Where to live in Chicago?

[SkyWestCRJPilot]

I moving to Chicago and I'm wondering where are the best places to live for renting a two bedroom apartment. I've heard downtown is great but pricey. What other areas of the city are good places to live? What suburbs are good? I'll be flying out of ORD and moving my wife and two young children with me. Thanks.

 

[TransMach]

Chicago

Mate,

No one lives in Chicago. Everyone commutes. Way to cold to live there. Way to windy to stay around, unless you're tethered. Then it's realy nasty.

Downtown is beautiful, very modern, very chic. Very nice river. No one lives there, everyone commutes.

Did you upgrade? Love your kids.

TransMach

 

[DX Rick]

Where to live?

Live anywhere BUT Chicago. If you want cheap, look out in the Kane County area. Cook and Dupage county you're looking at $1000-$1900 a month for a "nice" 2 bedroom apartment. If you can, commute.

Kane County is about a 45-60 minute drive to ORD. I work at MDW, quite a few of our guys live just over the border in Indiana and Wisconsin.

How do I do it? I had to move back in with my parents. I was paying $700 a month for a 1 bedroom that was 510 sq ft. and that was a steal when I got it. That same apartment is going for $900 right now.

 

[FlyChicaga]

Look around the Northwest suburbs. Basically everything from the West/Southwest clockwise around to the North/Northeast within a 1 hour drive. There are plenty of places around that might work for you. Yes, Chicago is expensive. Head to a grocery store and pick up an apartment booklet. Also, drive around and call some of the numbers at complexes that are renting. Sometimes you can negotiate. Good luck! This city has a lot to offer!

 

[wiggsfly]

McHenry County ain't bad 2 bdroom in Algonquin for $720 when I signed last month and that is about 30-40 minutes from ORD. You can also try a little further west for even less $.

 

[plnegoofy]

Skywestcrjpilot,

check your PM box!


plnegoofy

 

[turpentyine]

dont live in the "southside" lol

 

[Steepturn]

Skywest,

I live in the western suburbs and the commute to ORD is 45 to 1 hr. You should check out the oswego area. It's growing quickly with lots of new homes going up. My wife and I pay about 1,100 mortgage for a 2 bdrm. and a loft townhouse. I have a few friends who moved out that way and they love it. You're not too far away from anything if you want to do something and your not in a congested city fighting rush hour traffic either.

 

[Weasil]

Skywest pilot,

You will love this area if you are into cities. There are hundreds of great communities. What kind of things are important to you? Do you want to live in a house vs an apartment/condo? are your kids school age? How much money do you want to spend? Do you want to live near the L so that you can catch the train down town? Would you prefer to live in the city of Chicago or in a suburb?

Arlington Heights is a great neighborhood just west of O'Hare. Des Plaines is a little cheaper for renting but buying a house is still very pricey. Schaumburg is a very nice town and has great schools, lower rents and lots of stuff to do like restaurants, mall, movies, rec center etc.. There is a great forest preserve on the Northwest side also near most of these neighborhoods if you are in to that.

I take it skywest have a domicile in ORD. I did not know that.

I own a Condo in Schaumburg by the baseball stadium (Schaumburg FLyers) and I love that area. You can get a 3 bedroom townhouse for rent for around $1300/mth. About a half hour to ORD in traffic. You could also try living on the west side of Chicago... Forest Park is a great area. ANd it is located between ORD and MDW which can be convenient. And also is close to the downtown area and the lake if that is what you like. Oak Park is way too expensive. PM me for specific info on an area/neighborhood.

 

[freeflyer14]

If you want to live in the city, look into the Bucktown neighborhood. Cheaper than the lincoln park and wrigleyville area, with just as much nightlife and fun. Parking is also a TON easier. The blue line also runs through, making it a easy commute to O'hare, which from most other neighhborhoods would require you to first take a train south to the loop and then transfer to the blue line. No car would ever be required for the most part. The Bucktown neighborhood begins west of 90/94, north of North Ave., and depending on who you talk to is south of fullerton. Have lived there for a little over a year, great area, great people.

 

[House_X]

If you want to live in the city, look into the Bucktown neighborhood. Cheaper than the lincoln park and wrigleyville area, with just as much nightlife and fun. Parking is also a TON easier. The blue line also runs through, making it a easy commute to O'hare, which from most other neighhborhoods would require you to first take a train south to the loop and then transfer to the blue line. No car would ever be required for the most part. The Bucktown neighborhood begins west of 90/94, north of North Ave., and depending on who you talk to is south of fullerton. Have lived there for a little over a year, great area, great people.

Good post. Chicago is a great city!

You can live in the city w/ no problem...Chicago is cheaper than NYC, Boston, LA, Miami or San Fran...so I don't know what you guys are complaining about. The "L" runs 24hrs a day, so you can get pi$$ed drunk and not have to worry about a DUI...can't do that in the suburbs. There are plenty of good neighborhoods in the city. Sitting on reserve for ORD is a breeze if you live near the blue line train.

For all you guys on the west coast who are afraid of snow...I hope you have a commuter clause in your contract because your gonna get F-ed on your commute with wx cancellations and traffic delays into ORD. Not to mention burn out on the 4 hr flights to and from work.

