You should definitely give some careful consideration to where you’re going to live in Chicago if you want to make the most out of your experience.  This means that you should think about all of the different neighborhoods within the city before just assuming that you’re going to live downtown.  Although living in a downtown apartment in Chicago certainly has its advantages, you should still think about living elsewhere if you want to experience the cultural diversity that this amazing city has to offer.

Chicago is unique on account of the fact that it has so many excellent neighborhoods.  You can easily find a neighborhood to suit your taste once you look into all of the ones that are located within a close vicinity to the downtown area.  Don’t worry about trying to find an apartment that is a short commute to downtown.  This is something that shouldn’t be a concern whatsoever just because Chicago has such an excellent public transportation system.

If you live in a neighborhood as opposed to downtown, there’s a better chance that your apartment in Chicago is going to be next to some unique attractions that you wouldn’t necessarily find if you were to stay downtown.  For example, you could think about finding an apartment that’s located next to a park.  This is particularly ideal if you are going to be moving with kids and would like to be able to take them to play without actually having to go that far.

Also, if you find an apartment in Chicago that is in a great neighborhood, then you can start making an effort to get to know your neighbors right away.  The sense of community in these Chicago neighborhoods is what keeps people coming back to them even after they’ve lived all over the country.  You will find it quite easy to make friends by staying in a Chicago neighborhood.  You might even inadvertently make some friends just by going out to your neighborhood dive bar a couple nights a week.

Try to find an apartment that is within close proximity to a community center or a fitness club if you really would like to be certain that you’re making as many friends as possible while you stay in the apartment.  Don’t pass up the opportunity to go to as many events as possible, either.  You should try to involve yourself in your community; this will give you a sense of accomplishment as well as security, and you’ll be very glad that you’ve met people since they might be able to give you some great advice about living in Chicago that you couldn’t find elsewhere.