I've finally finished my M.Arch at Berkeley, and now I've accepted an offer from a big firm in Chicago.
The visit for the job interview was the first time I'd been there in the past fifteen years. Anyone have some advice on where to live? Wicker Park seems the most appealing to me. I'm flying back to Chicago next week to take a closer look at the neighborhoods and find a place to live - it's got to be soon, I start work in early September.
Do any archinecters need some roommates? I've been playing the craigslist lottery, but I know how some of the best rooms get snapped up before they even make it to the site.
Don't even get started on the weather. I grew up in San Diego, so I know there's going to be some adjustment required. A lot, actually.
What Chicago lacks in weather it makes up in character. Its an exciting and stunningly beautiful place. Similar to NY but not as trendy or as many new things around every corner, Hip but not fatally cool and lonely like LA. The weather is the only major drawback. Its humid and hot in the summer and bone chilling cold in the winter. The autumn is spectacular. There is no spring ( I haven't seen one yet at least) . One day it just is hot after a deep freeze. I would recommend moving somewhere close to work. Close meaning 20-30 min. commute or less. The roomate lottery is 50/50. A good roomate can be fun and exciting especially if they know the city and have friends. A bad roomate could be hell.
Are you entry level? Would you have the means to afford a place by yourself? I can tell you that in the deep winter, January and Febuary, people do live inside only leaving to work or drink ( they drink A LOT) so a good comfy place is necessary. But being broke in a big city can be a bummer. If your new to the city stay north. Lakeview, Lincoln Park, Edgewater - you'll be by the lake and people. Wicker Park, Bucktown, West Town, Noble square are fun, hip and exciting and affordable but west of the Lake. Ukreanian village is also near those areas and any one would be good for newbies. I'd avoid the Southside unless you have to be there. Not that its dangerous, its just a little boring. Affordable and charming but boring. The southside is more local, family and ethnic oriented. So is the far northside for that matter.
But again - I stress commute. Be close to transportation. You'll thank me in February.
Check out Oak Park. I lived there for over a year. Tons of Frank Lloyd Wright homes but very near to the city. They have both Metra (suburban train) and El (city train) stops for transportation.
Wicker Park was getting gentrified very quickly when I left. Lincoln Park was only to be enjoyed by the trixies...
I personally have loved the 2 years ive spent there, but rents are getting too steep for me. If youre looking to live alone, wicker park is difficult...the 1br housing stock is not very deep... and finding a relatively nice place for under 950 is really really difficult.
2br is another story...still plenty of affordable 2brs in wicker park area... if you can find a room mate, and you can do 1500 or so, you could easily find a nice 2br near everything youd want.
If those rents are too high id suggest looking at Logan Square which is a few stops farther down the blue line. Less exciting, less dense and less trafficked than Wicker Park, but rents are WAY lower, and there are actually quite a few good bars up that way.
If i were you (wanting to live in the wicker park area) i would suggest starting your search in the area bound by Chicago Ave to the south, Fullerton to the north, Ashland to the east and Kedzie to the west.
Thats generally UK Village, Wicker Park/Bucktown, Humboldt Park and Logan Square.
now, thats a pretty massive area encompassing many neighborhoods, but if you stay in that area, youre no more than a couple miles from the heart of WP, and youre never more than a walk away from the blue line... Word to the wise, living near Milwaukee Ave would also be desirable as the buses and trains run up and down it 24 hrs a day.
wicker park's been yuppidty for awhile now.... stroll damen/north on a saturday and see what i mean... i hear milwaukee is being butchered left and right..
that wasnt meant to be negative... i think they've got some good stuff happening there... but still cant believe how many people they've hired recently
I think there are some good options in River North, just north of the loop near the Chicago/Franklin Brown and Purple line stop. The neighborhood really changes from block to block, so you'll want to check it out before making a selection, but there are some newly renovated loft apartments that are reasonably priced because the neighborhood is still in transition. If your new office is in the loop it will be a very nice, short commute. The nice thing about being close to the loop is the chance to transfer trains easily and get to anywhere in the city with relative ease.
