The surrounding area of Chicago: how is it?

<p>As a prospective student, I've been considering Chicago, and I like everything about it. Well, except that I'm not sure about the area. I've heard it's a bad neighborhood, and I'd like to know from any students whether or not it's true.</p>

<p>Latest data: <a href="http://magazine.uchicago.edu/0506/chicagojournal/harper.shtml%5B/url%5D"&gt;http://magazine.uchicago.edu/0506/chicagojournal/harper.shtml&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/p>

<p>It's this safe...</p>

<p><a href="http://cbs2chicago.com/topstories/local_story_166191035.html%5B/url%5D"&gt;http://cbs2chicago.com/topstories/local_story_166191035.html&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/p>

<p>Crime happens. The good news is, the student wasn't hurt. Once something like this occurs the area will draw even more police attention than it normally would (which around campus is extensive).</p>

<p>That man should have exercised common sense. No one should be walking around at 3:00a.m in a city. Luckily, he's safe.</p>

<p>U of C students tend to be a lot more frustrated about Hyde Park being boring than about it being dangerous. In your first week, they'll teach you the borders you shouldn't go beyond, and you need to take those borders seriously. If you do that, and you avoid wandering off-campus by yourself at night, you'll be fine.</p>

<p>I thought Hyde Park is filled with shops, cultural restaurants, etc. I didn't think it was boring?</p>

<p>I grew up in Hyde Park and lived there for twenty years; my parents still live there. It is primarily a residential neighborhood. It does have a few good ethnic restaurants and basic stores. You'll know all the restaurants well by the end of your first year. There are, depending on how you count, two or three bars and a bowling alley. That's pretty much it as far as off-campus night life. I love Hyde Park dearly, but it is not a happening area for young people by any stretch of the imagination.</p>

<p>Thats what downtown chicago is for.</p>

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I thought Hyde Park is filled with shops, cultural restaurants, etc. I didn't think it was boring?

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<p>There is a 24-hour McDonald's, an overpriced bowling alley, and two bars for nightlife. A handful of resturaunts, but none of them are what anybody would call good. You'll find your chain stores too - Walgreen's, CVS/pharmacy, Dunkin Donut's, Quizno's, way more Subway sandwhich shops than needed (if you walk from Max P to the Shoreland, you will pass THREE of them, and that still isn't all of them), a trio of Starbucks, Blockbuster Video, Office Depot, Baskin Robins, Border's, Boston Market, etc... And then there are some independent shops (What The Traveler Saw, Toys Ecetera, and some others) that keep you wondering, on a daily basis, how on earth they stay in business (must be cheap rent). Nothing exciting. Get on the 173 and go downtown. While the neighbourhood has all the ameneties you need to buy something you need, get groceries, or grab a bite to eat, there is almost nothing to do in Hyde Park and no fun place to just "chill". It is a quaint, laid back, and very urban residential neighbourhood, and it does a very good job of being that. It's no Lincoln Park or Evanston.</p>

<p>Evanston looks like Levittown...it's a suburb full of boring looking suburban houses and there's absolutely nothing to do there, so I'm not sure why it's listed as an entertaining alternative...what I loved about Hyde Park when I visited was the architecture. And hey, at least it's close to downtown, if you really want action.</p>

<p>How close is UofChi from downtown Chicago? How many hours? Is it an inconvenience to get to downtown or do students travel there all the time? </p>

<p>Hyde Park seems interesting in that it's not an isolated rural area. But, is there a lot of fun on-campus activities to compensate for the low-key college life in the city of Hyde Park?</p>

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<p>It's about 7 miles, 15 minutes on the train or 25ish on the bus (including wait time). The nightlife areas are another couple of miles north of downtown. The main issue with public transportation is safety; it's fine to take the bus or train back at night if you have a good-sized, mixed-gender crowd, but I personally do not do that if it's just me and one other woman. Also, in the winter, you might want to take a cab ($25-30) home from Lincoln Park or Wicker Park at night because it is going to be COLD waiting for the bus.</p>

<p>There are a fair amount of on-campus activities (plays, concerts, lectures, etc.). There are a couple of very good movie societies that show films on campus every night. The frats also throw some decent parties. It's not like you'll be stuck studying every night if that isn't your thing.</p>

<p>lol...how many hours...if it was hours away from the city proper, it probobly wouldnt be called uchicago.</p>

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Is it an inconvenience to get to downtown

