The oldest will be going to grad school at DePaul next year and is beginning their apartment search. I haven’t looked for an apt in 30 years, so any suggestions to make the search more efficient would be appreciated. For example, do things like apartment brokers exist, and are they worth it We are using Apartments.com but we know very little about Chicago neighborhoods.

They plan to use public transportation. Their classes will almost all be in the evening on the LP campus, so safety on the El is a consideration. That said, it’s cost prohibitive to only look in Lincoln Park and we know a commute will be necessary.

Thanks for any help.