City of Chicago: Off-Campus Life - Northwestern University

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About Chicago

Founded in 1837, Chicago plays host to 2.74 million citizens, and serves as the county seat of Cook County. The city itself is the 3rd-largest in the US, while Cook County is the 2nd-most populous country. Chicago’s location makes it a hub for transportation, but also finance, culture, commerce, and education.

Chicago is made up of 178 official neighborhoods, which are grouped into 77 community areas. Northwestern’s Chicago campus is located on a 25-acre site in the Streeterville neighborhood of the Near North community area. It was first established in the 1920s, and hosts the Pritzker School of Law, the Feinberg School of Medicine, and the School of Professional Studies. It also hosts Kellogg’s part time MBA program, while Medill separately occupies space at 303 E. Wacker Drive.

Students from Northwestern tend to live in the Streeterville, Rogers Park, and Edgewater neighborhoods, but there are many others to explore!For additional information about Chicago’s history, statistics and attractions, go to About Chicago.

Chicago Events

Choose Chicago also provides a wealth of information on Chicago's attractions, arts/culture, neighborhoods, and upcoming events.

Voting

For information about voter qualifications, acceptable forms of ID, absentee voting, early voting, voter registration, and where to register to vote, visit:

City of Chicago’s Voter Information webpage
NU Votes, a non-partisan initiative of Northwestern's Center for Civic Engagement, also provides the Northwestern community with easy, accessible voter registration information for all 50 states.

City of Chicago Services

Vehicle Stickers and Street Parking

The City Clerk is responsible for registering vehicles, and parking.

Vehicle Stickers: Every Chicago resident who owns a vehicle must pay a wheel tax, for which they receive a vehicle sticker to display. This sticker must be purchased within 30 days of moving into the city, and then renewed annually. If you live in a Residential Parking Zone, you’ll need to pay a bit more to add that Zone to your sticker, so you can park your car in the street near your residence.

Parking Permits: If you live in a Residential Permit Parking Zone, you’ll need to purchase some Residential Parking Permits for your guests to use when they come and visit. Be sure to do that early – it takes 12 days to receive them!

Snow Removal

When winter approaches, you’ll want to understand how snow removal works in the City of Chicago.

Chicago has a set of parking restrictions for key arteries that are in effect between December 1 and April 1, regardless of whether it has snowed. Be sure to avoid parking on these streets at the restricted times!

Residents of Chicago are responsible for removing snow from sidewalks. Check your lease to see if you, or your landlord, will need to take care of this task. If you notice that someone hasn’t done so properly and it is creating a safety hazard, you can submit a service request through 311.

City of Chicago Permits and Forms

Pets

In the City of Chicago, dogs older than 4 months must be registered. You can take care of that at the City Clerk’s website for Dog Licenses.

Garage, Yard & Apartment Sale Permit

Looking to host a garage or yard sale? You can do it, but you’ll need a permit, which you can obtain by calling Chicago’s 311 service, or your local Alderman ward office. For reference, the form you’ll fill out is available here.