 

[pavelump]

Try this website.

http://www.chicagoreader.com/cgi-bin/spacefind.cgi

Good luck. Chicago is an awesome city. Like was said before, if you're close to the Blue Line train, a trip to O'hare is 30-40 min from downtown. Driving can take you 1-2 hours on a particularly crappy day.



In addition to trains, there are tons of busses that you can catch to transfer on to the train.


This website has great maps of the CTA system:

http://www.transitchicago.com

 

[jumper52]

LIVE in Chicago? NOT!!!!

Dude,

Listen to the experience. I lived there for 9.5 years out in Naperville. Way pricey now!!! Winter time commuting is going to be a hassle. But so is living in Chicago. Great place to visit and party, but not to live. People drive like maniacs, flip you off as they go by and sometimes even point a gun at you. Schools in Naperville are great. Have friends that live towards Wisconsin and the villages in that direction. Even have some guys driving in from Gary, Indiana.
Suggestion, take the wife and go visit the city and villages (as they are called) and decide for yourself. The further out you go, the cheaper it gets. Unless you have a great deal of money to spend, living within a 10 mile radius of O'Hare is not going to happen. Good luck on your search and your new city.

Later :

 

[jacko123]

Dont listen to jumper52. They do drive like maniacs and you may get the occasional finger, but point guns at you, I don’t think so. If you want to live in the city, I would also rcommend Bucktown, and Wicker park. I live in a 3 bedroom that runs $1200 a month. It’s a nice place, in a descent, and up and coming neighborhood. I take the train to work, it takes about 30 minutes and I don’t have to worry about snow on the roads or rush hour traffic. To get downtown is a 10 minute train ride. Everyone should experience living in a big city once in there lives, but I don’t think I would raise kids here.

 

[cfm56-7]

I woked for out of MDW and lived in apt in Naperville its nice out there about 45 min to MDW. I lived in joliet also nice out there you have to look some of it is so/so plainfiled is nice to all right off I-55. I my self will not go back to Chicago the traffic is BAD. When I lived in joliet it took me 1 hour and 20 min to get home in the moring and I was on midnights. And the cost of living is nuts I was paying 1350.00 a month for a 1100 sq ft house. good luck

 

[TDTURBO]

Dude,

Listen to the experience. I lived there for 9.5 years out in Naperville. Way pricey now!!! Winter time commuting is going to be a hassle. But so is living in Chicago. Great place to visit and party, but not to live. People drive like maniacs, flip you off as they go by and sometimes even point a gun at you. Schools in Naperville are great. Have friends that live towards Wisconsin and the villages in that direction. Even have some guys driving in from Gary, Indiana.
Suggestion, take the wife and go visit the city and villages (as they are called) and decide for yourself. The further out you go, the cheaper it gets. Unless you have a great deal of money to spend, living within a 10 mile radius of O'Hare is not going to happen. Good luck on your search and your new city.

Later :

That "somebody" giving you the finger was probably me. There is nothing a hate more than some jagoff holding up traffic by driving the speed limit in the left lane. I lived in Chicago for the past 41 years and nothing is more irritating than slow azz drivers! If you are constantly getting passed than maybe you should stick to airplanes and stay off the highway.

Of course, this only applies to the above descibed motorists, no specific reference to the above poster neccesarily intended.

 

[jumper52]

I would agree with cfm56-7. Plainfield is a nice area. Forgot about that one. I could not agree with you more about the traffic. Commuting into the city at the toll booths, LOOK OUT!!!

And come on jacko123, the train is terrible. I would not put my wife and kids on that piece of Sh#@$it "L" train for nothing. SO much crime on those trains that the city of Chicago had to start putting one cop on each train and still my boss was mugged in broad day light!!!

Good Luck on your search

 

[jumper52]

My dearest TDTURBO

Jumper52 here,

I am sure that it wasn't you because the "gentleman" that decided to either show me his I.Q. or age really didn't know me. So I graciously introduced myself and I can assure you that he will look to see who he is "flipping off" next time, IF there is a next time.

Sadly, there are a few individuals in the city of Chicago with this type of mentality that will give out negative impressions. This is one good reason why I left. And will not go back.

And as for you TDTURBO, be careful out there because you never know what "JAG OFF" you might run into.

 

[CitationLover]

if u check out the northern/northwest suburbs, look at a house near the metra antioch line. it has a stop at ohare each business day. it's cheap too. antioch isn't so bad.

chicago is a great city until december, then december to early march it sucks as it gets very cold with wind.

 

[deez_nutz2000]

Antioch isnt bad, except that it is on the Wisconsin state line. Nearly an 1:30 to get to O'Hare.......and it is in the middle of friggin nowhere. Schaumburg, Rolling Meadows, Palatine, Elk Grove are not nearly as expensive and are 15 minutes from O'Hare. I live here and my rent is $800 for a 850 sq. foot, 2 bed 1.5 bath and can be at ORD on a bad day in less than 15 minutes on the tollway....20-30 on the backroads.

As to living in a 10 mile radius of O'Hare being way too expensive.....I think, with a few exceptions, that is not correct. I've lived in Chicago for 20+ years, and like any other airport, can get realitvely cheap rent but it wont be in the best of areas. Try out by the Woodfield Mall area (NW suburbs), the crime is realitively low and the rent is moderate compared to the rest of Chicago. Of course MDW and south is cheaper rent wise but the cost of living anywhere in Chicago itself is more due to city taxes alone, and the commute is longer.