Some other good neighborhoods to look into are Pilsen, Wickerpark, Bucktown, Oldtown, Licoln Park and Logan Square.
By the way, you might want to look at the other ammenities that Chicago has to offer. If you like bike riding, going to the park, beach etc. you really might want to consider somewhere near the lake, ie. Lincoln Park, lakeview or goldcoast. The Chicago waterfront can't compare to San Diego, but it's still a nice change from the surrounding city.
Don't sweet it too much though, you'll probably fall in love with whichever neighborhood you select, and if not, you can move in a year or two when your lease is up.
I ran along Lake Shore drive today and I was so surprised to see clean, urban beaches; with a view. I would feel more comfortable swimming there than I did in LA. The Great Lakes are underrated bodies of water.
(Nosey post here from a native Angeleno just back from a week in Chicago... Some of those North Side neighborhoods are amazing! Seems like mile after mile of beautiful century-old housing stock, walkable streets, active streetlife, great public transportation... I totally dug it. I can see why people want to live there. I will be riding my bike to the beach in January, however, so it's not all bad here...)
Right on Citizen, I live on a street just like your described, in Old Town. I love going for walks up and down my street looking at the different houses, gardens and neighborhood bar/restaurants. It is mostly century old brick and stone 2 or 3 flats, with the occasional modern house inserted, which actually seem to work pretty well and fit in without distrupting the neighborhood feel. The older full grown trees really add a lot to the feeling as well. A lot of these neighborhoods are built close enough to grocery stores and retail shops that if you have a little time, it can be nice to walk and do your shopping without having to worry about driving and parking.
What amazed me, Synergy, is that new / replacement buildings appear to be built as updated versions of the original types. That is a beautiful thing, really remarkable. And (at least where I was looking around, near Fullerton) even when the occasional modern replacement showed up, it still worked.
Now if someone could just explain to me this one-foot side yard / gangway thing, I'll be all set...
the best part about my neighborhood is walking down the streets on saturdays...
if you walk down north ave/damen/milwaukee on a nice day, the streets are swarming with young college age hipsters, hipster-types, old school artists hanging on, and regular people like me... BUT... if you walk down the side streets you'll see late 20's early 30's new mothers... most of who are stunningly beautiful... i swear...densest population of beautiful young mothers ive ever encountered...
the other possibility is that there is a secret competition among local residents to see who can hire the hottest nannies... i really cant tell...
no, you're sick, because you put it in such a way that no one could ever assume anything else. probably everyone here agrees with me. and my sister is one of those moms!
Wait are the mother's yuppies? I'm really confused, how can people raising families be yuppies? I thought yuppies were supposed to be young professionals that put off traditional values (ie. raising families) to pursue metropolitan lifestyles with fancy cars and such. Or are you saying the families are in contrast to the surrounding Yuppies? Please clarify my Yuppy conundrum.
OldFogey, that depends heavily on your perspective, a lot of people will lash out against it really harshly for all the bars frequented by suburbanites, but the other side of the coin is that most stadiums don't have nearly this level of interaction with their community.
What I really like about Wrigley Field is that instead of having a massive parking lot or parking structure, the cars are parked throughout the neighborhood in various privately owned lots, driveways, etc. The effect is that the cars are much more dispersed so that the bars and restaurants are built right up to the stadium. It also has a tendency to promote the use of cabs and public transit. I also like the symbiotic relationship the neighboring buildings, with their roof top decks, have with Wrigley and the Cubs. It is a really nice approach to the cummunity that few other professional stadiums
(atleast that I am aware of) seem to rival.
I think Wrigleyville is an area where you'll really know if you are the kind of person to enjoy living there or not, so there isn't much of an excuse if you move there and don't enjoy it. Personally I wouldn't want to live in the heart of it, but I like the way it functions and enjoy visiting.
I think I see the MUFFIN Lady hanging out near RODAN every weekend.
AND ... all the uppity/yuppityness started around the same time as OHM opening its doors. They were the first place in W-Park to charge a cover. I was like, well, there goes the neighborhood.
