Where to Live in Chicago: Hyde Park

The Old, the New, the Quaint, and the GSB

By: Ravi Sethi

Posted: 4/11/02

It's the morning and the sun breaks through my soot-covered window forcing me to raise my weary head from bed. It's 6:30AM on a Sunday, but here in Hyde Park everything starts early because there's so much to do. I have to rush to get to the Original Pancake House down the block, rated #2 by Zagat's before the Church crowd lets out and the line enters the street forcing me to wait 45 minutes for 93 score butter, freshly prepared strawberry syrup and fresh fruit toppings. Oh, they also have great pancakes.

The community spirit here is great. Where else can you live on a block with multi-million dollar homes and low rent apartments? In the summer months there is a farmer's market every Tuesday where locals come and sell fresh produce and flowers. In the winter… well there's snow.

The rich and the poor mingle together, with very few instances of forced wealth distribution. Stroll through the 3 major grocery stores or wander aimlessly through the tree lines streets. New businesses are opening all the time but old quaint places abound. The town hasn't been taken over by mass retailers yet, although a Borders is planning to open up.

Food Glorious Food

First and foremost, Hyde Park is a place for those who love to eat. And the good eating is at a good student price. How many of you have tried Jerk Chicken, Jambalaya or Gumbo? If you haven't, then try out Dixie Kitchen and the Calypso Café, which nightly dish out food of a Southern and Caribbean bent. For you chocolate lovers, may I suggest the Fannie May Chocolate shop, which carries all your usual favorites, or the Bon Jour Café, which has a delectable Chocolate Mouse Cup that is to get fat for. For Italian food, mozzarella sticks, and that midnight double trouble Sundae, try Leona's (I think it's the only place in Hyde Park that you can get USDA Prime rated beef). If you want cheap, but great, short order breakfasts then mosey on over to Valois. Be ready when you get to the counter because there is no time to think. The food comes quick and they don't tolerate hesitation. For watery Indian food served Cajun style (have no idea what that means), try Rajun Cajun. Get ready to spend a lot on drink because the food is spiced to the hilt and water just doesn't seem to help.

What about the college staples? Hyde Park has them all with, pizza, Japanese, Chinese, Thai, Gyros (with the meat bulging out of the side of the pita), Mexican, Ribs (something new if your not from this area is the Rib Tip, which is basically the end of the rib that every other place throws out, but hey when in Rome), and even Fast food (although with all the better options I doubt you will ever set foot in any of those establishments).

Convenience

What is the most cherished thing to a MBA student? That's right, your time. Hyde Park is convenient to everywhere. There are three ways to get to campus, which can take from 5 to 40 minutes, depending on where in Hyde Park you live. The GSB provides free bus service from all the typical digs to campus throughout the day and late into night. Driving is never a problem (although parking on campus might be) because there are no meters anywhere. And you can always try to work off some of the great food by using your own energy walking or riding your bike to school. As you walk take the time to notice the historic architecture that abounds in the area. Smile at all the friendly dogs, and listen to the songs of 2 really fat parakeets that hang out in a tree in a park nearby.

Getting to Chicago proper is no problem either. The Metra will whisk you to midtown in 10 minutes and for a savings of 45 cents you can take the bus that will take you about 20 minutes. With the Metra, you can get to all the Museums and shops easily without having to pay $20 dollars for a cab or wasting an hour looking for parking. If you love clubbing you can take public transport into Chicago and without the hassle of designating a driver, you all can have fun.

Need to get to an airport for that all-important interview? Take the 55-Bus to Midway or for O-Hare take the Metra and the Blue Line. No Driving, no parking, no hassle.

Housing

You can't beat the housing options here either. The University provides very affordable graduate apartments that are in the heart of Hyde Park conveniently located to everything. Many students choose to live in a building called the Regents, a high rise with a very friendly doorman, who by the way doesn't accept tips. If you want to build GSB community; then the Regents is where you want to be. There are plenty of private rentals that will fit any of your housing desires. If you come from New York or San Francisco, the apartments here will seem huge. If you're from anywhere else they'll seem small and expensive, but lets face it this is the big city, time to grow up and get used to it.

Tips

Here are a few tips to make life more enjoyable. Always look at the ground as you walk. Hyde Park is dog city. Everyone has a dog and there are plenty of landmines to watch out for. Most importantly be careful at stop signs. People do the slow roll through here and no one uses blinkers. When you order ribs, the bread that comes with them is under them and all the sauce, so it's basically inedible. There are two really good pizza places but they're also the places every club on school uses for their meetings so you'll get sick of them fast. There is a corner newsstand on 53rd and Lake Park, which sells the Sunday Tribune for $1.00 when it usually sells for $1.75. And lastly for a feeling of false security go to the BP presentation at the career fair and get their free emergency whistle and put it on your key chain.

Unless you need to spend your time gyrating with some local while music blares into your ear then Hyde Park has everything you could want in a town. Hyde Park is a diverse neighborhood that combines the charms of a southern town with the self-importance of a northeast college town.