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Moving to Chicago - where to live?
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 2009-07-09 11:50 AM |
Member  5 |  Subject: Moving to Chicago - where to live?Hello all. I'm getting ready to move to Chicago for work. I do not know much about the city, so I am wondering what neighborhoods you guys would recommend? Here are some things about me - I want to be able to hop on my bike and get outside the city fairly easily for training. I would like to have no more than a 30-40 minutes commute on the train to downtown where I'll be working. I have an energetic dog, so a dog park or area where they can run off-leash is great. Any suggestions? |
| 2009-07-09 1:37 PM in reply to: #2273238 |
Master 1563    Chicago | Subject: RE: Moving to Chicago - where to live? When you find out, let me know, that sounds like Utopia...and I would like to live there too!!! HA! Welcome to Chicago....I am in the city, up North as some would say, in the Wrigleyville area...it is a great place to live for running, and my gym isn't that far for swimming (nor is the lake when I train in there, which I can bike to), but as far as biking, no, girlfriend, that I have to drive to the suburbs for as I have found over the years, it's a bit of a pain to say the least to bike along the lake...too congested at times, have to go VERY early to not be bothered, NO hills, yada, yada, yada.
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| 2009-07-09 1:41 PM in reply to: #2273238 |
Champion 34263   Chicago | Subject: RE: Moving to Chicago - where to live? I live downtown in the South Loop. You can either live closer to work or live in the 'burbs, but both is a challenge. If you like to ride your bike in the morning you can do that on the lakefront trail. I tend to ride after work and have to put up with the touristas and the ahole picnicers and volleyball players. I go south along the trail and it's not so bad. The good thing is in my 'hood you have pretty much everything you need, plus it's a 10 minute walk to my office, which is right next to the Sears Tower. I'm two blocks from Grant Park and four blocks from the lake and the trail, and minutes from all the museums and other touristy stuff so people can entertain themselves when visiting without having to walk too far. I like my hood.  |
| 2009-07-09 2:03 PM in reply to: #2273238 |
Master 1993 Riverside, IL | Subject: RE: Moving to Chicago - where to live? I'm out in the "burbs", so I cannot really comment on the city all that much. I'm in Riverside, which is roughly 10-12 miles from downtown Chicago. My hubby works at the Board of Trade down there, so he takes the Metra to and from work everyday...we live 5 minutes walking distance from the Metra station, so that's a bonus. His train ride into Union Station takes about 20-25 minutes, tops...depending on "stops". Sometimes, if he's lucky and catches an "express" train, he's home in 15 minutes. There is a paved bike trail, roughly 2 miles from our house...it's short (7 miles one way), but it's a nice change (when not too crowded) for getting off the streets. We do most of our road riding in the Western Springs, Hinsdale, Willow Springs, Palos, Burr Ridge, Woodridge & Lemont areas...which is a bit further west & south of us. We rarely ride north, because we haven't been able to figure out a safe and relatively low-traffic route...but I know there are some very nice areas up north to ride in (Barrington area)...it's just a matter of "getting there", for us. I swim at a public outdoor pool in a neighboring suburb, a bit north of me (Oak Park). During summer, they have lap swims every weekday from 5:30am-7am, and again from 9:00am-10:15am on M,W,F. I can't really help with the "off-leash" dog park, as most of the suburban parks, forest preserves and bike paths have a leash law. I do know that there is a dog park, as well as a dog beach (I think) in the city somewhere...but one of the city folks will have to chime in with a specific location on that. Welcome to the area and good luck in searching for your new place! Linda Edited by nscrbug 2009-07-09 2:04 PM |
| 2009-07-09 2:39 PM in reply to: #2273238 |
Master 1376 Chicago | Subject: RE: Moving to Chicago - where to live? Welcome to Chicago. I live up north in the city in the same neighborhood as Amy. I think she covered it. One suggestion I would have is that if you decide to live in the Suburbs, do not live in one that is in Cook County. Live in DuPage or Lake County. The main reason being taxes. Cook County is the highest sales tax in the nation (10.25%) and one of the highest property taxes in the nation. Not to mention probably the most corrupt county in the counrty. Just something to think about. Edited by mattb1 2009-07-09 2:40 PM |
| 2009-07-09 2:44 PM in reply to: #2273238 |
Master 1993 Riverside, IL | Subject: RE: Moving to Chicago - where to live? ^^^^ Yep...I'd definitely have to agree with Matt on this. Sad, but true. |
| 2009-07-09 4:23 PM in reply to: #2273946 |
Champion 34263 Chicago | Subject: RE: Moving to Chicago - where to live? nscrbug - 2009-07-09 2:44 PM ^^^^ Yep...I'd definitely have to agree with Matt on this. Sad, but true. Gotta love Illinois politics. Hey I work at the CBOT sometimes. Our office is actually on the trading floor there. Oh to the OP ... there's two dog beaches at the lake. One up by Belmont, I think, and one further north. They're off-leash. |
| 2009-07-09 4:41 PM in reply to: #2273757 |
