A Mac Properties building in Hyde Park

Looking for the perfect off-campus spot but not sure where to begin? The Maroon has your back. From cozy co-living spaces to sprawling studio apartments, we present to you a comprehensive guide to Hyde Park student housing!

We break down the essential considerations behind choosing an apartment and ways of navigating the tradeoffs. Throughout the guide, we also delve into the experiences of four undergraduate students living near campus: Sophie Bauer, Abigail Ng, Ikenna Okpukpara, and AJ Bradshaw.

To move or not to move

The first consideration is deciding whether to move off-campus. In an interview with The Maroon, third-year Bradshaw, who lives off-campus, said, “the freedom of living off-campus is a huge plus.”

“It is nice sometimes not to have RAs and RHs breathing down your neck,” Bradshaw said.

Additionally, students often cite the cost of living on-campus as a concern: $4,019 per quarter for a single occupancy room in 2023–24 averages out to approximately $1,600 per month for returning students without financial aid. In an interview with The Maroon, second-year Ng also mentioned the difficulties of communal laundry, as well as “having to move my things in and out of dorms over break.”

In his interview, third-year Okpukpara discussed the benefits of remaining on-campus as an upperclassman. “Lounges are always fun; our lounge has a Nintendo Switch with lots of games, and you get to meet a whole bunch of great people each year.”

He also addressed the concerns with privacy inherent in dorm living: “It took me a while to get used to communal bathrooms, but now I’m fine with it. Single user bathrooms are also available if you prefer that. I’m lucky that my house has been pretty respectful of public spaces.”

When factoring in the proximity to classes, perception of safety, convenient food, and instant community, the benefits of dorm living could potentially offset the high financial cost. Moreover, “as you move up in years, it gets much easier to get your preferred on-campus room,” Okpukpara said.

 Taking the leap

“Apartment hunting is about being realistic and weighing what you value the most,” Bradshaw said. Below is a list of considerations, grouped under five categories. Every apartment candidate will meet some, but not all of these requirements, and it’s up to you to choose which qualities you value the most:

Here is some guiding advice for the categories:

1. Price

Whether you’re looking for your own place or planning to live with roommates, set a clear upper bound for price. According to the data below from Zumper, a rental listing site, these are the average rental prices by number of bedrooms in Hyde Park:

Price will invariably be correlated with the apartment qualities mentioned above. Here we examine how location (such as proximity to campus) affects price.

These are the rental prices of available Mac Properties apartments with 3 or more bedrooms as of January 9. There are slightly lower rent prices west of South Drexel Avenue, with units priced at roughly $2000-$2500 for 3 or more bedrooms. Apartments south of East 55th Street also appear to be all greater than $3000, with the exception of one unit, The Pepperland.

On apartments.com, there also appears to be fewer available apartments between East 55^th Street and East 60th Street, which may be the reason why prices are higher. However, there will still be availability as landlords begin finding new tenants to sign leases in the winter months. Move-in discount specials are more common during the winter months when fewer people are moving.

2. Location

All the students we interviewed considered location as well. Bauer, an exchange student from Vienna who took up a 3-month lease in the fall, mentioned in our interview that she prioritized a “maximum 10-minute walk to campus.” Bradshaw also said that “location was something I particularly valued.”

Constraints such as walking distance may help you narrow your search, but also consider how accessible your apartment may be in terms of campus shuttles, Lyft rides, and public transportation. The UGo NightRide shuttles help cut travel time at the expense of waiting time, and students often use bikes (or make use of the Divvy bike system), scooters, and skateboards to get around. However, the latter may not be as practical during the winter months.

There are also slightly farther apartments such as Regents Park, which are popular among law  students and have the 172 bus route two minutes away from the building entrance. A good tip when touring an apartment is to see how long it takes you to get from campus to the apartment using a bus or shuttle without looking at bus timetables in advance.

Finally, consider not only proximity to campus but also to transportation options to downtown and grocery stores such as Hyde Park Produce, Target, Trader Joe’s, Whole Foods, or Open Produce.

