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As
most of you already know from your admissions tour, Hyde Park, while exuding
its own unique "charm," isn't the only place in Chicago. For those of
you who desire a slightly different living situation, I'm here to tell you
about the northside.� Situated a
mere 12-15 miles north of illustrious Hyde Park rests an enclave of cool
neighborhoods, alternative youth, incredible restaurants, bars and clubs
catering to all lifestyles/scenes, gyms, parks, and more yuppies with their
Jeep Cherokees than you can shake a stick at. Here's the breakdown of the
general neighborhood characteristics, but remember two things: 1. The street
divisions are only approximations of neighborhood borders; 2. These are the
northside 'hoods bordering the lake. Other relatively popular non-hyde park
destinations include Wicker Park and Bucktown.
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The Gold Coast: 900n - 1600n. It's called The Gold Coast for a reason: you can't afford
it. Sitting just off of The Magnificent Mile are the homes of Chicago legends
and moneymakers. If you have an extra five million to throw down, feel free to
purchase a Park Avenue wannabe home.�
Seriously though, there are some affordable apartments in that neighborhood
a little west of Michigan Avenue, but you get what you pay for.� There are a few students who live in
this area, and they pay the same rents as Hyde Park dwellers who live in such
"exclusive" apartments like the Windmere and Regents Park.� As far as the social scene goes, the
Gold Coast is a great part of town: you're right next to Michigan Avenue, Rush
street (Sinatra's old hangout), and tons of exclusive bars and clubs that cater
to the upper socioeconomic echelon. Being a medical student, however, you
probably won't have much time to experience it or enough money.� But there are great places to study in
this 'hood: a five-story Borders, the Northwestern Law and Medical libraries
which overlook the lake, Loyola Law library, and several coffee shops pepper
the landscape.
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Old Town: 1600n - 2000n.� This is a
small neighborhood just north of the Gold Coast.� It's very quaint and homely, and like most of the northside,
the apartments and homes consist of rows of greystones and brownstones that
have incredible character and history.�
Old Town is very family-oriented and quiet, but just around the corner
you can find small but popular dining establishments of all flavors, the
Steppenwolf Theatre company, and plenty of shops to keep you busy.
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Lincoln Park: 2000n - 2800n. Ah, Lincoln Park, home of the perennial Chicago yuppie and
post-college frat boys. Walking along Lincoln Avenue is like walking through a
three-dimensional Abercrombie and Fitch ad.� There are thousands of coffee shops, restaurants, bars,
specialty shops, guys with baseball caps and J. Crew sweaters and women with
Gap capri pants. This great neighborhood is home to the
post-college-I'm-SO-St.-Elmo's-Fire crowd that is collectively beginning their
consultant careers in the financial district. Seriously though, this is a great
neighborhood to explore when you're looking for a change of pace -- there are
numerous study places, libraries (check out DePaul University), coffee shops,
etc.� The people are friendly and
the apartment rental prices can be rather affordable.
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Lakeview: 2800n - 3600n.� This is
really just an extension of Lincoln Park with a few alternative types thrown in
for fun.� Here you'll find a
plethora of housing, nice apartments, condos, unbelievable cuisine, tons of
young folks like yourself, and some of the best bars and clubs in town.� You can also find novelty shops, body
piercing centers, gyms, and tattoo parlors.� Within Lakeview is a small enclave better known as
"Boystown," and like the Casto district of San Francisco or Dupont Circle
in DC, it is the main home and playground of the gay population in Chicago.
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Wrigleyville: 3600n - 4000n. In case you can't figure it out by the name, this is where
Wrigley Field is located.� There's
almost nothing better to do on a Sunday afternoon than go to the bleachers at
Wrigley Field, get bombed, and be carefree about the game.� After all, every northsider knows that
Cubs games aren't for winning -- they're an excuse for a big party.� Wrigleyville is home to more sports
bars than you can count, but you can still find some good restaurants.� And like Lincoln Park and Lakeview,
it's comprised of pretty much the same population and apartment prices.�
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Past 4000n: I can't say much about it -- it gets a little sketchy the
further north you go (until you get to the haven known as Evanston).� Again, like I said, take this advice
with a grain of salt. I'm positive that you can find the apartment of your
dreams in any of these locations and beyond. The caveat is that this little
information session is simply reflective of one person's experiences, but hey,
I've lived in Lincoln Park, Wrigleyville and now currently in Lakeview, so I'm
pretty well-versed in northside living and culture.
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So
how does one go about finding housing on the northside?� Easy, if you're in the city, you can
pick up a copy of a paper called The Chicago Reader, or go online:
www.chicagoreader.com.�
Alternatively, and perhaps the best thing to do if you can, simply
stroll through the neighborhoods on foot or bike -- many buildings have a "for
rent" sign posted on the door.�
When checking out apartments on the northside, you'll want to make sure
what's included and what isn't in the rent, parking availability, public
transportation access, how accessible the landlord is, and generally if you
feel you can be happy there.�
Remember: medical school is hard enough; you don't want to make it more
mentally difficult by coming home at the end of the day to an apartment you
hate. The commute from up north is quick (about 20 minutes) and cathartic, and
it affords you the ability to get some time away from the BSLC and the
library.� Rental prices of
apartments on the northside are highly variable.� Studios and one-bedrooms can be very expensive ($900/mo and
up), but it is possible to find good deals.� Feel free to contact me with any questions:
[email protected].
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