Champion 15211 Southern Chicago Suburbs, IL | Subject: RE: Moving to Chicago - where to live? nscrbug - 2009-07-09 2:03 PM I'm out in the "burbs", so I cannot really comment on the city all that much. I'm in Riverside, which is roughly 10-12 miles from downtown Chicago. My hubby works at the Board of Trade down there, so he takes the Metra to and from work everyday...we live 5 minutes walking distance from the Metra station, so that's a bonus. His train ride into Union Station takes about 20-25 minutes, tops...depending on "stops". Sometimes, if he's lucky and catches an "express" train, he's home in 15 minutes. There is a paved bike trail, roughly 2 miles from our house...it's short (7 miles one way), but it's a nice change (when not too crowded) for getting off the streets. We do most of our road riding in the Western Springs, Hinsdale, Willow Springs, Palos, Burr Ridge, Woodridge & Lemont areas...which is a bit further west & south of us. We rarely ride north, because we haven't been able to figure out a safe and relatively low-traffic route...but I know there are some very nice areas up north to ride in (Barrington area)...it's just a matter of "getting there", for us. I swim at a public outdoor pool in a neighboring suburb, a bit north of me (Oak Park). During summer, they have lap swims every weekday from 5:30am-7am, and again from 9:00am-10:15am on M,W,F. I can't really help with the "off-leash" dog park, as most of the suburban parks, forest preserves and bike paths have a leash law. I do know that there is a dog park, as well as a dog beach (I think) in the city somewhere...but one of the city folks will have to chime in with a specific location on that. Welcome to the area and good luck in searching for your new place! Linda To expand on this, I used to live in Forest Park, not too far from Riverside. I now live in a far south suburb called Flossmoor. Both were/are pretty cool. Forest Park is much closer to the city and you can hit the L instead of Metra if you want to get down town. Has a pretty cool main strip and there is a small dog park (1/4 the size of a football field) not too far from it. You can actually see it from the highway (Eisenhower). Some good restaurants and shops on the main drag too. Flossmoor and the area down here much further from the city, but closer to the country so if I want to go for a super long ride, I'm 20 minutes from corn fields. The wife takes the train into down town and it is a 35 minute express. It also depends on where you work in the city and which trains will be the best and where to think about moving to. I guess it also depends on if you are looking to rent or to own as to where you want to go. And just a word of warning, cost of housing here, if you aren't ready for it, can be shocking. |
| 2009-07-09 10:28 PM in reply to: #2273238 |
| over a barrier | Subject: RE: Moving to Chicago - where to live? If you like to laugh at the hipsters, Bucktown is the place to be They provide me with endless entertainment. 10 min El ride to the loop, right off the expressway for easy escapes to the burbs. |
| 2009-07-10 12:23 AM in reply to: #2273238 |
Veteran 298 Des Moines, IA | Subject: RE: Moving to Chicago - where to live? i currently live in Aurora which is way farther than what you are looking for, but I used to live in Elmhurst and then later Glen Ellyn, and both are bisected by the Illinois Prairie Path and are quiet suburban areas and are both about a 30 min Metra (commuter) rail from downtown Chicago. I'd recommend both if you're looking for that quiet little suburb that nobody will bother you in. If you're looking for hipsters in row homes and every amenity being nearly within walking distance then don't look at those suburbs. |
| 2009-07-10 7:11 AM in reply to: #2273238 |
Veteran 427 | Subject: RE: Moving to Chicago - where to live? LOL!....no surprise that there's so many differing opinions here. You're asking a loaded question so answers will vary widely. Edited by FurnaceM3 2009-07-10 7:12 AM |
| 2009-07-10 8:12 AM in reply to: #2275401 |
Champion 15211 Southern Chicago Suburbs, IL | Subject: RE: Moving to Chicago - where to live? FurnaceM3 - 2009-07-10 7:11 AM LOL!....no surprise that there's so many differing opinions here. You're asking a loaded question so answers will vary widely. Hard. |
| 2009-07-10 8:26 AM in reply to: #2275086 |
Champion 34263 Chicago | Subject: RE: Moving to Chicago - where to live? running2far - 2009-07-09 10:28 PM If you like to laugh at the hipsters, Bucktown is the place to be They provide me with endless entertainment. 10 min El ride to the loop, right off the expressway for easy escapes to the burbs. Don't listen to him, R2Far is a hipster pretending to not be a hipster so he can mock his fellow hipsters. Hipster.  Edit: Check this out -- it's probably the best description of my 'hood that I've found: http://www.chicagotraveler.com/neighborhoods/printers-row-feature.h... Edited by mr2tony 2009-07-10 8:30 AM |
| 2009-07-10 9:31 AM in reply to: #2273238 |
Extreme Veteran 717 Chicago | Subject: RE: Moving to Chicago - where to live? I think that I have to agree with Mr2Tony here. I also live in the South Loop and I love it. I have lived there for about 3 years now. It is a really easy commute to downtown where I work. Besides being close to the museums and Grant Park, there are not too many tourists strolling through our streets...at least not yet. I like running in the park and through the Prairie District (for shorter runs). If you hit the lakefront path and head south it is not nearly as congested as going north. You can easily get in a ride of 15-20 miles or do loops and get more in. You can always swim some at 12th Street beach. You will have to swim back and forth but you can get a mile or so in too and it is not too crowded. Or you're a short ride to Ohio St. beach where most people seem to train. Sorry I don't know too much about the burbs but I have taken my bike out in the car on the weekends to some forest preserves and hit the trails out there. If you want a gym then there are a few close to me but I go to LA Fitness (indoor 25m pool 4-lane which is better than nothing). Welcome to Chicago! |
