University of Chicago-safety?

[medico95]

I'm a M4, applying to residencies-one of my invites is to the University of Chicago. Love the program but...I had to ask, how much is safety a concern?
Where do most residents live? South Loop? Hyde Park?
How concerning is the safety situation? Part of why I'm liking Chicago is it is cosmopolitan-ability to make friends, good dating scene etc-but should I be worried about it being unsafe to be out and about past 9 pm? Would it be dangerous to be returning home that late? Dangerous to be on public transportation, especially around the south side, past 9pm (as an unescorted female)?
Would love any insights

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[HemeOncHopeful19]

How are you going to date and make friends in your late 20s if you aren't out and about past 9pm!?

 

[medico95]

How are you going to date and make friends in your late 20s if you aren't out and about past 9pm!?

Haha right, I agree. That's why I'm trying to assess the situation there. If it's the kind of unsafe where it is literally unadvisable to be outside/coming home past 9 pm...that implies a null dating scene.

 

[gutonc]

Haha right, I agree. That's why I'm trying to assess the situation there. If it's the kind of unsafe where it is literally unadvisable to be outside/coming home past 9 pm...that implies a null dating scene.

If you live in South Loop, or West Loop, you won't be going out on dates in Hyde Park.

 

[medico95]

If you live in South Loop, or West Loop, you won't be going out on dates in Hyde Park.

I'm not familiar with the area @gutonc could you elaborate? Is it because of the safety issue I mentioned? Safety issues in Hyde Park, or in South Loop? Thanks

 

[gutonc]

I'm not familiar with the area @gutonc could you elaborate? Is it because of the safety issue I mentioned? Safety issues in Hyde Park, or in South Loop? Thanks

You're the one who mentioned South Loop so I assumed you were familiar with the neighborhood.

I was merely pointing out that wherever you work, may not be where you and live and may not be where you go out (if going out ever becomes a thing again).

 

[OneTwoThreeFour]

I'm a M4, applying to residencies-one of my invites is to the University of Chicago. Love the program but...I had to ask, how much is safety a concern?
Where do most residents live? South Loop? Hyde Park?
How concerning is the safety situation? Part of why I'm liking Chicago is it is cosmopolitan-ability to make friends, good dating scene etc-but should I be worried about it being unsafe to be out and about past 9 pm? Would it be dangerous to be returning home that late? Dangerous to be on public transportation, especially around the south side, past 9pm (as an unescorted female)?
Would love any insights

These seem like great questions to ask on your interview day...

 

[SoFla Dad]

My daughter just finished her residency in Chicago. She lived in West Loop near her hospital and used public transportation and uber. She interviewed at U Chicago for fellowship and said that if she matched there that she wouldn't live in Hyde Park, she said it's great for families but as a single female such as yourself her social life was mainly centered in and around the loop up to Lincoln Park. She said she would live in the South Loop as most fellows in the U Chicago program lived, but she absolutely would have bought a car. She didn't feel safe using public transportation nor was it very efficient.

 

[medico95]

You're the one who mentioned South Loop so I assumed you were familiar with the neighborhood.

I was merely pointing out that wherever you work, may not be where you and live and may not be where you go out (if going out ever becomes a thing again).

Oh no lol...mentioned it as someone told me many residents live there

 

[medico95]

These seem like great questions to ask on your interview day...

Yup, I did. But I also want other perspectives-unfiltered information

 

[medico95]

My daughter just finished her residency in Chicago. She lived in West Loop near her hospital and used public transportation and uber. She interviewed at U Chicago for fellowship and said that if she matched there that she wouldn't live in Hyde Park, she said it's great for families but as a single female such as yourself her social life was mainly centered in and around the loop up to Lincoln Park. She said she would live in the South Loop as most fellows in the U Chicago program lived, but she absolutely would have bought a car. She didn't feel safe using public transportation nor was it very efficient.

Thanks @SoFla Dad this kind of information is golden, and exactly what I was looking for. Appreciate it.

 

[agranulocytosis]

I lived in the South Loop with my wife and 2 kids for 3 years from 2016-2019 without a safety issue at all. Sure there were crazies around the Michigan/Roosevelt intersection, but neither my wife/kids or I encountered any scary situations. Obviously this before the political and social decompensation that has occurred recently

 

[myPsychAlt]

Most UofC fellows/residents I know lived in the South Loop. If you want to go carless, there's a bus that goes direct from the Roosevelt CTA stop to the campus. (though their Psych program more or less requires a car because they cover places as far north as Evanston. Not sure about other specialties)

That said, the South Loop may have the lowest entertainment to density ratio of any neighborhood in the city, and Hyde Park has gotten bougie in the last five years so it is kind of worth checking out. The food options in HP have improved to an insane degree down there.

 

[myPsychAlt]

Obviously this before the political and social decompensation that has occurred recently

The South Loop got hit pretty hard in both waves of that, but all things considered, it didn't really affect daily life here all that much, even when the mayor raised the bridges into downtown.

 

[candbgirl]

As with any big city you have to be aware of your surroundings and the people around you. Will you have a car? That might make a difference? Besides South Loop there are lots of other places- Lakeview, Lincoln Park etc are a bit further north than South Loop but an easy drive to Hyde Park. And as @myPsychAlt said you should check out Hyde Park. Lots of activities, restaurants and housing available.

 

[90sportsfan]

It doesn't seem like the OP is checking back on this thread, but I'll provide my 2 cents in case anyone has this question in the future. I did an internship during college in Chicago, and used to have family who loved in the suburbs, so I know Chicago pretty well. As others have said, Hyde Park itself is a pretty vibrant and hip neoghborhood (lots of restaurants and cool nightlife) and there is plenty housing in and Hyde Park. So you can be self-contained and not really have to worry about safety issues. Some of the neighborhoods surrounding Hyde Park is where you can run into safety issues if you aren't street-smart.

That said, much of the North Side (Lincoln Park, Lakeview, Andersonville, Old Town, Logan Square, etc) and around downtown (Gold Coast, River North, West Loop) is where you will find more of the traditional nightlife options (restaurants, bars, clubs, lounges) that many young professionals in the city will venture to for dating and entertainment. Driving and parking is kinda a nightmare in most parts of the city, and personally, I would not feel safe really late at night venturing round-trip from Hyde Park to the city using public transportation. But in a city like Chicago Uber/Lyft is plentifull, so you should be able to use that to go out when you have free time. Your free time will be somewhat limited anyway.

As other said, the South Loop may be a good compromise, but given that you will be taking call at some point, you would likely want to have a car. South Loop will give you easy public transportation options for nightlife too, although the Roosevelt stop is where it can get a little scary riding the train at night. Again, I'd probably Uber at night from here. If you live anywhere else on the North Side or downtown (Loop, West Loop, River North, Gold Coast, Streeterville), you can safely take public transportation late at night.

 

[myPsychAlt]

yeah, the CTA has also gotten a lot worse in the last few years. Uber/Lyft has cannabalized its ridership, which has lead to more empty trains off of peak hours, which has meant more shady characters causing problems. The city started ramping up police presence in the system at the start of the year, but then the pandemic happened.

For neighborhood with easy street parking, West Town (Ukrainian Village, East Village, Wicker Park) neighborhoods also used to have a lot of medical residents but those areas have also gotten a lot more expensive over the last decade, especially Wicker Park. Logan Square is the new Wicker Park, but you're getting farther and farther from UofC at that point.

Pilsen is worth a look if you're OK with contributing to the slow decline the city's Mexican cultural hub. Bridgeport is also hipsterizing ever so gradually too.