Good areas in Chicago to live?
 

Looks like Chicago has some great house prices. What are some good areas of Chicago to live? Something nice and safe, but not incredibly family oriented. Something close to "action" and plenty of fun is just a few minutes away.

Any ideas would be appreciated. Thanks!

I think living "in" Chicago is like living "in" Detroit - the prices are cheap because no one wants to live there.

I have a friend who's lived in LaGrange Park for about...gosh, 12 or so years now. It's a small bungalow they paid $200K for and it's appraised at over $500K now - not cheap (at least to me). Tiny yard and a garage so small they can't fit the big 4 door sedan or Tahoe in it.

Of course, if you're comparing prices to San Diego, they ARE cheap ;)

Lincoln park if you have plenty of $$ to spend and don't mind being around a bunch of smug people.

Lincoln Park. Gorgeous and upscale area.
If youre looking for up and coming, then check out Andersonville. Kind of scummy but a lot of gays moving in there so you know the property values will go up.

you're thinking of moving to cold windy Chicago? or to buy an investment property?

I lived my first 22 years on the North Side of Chicago. I plan on spending June-October there each year from now on to be with my family and my job allows me to have the flexibility.

I will tell you this, you want to avoid Chicago winters at all cost.

As far as living goes, Lincoln Park has nice areas but its infested with Depaul College dweebs and Yuppies. There is really no "safe" place to live in Chicago Proper as gangs and bums are in every part of town. I plan on getting a place somewhere near the gold coast downtown. Rush Street is full of tourists and Frat boys but the areas around there to the North, South, and East are very nice. South Loop is making a comeback and there are pockets of nice places to live in Wicker Park.

My advice would be live as close to the Lake and as close to the Mag Mile (where Michigan Ave meets North Lake Shore Drive) as you can afford.

From everything I've been looking at, Chicago is anywhere from half the price to a third of the price of San Diego. That is cheap.

Right now I'm just looking at options. I've always loved Chicago.

Yeah, it is certainly cheaper than SD. You grew up around Chicago, didn't you? You're probably better used to the weather than the average person moving from SD would be :)

Midwestern winters keep a person tough!

I have friends in Elmhurst,and it's a very nice area.
Close enough to downtown,yet far enough away.

Yep, just a few hours west of Chicago I spent 18 years. I'm not particularly fond of the cold, but it doesn't bother me all that much either. My family is still all there.

For $300 kin San Diego, you can get a decent three-bedroom condo. For the same in Chicago, you can get a nice little three-bedroom house.

I go to Chicago every winter, and I don't even remember the last time I was really really cold. Guess it's still in my blood!

300k will get you a house in some areas of chicago not all tho.

best thing to do is come for a visit drive around some areas and see what interests you.

If you dont have a real estate agent yet i would be more then happy to help with finding a house i am a real estate agent :)

There was an article just yesterday or maybe the day before that Chicago's RE market is in the shitter. Top 10 worst right now. Let me see if I can find that article.

http://www.forbes.com/realestate/200...ealestate.html
http://www.forbes.com/2007/07/17/ris...hisSpeed=20000

Lincoln Park is nice. I'm also fond of the Wrigleyville area. I used to live really close to Clark's on Belmont. I loved living there. I miss it now that I live in Puerto Rico.

sly will fit in great :1orglaugh:1orglaugh:1orglaugh