| 2009-07-10 9:38 AM in reply to: #2275894 |
| New user 14 | Subject: RE: Moving to Chicago - where to live? Palatine or Barrington are both on the train line and you can be downtown in about 45 to 60 minutes. Both have lots of places to bike & run, though I prefer Barrington for both (more scenic, some hills, less traffic by far). Cost to live is a bit higher, especially in Barrington. Lots of triathletes in the Barrington area. Open water swim practice about 25 minutes from Barrington every Wednesday night - we have 30 - 100 people every week for a guarded open swim and a marked 5k course. |
| 2009-07-10 2:29 PM in reply to: #2275916 |
Veteran 427 | Subject: RE: Moving to Chicago - where to live? caedenspa - 2009-07-10 9:38 AM Palatine or Barrington are both on the train line and you can be downtown in about 45 to 60 minutes. Both have lots of places to bike & run, though I prefer Barrington for both (more scenic, some hills, less traffic by far). Cost to live is a bit higher, especially in Barrington. Lots of triathletes in the Barrington area. Open water swim practice about 25 minutes from Barrington every Wednesday night - we have 30 - 100 people every week for a guarded open swim and a marked 5k course. Can you provide the time/place for these OWS practices? Thanks! |
| 2009-07-10 3:39 PM in reply to: #2276827 |
| New user 14 | Subject: RE: Moving to Chicago - where to live? Wednesday nights, at Indian something or other beach in Lake in the Hills. Start time is 6:15. It's a 1/4 mile out, 1/4 mile back route, you can swim as many loops as you want. There is a marked 5k course out of the parking lot, but if you don't know where the marks are you'll get lost (I should know, I added a 1/4 mile to my 5 k run because I got off course!). Cost is $5. It's a good group of folks, everyone is really friendly. Let me know where you're coming from and I'll give you directions. |
| 2009-07-10 9:39 PM in reply to: #2273238 |
| New user 14 | Subject: RE: Moving to Chicago - where to live? One other thing - you need to check the beach status the afternoon before you go. They test the water every week for e coli. On their website, they'll post if the beach is open or closed. go to www.lith.org then go to parks & recreation, then beaches. If the flag for Indian whatever on the right side of the screen is green, then the swim is on. |
| 2009-07-17 1:20 PM in reply to: #2273238 |
Elite 3498 Chicago | Subject: RE: Moving to Chicago - where to live? I was born in Chicago (northwest side of the city) and lived in the loop for 10 years also lived in Brookfield (right next to Riverside) and now currently live just west of Barrington Hills. There is definitely give and take with any decision. Since I grew up a city guy, I moved to the suburbs kicking and screaming...but now I love it!! Barrington Hills is amazing cycling for this area and the Barrington train station is a quick way to get into town. However, I don't think you mentioned if you were single or married, but if you're single...definitely live in the city and just accept the fact that you'll have to drive your bike to the suburbs to get any decent cycling in with little to no start/stops and traffic lights, etc. I'm way past being single so the suburbs are truly the land of the cycling gods and they bless us each weekend with some amazing rides. The cycling in Woodstock/barrington hills/long grove is absolutely amazing. When I lived in Brookfield, I used to do rides out west but it was so flat and boring. Barrington hills has .... well....hills and amazing horse farms and 25,000 sf homes to look at with tree lined streets and hardly any traffic and no stop lights. Good luck in whatever you decide. Chicago is such an amazing city and SUPER cheap to live in for a city of 8 million people. |
| 2009-08-10 3:46 PM in reply to: #2273238 |
Champion 15211 Southern Chicago Suburbs, IL | Subject: RE: Moving to Chicago - where to live? |
| 2009-08-20 2:34 PM in reply to: #2273238 |
Veteran 169 Oak Park, Il (Chicagoland) | Subject: RE: Moving to Chicago - where to live? Are you dead set for living in the city, or are burbs ok? The city does not have a lot of dog parks, and getting out of it can take hours. I have lived in the western burbs on and off for 30 years - you may want to look into the area. DuPage county has numerous fenced in public dog parks (I take my Vizsla there to run off her energy) plus has two of the best Metra train lines running through it - the BNSF line has the best service in Chicago - trains every 20 minutes in the AM and PM to get downtown - usually takes 30 -40 minutes on an express (over an hour on a local though). DuPage also has extensive forest preserves (thinking the Danada/Blackwell preserves) with tons of trails, including the Prarie Path and Great Western Trails. Also very easy to get west and south out of the city on the expressways. Try looking into the Naperville, Lisle, Warrenville area. |
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