Being carfree is a lot easier if you choose to live in a walkable neighborhood with decent transit. Fortunately, Chicago is full of just such neighborhoods. Having a train stop, however, does not a walkable neighborhood make. You’ll also want to consider how close the businesses you use regularly will be, will you be safe walking the streets, and does it feel welcoming or is it an asphalt landscape? Here are a few tools to help you find the neighborhoods that fits your needs:

CTA
http://www.yourcta.com
Transit maps can help guide your search.

Yelp.com
http://www.yelp.com
Provides a business directory with ratings by map. You can look up zip codes and neighborhoods and find out where the grocery stores, corner stores, butchers, dentists, cafes, etc. are.

ChicagoCrime.org
http://www.chicagocrime.org
Provides maps of crimes by zip code and address. If you’re checking out an apartment, you can look up the address and see crime statistics within several blocks.

Live.com Maps
http://maps.live.com
Provides 3-D satellite views so you can check out what the streets look like. An abundance of surface parking lots is not a good sign.

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“Choosing Your Neighborhood” by Lee Crandell is licensed under CC BY