There is a whole support network available at Northwestern University to assist students with their transition to the Evanston-Northwestern University community.  Information is available (and somewhat duplicated) on our external Web site under Community Resources and Housing.  However, more detailed information is below that provides some guidance on the services and resources available.  Topics covered include:

• U-Pass
• Evanston Community
• Chicago Community
• Temporary Housing
• Homestay Program
• Housing:  on-campus and off-campus
• Northwestern University Student Guides and Evanston Resources
• Childcare Resources

If you have any questions, please contact Susan Jackman.

Evanston Community
Living in such a diverse area, Northwestern students have many options concerning housing, shopping, and entertainment. Housing is discussed in more detail in a separate section.

The City of Evanston has a population of 74,000 people and is characterized by small-town friendliness but with the benefits of what a larger city can provide. More information on the town itself is found under Evanston demographics.

Evanston caters to the Northwestern University student community by providing affordable housing and student discounts at stores. Evanston’s main shopping district is located conveniently to Northwestern’s campus and offers a variety of dining experiences, recognizable brand-name stores, and small boutiques catering to many tastes. Many new condos, movie theaters, and restaurants have been added to the Evanston skyline in recent years. Evanston has a stunning natural setting along Lake Michigan that provides miles of running/biking trails, a boat launch, boat rentals, and beautiful, sandy beaches.

Chicago Community
Evanston’s close proximity to Chicago provides even more resources for students. Chicago is the third largest city in the United States and the country’s second largest financial center and headquarters for some of the nation’s largest banks, brokerage houses, and consulting and commodity firms. Additionally, Chicago is home to two top business schools: the Kellogg School of Management, Northwestern University, and the Booth School of Business, University of Chicago.

Chicago is known for its “neighborhoods”: Lincoln Park (the heart of Chicago's North Side includes shopping, the zoo, the park, and restaurants), Streeterville (high-end shopping featuring Water Tower Place), Gold Coast (Magnificent Mile – Michigan Avenue – expensive shopping and restaurants, Oak Street Beach), Wrigleyville (shopping and ethnic cuisine and the home of the Chicago Cubs), Loop (business/commercial center), River North (Chicago’s version of New York’s SoHo with many art galleries, dance clubs, trendy restaurants and Merchandise Mart), and many more.

Chicago also offers lots of opportunities for fun with its many museums, art galleries, beaches, parks, musical festivals and neighborhood fairs, theater (“Broadway in Chicago” and the Steppenwolf Theater), Second City Comedy Club (the training ground for many comedians from the television show “Saturday Night Live”), dining (“Chicago-style” pizza), and sports (football, baseball, basketball, hockey, and more!).

For international students, there are a variety of communities in the area that provide a “touch of home”: ethnic grocery stores, shopping, and cultural opportunities. The list is endless: Chinatown, Greektown, Andersenville (old Swedish neighborhood), Lincoln Square (German-American community), Devon Street (Indian-American community), etc. There are large Asian, Hispanic, Irish, Polish, and Middle-Eastern populations as well.

Temporary Housing

• Homestay Program
• Best Western University Plaza (Select "Evanston, Illinois")
• The Homestead Hotel 
• Hilton Orrington Hotel
• Hilton Garden Inn

Homestay Program
For international students looking for temporary housing when they arrive in the US, there is the "Homestay" program. This program is administered by the Community Council for International Students, which is an all-volunteer group of women and men dedicated to making you feel welcome in this country and at Northwestern University. You are housed by a local individual or family for 2-7 days before your permanent housing is available. Information is available online: An application form (.pdf) must be completed to participate in the program.  

Housing
Evanston is definitely a university town, so there are a wide variety of housing options available to you depending on what you are looking for and where you want to live. Evanston is also close to Chicago, if you would prefer to live in the city. When speaking with doctoral students, they feel that it is better to live close to campus during the first couple of years while you are taking classes because you will be spending many hours at the Jacobs Center. During your third year, you will be pursuing research full time, so your schedule will be more flexible and allow for a varying travel schedule. These are things to keep in mind when considering locations.

How you want to travel from your home to campus – walking, driving, and/or public transportation should be a determining factor.  You definitely want to include as an essential element the U-Pass when considering your public transportation options.  More information on transportation options is available on the Getting Around page. 

On-Campus Housing
The Graduate Housing Office at Northwestern assists students with on-campus and off-campus housing.