Then they but in a BankAmerica in place my my fav. SWANKFRANK ... sigh.
The Muffin Lady Sells two kinds of Muffins.
Those which are good for you, and those which are good to you. It's important to know the difference and not get all googoo and squirrelly about it like the yuppies who almost landed the maverick baker in jail.
moving to Chicago
I've finally finished my M.Arch at Berkeley, and now I've accepted an offer from a big firm in Chicago.
The visit for the job interview was the first time I'd been there in the past fifteen years. Anyone have some advice on where to live? Wicker Park seems the most appealing to me. I'm flying back to Chicago next week to take a closer look at the neighborhoods and find a place to live - it's got to be soon, I start work in early September.
Do any archinecters need some roommates? I've been playing the craigslist lottery, but I know how some of the best rooms get snapped up before they even make it to the site.
Don't even get started on the weather. I grew up in San Diego, so I know there's going to be some adjustment required. A lot, actually.
What Chicago lacks in weather it makes up in character. Its an exciting and stunningly beautiful place. Similar to NY but not as trendy or as many new things around every corner, Hip but not fatally cool and lonely like LA. The weather is the only major drawback. Its humid and hot in the summer and bone chilling cold in the winter. The autumn is spectacular. There is no spring ( I haven't seen one yet at least) . One day it just is hot after a deep freeze. I would recommend moving somewhere close to work. Close meaning 20-30 min. commute or less. The roomate lottery is 50/50. A good roomate can be fun and exciting especially if they know the city and have friends. A bad roomate could be hell.
Are you entry level? Would you have the means to afford a place by yourself? I can tell you that in the deep winter, January and Febuary, people do live inside only leaving to work or drink ( they drink A LOT) so a good comfy place is necessary. But being broke in a big city can be a bummer. If your new to the city stay north. Lakeview, Lincoln Park, Edgewater - you'll be by the lake and people. Wicker Park, Bucktown, West Town, Noble square are fun, hip and exciting and affordable but west of the Lake. Ukreanian village is also near those areas and any one would be good for newbies. I'd avoid the Southside unless you have to be there. Not that its dangerous, its just a little boring. Affordable and charming but boring. The southside is more local, family and ethnic oriented. So is the far northside for that matter.
But again - I stress commute. Be close to transportation. You'll thank me in February.
Check out Oak Park. I lived there for over a year. Tons of Frank Lloyd Wright homes but very near to the city. They have both Metra (suburban train) and El (city train) stops for transportation.
Wicker Park was getting gentrified very quickly when I left. Lincoln Park was only to be enjoyed by the trixies...
http://www.urbandictionary.com/define.php?term=(Lincoln+Park)+Trixie
I live in wicker park and zdphotos is right on...
wicker park is getting pretty uppy...and quickly.
I personally have loved the 2 years ive spent there, but rents are getting too steep for me. If youre looking to live alone, wicker park is difficult...the 1br housing stock is not very deep... and finding a relatively nice place for under 950 is really really difficult.
2br is another story...still plenty of affordable 2brs in wicker park area... if you can find a room mate, and you can do 1500 or so, you could easily find a nice 2br near everything youd want.
If those rents are too high id suggest looking at Logan Square which is a few stops farther down the blue line. Less exciting, less dense and less trafficked than Wicker Park, but rents are WAY lower, and there are actually quite a few good bars up that way.
If i were you (wanting to live in the wicker park area) i would suggest starting your search in the area bound by Chicago Ave to the south, Fullerton to the north, Ashland to the east and Kedzie to the west.
Thats generally UK Village, Wicker Park/Bucktown, Humboldt Park and Logan Square.
now, thats a pretty massive area encompassing many neighborhoods, but if you stay in that area, youre no more than a couple miles from the heart of WP, and youre never more than a walk away from the blue line... Word to the wise, living near Milwaukee Ave would also be desirable as the buses and trains run up and down it 24 hrs a day.
hope that helps
wicker park is getting yuppy...thats what i meant to say...
come to think of it, i'm actually moving to chicago as well. i have mixed feelings about it.
wicker park's been yuppidty for awhile now.... stroll damen/north on a saturday and see what i mean... i hear milwaukee is being butchered left and right..
its true ether... im moving to milwaukee and diversy now... its not bad down that way...still feels like a neighborhood... i really like Logan Square
are you both going to smill+gill like the rest of the world?
that wasnt meant to be negative... i think they've got some good stuff happening there... but still cant believe how many people they've hired recently
chinatown...
forget it holz, its chinatown.