2(a). Safety

One factor heavily tied to location is that of safety. Okpukpara mentioned that safety was an important factor in choosing to remain on-campus, and according to Bradshaw, “you can’t get much safer than living on campus.” Ng mentioned that some areas she considered safer were 54th and Woodlawn or University, the east side of Hyde Park, and the streets between East 56th Street and East 58th Street. No matter where you choose to live however, it’s always best practice to follow UChicago safety guidelines.

3. Apartment amenities

In-unit laundry: This was a heavily discussed topic among our student interviews. Bradshaw said, “There were two most important things for me: location and in-unit laundry. I had to sacrifice some apartment space for that.” On the other hand, Ng prioritized price and location over having in-unit laundry, while Bauer also preferred a closer location to amenities like in-unit laundry.

Dishwasher: This seemed to be less of a concern for students but could be useful if you plan to cook the majority of meals inside your apartment.

Furnishings: A furnished apartment can provide less of a headache than having to source new furniture. However, such apartments often come at a premium, such as Vue53, which provides apartment furnishings such as a bed and desk, along with in-unit laundry, but costs more than other apartments (a 1 bed/1 bath apartment at Vue53 comes in above $2,000 per month).

On the other hand, property management agencies such as Mac Properties work with furniture rental companies such as CORT to handle apartment furnishings. The most basic student furniture rental package starts at $129 per month.

The most common way for students to avoid the hassle of buying furniture is to inherit a pass-down apartment, which often allows students to inherit furniture at a discounted price from its previous owners.

However you acquire your furniture, consider exploring UChicago Free and For Sale or Facebook Marketplace to discover second-hand home accessories from fellow students at budget-friendly prices.

4. Other apartment qualities

Other considerations for an apartment include the total amount of living space, access to direct sunlight (south-facing windows tend to be brightest), noise level, water pressure, reports of pests in the building, and general wear and tear such as creaky floors or peeling paint.

Assemble your roommates

So, you’ve gotten a group of roommates together (or perhaps you’re going at it alone). You all have thought carefully about which qualities you truly value in your apartment, and what things you can sacrifice. Communication is key, and so is compromise.

Make sure your roommates are on the same page as you about hygiene, boundaries, sleep schedules, and noise. This is particularly key if you are sharing a wall or bathroom. Ideally, you will have done this by early winter quarter, but if not, get it done soon!

Cast a wide net

If you’re operating on a restricted budget, you will likely need to look a bit harder to find the right place. The more avenues you consider, the more opportunities you will have. Here are some common places to find an apartment:

Online resources

You can check Facebook groups such as UChicago Marketplace: Housing Roommates Apartments 4 Sale Jobs, University of Chicago Apartments and Housing (this one does have some spam, so be careful), Free and For Sale, and Maroon Marketplace, which includes listings from verified UChicago email addresses, run by The Maroon.

It is also useful to check building-specific websites. Below is a list of popular buildings put together by UChicago’s Law School (note: this list is not all-inclusive or an endorsement of any building).

• 5252: One of the newest apartment buildings in Hyde Park; see the video.
• Algonquin Apartments
• City Hyde Park: See some of the features here.
• Hyde Lofts: Modern furnished housing across from the Law School
• Hyde Park Luxury apartments (located just across the street from the Law School)
• Hyde Park Property Management (now Ivy Residences) manages 30 buildings in Hyde Park. They offer $300 off the first month’s rent for all UChicago law students, as well as Lyft credits.
• Hyde Park Tower
• Mac Properties manages most of the apartment buildings near campus ranging from affordable Chicago-style walk-up buildings to luxury modern buildings. Some of its buildings are Regents Park, Shoreland Apartments, and Solstice on the Park.
  • Information about Mac Properties
• Regents Park (a full amenity building where you will find the largest concentration of law students, only a short bus ride from the Law School)
• Shoreland Apartments: Brochure with quick facts
• Solstice on the Park
• Twin Towers
• Vue53: View some of the features here.

Some students also use rental listing sites such as apartments.com, Zillow, and StudentSpace.

Bradshaw said that the best options he found were on the UChicago-specific Facebook groups. He also mentioned using Zillow and apartments.com but “didn’t really like the choices.” Bradshaw says that he did not lock in on an apartment until the end of winter quarter.

