Living in Chicago
CHICAGO IS THE LARGEST CITY in the state of Illinois and the third-most populous city in the United States. The Chicago metropolitan area has a population of over 9.4 million people, and is a major center of transportation, industry, politics, culture, finance, medicine and higher education. There are many things to consider when moving to a metropolitan. Please carefully consider a few things when moving to Chicago.
Accommodations
Rental properties are prolific in the city, and rates vary from neighborhood to neighborhood. Studio apartments are available, and can range from $700 to $1500 per month. Living with roommates can be a much cheaper alternative. For roommate and apartment listings, Craigslist and the Chicago Reader are great resources. The Professional Leadership Coordinator will also help to put interns, apprentices and fellows in touch with one another once hired.
Steppenwolf Theatre's campus is located in Chicago's Lincoln Park neighborhood. The Steppenwolf scene shop is located in Chicago's Humboldt Park neighborhood. Neighborhoods near the theatre are Lakeview, Wicker Park, Bucktown, Ukrainian Village, River West, River North and Old Town. You can use Chicago Reader's Space Finder for a zip code map of the city. Chicago.com offers profiles on Chicago's 77 neighborhoods.
Finding part time work
Many participants find it necessary to obtain evening or weekend jobs while completing our programs. Many have preferred bartending, waiting tables or working retail to make extra money. The Chicago Reader and Craigslist are good places to look for employment. PerformInk.com and Chicagoplays.com are local industry listings that post jobs at area theatres. In addition, opportunities may arise to work in Audience Services or Front of House at Steppenwolf. The Professional Leadership Coordinator will notify interns, apprentices and fellows of additional job opportunities at Steppenwolf if available.
Commuting
You may consider bringing a car with you to Chicago. Though the ability to leave and go as you please is enticing, remember to calculate the cost of parking the vehicle, both near your apartment and around the area. Car maintenance can be quite expensive depending on your location.
The Chicago Transit Authority (CTA) offers train and bus service throughout the metropolitan area. Steppenwolf's Lincoln Park campus is accessible by the Brown Line and Red Line "L" trains. You can also get to the Lincoln Park campus by taking the Halsted Street or North Avenue bus routes. The Steppenwolf scene shop is accessible by the Division Street, Chicago Avenue and Cicero Avenue bus routes. To learn more about getting around in Chicago check out the CTA website.
Weather
The weather in the windy city is beautiful, but can be severe! During the summer, the average temperature is 79 degrees and in the wintertime, the average temperature is 36 degrees. Heat Indexes and Wind Chills can push the margins from 100 to -10 degrees during those times. Chicago has four full seasons. Residents experience a little of everything with some interesting weather patterns because of Lake Michigan.
Other Resources
These sites may be very helpful in gathering information on Chicago. Here you can find information ranging from fun things to do in the city, to information about out thriving theatre community and regional history.
City of Chicago Official Website
http://egov.cityofchicago.org
Cook County Official Website
http://www.co.cook.il.us
State of Illinois Official Website
www.state.il.us
The League of Chicago Theatres
www.chicagoplays.com
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