from the cold (i.e. cabs door to door where ever you go), the temperature makes a difference. This is one of the most conceited comments I've read on styleforum.
No. I am absolutely not trying to brag at all and I am far from a conceited person. I am just merely stating that my conditions are out of the norm for a recent college grad going into the workforce as I will have longer hours and want a place closer to work and am willing to pay a slight premium. So yes, my job is actually affects where I live as any 2nd year analyst will tell you (one already has: Fashion_Newbie) I am far from a baller as a first year analyst, I am someone's ***** (VP, MD, and probably associate) and anyone who works in finance knows that. Please don't label me as conceited. Thank you guys for the suggestions, I'll defiantly take everything into consideration.

Originally Posted by gladhands

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For ****'s sake, do not move to streeterville. I know you're going to work a lot of hours as a first year analyst, but the ability to walk to work should not be the deciding factor. Find a real neighborhood, and I guarantee your quality of life will be better.

Other neighborhoods that require you to take the L might actually be more convenient to the office. No train runs east of State Street so you'll either be walking, cabbing or bussing to work. You do not want a 20 minute walk in Chicago's winter.

One of the first posts that goes against Streeterville. What else besides its not walkable during the winter is detrimental from living there?

Know of 2 or 3 now-34yo guys (Wharton undergrads) who chose to go to Chicago as first-yr IB M&A analysts back in '95, rather than Manhattan, precisely because of Chic's cheap costs/taxes, new apt towers and undgd garages at home/office and valet pkg at restaurants, allowing even a mere IB analyst to drive around town everywhere in some new, leased C300, impervious to Chic's ugly weather (no worse than NYC if in a climate-controlled Mercedes commuting from garage to garage)....this walking, mass transit, cab nonsense is best left to ThirdWorld towns like Manhattan or London where allegedly high-income folks live in a primitive cesspool w/o cars, garages or modern HVAC

Ironically, all of those young IBers from mid-'90s fled Chic after a year to do tech M&A...and then tech hedge funds...in MenloPk and SF, where performance car culture and nr-ideal weather/topography prevail...thankfully, in more recent yrs, kids don't need to "serve" for a few yrs in cold/slushy and/or hot/humid places like NYC or Chic and can move to CA M&A, HF or PE straight from college

BTW, would prioritize garages at home/office over any "views" at home; any office has great views of Lake/skyline; just sleep at home anyway....views get old after first few days...and will spend most of one's time staring at various computer screens to figure out how to make enough money to flee to more hedonic places in next yr or so...

^Very true. I do have a car so I'll definalty take it into consideration. I thought it was standard that your apartment on lets say River North would have 1 parking space if you lived there...

Depends on where in river north.

Lots of places have parking available, but it is in addition to your lease. Gold Coast, streeterville, etc will be in the $300/mo range for parking.

Originally Posted by countdemoney

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Depends on where in river north.

Lots of places have parking available, but it is in addition to your lease. Gold Coast, streeterville, etc will be in the $300/mo range for parking.

Hell yeah. I'm farther north and got a covered spot thrown in, and that combined with the free parking at work make for convenient driving, and the trip is only 20 minutes each way if it isn't rush hour. The garage at work is something like $280/month if they didn't throw it in.

What seems to be emerging from all this is that you need to do a reconnasiance mission to Chicago, fly in, look around for yourself, head back - even a day trip would give you a feel for it.

Originally Posted by Dashaansafin

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One of the first posts that goes against Streeterville. What else besides its not walkable during the winter is detrimental from living there?

Streeterville may not be walkable (what defines walkable? there is nothing actually stopping you from walking and its not that far)...but there are several bus routes that I can think of that will take you straight to work.

Definitely don't expect parking to be thrown in anywhere downtown...those spaces cost $$$. I used to work for a guy whose parking spot with room for 3 cars (4 if you squeeze) cost as much as the house I grew up in. Of course that was in a more expensive building and pre-crash...I noticed the building next to my office was advertising parking spaces for 24k

Originally Posted by mharwitt

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i like pilsen
+1

Originally Posted by otc

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It's called "Wicker park got too expensive"
With all the art galleries, Pilsen reminds me of what Wicker Park used to be, about 15 years ago.

Based on thread direction, feel you should consider a) Printers Row/South Loop or b) West Loop. Both walkable, nice city neighborhoods. Much more likely to find a reasonable place for your car there. I agree that Streeterville isn't so much a neighborhood, but a retail/hospital zone. I like River North alot but may not get same $value.

Yea re-reading this thread again it seems:

1) Streeterville, while having nice views, is still the furthest away from where I will be working and will be expensive. (esp with a car)

2) Printers Row/South Loop will be cheaper, without views, and I can park my car for a lower price.

3) Ditto for west loop, except....less views?

Choices choices :/

Originally Posted by Dashaansafin

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Yea re-reading this thread again it seems:

1) Streeterville, while having nice views, is still the furthest away from where I will be working and will be expensive. (esp with a car)

2) Printers Row/South Loop will be cheaper, without views, and I can park my car for a lower price.

3) Ditto for west loop, except....less views?

Choices choices :/

Do you have the ability to get here for a weekend before having to move? Just driving or walking around would give you a lot of help in narrowing down a choice.

Originally Posted by Dashaansafin

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Yea re-reading this thread again it seems:

1) Streeterville, while having nice views, is still the furthest away from where I will be working and will be expensive. (esp with a car)

2) Printers Row/South Loop will be cheaper, without views, and I can park my car for a lower price.

3) Ditto for west loop, except....less views?

Choices choices :/

You should have a great time in Chicago no matter where you live, something lost in this thread I think. People want you to have good time and are trying to match you to the neighborhood you'll like best. There aren't really any neighborhoods that have been seriously discussed that you won't like. Chicago in the summer is the greatest city in the world.

Views are subjective. If you're on the 3rd floor in Streeterville (or any of the others), you're going to have a nice view - of the street and the building across the way. These area's aren't that big and you should be able to hit most places you want to see on a Saturday morning.

Ok, you have a few neighborhoods in mind.

Now what you need to do is book a weekend trip (closer to when you plan to start working) and hook up with a broker to show you places in those areas.

Make it absolutely clear to them that you do not want to see **** places. My friend recently had a really good experience with these guys: http://www.chicagoapartmentfinders.com/.

You may end up paying more total when you go with a broker...but how else are you going to line up and see a bunch of places in a few different neighborhoods in a weekend? Trying to coordinate with landlords and craigslist postings takes time while a broker will just drive you around to places they already have the keys to.

I found my current Lincoln Park apartment on hotpads.com.

Trulia.com is another good site.

Originally Posted by TheD0n

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I found my current Lincoln Park apartment on hotpads.com.

Trulia.com is another good site.

I found mine by following the advice seen everywhere that the best places often never make it to an official listing...the landlord just puts a sign in the window and if the unit is good, it gets filled right away so you have to wander your target neighborhoods looking for signs.

Obviously the OP can't do this (and high-rise condo buildings like in those neighborhoods generally don't let their rental units post signs) so unless he finds something great online by stroke of luck (this hotpads site looks useful if I was interested in moving...), he would benefit greatly by having someone with a keychain full of units that match his preferences that can drag him around for a day.

It is how my similar-careered friends handled their move to new york (I think they even lined up a backup-broker so that if the first person didn't abide by their no-**** rule, they could walk away)