Many students have had the best luck apartment hunting by speaking to graduating upperclassmen in their classes, RSOs, fraternities, or sororities.

Ng herself relied more on connections within her sorority. She mentioned trying to find a pass down apartment with furniture included to avoid the hassle of buying furniture. She added that contacting Mac Properties and Peak Properties did not yield much success, as “the options weren’t super ideal” at the time of our interview in November. She added that she “was definitely pretty surprised by the high prices out there.”

Finally, Bauer mentioned that the search was “a frustrating process. I looked on Maroon Marketplace and Facebook Marketplace in March, but many people didn’t text me back.” Ultimately, she managed to find a sublet on Maroon Marketplace and confirmed an apartment by May 2023.

Narrow down your choices

Make a list of five to six apartments you and your roommates really like and organize a time to visit. Some tips for apartment hunting from The Maroon are to take it slow:

1. Take a video of the space so you can evaluate it more easily; pictures don’t often give you the best perspective of an apartment.
2. Check the operation of the sinks, toilets, windows, stoves, and ventilation. One good test: turn the bathroom tap on high, and then flush the toilet. If you see the water pressure in the sink go down, this could be a sign of poor water pressure.
3. Have rough measurements in mind of where you intend for your furniture to go (bed, couch, table).
4. Stand in complete silence in the unit for several minutes. Is it quiet? Do you hear footsteps from the unit above you?
5. How bright is the sunlight? How is the view?
6. See if you can find current tenants to speak to. Do they have any specific complaints?

Alternatives to an apartment in Hyde Park

The most common practice for off-campus students is to sign a one-year (or longer) lease for an apartment in Hyde Park. However, there are other options which may be better suited if you have other preferences:

1. Sublets: particularly if you are graduating in fall (or winter) of next year, consider finding a shorter-term sublet instead. Sublets can be less of a hassle, as you don’t have to deal with signing the lease or finding furniture. Sublets are available on a case-by-case basis throughout the year. If you are vigilant, you can even find sublets for fall quarter later on in the year. However, Bauer warns about the pitfalls of subletting: “Sometimes the sublet description doesn’t fully match the reality of the apartment. Be absolutely sure to check everything before signing, and ask a ton of questions!”

Nevertheless, the drawback of subletting lies in the lack of stability. Your sublet roommates may not be a good fit, there may not be sublets available during a particular period, or you may find yourself living out of your suitcase instead of enjoying the freedom to spread your belongings.

1. Shorter leases: most larger property management companies offer the possibility of shorter leases (6-11 months) at the cost of higher monthly rents. This may be a good option if you are graduating before your lease expires and don’t want to deal with the hassle of subletting when you don’t need to be on campus.
2. Co-living spaces: companies such as 3L Living offer more budget-friendly apartment options for those who want their own space but do not intend to cook often. Their location at 5748 South Blackstone Avenue offers “Jack and Jill” style rooms, where renters have their own bed and desk, and share a bathroom with one other person. These spaces also have communal kitchens and lounges. However, these spaces are smaller than what you would get in a more traditional apartment, more akin to a single-style room in on-campus dorms.
3. If you prefer living in the city, there are sublets or units available in the South Loop or downtown area, which are now much more accessible given the introduction of the Downtown Connector shuttle. Graduate students often choose this option, preferring the variety of activities available downtown as opposed to Hyde Park. However, keep in mind the commute: even with the Downtown Connector shuttles or a private car, the journey to campus will still be more inconvenient than living in Hyde Park.

Final advice

In your quest for your off-campus apartment, Ng suggests that you make use of your network, communicate clearly about standards, and most importantly, not to stress. Bradshaw advises future off-campus dwellers to be patient and temper their expectations. “It really is a push and pull,” he said.

Bauer recommends asking countless questions and scrutinizing locations carefully before signing that lease. “All in all though, it has been great to experience a true university community in Hyde Park,” she remarked. Finally, before you move off campus, heed Okpukpara’s words: “Enjoy the perks being on-campus has to offer, and make the most out of house culture!”