After some technical difficulties with the blog, and taking some time off to move, I’m finally back and the Chicago move is officially complete. After five years of living in my cute little home in Fishers, I’m now a Chicago resident!
It turns out that moving out of state is about 100 times more work than an in-state move, but now that it’s all done (well, mostly done), it feels good to have finally made the leap and moved to a new city.
The Apartment
After being disappointed by either looking at units in downtown Chicago that were too expensive or scooped up before I got a chance to drive up from Indy for a look, I was happy to finally find this place! There’s one less bedroom than I wanted, but having plenty of restaurants, bars, convenience stores and coffee shops in walking distance makes it worth the trade-off.
Kitchen
Fell in love with the quartz countertops and FINALLY having a gas cooktop!
Living & Dining Area
For the living space, I needed an area large enough to accommodate my sectional & entertainment center, which this space does (barely, but it does!).
For the dining area, I needed a table that could double as a dining table and a desk, AND also accommodate counter height chairs, since I wanted them to be able to be used at both my kitchen island and the table, but also not take up too much space. A narrow table from Overstock fit perfectly!
Bedroom
The only apartment I viewed that I was 100% sure would accommodate my King bed. It’s insane how hard it was to find a reasonably priced apartment with a decent-sized bedroom!
Bathroom
Ugly, but functional. It looks like the owners had to make a decision about whether to renovate the kitchen or the bathroom and chose the kitchen.
Patio
I don’t have a view, but I do have privacy and a double-wide patio space that extends along the outside of the living room and bedroom. It’s already been a great place to work and entertain outdoors, and I’m excited to get some more patio decor to make use of for the rest of the summer.
At this point, the only thing that really annoys me about renting is the package pickup situation – my package room is open limited hours and it’s impossible to find anything in there. I’m pretty sure the lady who runs the package room hates me for not being able to find my packages fast enough…
The City
In my short time as a Chicago resident, I’ve already had a chance to check out a few fun events and restaurants:
Alulu Brewery & Pub (Pilsen)
A great place for groups, and I especially loved the fun cocktails!
Seoul Taco (River North)
I’m not sure how the food here is so good, but BYOB makes it even better! A full Seoul Taco blog post to come.
Smoke Daddy (Wicker Park)
These ribs were so good, I had to force myself to stop eating them!
Taste of Randolph (West Loop)
A fun summer event, with some live music, food and a variety of local vendors. The highlight for me here was the white sangria!
Chicago Cubs Game (Wrigleyville)
This was my first major league baseball experience and I had a blast, even though I went on an abnormally cold early-summer day.
Hamilton (CIBC Theater – The Loop)
I was lucky enough to score tickets in the Hamilton Lottery, and was able to see Hamilton for a second time for only $10! It had been a year since I last saw it, and I think it was even better than the last time.
♦
It feels so exciting to have followed through on a dream I’ve had for years, and I can’t wait to spend the summer in Chicago! What are your favorite restaurants and things to do in the Chicago area?
