RP: Relocating to Chicago..where to live?

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DH and I are probably relocating to Chicago for his job. I know nothing about the city and am looking for some advice as to where to live. He'll be working downtown. I'm not sure if we will live in the actual city or in a nearby suburb. We have 2 kids - 3yrs. and 3 mo. so I am looking for a family friendly neighborhood in the city or a suburb w/ good schools. We are not looking for DH to commute far. Any suggestions or advice would be great! Thanks so much!

aprilandshane

It really depends what your budget is and how long of a commute is acceptable.  Glenview is really gorgeous but you'd probably have to spend over $1 million.  Lake Forest is also super nice but farther out.  Within the city, I would live in Lincoln Park if I had the money for it.  Lincoln Square is also nice and a bit more affordable.  I know there are some nice western burbs too but I'm not very familiar with them.  I think you'll find most families in the burbs just because you can get more space for your money.  Good luck!

MrsWindyCity

We just moved from Roscoe Village, which was extremely kid-friendly and a great neighborhood. But, it's also very expensive, so it depends on your budget. We live in Lincoln Square now and really like it. We don't ?have any kids, though we plan to soon.?

I know virtually nothing about the suburbs, so I am no help there. I've liked Oak Forest and Forest Park the few times I've been. Both are very connected to the city and the city train goes there in addition to the Metra. ?

SecondCitySoiree_Jen

Where you can live is going to depend on your budget.  How much can you spend?

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We are looking to rent a 2 or 3 bedroom in the range of $2000 - $2500 a month. Maybe a little more if we had to.

SecondCitySoiree_Jen

For that price range, you can have your pick of lots of nice places!  The first thing to do is figure out which L stop your husband's office is near, then pick a neighborhood that's on the same line.  Neighborhoods to consider include Bucktown, Ukranian Village, Old Town, Lincoln Park, Lincoln Square, and Andersonville...all fairly family-friendly, from what I can tell.

joliemari

City: Lincoln Park(near Lake),  Roscoe Village, Lincoln Square are all beautiful, green, ans very family friendly, Edison Park, Gold Coast(near lake)  ( you can find a 2-3 bedroom for $2500 in all these areas)

Suburbs:North Shore:

•  Glenview ( for instance my parents live there  in the best school district in IL ( New Trier) and are selling their house for apprx $650K - not $million + as previous poster mentioned) less than 1 mile from Lake front, also area called "The Glen" within Glenview is great!
• Evanston - right outside the city on the lake
• Northbrook

Western Suburbs:

LaGrange/Western Springs - adorable right off the metra train stop lots of parks etc..

Hinsdale - gorgeous, cute downtown area

Downers Grove ( little farther out, but good family area)

Hope that Helps!

 

 

 

 

kellybeth

Oak Park is another great suburban option - borders the city, both the Green Line and Blue line of the el run there in addition to the Metra, has great schools and is a very cute, diverse town. You could find something in your price range for sure.

laurjoy

Moving to Chicago also depends on what you want out of your parking situation. I live in North Center, just south of Lincoln Square, north of Roscoe Village, and west of Lakeview and parking is FREE! We do not have permit parking, which is really nice. North Center is entirely kid friendly. E-mail me at laurjoy1 at yahoo dot com for more info. I was born and raised in Chicago my entire life and have a pretty good idea of all the different neighborhoods.