The Search: 
So I had a meeting on Tuesday with a brand new client, and then wouldn't have to officially start the new job until the next week.  However, I had a friend coming to visit Wednesday - Friday.  This gave me 2 days to find an apartment and sign a lease.  On Monday, I hopped back on the MegaBus and started calling everyone I knew about good and bad neighborhoods.  My primary concerns were 1) crime, and 2) noise. 

I knew I didn't want to live in the city proper (I grew up in the country, and enjoy my peace and quiet), and I wanted to avoid towers / high rises.  I had knocked out a rough budget based on the offer and inflated certain items to account for the fact that Chicago is expensive (they tax the food here), and used that number to start my search for a place to live.

Apartment People (a Chicago-based apartment realty firm) were recommended by a friend, and they were very helpful in my search.  I made an appointment with them for Monday, and we went around to 6-8 different locations based on my descriptions of what I was looking for in an apartment.  Some places were a great fit, but in a bad neighborhood or far from public transit.  Some places were terrible, but in great places.  Eventually, it came down to two selections and I put an offer down on one of them who got back to me the same day.  I settled on that place (the rent was a little high, but the location and space were perfect), signed a lease, and went to my meeting.

The next steps would be the tricky part, since I would only have a few days to pack my entire apartment, and then I'd have to start work.  I knew that giving people 2-3 days notice to help me load a truck wouldn't be enough, so I would have to camp out in the new place while working a week, and then use the long weekend to actually relocate all of my stuff.