I think there are some good options in River North, just north of the loop near the Chicago/Franklin Brown and Purple line stop. The neighborhood really changes from block to block, so you'll want to check it out before making a selection, but there are some newly renovated loft apartments that are reasonably priced because the neighborhood is still in transition. If your new office is in the loop it will be a very nice, short commute. The nice thing about being close to the loop is the chance to transfer trains easily and get to anywhere in the city with relative ease.
Some other good neighborhoods to look into are Pilsen, Wickerpark, Bucktown, Oldtown, Licoln Park and Logan Square.
you should live in lincoln park if you want a cool neighborhood where all the big ten school fratboys hang out
I'm getting a kick out of these posts. Great stuff.
And 43N88W, good guess. I'm taking a job at Smith + Gill.
By the way, you might want to look at the other ammenities that Chicago has to offer. If you like bike riding, going to the park, beach etc. you really might want to consider somewhere near the lake, ie. Lincoln Park, lakeview or goldcoast. The Chicago waterfront can't compare to San Diego, but it's still a nice change from the surrounding city.
Don't sweet it too much though, you'll probably fall in love with whichever neighborhood you select, and if not, you can move in a year or two when your lease is up.
I ran along Lake Shore drive today and I was so surprised to see clean, urban beaches; with a view. I would feel more comfortable swimming there than I did in LA. The Great Lakes are underrated bodies of water.
(Nosey post here from a native Angeleno just back from a week in Chicago... Some of those North Side neighborhoods are amazing! Seems like mile after mile of beautiful century-old housing stock, walkable streets, active streetlife, great public transportation... I totally dug it. I can see why people want to live there. I will be riding my bike to the beach in January, however, so it's not all bad here...)
The best part about the westside bucktown/wicker P/ UK Village is the tamale man. Tamales! Tamales!
tamales
you also might want to try mustache park - its on the west side.
ooooooooo his tamales are good too... ive spent several a drunken night at bucktown pub eating tamales, drinking beer and playing golden tea...
livin the dream man...livin the dream...
Right on Citizen, I live on a street just like your described, in Old Town. I love going for walks up and down my street looking at the different houses, gardens and neighborhood bar/restaurants. It is mostly century old brick and stone 2 or 3 flats, with the occasional modern house inserted, which actually seem to work pretty well and fit in without distrupting the neighborhood feel. The older full grown trees really add a lot to the feeling as well. A lot of these neighborhoods are built close enough to grocery stores and retail shops that if you have a little time, it can be nice to walk and do your shopping without having to worry about driving and parking.
What amazed me, Synergy, is that new / replacement buildings appear to be built as updated versions of the original types. That is a beautiful thing, really remarkable. And (at least where I was looking around, near Fullerton) even when the occasional modern replacement showed up, it still worked.
Now if someone could just explain to me this one-foot side yard / gangway thing, I'll be all set...
the best part about my neighborhood is walking down the streets on saturdays...
if you walk down north ave/damen/milwaukee on a nice day, the streets are swarming with young college age hipsters, hipster-types, old school artists hanging on, and regular people like me... BUT... if you walk down the side streets you'll see late 20's early 30's new mothers... most of who are stunningly beautiful... i swear...densest population of beautiful young mothers ive ever encountered...
the other possibility is that there is a secret competition among local residents to see who can hire the hottest nannies... i really cant tell...
