If you live in Lakeview, Lincoln Park, or Old Town, I’m sorry but I have some news for you: you have not truly experienced living in Chicago yet.
That’s okay, though, there is still time to make your next chapter here a new beginning!
Let’s start with a quick analysis of what the heck I’m talking about.
You know it, I know it, and your parents who last lived in the city in 1985 know it: there is a real stigma attached to the building number you live at in Chicago. If your street runs North/South and you’re past the 3000-block North, “you might as well be in the burbs.” As for addresses West of the city, we just go by street name instead: “oh my gosh you’re past ASHLAND?! That’s SO FAR!” *cue exaggerated eyeroll*
Who created this stigma? How has this terrible measure of neighborhood popularity stayed so stagnant even with decades worth of development and improvements to our northern and western neighborhoods?
While Lincoln Park, Lakeview, and Old Town are absolutely wonderful neighborhoods in their own right, they have become enormously overpriced without offering any additional perks to living there in YEARS. For example, this unit – at an undisclosed address – is a two bed/one bath, asking $1900/mo!
Here is a three bedroom in Lincoln Park asking $3000/mo! Never in my liiiiiife:
For $3K a month, I better be living in the Taj Mahal, okay?!
On the opposite end of the spectrum, you have neighborhoods like Logan Square, Bucktown, Uptown, and even Albany Park with apartments that far exceed expectation. While you may add 15-30 minutes to your total commute downtown, per direction, these neighborhoods offer feature-packed apartments at the same price or less!
Here’s a fantastic Bucktown unit with three bedrooms and two bathrooms for $2895:
Or maybe you’re into Albany Park. This three bedroom unit went for $1800:
The stigma MUST end. We have been conditioned for far too long to believe that the only desirable neighborhoods fall somewhere South of Belmont and East of Southport. There is an incredible world outside of these boundaries just waiting for you to explore, consume, and enjoy.
So next time you’re looking for a new spot to call home, I encourage you to expand your horizons just a hair further – you’ll be happy you did!
xx
Cory
According to Cory 
Good article, but need an update. Albany Park seems kinda random. Bucktown, Wicker and Logan are super hot for several years now (between renters) the way most people see it, is proximity, commute time to downtown. Do they value more amenities and a nicer place or better location? I’m a location guy and I would not live West of Western, North of Edgewater.. It just becomes too far from everything, and you may as well live in a Suburb. Looking for part 2 of this.
LikeLike