First and foremost, thanks for all the warm welcomes. The car is a bit hard to sell at this point because it represented a year of eating ramen like foods, lots of long hours and etc. Well.. Paying 4k+ a year to have a car around that I wouldn't be driving too much just doesn't make too much sense. It would just be the convenience I would be paying for.

I already signed a lease for an apt on "miracle mile". never heard of it being called this before. Never even heard of what it was until I came here this past weekend. The apt is in a condo complex on Michigan and Grand. I was up in the Wriggleyville and LP area this weekend and had a blast, just couldn't live around there. I'm a big fan of highrises.

Saw an apt called The New Yorker on @ 3660 LSD and it was nice. I was about to nab that place since it would be a short walk to Wriggleyville and what not, but it wasn't as convenient to get to work. I'm commuting less than 10 minutes to get to work down in the loop. This apt I've signed is just too convenient, buses, walk 3 blocks to the grand ave red line. Movie theatre, borders, etc are within walking distance. Plus, the place I signed is twice the size for 10% more in rent.

I'm still trying to swing some things to keep this car. I'd be willing to park it somewhere further away, as long as I have access to it during the weekends, that's all that matters. If I can swing 100 bucks a month for parking, I just might put up with the high costs of keeping a car.

The car will probably not come with me to chicago and I'll probably keep it in storage if I can't sell it near book value. Do you think it'll fetch more in IL or in NY? Edmunds quotes 17500 for the car itself in "clean" condition. It's actually in much better condition than "clean". I thought 18500 with hardtop would be fair... No?

Perhaps I should just go with a bike. Parking for that isn't cheap either. it's not even half off in the river north area. Go figure!

Thanks again for the warm welcome!...

 

heh.. my bad... Magnificient Mile... it starts off at the Tribute building (435 N. Michigan?)... and is:

sorry, i'm not even a Chicago native so.. pardon the error...

o and.. riding a (motor)bike in the city? like a DEATH sentence (bad roads, slick bridges, horrible drivers, cops that don't care, ad nauseam)... not to mention you won't be able to ride it November to end of March...

 

Hey Scrawny... what color is your hardtop? If it's silver, I'm interested.

Also, my uncle has a 3-bdrm townhouse for rent in the River North area with a 2 car garage. I think he's only asking $2400/mth for the package.

 

[QUOTE=benighted,Feb 8 2006, 09:22 AM]PM sent.

also, how do you make it here in 30 minutes?!

 

Hey Chris, The hardtop is Silverstone. The only issue is that if I rid of the car, I'm going to try to rid of it as quick as I can in the NE. Unless... Perhaps your uncle would like to rent a garage space to me.

Riding a bike between November and end of March isn't that big of a deal for me. I just like the option of having wheels to help me get out of somewhere quick incase I need to.

I would infact rather keep my car in storage to try to save some money. I'm such a frugal bastard and picked the wrong neighborhood to live in. It was the closest thing I could find that resembled manhattan. I was even considering living in the Loop... I'm so glad I didn't. It was the only place I've ever seeen to have a mcdonalds closed on a sunday. My god... McDonalds closed while there is daylight, never seen it before.

 

have you considered finding another place to live that is near downtown area.. i live in the southside of chicago and its only a 15 min drive to downtown.. theres alot of parking available overhere.. plus, rent/morgage is much cheaper than downtown area.

 

I know of a 2 car garage in Jefferson Park for $150/mo. If you or someone else wants to split it I can give the guy a call.

 

I was considering the southloop because it was so much cheaper. But the people who work at my company who relocated from chicago highly recommended against it. I'm all about the cheap living and I don't live in the best of all neighborhoods at the moment, but it's cheap rent. But if they know where I currently live and still recommend against it.. I had to take that it meant something. but at this juncture, I'm feeling like I made a mistake by moving into River North. I've been with a car for so long. I love the freedom. But now... It looks like I'm going to have to give it up.

I still have a few weeks for a miracle to happen so I can keep my car. Storage just might happen.

 

I live in Streeterville (like TonyC mentioned) and was looking for a 2nd nearby parking spot for the winter to store the S. However, I had no luck with finding a cost efficient spot. So I ended up putting it at another S owner's house out in the western suburbs. $200/month is pretty much the cheapest you will find around here (River North). Some garages may be $150 but you'll have to hand your keys over to the vallet to park and manage. I doubt you will want to do that to save $50.

The other options are already recommended to you by the other guys on the board... parking in private single family home garages up north for ~$100/month (find via craigslist). Otherwise, given that you are probably still young and single, I'd suggest you sell it before coming out to Chicago. You'll be much richer and worry-free when you settle in. The area you will be living at is awesome--you will never need a car. Cabs are also cheaper here in chi-town (than NYC).

 

total false notion of the City. People who've NEVER crossed south of Roosevelt except to watch Sox games (but only after they were + .500 last season) will give you advice like that.

South Loop is now thoroughly gentrified. S. Loop is also a HUGE area and the definition is often moot; it's south of Van Buren (400 S.) all the way to down to Cermak. There are some premium condos at Roosevelt/State-Michigan (some call this Museum Campus). A friend of our lives in a hi-rise on Wabash and Roosevelt and it's big time bling. a plus: 99% of all buildings are either a) new b) newly rehabbed. it's just far enough away from the downtown to not suffer all the faults of the loop, but close enough where the redline is perfectly accessible. if i had to buy t'row, i'd be in S. Loop. it's nowhere as bad as Jamaica, Ozone Park... Lower East Side, Chinatown or god forbid.. Harlem..

just look at the S. Loop restaurant scene. Newly opened within the last 6 months:
Custom House
Cuatro
Zapatista - home to the mojito margarita
Kroll's South Loop, branch of the famous Kroll's in Milwaukee
ad nauseam