Where are ICO students living?

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SoxTown

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Hi everyone, I'm starting at ICO this fall and will be moving to Chicago without knowing much about the city. Can someone suggest a good neighborhood to live in? Does anyone know any good realtors/landlords in Bridgeport? Thanks for any help you can give! :)

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The school has a listing of the most popular housing and landlords. If you call them up, they can send you an "off-campus" housing packet. Just contact student affairs.
 
do you plan to live off-campus during your first year?

there is a new community near ICO that will be built over the next couple of years. i plan to live in the RC during my first year, and then possibly move out afterward. since i live in chicago but can't study at home, i'm trying to convince my parents to invest in a condo in that area. i doubt that it will be completed during our first year though.

www.parkboulevardchicago.com

"At the corner of Thirty-Fifth and State, we're building Park Boulevard— a whole new neighborhood you'll be proud to call your own. It's a better way to live in the city:
a place of green spaces and open skies, designed to create a real sense of community."
 
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I do plan on living off campus first year. I received the off-campus housing guide from ICO and have made a bunch of calls. I'll be going to Chicago next week to see some apartments. I'm focusing my search in 3 areas: Wicker Park, Hyde Park, and Bridgeport. I spoke with a student at ICO who lives in Bridgeport and he says a lot of students live there, but I've heard bad things about the area from other sources - AHH! Can you tell I'm a little frustruated :) ? It's not knowing the city AT ALL that is tough. I'm really excited about Chicago, though; I just want to make sure that I live in a comfortable, safe place.

I checked-out your link and the area looks really cool - I can't wait to see how it turns out.

Thanks for the advice! :)
scraders said:
do you plan to live off-campus during your first year?

there is a new community near ICO that will be built over the next couple of years. i plan to live in the RC during my first year, and then possibly move out afterward. since i live in chicago but can't study at home, i'm trying to convince my parents to invest in a condo in that area. i doubt that it will be completed during our first year though.

www.parkboulevardchicago.com

"At the corner of Thirty-Fifth and State, we're building Park Boulevard— a whole new neighborhood you'll be proud to call your own. It's a better way to live in the city:
a place of green spaces and open skies, designed to create a real sense of community."
 
First of all, unless you have money to throw away, you should try to find a way to stay at home. Second, if you can't live at home, you should consider the residence complex at the college. You can't beat the convenience and it seems pretty safe/affordable.
I have looked all around Chicago. I would not tell anyone (in good conscience) to live in Bridgeport or Canaryville (or anywhere else very near the school). The only place that seemed safe to me was Logan Square (and a couple of streets near the Blvd).
 
Bridgeport is fine. In fact the property value in Bridgeport is skyrocketing! My wife and I looked at buying a home last summer and a single family, single story home was 300k. I live in Canaryville, it is south of Bridgeport. Besides some little punks in the neighborhood that vandalize stuff, the area is fine. We walk around day and night and never feel in danger.
 
rpames said:
Bridgeport is fine. In fact the property value in Bridgeport is skyrocketing! My wife and I looked at buying a home last summer and a single family, single story home was 300k. I live in Canaryville, it is south of Bridgeport. Besides some little punks in the neighborhood that vandalize stuff, the area is fine. We walk around day and night and never feel in danger.

Perhaps, it is a wise investment, however, it certainly isn't somewhere I'd want to live at the moment or for the next four years.
 
i live less than 5 minutes from ICO, so i know the area very well. if you're going to live off-campus, i think it's wise to invest in property in the near-south side. like rpames said, the property value is skyrocketing! with all the new communities being built, it looks like its value will continue to rise over the next few years. since they're still in phase one of development, you can usually purchase a place for slightly cheaper than the cost when it's completed. sell after you're done with school, and you'll make yourself a profit! this is a better alternative to dishing 10k per year to live in the RC or in an old ghetto apartment.

although bridgeport might not be as nice as the north side, you can't beat its convenience. chicago has nasty traffic during the morning and evening rush hours. and remember that we'll have 8am exams quite frequently. if you don't mind dealing with this, then you can probably live just about anywhere in town.

don't rule out bridgeport just because of some stupid elementary school kids. if you don't bother them, they will not bother you. i have never felt threatened by them before.
 
