How to Move to Chicago
A few facts...
According to Sperling's Best Places, these cities are more expensive than Chicago: San Fran, NYC, Boston, Los Angeles, Seattle, and DC.
Chicago has the highest sales tax in the United States, even with the recent .5% cut: 9.75% Illinois income tax has just been raised from 3% to 5%, and is now one of the highest in the country, too.
Average price of regular, unleaded gas: $3.71/gal (Jan. 2012).
The best way to find an apartment?
The Reader or Craigslist. You can also try the “free” apartment services. An agent will take you out in his/her car to look for a place. These companies will charge you a finder’s fee of $200-$300 if you take one of the apartments they show you.
Cheap rents and rental advice?
I checked the Reader, where I’ve always found the best deals. Live-able apartments in decent neighborhoods can be found at these rates, heat included:
Studio: $600-$700
1 BRM: $750
2 BRM: $1,200
3 BRM: $1,450-$1,500
It’s a renter’s market right now, so please negotiate! Many management companies are taking action, reducing $15-$20/mo from the advertised price to further entice a potential tenant. Management companies are also changing their policies regarding security deposits. Some ask for $250-$350 in non-refundable “move-in” fees, instead, which, as it turns out, are ALSO negotiable.
Cheapest safe neighborhoods?
Most common to entertainment industry folks just starting out are Andersonville and Wicker Park. Also try Lincoln Square, Wrigleyville, and Albany Park. Be near a grocery store: Jewel, Dominick’s, Aldi’s.
Transportation?
You’re a performer, student, etc.? Forget your car. We have plenty of trains and buses. Live off the Red or Blue lines and you’ll be fine. The Brown line is safe, but may be inconvenient if you frequently travel after Midnight.
How much money should I save before I move?
I recommend 4 months of your projected
What about jobs?
The unemployment rate in Chicago was 9.8% for November. No industry has been spared job losses. If you're an artist, try the temp agencies first, then the papers -- Tribune, Sun Times, Reader. I also suggest you walk around your neighborhood and look for businesses that are hiring.
If you're working under a temp agency, you can leave with very little notice should you land something better or more permanent, and that's the advantage. The Larko Group is often advertised in PerformInk. I was a Kelly girl myself for a number of years.
How do I break into the entertainment industry?
That's a post of a different color, but I can tell you that print ads, commercials, and television series are non-existent right now, and feature film shoots are sporadic, even though we renewed our tax incentive. Also, Oprah and Bonnie Hunt left, which means the Chicago job market is swimming in highly qualified television workers.
Other advice?
Get yourself the Not for Tourists Guide to Chicago. And read my other posts:
Trackbacks
-
7/25/2009 2:58 PM
CHICAGOCHEAPSITE.COM wrote:
Chicago: cheap! has officially passed its first anniversary. Let's review seven of the areas we've learned about this year that can save you the most: Seek out cheap rent. Living with a roommate or roommates gets you the most savings, but downgrading your location and/or your space also saves big. After freelancing on the road for 2 years, living in hotel rooms, I had inadvertently trained to live in a studio, so that's what I got when I moved back to Chicago. My rent is high for a studio, since ...
This post is about how to live in Chicago. It has the highest sales tax than any other American Metropolis. It is very difficult to find a job or an apartment in Chicago. To find an apartment there is the need of an agent and these agents will charge finder’s fee from the clients. When it comes to transportation, people have to forget about their cars and they have to depend on trains and buses which are available plenty.
Reply to this
Love the new lighting!
Reply to this