c/chicago-relocation

ray363•23h ago

Finally figured out parking on the north side with a city sticker trick

Been in Chicago about 8 months now and the street parking situation was driving me nuts. I kept getting tickets even though I thought I was reading the signs right. Then a neighbor told me about the zone parking exceptions on certain blocks near Devon. Turns out there's a whole map online that shows which streets have alternate side rules on different days. Now I save about $60 a month in tickets just by checking that map before I park. Has anyone else found a specific block or area that has a weird parking rule that saved them?

2 comments

dianal94•1d ago

Rented in Logan Square for 2 years now and finally had to choose between street parking or a garage spot

I picked the garage after my car got sideswiped twice on Fullerton. The extra $175 a month hurts but not having to dig my car out of snow at 6 AM has been worth it. Anyone else make the switch and regret the cost?

2 comments

blairtaylor•2d ago

Checked out that new apartment complex near the Blue Line in Logan Square yesterday and the soundproofing is practically non-existent

I could hear my neighbor sneeze through the wall while I was touring a unit on the 4th floor, so has anyone else run into paper-thin walls at these newer builds in the city?

2 comments

morgan.logan•3d ago

Spent my first Chicago winter learning the hard way about parking spots

Moved into a place in Logan Square back in November and didn't realize the alley parking spot came with a "shoveling clause" in the lease. First big snow, my neighbor's car got stuck behind mine because I didn't clear the path fast enough. Now I keep a snow shovel in my trunk and set a phone alarm for 6am whenever the forecast calls for more than 3 inches. Anyone else run into unexpected rules with their new Chicago apartment?

3 comments

lucashart•3d ago

Rented in Lincoln Park before buying in Humboldt Park - night and day difference

After 18 months renting near Armitage and Clark, I finally bought a place by Humboldt Boulevard. The rent was $1,800 for a 600 square foot one-bedroom, but my mortgage in Humboldt Park is $1,400 for a two-flat with a yard. Anyone else find the neighborhoods totally different once you actually live in them?

3 comments

the_cameron•4d ago

Moved into my Chicago apartment and found a raccoon living in the wall day one

I literally walked through the door with my first box and heard scratching behind the kitchen cabinets, turns out a whole family of raccoons had set up shop in the building's old pipe chase. Landlord sent a guy who just poked a hole in the drywall and left, so I had to figure out how to patch it myself. Anybody else deal with surprise wildlife when you first moved in, or is this just a Chicago thing lol?

3 comments

faith684•7d ago

Warning about using a moving truck vs renting a pod for Chicago move

I moved to Chicago last month from Ohio and compared using a U-Haul versus a POD for my stuff. The U-Haul seemed cheaper upfront at $200 but I didn't think about gas, tolls, and the fact I had to drive it myself through downtown traffic. The POD cost $450 total but they dropped it off, I packed it over a week, and they delivered it to my new place on a scheduled day. For anyone moving into the city, the POD saved me so much hassle with parking and timing. Has anyone else used pods in Chicago and found the same thing?

2 comments

lewis.troy•8d ago

My first week in Chicago was a total nightmare...

Moved to Lincoln Park three weeks ago and my first Monday, my car got towed for street cleaning at 9am and then the pizza place I ordered from messed up my order twice in one night. The parking signs here are impossible to read, am I the only one who almost got towed their first week?

3 comments

gracewebb•9d ago

Hit 3 years in Chicago and finally learned my lesson about parking

Everyone told me you need a garage spot when you move here, but I insisted on street parking to save $200 a month. After 3 winters of digging my car out at 5am and replacing 2 side mirrors from hit-and-runs, I finally crunched the numbers. Turns out the repair costs and my lost time added up to way more than a garage would have cost me. I just signed a lease for a spot in Logan Square for $175 a month. Anyone else make this mistake when they first moved?

2 comments

seanlee•11d ago

I finally realized I was reading apartment floor plans wrong for years

Was looking at a place in Wicker Park last weekend and the agent kept talking about the layout. I'm standing there thinking the living room is gonna be huge based on the drawing. Turns out I never paid attention to the 'scale' notation in the corner. That 20x15 room I thought I was getting was actually 13x10 once I did the math. Felt like an idiot. Anyone else make this mistake when apartment hunting here?

2 comments

owens.cameron•13d ago

Found out Illinois has a specific law about radon testing in rentals and it blew my mind

I was looking at a place in Logan Square last month and the landlord mentioned they had to provide a radon disclosure by law. I had NO idea that was even a thing here. Turns out Illinois requires radon testing in all schools and daycares too, which I found at the state health department website. Has anyone else run into surprise regulations like this while apartment hunting?

2 comments

nguyen.tara•14d ago

Vent: Changed my whole plan after talking to a Lakeview landlord

I was set on renting a high rise downtown until I ran into this guy fixing a stoop in Lakeview. He told me the commute from there is only 25 minutes and you actually get a backyard. Has anyone else changed their neighborhood at the last minute?

2 comments

terry_jones•14d ago

Had to choose between Lakeview and Logan Square for my first place

I was stuck between two apartments last month... one in Lakeview near Addison and one in Logan Square near the Blue Line. The Lakeview place was $200 cheaper but had no central air, while Logan Square was smaller but closer to my job in the Loop. I ended up picking Logan Square because I hate commuting on the Brown Line during rush hour. So far it's been great for getting to work in 25 minutes, but I miss having a full kitchen. Has anyone else faced this tradeoff between cost and convenience?