Engelhart Hall is Northwestern's graduate housing facility. Apartments there go very quickly. You should visit their Web site to see the types of apartments available.

Seabury is another option for graduate students. Furnished studios, one-bedroom, two bedroom, and three bedroom apartments are available to students and their families at 605-615 Garrett or 621-623 Garrett Place. This housing is ideal for students with classes on north campus. Seabury is very close to the Jacobs Center.

McManus Living and Learning Center is a building managed by the Kellogg School. Housing is primarily for the MBA students and tends to be near capacity each year. However, PhD students have been able to find accommodations at McManus.  Applications from students with children are also being accepted. McManus could accommodate a family of four pretty comfortably; any families larger should look elsewhere. Please note: Housing is quite tight for McManus this year; there is also a wait list from the previous year to consider. Students will be contacted by late May if accommodations can be managed at McManus.

For McManus, there is more information on features, floor plans and rates available online. To apply, complete the application form available April 1st. When applying, you should identify yourself as a PhD student in the drop down menu under "enrolled program." Janet Olsen is your contact for housing at McManus. Janet will be in touch with you directly about an apartment. Please tell her that you are an incoming Kellogg doctoral student.

Off-Campus Housing
Northwestern University does not provide an apartment finding service. However, they have a number of web links to places that specialize in advertising places to rent or sublease.   

The Student Affairs Office at Kellogg has a Web site for the MBA students with tips for locating off-campus housing.  The International Office has a Web site with information on housing and other resources for new arrivals (scroll down the page).

You may also want to check the local newspapers for information on rentals:

• Evanston Review: (click on “Classifieds”)
• Chicago Tribune: (click on “Apartments”)
• Chicago Reader: (click on “Housing For Rent”)

Apartment Locators (free services)

• Apartment People is a FREE service (funded by landlords' ads). Apartments are listed by the area, the price range, the amenities, etc. For more one-on-one service, complete their contact form and they will search their database and suggest places to show you. They will even drive you to the apartment. Apartment People also lists apartments by neighborhood (Evanston is included). 
• Colfax Realty Group - Home finding service for MBA, Law, Medical, and Graduate Students. This is another free service to students looking for housing. In the drop-down menu, select "Northwestern" and "Graduate Students" and you'll be directed to a page for "Buys" and "Rentals." You'll pinpoint your search, and then browse their database.

Popular Apartment Locations

Evanston:

• The Park Evanston
• Evanston Place

Chicago:

• McClurg Court Center

Roommates
The PhD Office assists students who are looking for a roommate. Interested students should e-mail Jo Falk who will help you connect with other students looking to share apartments. She will also forward any information she has on sublets and rentals from current PhD students.

• Purple Pages
  Kellogg MBA students assembled a community resource guide for the MBA students and their families called the Purple Pages. The Purple Pages contains guides to restaurants, cafes and coffee shops, pubs and bars, and shopping in Evanston. Information concerning banks, housing, health clubs, and more is included. You might want to take a look at Downtown Evanston, which highlights resources for housing, dining, shopping, and more.
• Northwestern University Graduate Student Association
  Graduate students at Northwestern have pulled together resources for the graduate student community at Northwestern and posted easily accessible information online.  The NUGSA website has information on clubs and organizations, intramural sports, professional development opportunities, events, resources for graduate students and parents, and more.

Childcare Resources
The Office of Work/Life Resources through Northwestern’s Human Resources department provides many resources for Northwestern parents as they locate quality, affordable childcare.  Many of these resources are available to graduate students.  When you contact Northwestern staff about these services, you should identify yourself as a PhD student at Kellogg. MBA students do not qualify.

There are tips for finding childcare as well as childcare centers, community childcare resources, in-home care resources, preschools, and additional resources available through the Childcare website. There are also references to fee assistance programs and “Mothers’ rooms” located on campus, so mothers can nurse in private.   

Kellogg students often make use of the YMCA Child Care Center. Financial assistance may be provided to graduate students for the YMCA program. Typically those allocations are exhausted by January of the coming fall quarter. However, there is a wait list, so you could apply for funding in case some families drop out of the program. Some slots may still be available in the YMCA Child Care Center.  Please call the YMCA for more details at 847-475-8580 or visit their website.

Action for Children is another resource. While this organization is for benefits-eligible Northwestern faculty and staff, for a fee, PhD students could use their services for childcare referrals and childcare solutions. Call 773-356-8135 to reach a designated Northwestern representative. The consultation services include the following: