Anyone have a recommendation for a REaltor in Chicago? My wife and I are moving up there at the end of June. We're looking to rent initially on the North Side maybe as far north as Uptown.

Thanks for any help.

Are you looking for a realtor for renting or to buy?

For renting, I don't know a specific realtor but I've used Apartment People. There are a few other companies that work the same way, but I know that one is very popular and they have a large inventory of apartments. It's free for you but they charge the apartment owner one month's rent.

Other than apartment locator companies, I've simply found an area I've liked an walked around. That's how I found the place I'm in - it wasn't listed other than a For Rent sign on the door. That's an alternate way to find a great location.



[This message has been edited by ChiAggie (edited 3/15/2012 10:49a).]

We will be renting. What part of town are you in Chi? How long have you been in Chicago?

I've been here about three years now. I live right on the border of Bucktown and Wicker Park, two neighborhoods that butt up next to each other. I've lived in or near Wicker Park all three years. My husband has been here seven years and has lived all over the north side.

One thing I love about Chicago (and many other dense cities) is that you can find a neighborhood to fit you.

Wicker Park is an ecclectic neighborhood. Mostly early twenties through early-thirties, people with either no kids or very young kids (although people tend to leave after having kids as WP isn't all that kid-friendly). It's a little gritty, with a lot of mid-range bars and restaurants and a couple upscale and trendy places too. There are two of Chicago's most popular small music venues, SubT and Double Door. It's very dog friendly - two dog parks and a lot of restaurants let you bring your dog on their outdoor patios. Some stores have "dog parking" or places to tie your leashes while you are inside. There are a lot of hipsters in this neighborhood but really, it's such a mix of different types of people, which is why I like it.

Bucktown and Wicker Park are separated by North Avenue. Bucktown is more grown up than Wicker Park. People tend to be late 20s to late 30s, with a kid or two. You can see the difference in the two neighborhoods when you cross North Ave. You go from bars, pubs, cool boutiques and second-hand resale shops and stores like Urban Outfitters and American Apparel in WP to more upscale bars and restaurants, more beer gardens, and trendy boutiques and stores like Bebe, BCBG, and Lululemon in Bucktown. Lots of yoga places for young mothers and way more strollers and children than you'll see in Wicker Park. Lots of pretty, quiet streets.

I like living right on the border, although 90% of my time is spent in Wicker Park.

If you have any questions about neighborhoods, let me know! A lot of where you'd like depends on your age, whether you have kids, whether you need to be close to public transportation (if you use it to get to work, this can be really important, esp in winter), if you like to go out and what kinds of places you enjoy (ie bars, restaurants, cultural events, the lake and parks, etc).



[This message has been edited by ChiAggie (edited 3/15/2012 1:35p).]

That's some great info. WP sounds like our speed. We are both 33 with no kids.

We haven't had a chance to get up there and look around yet but have heard the importance of finding an area that fits what you're looking for. Cool bars and restaurants are definitely our speed. The wife will be using the train to go to work. So stops nearby are essential.

I appreciate your advice and insight. And will definitely hit you up with more questions as they come up.

No problem!

Another neighborhood to keep in mind is Lakeview. Lakeview is a bit of a catch-all neighborhood, but it is extremely popular. Compared to Wicker Park, it is much larger and way more busy. I liked WP because, coming from Houston, which is a big city but not very dense, WP was small enough to wrap my head around but big enough that, after three years, there are still places I haven't visited. Lakeview is bigger and, like the way WP butts up against Bucktown, is one neighborhood in a long line of neighborhoods that run north-south along the lake front. It was a little overwhelming in size for me, but that may not apply to y'all.

Lakeview is a bit nicer than WP in my opinion, although WP is not the ghetto by any means. It's just WP is a little more like Austin sometimes, a little weird. Lakeview is a bit more straight and narrow.

Also, there are the differences between the train lines. Lakeview (and almost every other popular northside neighborhood) is off the Red Line. WP and Bucktown are off the Blue Line, which runs northwest out of downtown. Most of my friends live in Lakeview, Lincoln Park, Wrigleyville, Old Town, and River North, all of which are serviced by the Red Line (which runs north-south, parallel to the lake front; makes sense all these neighborhoods sprung up along the lake). So it's a bit isolating on the Blue Line sometimes. I feel that when you live in Lakeview, you are more apt to visit other neighborhoods because it's easier to get there, whereas I don't leave WP or Bucktown much because 1) everything I need is here and 2) it's a bit of a hassle to go elsewhere. When my friends want to meet up somewhere, it's usually somewhere along the Red Line since it's more accessible for the majority and I have to either take a bus or a cab.

Both the Red and Blue lines go downtown and WP is actually close enough (about 2 miles) to the Loop that I walk to work on nice days. Lakeview is a bit further out, so it's a longer trip to work.

Just pros and cons of different places. You'll get a feel for the different areas when you visit.

[This message has been edited by ChiAggie (edited 3/15/2012 2:45p).]