I'm moving to Chicago in mid-July to work for a company on W Wacker Drive which I'm sure you are all more than familiar with. I'm VERY new to the area - in fact, I've never even been downtown. I'll be fresh out of college - any ideas on good places to live? Sites I should check out for apartments and roommates? Certain neighborhoods that are great for young people? Any advice you have would be much appreciated. Either leave a note here or PM me, please! Thanks.

www.chicagoreader.com and www.craigslist.com are the places to look for apartments, primarily.

I would look at Lakeview, Wrigleyville, Depaul, River North, Uptown, Lincoln Square, Lincoln Park, Roscoe Village, Wicker Park, Logan Square, and the Southport Corridor in particular given the info you provided. 60613, 60610, 60657, 60614, 60625, 60647 (maybe) in particular as far as zip codes go. I don't know the zipcodes for Wicker Park or Logan Square.

The Chicago Reader site has a map of all the zipcodes/neighborhoods on their site.

All of those are good for folks in your age group. You'll want to be near the L - brown line and/or red line is going to get you where you want to go, blue line works too.

Too many possibilities. How much are you willing / able to pay for rent? Do you have any other specific requirements? How do you generally like to spend your free time?

Somebody who, for example, likes to spend much of their free time in various popular bars with single people their own age would like certain specific neighborhoods, as opposed to somebody who prefers a more low-key lifestyle.

I'm willing to pay about $800-850 a month for rent incl. utilities. I'd be looking to live with someone or a small group of people to cut down on some of the costs. From what I've seen online, that amount of $$ would get me a decent place in a nicer neighborhood. I'm usually pretty low-key, BUT I do like to go out on weekends - and generally with people my same age. I guess I'm leaning towards Lakeview, Lincoln Park, Wicker Park and Wrigleyville? But still, I've never really been to Chicago, so I wouldn't know the first thing about any of these places!

Isn't Boeing on W Wacker?

Yes, Boeing is on West Wacker along with about another 1,000 companies!

The first responder gave you good pointers - to websites and neighborhoods. I'll just emphasize the final point -- be sure to be near public transportation, preferably the El/subway, though some bus routes aren't bad.

My son your age is in the West Lincoln Park area, near DePaul University. He thought he'd be taking the bus to the Loop, but finds the Red Line more convenient. He found the apt. via craig's list, btw. Good luck!

First off let me say you are moving to quite possibly the best city in the entire country! If the weather were like San Diego there would be 40 Million people living there!
I was born and raised in the northern suburbs of Chicago and live there currently. After school I moved to Chicago just like you are doing...I will assess the neighborhoods you are looking at:
Lincoln Park - Typically young to mid 20's. A pretty pricey area. Parking is expensive, and street parking is almost non existant. I lived here for 1 year and moved as it was too tough finding parking every night (I was working in the burbs) and it was out of my $$ range at the time. Typically the younger crowd here comes from money, and the older crowd has a bunch of it.
Lakeview - My home for 7+ years. Same age range as Lincoln Park, however, it is not as congested. Street parking depending on where you live, can be had pretty easily. I lived on Southport and George, and there are great restaurants and bars in that neighborhood. The scene is a little less formal if you will than lincoln park...think weekends watching football at the pub, and casual beer gardens in the summer.
Wrigleyville - BONKERS in the summer...a great time, but parking is a nightmare when the cubs are in town, and it's getting pretty far north of your work location, although the EL still runs up there.
Wicker Park - Still a little iffy in my opinion. While the neighborhood has come a long way, it still sits near some not so desirable neighborhoods. The scene is on the artsy/bohemian side. Great ethnic restaurants...not my scene, but if you are artistic or the creative type this is not a bad choice...if this appeals to you, I would suggest looking in Bucktown which is just north of there.
Hope this helps...if you have further questions, feel free to PM me.

Enjoy the city...ahh to be young and single in Chicago again! I'm envious!

Actually, no it isn't. It's on Riverside Plaza and Randolph, which is on the opposite side of the river from NORTH Wacker.

BTW, I also recommend the Reader for apartment listings.

My apologies...it's on Riverside Plaza and Randolph...along with another 1,000 companies!!!

Actually, it's 992 companies.

I'll echo the transportation parts other people have said.

For getting to work, I'd suggest being either near the L (brown, red, or blue for the N/NW sides) or if you want to be near the lake, the 134/135/136 routes run down Lake Shore Drive to Wacker and are pretty quick. You can find the L and bus routes on yourcta.com.

If you're planning to have a car, realize that parking can be a nightmare in many areas and if you can find an apartment with a garage, expect it to cost $100/month additional at a minimum. If you'll only rarely need a car, there are lots of locations for the "carshare" companies like iGo and ZipCar.

It seems to me that a lot more listings these days are on craigslist then the reader, but definitely check both, especially if you're looking for a roommate. Both have listings for that.

I'm in Lakeview myself and would be happy to answer any questions you may have.

I have to agree with most of what people have said. Chicago is indeed an AMAZING city! I moved to ORD from Portland, OR last summer, and I absolutely love it.

With regard to the neighborhoods, keep in mind that Lakeview actually has three parts. There is West Lakeview (which extends west to Roscoe Village), Central Lakview (which includes Wrigleyville) and East Lakeview (Boystown). I happen to live in Boystown and I love it. There is always a ton going on, and the nightlife is excellent. Boystown is, obviously, dominated by gay nightlife, restaurants, and shops. Of the three parts of Lakeview, the western part is the cheapest, the central part more expensive, and the eastern part is the most expensive (because it is closet to the Lake Michigan). To be honest, $850 a month for rent including utilities will not happen in my neighborhood, but if you look to the west, then it is possible. Another option is to look on Craigslist for someone needing an apartment mate.

If you do not need a car, then don't bring one. Parking is a nightmare. I do not have a car and do not need one. Even though I work in the 'burbs, I am able to hop on public transit and it gets me everywhere I need to go. Besides, if you really need a car, you can Zip Car it for very little money.

Welcome to Chicago! :-)

Zillow.com has some neighborhood demographics; especially avg prices, etc.

Hmmm. If I had it to do all over again I might live in Bucktown. Pretty cheap, pretty urban, and pretty easy to get where you need to go. As it was I lived in a couple of places in Lakeview and that was great. A little tough to get to the airport, though.

That said, there are plenty of good neighborhoods in the second post. And I think your $850 is going to be the limiting factor.

Edit to add: there are a TON of young, attractive girls (or boys, depending upon your preference) in Chicago. You'll have a great time.