possibly relocating to Chicago..any advice?

ae2409

hi ladies!  my dh got a great job offer in chicago and we are seriously considering moving.  his office would be on north lasalle and we are looking to live in the city.  are there any nice duplexes, townhouses, or row houses in the city that are worth looking at or where to look for housing?  any advice you can give would be greatly appreciated.  this would be a big move for us as we would be moving from a very small PA town.  also, a pet friendly area would be nice...we are in love with our dog and want her to have areas to run.  thanks so much ladies!

ae2409

ok, to make it tough on you...dh just told me he is torn between living in the city and living in the burbs.  can you offer any nice burbs to look at that are convenient to the metro and are youthful, fun, and lots to do?  we are looking to start a family soon as well.  thanks!

giapez80

Plainfield is a good suburb for raising a family, there are train stations in downtown Joliet or Naperville that will take you to the city.  Plainfield has a great school system.  If your budget allows for it, I'd suggest North Plainfield. 

Naperville is really nice too, it is consistently ranked as one of the best suburbs to live in.  I don't know much about their school system, but I'm pretty sure its great.  Downtown Naperville is a lot of fun to walk around and there are some good bars/restaurants down there.

katarczyna

Nooooo Plainfield and Naperville are too far frm the city. The commute will be HORRENDOUS. Parking at the train station in Naperville is on a 4 year waiting list or something outrageous. If you want to do the burbs, look at Elmhurst, DesPlaines, or somewhere near the city. Try renting in the city for a year before you decide. It's too hard to know if you'll like being close to the city or not, but it's a total PITA to live in the burbs. (From a suburbanite who works in the city with her husband.) My commute was 2+ hours if I took a train and bus; DH works in the loop and it was an hour each way. Killer.

kds24

Are you looking to buy or rent?  How much space?  What is your budget?  I think that would make narrowing down an area a lot easier.  We live in Aurora on the Naperville border and my DH used to work in the loop and it was a 40 min. express train, but I would drop him off so parking wasn't an issue.  It took him about the same amount of time to get to work as it did when we lived in the city, go figure.  If you are going to rent I would probably start out in the city and move outward, it's easier to make the transition to more space if you want it vs. moving from the space in the burbs to the city.  Plus even though it's a great time to buy, if you are new to any city I always think it's best to rent first to get a feel for things. 

SecondCitySoiree_Jen

Well personally, I adore living in the city and would be very unhappy in the suburbs...but that's me.  I can live quite happily in a small space as long as there's cool stuff outside my front door.  I agree that you should rent before you buy.  Where you can live will obviously depend on what you can afford.  The commute from the outer burbs is killer, though...I'd avoid those.

 BTW, Chicago real estate terminology is a little different.  Most neighborhoods have buildings that are refered to as 3-flats.  They're made up of a "duplex down" on the first and basement level, a "simplex" on the second level, and a "duplex up" on the third and fourth level.  These are very common.

TMDMJAOCT07

DH works in the loop and we live near Schaumburg. He takes the metra, if its an express train its about 40 minutes, if its not an express it takes about an hour, so it's not to bad. 

katarczyna

The 40 minute commutes are if you work in the loop....if you don't, tack on another 40 minutes if you're taking Metra. Plus commuting time to the Metra, waiting a few minutes for it, waiting for the herds of people to get off the train and out of the station. Then walking the few blocks to work. It adds up quickly.

ae2409

ok, so i guess we will look in the city first.  it makes sense.  our budget for a home is 250K or less and we are open to renting for the first year, because who is to say we will even stay after the first year.  any suggestions on where to look for houses in the city near n. lasalle??

ladychicago

well, there are very few neighborhoods with houses in the city, and the houses that do exist are $500k - $1 million and up.     unless you look to neighborhoods like Beverly which is on the far southwest side...  but houses there still run you $400k easily.    even townhouses in the city are pretty expensive.    you can probably find some 1 bedroom condos for around $250k, but nothing close to downtown with any sort of yard, most likely.   

you'll probably want to go north to some of the neighborhoods for less pricy housing/rents... maybe look for rentals in lincoln square or andersonville?   there are also a ton of condos for rent in south loop/near south side right now.    they overbuilt and nothing is selling, so investors are renting their condos for MUCH less than they would otherwise go for.

 

good luck!!!!   and let us know if you have any other questions as you look!   

SecondCitySoiree_Jen

Hmm...250K is going to be tough in the city.  North LaSalle runs through the Loop (don't live there), River North and Old Town, all of which are expensive neighborhoods.  For that price in that location, you might find a one bedroom or a studio in an older high-rise.

Don't get hung up on living right by your husband's office.  I would pick a neighborhood that's on the same line as his closest L stop (probably red, but could also be brown or blue).  Your housing options will increase if you do that.

wbl

I'm not sure you're going to find anything at all decent for $250K in the city.  I'd recommend renting at first, anyway, just to get a feel for the city and the neighborhoods.  I would recommend Lincoln Park/ Lakeview, which is where a LOT of the younger people I work with live.  It's a very dog friendly area, too.  We love Lincoln Park.  I wouldn't recommend living in or near the Loop.  It's boring and completely dead on the weekends.  I think the closest real neighborhood I'd consider would be Old Town, which is a fun spot.

 

joliemari

Hi there! I don't usually post on this local board, but I felt compelled to give you some positive vibes about moving to Chicago. I grew up in the city and have lived here 29 years and NYC 6years. Chicago rocks!  I am actually in your same boat, DH was offered a job in Houston and we are about to make the leap. I am SAD to leave Chicago!!! Anyway, contrary to other posts, there are  MANY single family homes with backyards in Chicago, and many areas that are affordable and within reach for you. The further you go from downtown the more affordable ( Edison Park, Norwood Park, Jefferson Park, east Logan Square, Old Irving Park are all safe, family friendly, have parks, affordable ( for $250 maybe a smaller condo) In the downtown areas here are some other options....

City

It is a fantastic city with many neighborhoods, each with their own character and charm. My favorites, especially for someone new to the city would be rent in Gold Coast(all ages), Lincoln Park(single & married), Wrigleyville(younger), Roscoe Village(family) or Wicker Park(funky /family) or Andersonville (mixed/family).  All have a mix of apartments, single family homes and townhomes. Though pricey to buy, the Gold Coast has many affordable apt building that are right in the heart of the city and 1 block off the lake. It is a gorgeous area & close to DH office. I used to live at 14 W. Elm & 400 N. LaSalle ( check out websites for both)  Lincoln Park is beautiful and there are TONS of apartments near the park and along the lake shore, again all price ranges ( ex...high rise 1 bedroom on Sheridan Rd. about $1300 per month w. parking) I could go on and on but check out those neighborhood online to get a better feel. 

 

SUBURBS

I have friends and family in the these burbs, they are charming....(Naperville, Plainfield, St Charles, etc.. are very far from the city ) 

La Grange/Western Springs ( cute suburbs with little downtowns right of the metra)

Evanston ( where Northwestern U is) BEAUTIFUL, funky mixed town with amazing vibe, again right off the metra)

Oak Park ( funky, artsy, convenient, cute downtown area...)

Park Ridge ( just at the NW edge of the city, again great commute, cute downtown, parks etcc...) 

Hope this helps a bit!!!