moving to chicago

Gennaver, MSN · Jan 18, 2007

Hi
Ladies and Gents, I am a British nurse .I am due to start working for Mount sanai in chicago . I am worried ,is the nursing different ? how is the cost of living. Please anybody:uhoh3:

Hello Little Cat,

For a brief while I stayed on your Island, (in Donyatt, Near Ilminster/West Country near the moors).

Okay, if you are coming to work at Mt. Sinai I sould suggest that you may want to live more in the "city" and research the Chicago Neighborhoods to find the one that is the best fit for you. Mt. Sinai is located West if I believe and is a low income area and from what I hear of my classmates who did clinicals there you will learn lots.

Here is one of my favorite maps when trying to figure out where is where in the city: http://neighborhoods.chicago.il.us/

Once you compare the map to the map of where your hospital is you can see the immediate neighborhoods and which ones you want to live in or near. Remember that even living 5-10 miles away can seem like a "commute" sometimes. Currently I live in Lincoln Park and while it is enjoyable, the rush hour traffic can seem stifling in a few spots!

Good luck!

Gen

NICU_babyRN, BSN, RN · Jan 18, 2007

Hey Little Cat!

I do believe the nursing is somewhat different. more resources, more autonomy. Mt. Sinai is in a "gray" area of town and you probably want to live northeast of it. Yes, it will cost more, but you will live in a safer area. When looking for apartments/houses PLEASE AVOID the following areas:

Humbolt Park, Hyde Park, Cicero, Garfield, anything SOUTH of the Eisenhower, Logan Square....

Nicer areas include: Wicker Park, Ukranian Village ($$), Lakeview, Lincoln Park, Gold Coast...I just moved here myself, and although I have a little bit longer of a commute to work, living in a safer area is well worth it.

Trauma Columnist · Jan 18, 2007

I live in central IL (about 175 south of Chicago) and when I visit, safety is my utmost concern. I used to do agency in Chicago at Loyola (Maywood area) and always worked 3 pm to 3 am so that I totally avoided rush hour.

Gennaver, MSN · Jan 18, 2007

Hey Little Cat!
I do believe the nursing is somewhat different. more resources, more autonomy. Mt. Sinai is in a "gray" area of town and you probably want to live northeast of it. Yes, it will cost more, but you will live in a safer area. When looking for apartments/houses PLEASE AVOID the following areas:
Humbolt Park, Hyde Park, Cicero, Garfield, anything SOUTH of the Eisenhower, Logan Square....
Nicer areas include: Wicker Park, Ukranian Village ($$), Lakeview, Lincoln Park, Gold Coast...I just moved here myself, and although I have a little bit longer of a commute to work, living in a safer area is well worth it.

Hi,

It is risky telling someone to avoid an area, not everyone enjoys the same.

I personlly would indeed avoid Cicero, (it is a nearby suburb and I used to live near there).

I would also not tell someone to Hyde Park or blanket "anything south of the I-55 expressway, (yet there is a dividing line pretty much based on socioecenomic status but...with gentrification so many are blurred now, you really must see it or know someone to find your place).

Just to help with different names for same expressways:

Interstate, (I) 55 is also known as the Eisenhower or the Ike

I-94 south of I-55 is known as the Dan Ryan

I-90 and I-290 I am not sure of but, they both have "Names" also

The University of Chicago is in Hyde Park and while there are areas near there that may have lots of car break ins, I know a couple of people who are very happily residing in that neighborhood. I would also NEVER avoid Logan Square but, would be careful to visit the potential apartment at several times of the day/days of the week before moving.

Gen-good luck and welcome!

bleu_3 · Jan 20, 2007

Correction to the names of the expressways.

I-55 is the Stevenson

I-290 is the Eisenhower or Ike

I-90 is the Kennedy

Gennaver, MSN · Jan 21, 2007

Correction to the names of the expressways.
I-55 is the Stevenson
I-290 is the Eisenhower or Ike
I-90 is the Kennedy

Thank you!

Only one I know for sure is the Dan Ryan, (grew up south side/southern suburbs) I know them by the numbers though! Okay, so the I-55 is the Stevenson, (drove on that plenty of times...think I will just need to keep asking people to say the route numbers when they say the names!)

Gen

sayalittleprayer · Jan 21, 2007

to the poster that talked about neighborhoods that you don't want to live in sounds like she is making a judgment based on never living in these areas. i have lived in or around all of the neighborhoods mentioned and believe me when i tell you those neighborhoods have come a long way. first of all i grew up in hyde park and i take offense to the comment about not living in hyde park. like any chicago neighborhood you have to take precautions, but hyde park is a great area. because of the proximity to the university of chicago it is diverse. some of the neighborhood schools are pretty decent. i would suggest visiting the area because in terms of neighborhoods it is not a bad neighborhood. logan square is not bad and is affordable. like the other poster said i would check out the apartments during the day and during night hours. i would suggest that for any area so you know what you are getting into. humboldt park and garfield park are undergoing tremendous gentrification. some parts of these areas are not so great, but some are not bad and affordable. if you could buy a condo in one these areas you would be sure to see a return on your investment in the near future. how about when my husband and i rented in humboldt park we paid $650 rent for a huge 2 bedroom apartment. when we looked to buy, 2 bedroom condos where starting in the mid $300s. ukrainian village is a great neighborhood. i lived there as well. keep it mind it borders humboldt park and the rent can be almost twice as much. i say that to say that it might not be that much safer, but the cost can be much more. this applies for wicker park and bucktown. wicker park, bucktown, lincoln park and wrigleyville are full of "yuppies". logan square, ukrainian village, and humboldt park have more of an "artsy and hippy vibe". my husband works near mt.sanai and he says that pilsen and little village are close by. both of those areas are heavily hispanic, but again if you get the right block you will be just as safe there as any where. you might try looking in oak park where we live. it will take you about 30 mins in bad traffic to get to work and about 15mins (or less) when traffic is good. the rent on one bedroom is cheap. it jumps up for a two bedroom. berwyn at one time had a bad rap, but it has really changed. since it borders oak park you get a lot of the overflow. also, forest park is a decent area. all of these areas are close to mt.sanai. good luck and pm if you need any more help.

little cat · Jan 22, 2007

Thank you very much for all your help and support and all the places you have suggested. It makes such a difference when you come from a different country and culture .

little cat · Jan 22, 2007

Thank you for your help on the best places to live .I am still currently waiting for the green card.

cookielady,rn · Mar 1, 2007

I'm also curious about salaries in the Chicago area for a BSN. Thank you

zeuxis · Mar 1, 2007

Hello... I have a friend whose moving to Chicago, too (an immigrant, petitioned by her husband). North Troy Ave. to be exact. She's also from the Philippines, by the way, and a BSN graduate. Problem is that she has not taken our Local Nursing Board exams yet so she doesn't have been issued a license. What I'd like to ask, if just in case she doesn't make the exams this coming June, what would be her options once she's in Chicago? Is it possible for her to get a job in a hospital working her way up? Taking exams required in that state? Or does she really need to pass the Local board exams in our country first? I'd really appreciate any advice... any possible options she might take. Thank so much.