2 comments

diana20•14d ago

River North vs Logan Square apartments: my winter comparison

I looked at two apartments in December, one in River North for $1800 and one in Logan Square for $1350. The River North place had a gym and doorman but the train noise was constant, even on the 8th floor. Logan Square was quieter, had a bigger kitchen, and I could walk to three grocery stores. The extra $450 a month wasn't worth it for me since I work from home and need quiet. Has anyone else found that neighborhoods feel totally different depending on the season you tour them?

2 comments

derek656•14d ago

Took me three trips to get the right parking permit for my U-Haul in Lincoln Park

Moved to Chicago last month and thought I had everything figured out. I grabbed a residential parking permit from the city website, no problem. But what I didn't realize is that moving trucks need a special oversized vehicle permit that costs extra. I parked my U-Haul on the street day one and got a $65 ticket within two hours. It took me three separate trips to the DMV and two phone calls to actually get the right paperwork sorted out. Has anyone else run into surprise permit fees when moving here?

2 comments

the_matthew•15d ago

That one agent who laughed at my commute time estimate

I was at a coffee shop in Logan Square last month talking to a relocation agent about moving from Naperville to the city. She straight up laughed when I said my drive to the Loop would be 25 minutes tops on a good day. She pulled up Google Maps on her phone and showed me the real numbers 45 to 55 minutes during rush hour, not counting parking. I thought she was just being dramatic until I actually made the move and found myself sitting on the Kennedy for 40 minutes every morning. Has anyone else had a local totally ruin their unrealistic expectations about Chicago traffic times?

2 comments

evan_wilson18•15d ago

Thought those 'move to Chicago' guides were all hype till I actually did it

I was sure the blogs about renting a place sight unseen were overblown. Moved here from Columbus 6 months ago and did exactly that, picked an apartment in Logan Square off photos. Turned out the 'updated kitchen' was a joke, cabinets falling off the hinges. Landlord tried to blame me for the damage too. Anyone else get burned by trusting those online listings without a walkthrough first?

3 comments

johnson.jason•16d ago

Rented a parking spot in Wrigleyville without checking the snow rules first

I moved to a place near Addison last month and grabbed a cheap spot behind a building, thinking I scored a deal at $150 a month. Two weeks later I got a $200 tow bill because I parked during a snow emergency and blocked the alley entrance. Has anyone else gotten burned by parking rules they didn't know about when moving to a new neighborhood?

3 comments

margaret_gonzalez25•17d ago

Hated riding the L when I moved here, now I love it

Honestly, I used to drive everywhere because I thought the Red Line was gross and slow. But after my car got broken into twice in six months near Logan Square, I gave it a real try and now I'm saving $280 a month on parking alone. Has anyone else made the switch from driving to public transit here?

3 comments

emery_young13•18d ago

Grabbed a used CTA pass from a guy on Craigslist for $50

Turns out it was a senior Citizen pass from 2019. Got flagged at the turnstile and had to talk to a transit cop for 20 minutes. Anyone else run into fake transit passes while trying to save a buck moving here?

2 comments

kelly_west74•19d ago

Found a way to beat the winter parking spot game in Logan Square

Moved to Logan Square back in November and spent a month digging my car out of spots only to lose them. Then I noticed my neighbor marking his spot with a lawn chair after he cleared it. Tried it myself and it's been working ever since. Anyone else in Chicago using the chair trick or do you have a better method for saving your spot?

3 comments

emery_lopez•22d ago

A Renter's Tale: My gas bill dropped $40 after I sealed one drafty window in my Humboldt Park apartment last January

I used a $6 roll of weatherstripping from the hardware store on that old single-pane window and within a month my monthly bill went from $120 to $80, has anyone else seen that kind of jump from such a small fix?

2 comments

dakotawood•22d ago

Tried the U-Haul vs. Budget Truck comparison when I moved from Evanston to Logan Square last month

I rented a Budget truck cause it was $20 cheaper but man, that thing had zero pickup going up the Kennedy on-ramp. Barely made it to 45 mph and cars were flying around me like I was parked. U-Haul might cost more but at least you don't feel like you're gonna get rear-ended the whole way. Anyone else have a brand that just handled Chicago hills better for their move?

3 comments

alex_johnson•23d ago

I finally hit $2,000 in moving costs and it felt like a win

Everyone talks about how expensive Chicago is, but I moved from a cheap city in Texas and my total relocation came to exactly $2,030. That included renting a U-Haul, gas, and a couple nights at a motel near Springfield. Why does nobody mention that moving here can actually be cheaper if you ditch the big moving companies? Anyone else find a lower number than they expected when they added it all up?

3 comments

riley_schmidt•23d ago

Tried taking the Metra from Naperville to Ogilvie for 2 weeks straight

I moved to Naperville last month thinking I'd save on rent and just commute downtown for work. First week I did the drive, parked near Ogilvie, paid $28 a day. Second week I tried the Metra from the Naperville station. Ticket was about $7 each way, so $14 total. But here's the thing - the train took 45 minutes each way, which is actually faster than my drive during rush hour. Plus I could sit and read or scroll my phone instead of gripping the steering wheel. Learned that the monthly pass cuts it down to around $100 total, way cheaper than parking alone. Anyone else make the switch from driving to Metra and find it changed your whole commute vibe?

3 comments