I love this discussion!!! Thanks for all your input. I'm flying into Chicago tomorrow to scope-out apartments. My feelings on Bridgeport (as limited as they are) are that if most ICO students live there, it can't be all that bad. And you can't beat the convenience. Do the students who live in Bridgeport walk to school or drive/take a bus?
 
most bridgeport students will probably drive to school. biking is also a good option during the spring and fall seasons (not sure about security though). unless you absolutely LOVE walking, i doubt you'll want to trek a mile or two each way.

where are you flying in from?
 
I'm flying in from Boston. I'm in Chicago right now looking for apartments and have seen places in Wicker Park and McKinley Park. Today I'm looking at places in Bridgeport and more in Wicker Park. I'm not in Chicago for long but I think I'll find what I'm looking for. ICO has been a great resource and so has this web board. :)

scraders said:
most bridgeport students will probably drive to school. biking is also a good option during the spring and fall seasons (not sure about security though). unless you absolutely LOVE walking, i doubt you'll want to trek a mile or two each way.

where are you flying in from?
 
has anyone received any info on housing yet from ICO. All i received so far was the academic calendar.
 
dragon1761 said:
has anyone received any info on housing yet from ICO. All i received so far was the academic calendar.

i haven't yet. i hope we get it soon though...
 
My car was broken into three times in nine months by those stupid elementary kids, and I never bothered them.

Eyegirl.
 
Eyegirl2k7 said:
My car was broken into three times in nine months by those stupid elementary kids, and I never bothered them.

Eyegirl.

i'm sorry to hear about that. around which elementary school do you live near? i was gonna suggest in an earlier post that, if you plan to live in bridgeport, you should make sure you have a garage to park your car. my friends never shared stories that their cars were broken into, but they've been living in bridgeport their entire lives...i guess they've built enough street credibility in their neighborhood that nobody will mess with them or their property. then again, they do have old, crappy cars...hahaha...
 
I have received a housing guide for on- and off-campus but I had to request it by calling the admissions office. I requested the guide early May since I knew I would be moving to Chicago early in the Summer.
scraders said:
i haven't yet. i hope we get it soon though...
 
expect mail from ICO.

i received a packet of useful information from ICO today. although it talks about the RC and even includes a colorful booklet, contracts won't be sent out until later in may.
 
i received housing, roommate and parking information today
 
for those attending ICO in the fall:

you should expect a packet in the mail soon. i just received my housing information, along with the names of my suitemates.

wow, i can't believe optometry school is finally becoming reality...
 
scraders said:
for those attending ICO in the fall:

you should expect a packet in the mail soon. i just received my housing information, along with the names of my suitemates.

wow, i can't believe optometry school is finally becoming reality...

I got the contact list in the mail yesterday - I can't wait to get started! :)
 
I dont have a housing packet, so I was wondering if anyone could share how much it is to live off campus (near ICO 1-2 mi away) in a decent/newer apartment. Cost for one room in a apt of 2 or 3 please. I would think 600, but does anyone pay 700 around there? Thanks!
 
After my stint on the south side, I live in Lakeview now (2 blocks north of Lincoln Park) and I really enjoy it. The neighborhood is very happening. The only problem with living up north is definetly the traffic. To give you an idea, if I need to be at school by nine I better leave by 8:00 at the latest. I usually leave around 7:45. In the afternoon from about 4:30-6:00 going home is a bad idea, and will set you back an hour or more. The northside neighborhoods are very crowded and it can be kind of an adjustment. I still think it's really worth it despite the transportation issues.

Eyegirl.
 
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