I have a condo for sale if you're looking.
what the hell are you supposed to do with "the densest population of beautiful young mothers"? have sex with them?
dude, you are sick
woah woah woah... i never said id do anything with the moms/nannies... youre clearly sick for assuming i was, and then reacting so quickly to it!
i referenced the odd dicotomy that is the current state of wicker park... in regards to the many comments above about how its become yuppy
no, you're sick, because you put it in such a way that no one could ever assume anything else. probably everyone here agrees with me. and my sister is one of those moms!
Wait are the mother's yuppies? I'm really confused, how can people raising families be yuppies? I thought yuppies were supposed to be young professionals that put off traditional values (ie. raising families) to pursue metropolitan lifestyles with fancy cars and such. Or are you saying the families are in contrast to the surrounding Yuppies? Please clarify my Yuppy conundrum.
yuppies have advanced their culture into owning children. it is now cool to have a bump if you are a yuppy.
so you're saying your sister is hot, boss? i think the gauntlet has been thrown, lletdownl.
and speaking of bucktown neighborhood treats, let us not forget the beloved brownie lady.
UGH.... i will not explain myself to you heathens...
and anyway...what is so wrong with finding a woman who happens to have babies atractive??? loordy bossman...
speaking of the beloved brownie lady...
she got busted a while back... but i saw her on milwaukee last weekend!
funny thing is she wised up... she no longer sells brownies...
she sells cookies!
yeah, my sister's hot
haha this is like I Am Legend, now the yuppies are normal and we're all the zombies.
the book i am legend, synergy. not the movie.
bossman will you set me up on a date with your sister?
OldFogey, that depends heavily on your perspective, a lot of people will lash out against it really harshly for all the bars frequented by suburbanites, but the other side of the coin is that most stadiums don't have nearly this level of interaction with their community.
What I really like about Wrigley Field is that instead of having a massive parking lot or parking structure, the cars are parked throughout the neighborhood in various privately owned lots, driveways, etc. The effect is that the cars are much more dispersed so that the bars and restaurants are built right up to the stadium. It also has a tendency to promote the use of cabs and public transit. I also like the symbiotic relationship the neighboring buildings, with their roof top decks, have with Wrigley and the Cubs. It is a really nice approach to the cummunity that few other professional stadiums
(atleast that I am aware of) seem to rival.
I think Wrigleyville is an area where you'll really know if you are the kind of person to enjoy living there or not, so there isn't much of an excuse if you move there and don't enjoy it. Personally I wouldn't want to live in the heart of it, but I like the way it functions and enjoy visiting.
Yeah it seems like the movie kind of lost the message of the story, though if I remember correctly the alternate ending sort of got it straight.
I think I see the MUFFIN Lady hanging out near RODAN every weekend.
AND ... all the uppity/yuppityness started around the same time as OHM opening its doors. They were the first place in W-Park to charge a cover. I was like, well, there goes the neighborhood.
Then they but in a BankAmerica in place my my fav. SWANKFRANK ... sigh.
thats where i saw the muffin lady too!! by rodan, she actually went in there and i alllllmost bought a cookie but i was drunk and forgot... sigh.
Id see her in 5Star a lot ... hmmm ... one of us is stalking the other.
I bitches - I was at the Kitty before it was cool. 95 in the house (actualy the kitty is gone now)
BTW - the yuppies have moved on and out - the new scurge is the puppies
The Muffin Lady Sells two kinds of Muffins.
Those which are good for you, and those which are good to you. It's important to know the difference and not get all googoo and squirrelly about it like the yuppies who almost landed the maverick baker in jail.
It doesn't seem like she'll be able to last to long selling anything, given that she is obviously on their "list" at this point.
right. They discuss it while waiting for a table at bongo room...Sitting on the curb.........
i just don't know about chicago. the stuff you guys are talking about sounds retarded.
Poczatek, i thought she already was busted... she definitely vabished for a good year or two, and i heard rumors that she did in fact get arrested...
whatever the reason for her absence, shes definitely back and going strong judging by the multiple sightings lately.
bossman... arent you in ann arbor or something?...
i live in the northern rockies
wow i was way off...
Block this user
Are you sure you want to block this user and hide all related comments throughout the site?
Archinect
This is your first comment on Archinect. Your comment will be visible once approved.