Moving to Chicago: A Neighborhood Guide for Your First Chicago Move

Chicago is a grid city, and many residential blocks have an alley behind them. That can help on moving day, because some homes load from the back instead of the street. It also means you should know which side of the building your movers will use before the truck arrives.

The city is usually described in sides: the North Side, Northwest Side, West Side, South Side, Southwest Side, and the downtown core around the Loop.

You do not need to memorize community area names to plan a move. You need to know what kind of building you are moving into and what the street looks like out front.

That said, a high-rise in Streeterville, a greystone in Logan Square, and a brick bungalow in Portage Park all need a different plan, which is why it helps to talk through your new address with a Chicago moving company before you sign a lease.

If you are coming from another state, planning a long-distance move into the city adds one more layer: timing your delivery around building rules and parking.

Chicago’s housing stock is a big part of what makes the city feel like home. It also decides how long your move takes and what your movers need to bring.

Two Flats and Three Flats

Two-flats and three-flats became popular around 1910 as an affordable way to own a home and rent out the other unit. Together with four-flats and six-flats, these buildings make up more than 30 percent of Chicago’s housing. Each floor is its own apartment, so a second or third floor unit means interior stairs and sometimes a narrow back stairway.

Measure your largest furniture against the stairwell before moving day. If a sofa or dresser will not make the turn, having your home packed and prepped ahead of time frees up the movers to focus on the tricky pieces.

Greystones

Greystones are limestone-front homes from the late 1800s, Chicago’s answer to the New York brownstone. They line streets from Lakeview and Lincoln Park west through Logan Square, Humboldt Park, and North Lawndale, and south through Kenwood, Hyde Park, and Woodlawn. Many have a set of front steps up to the main floor, so plan for extra carrying time on both ends.

Bungalows

The Chicago bungalow is a single-story brick home built in the early 20th century to fit the city’s narrow lots. The “Bungalow Belt” runs from Rogers Park southwest through Portage Park, Dunning, and Austin, then across the Southwest and Far South Sides. Bungalows are usually easier moves than multi-unit buildings, but many have finished basements with tight stair turns that need a plan for large pieces.

Vintage Courtyard Buildings

Courtyard buildings are walk-ups of up to four floors, built in L, U, or S shapes around a shared garden. You will find them in Lakeview, Hyde Park, and across the Near West Side. The walk from the truck to your unit can be long, since you often cross the courtyard and climb a separate stairwell.

High Rises

Downtown, River North, Streeterville, the South Loop, and much of the lakefront are high-rise territory. These moves are less about stairs and more about building rules: elevator reservations, loading dock times, and paperwork that management needs before the movers can start. 

A few local details catch new residents off guard. Check these before you book your moving date.

• Lakeview near Wrigley Field. Commercial trucks are barred from a perimeter around Wrigley Field, from Halsted to Racine and Belmont to Irving Park, starting 90 minutes before any event and ending one hour after it. Check the Cubs schedule and any concerts before you pick a date in Wrigleyville.
• Streets with pay box parking. Ward courtesy signs are not valid on commercial streets with pay box parking, so moves on these blocks need a parking plan from the start.
• Winter on arterial streets. From December 1 through April 1, Chicago bans overnight parking on 107 miles of main streets from 3 a.m. to 7 a.m., even when there is no snow. Never plan to leave a loaded truck or rental on one of these streets overnight.
• Moving containers. Several ward offices note that portable moving containers are not allowed on the public way, so check with your ward before ordering one.

Parking decides how smoothly a Chicago move goes. Ward offices hand out free courtesy no-parking signs to residents moving themselves, but those signs cannot be enforced by ticket or tow.

Enforceable signs come through the Chicago Department of Transportation and are usually requested by the moving company.

Chicago’s moving calendar has busy stretches. Many leases turn over at the start of the month, and May 1 is a well-known crunch date for movers in Chicago.

Read why May 1st is the worst and best day to move in Chicago before you sign a lease with that start date, and see our month-by-month guide to the best time to move in Chicago for weather and demand across the year.

Your first Chicago move goes smoothly when the plan matches the building. Before you book, write down the building type, the floor, the stairs or elevator, and where a truck can park on your block. Movers can only plan around details they know about, so share them when you request a free moving quote.

If you are already in the city and only changing neighborhoods, a move across town is still a full move.

Lakeview to Logan Square can take as much planning as a move from the suburbs, and booking local movers early in the month gives you the best shot at the date you want.

Then use our week-by-week Chicago moving checklist to keep everything on schedule.