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<p>It is very easy to get there. On weekdays, you can take the METRA Express train from 57th/58th/59th Street station non-stop to downtown. It takes 8 minutes. The local train, with stops, takes about 20 minutes.</p>

<p>With the 173 bus, which runs in the late afternoon to early morning (4PM to 11AM Su-Th/5PM-2AM Fr-Sa) is the easiest way downtown and to Belmont. 20-35 minutes, one easy bus.</p>

<p>You can also take the 55/Red Line combo, 24 hours a day. Takes anywhere from 30 to 75 minutes depending on the time of day. Expect long waits in the cold for the 55 bus after 9PM.</p>

<p>Outside of taking the 173 bus, it is not particularly safe to ride public transportation at night, so split a cab. Fares downtown average about $20-$25. </p>

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or do students travel there all the time?

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<p>Most don't. It's sad.</p>

<p>Why don't the student travel frequently? How amazing is downtown anyways? May you describe the attractions?</p>

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Why don't the student travel frequently? How amazing is downtown anyways? May you describe the attractions?

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<p>Student's don't travel because they are too busy spending their weekends studying in their dorms.</p>

<p>Downtown is fun, but, IMO overrated. Then again, I come from a huge city much more exciting than Chicago, so I am biased.</p>

<p>It is mainly shopping and resturaunts. It is also where you'll go to catch a movie (AMC River East and Lowes on Ohio). The nightlife district is just north, in Belmont and Lincoln Park. Downtown is pretty dead after 7PM, and entirely dead after 10PM. There is also Navy Pier, a fun place to just chill, although very touristy, and Millennium Park, a beautiful public park that is a great place for an afternoon stroll.</p>

<p>A few points:</p>

<p>Unlike the Northeast, Chicago is not particularly a club town, so folks like Keelee may feel a bit out of sorts. Chicago's night life is much more oriented to those over 21. Saying that, for keelee to say students don't go downtown because they are studying says more about keelee than about U. Chicago students. I can assure you from first hand observation that most do NOT spend the weekend evenings studying. Many do go downtown, but, yes, the campus does not empty on weekends. There is a lot to do on campus, and many students like to just hang out.</p>

<p>Regarding "Downtown", the phrase can mean different things to different people. I suspect most UofC students include the near north side, including the "river north" area and Old Town in the concept of downtown. At any rate, it is not worth arguing over. The real action in the Chicago area is north of Hyde Park a few miles, and spread out over a few miles of city.</p>

<p>If someone has never spent much time in a physically large urban city, like NY or Chicago, one might have a hard time imagining the distances involved. Any one of the areas whose names we casually toss out, like "Lincoln Park" or "River North" can easily be bigger than the core downtown in most other cities. Or, for example, the distance from Chicago's Art Institute, the heart of true downtown, is a mile greater than the distance from Harvard Square to Boston Common.</p>

<p>Chicago, in terms of land mass, is a huge city. It offers a lot but comparisons to other cities are risky.</p>

<p>Chicago is really really spread out as well as a town...it's a city of neighborhoods primarily. The idea that we spend our weekend nights (okay sunday doesn't count as a weekend night) studying is...silly. Sure, some people do. But those are the kind of people who get lockers at the reg and prefer contemplating the human condition and their relevance to it as opposed to social contact. (yeah, that's a quote from a person I knew). </p>

<p>Anyway, those of us who don't mind a little action either have fun on campus or do go downtown. However, I can say that I didn't often go downtown at night during the last year. The few times I did were for concerts or one or two spontaneous outings to Clark's (a 24 hr hipster diner in belmont...). Most of my trips to the city with my friends occured during the week or during the weekend in the daylight. The reason for this? Well, there are quite a few. The primary ones being I didn't need to go downtown to have fun, I'm not 21, going downtown takes planning, and since I had to rely on public transportation it's a lot safer to go downtown during the day. </p>

<p>Don't get me wrong, the transportation is for the most part safe. The worst thing that's ever happened to me was that I got pickpocketed on the last day of school here. That being said, the buses that are the safest way downtown end at around 1am...and that doesn't really give you a lot of time to do much night life action. Of course the red line and the 55 bus always run, but they're quite a bit diceier in terms of safety (again, I've never had anything bad happen to me or my friends, however...).</p>

<p>Newmassdad is also right about the fact that we don't really do the club thing here (at least before the age of 21...)</p>