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use public transportation. I would suggest the Wrigleyville area or East Lakeview. I imagine every person would probably have something different to say on each of the below neighborhoods.


Near North Neighborhoods
River North, Old Town, Near North, Lincoln Park, all of the areas between them

River North - This is the closest neighborhood to the school. This is a very swanky area with tons of bars, great food, great restaurants, and very close to other neighborhoods with great restaurants and bars. I have a lot of friends who have lived here and really enjoyed it. There is a wide variety of bars, from all out clubs to dive-ish bars. Being able to walk to work will be a great advantage, but it's not that great during the winter unless you get really close. It will be pretty difficult to buy in this area. Your rental prices will be highest in this neighborhood.

Old Town/Near North - These neighborhoods are pretty similar. This area is also a little swanky, but it's got a lot more feel and character to it. Old Town will put you a lot closer to things than Near North, but farther away from the school. There are a lot of places to live that have a lot of feel. There are also a lot of fun places to get drinks, but the bars are a little less classy/clubby than River North. A lot of people your age live in this neighborhood, especially if they like to be in the middle of a crowded bar scene. It will be pretty easy to get to Merchandise Mart from the Red Line or Brown line. Your rental prices will be high in this neighborhood in this as well.

Lincoln Park - This is my neighborhood. It's a classic Chicago neighborhood with a mixture of old houses, big apartment buildings, and midrises. It's so large that you can get a lot of different feels depending on what part of the area you are in. It's got Depaul, the Zoo, area just north of Old Town, etc. There are also a lot of pubs and restaurants in this neighborhood that will be walkable from your place, but more of them are of the pub/dive variety (with plenty of places to get crazy as well). It's still really easy to get from Merchandise Mart from almost anywhere in the neighborhood. It actually takes me longer to walk to the train station than actual time riding the train. Prices in this area will be in the middle and will vary widely throughout the neighborhood. It will be tough to buy as there isn't a lot of new housing. This area is a little more laid back than the first two, more of a nice mixture of easygoing with fun.

Farther North
Lakeview, Lakeview East, North Center, Ravenswood, Lincoln Square

Lakeview East - This area is a mixture of nice places and cheaper places where a lot of people go to live for cheaply. It's bound on the East side by the lake and on the west side by Boystown. You can get affordable places to live that are in buildings overlooking the lake or small buildings further into the area. It will be about a 30-40 bus ride or 30 minute train ride to work. Not as much of a culture here, but still a decently nice place that's affordable.

Lakeview - Lakeview is 4 or five neighborhoods in one, Wrigleyville, Southport Corridor, south of Belmont, west of Ashland. It's pretty hard to describe because they're all a bit different, but you won't struggle for things to do or places to walk to. It also can be pretty easy to get downtown as long as you get near a train. I like the feel of the neighborhood a lot and it can be much cheaper than other neighborhoods with similar feel, but it's very area dependent. I have lived her though and really enjoyed it. There are also affordable places to buy and rent in this area. Wrigleyville is also getting a lot nicer (for better or worse) with the recent investment. It can be anywhere from 20-45 minutes to get to work from this neighborhood.

North Center/Ravenswood/Lincoln Square
These are more family areas that are a little quieter, but still really nice and feel like neighborhoods. This is also where a lot of people buy their first place in Chicago. A lot of my friends live around these areas now. Little less in the way of bars and restaurants, but you'll still be able to find plenty. Will be farther from work, probably looking at least 45 minutes and can be a lot more.

West Side:
Logan Square, Bucktown, Wicker Park, Ukrainian Village, East Village, Noble Square, River West, Fulton Market, West Loop

Up until 20-25 years ago, most people didn't live over here. Since then, a ton of gentrification has occurred and the neighborhoods have really changed (and are continuing to do so). This probably won't matter for you, but it's somewhat difficult to go from these neighborhoods to the near north side/north side because it always takes a while to cross the highway and river and there isn't an East/West train. A lot of these areas are now the 'hot' areas in town where a lot of growth is happening and there are a lot of fun bars and restaurants. They also built a bike/running lane called the 606 that has really driven a lot of growth in the area. Finally, if you live near the Blue line, it will be super quick to commute to work.

Logan Square - This used to be the hipster neighborhood, but now it's a little bit of that vibe because of a lot of people of all types have moved in because of the great bar and restaurant scene. It's also cheaper to buy a place if you're interested or to rent. It will be tough to commute in unless you are close to the blue line. This is definitely a fun area, but it's still got a bunch of that hipster vibe to it if that disinterests you.

Bucktown/Wicker Park - These are essentially the same neighborhood. They are similar to Lincoln Park, just minus a little bit of history and the Lake, but the places are usually cheaper and newer. Tons of great bars and restaurants, it's also an easy commute if you are close to the blue line. A lot of younger people have started moving into this area after they get familiar with the city. There are always new bars and restaurants opening. I like coming over here a lot to go out. I actually don't have much to say about these areas because it's lost a bit of its feel through gentrification and now it's more of a nondescript fun area with a wide variety of entertainment, dining, and drinking options. They're also pretty indistinguishable.

Ukrainian Village/East Village/Noble Square-ish - These are the neighborhoods that are currently blowing up. New bars, new restaurants, great place to find a great deal to live, whether renting or buying. It's very easy to get from here into Bucktown/Wicker Park. There is a little bit less to do that is really close, but that's changing all the time. My friends that are looking to buy are really focusing on this area. I also think it will have the greatest uptick in value becuase it's right in the middle of the upswing. Commuting from here to work should be pretty easy, you'll just have to take the Grand bus and walk from Grand to the school (a couple of blocks). Noble Square is a little different as it hasn't yet got the upturn the other areas have.

River West/Fulton Market -
These areas were completely empty ten years ago, but then some fancy restaurants and bars came in and the whole neighborhoods took off. Fulton Market is one of the main restaurant strips in the entire city, and there are fun bars all around. It's also really easy to get to work from here on the train or bus. This area is definitely a lot of fun. Since it's still newer, I don't have the best feel for it. This area is pretty expensive rent wise, but there are a lot of lofts and newer places.

West Loop -
West Loop is kind of an extension of the last two places, but I separated it because if you go too far away from Fulton Market, not all of the neighborhood has all of those changes. You will also be farther away from all great restaurants and bars that make these areas so desirable. This neighborhood also contains Greek Town, which is a fun area and it;s close to UIC.