Moving to IL in 6 months! :) Would like some feedback (Chicago: apartments, rental)

[Jbl5362]

Hello!

I have been reading hundreds of posts on this site and doing research for months on different areas around Chicago (looked through all the moving posts and FAQ's)...and I thought since our move is now 6 months away, that I would get some advice/suggestions from you all based on our situation.

We currently live in Texas, however I am from Michigan and I am moving to IL to be closer to family (they live in grand rapids, but I dont really want to move there unless I have to). I also will be attending the University of Illinois at Chicago, however, I am doing a program that is completely online, so I am not really concerend about being close to campus. I may have to go in for things here and there...but I dont mind driving for those situations.

I am 29, my finace is 28 and we have no children or plans to have children anytime soon. We do have 2 small doggies

I prefer to live in the Suburbs, I just dont really care for living near the city..and we dont plan to work anywhere near the city so we are open to many, many options. I have read good things about Schaumburg, Naperville, ect basically northwest suburbs.....but its so hard to tell what these areas are like from a computer screen

We just want to rent. We can afford up to $1200/mth, but would rather be at $1000/month if possible. Obviously I have found many apartments and townhouses in this price range in the northwest suburbs..just not sure what these areas are like. Sometimes there is so much information its a bit overwhelming!

As far as our jobs, he is in healthcare and I am in management/office admin, but since Ill be in school I dont really care what type of job I have, but some type of HR/Office/Admin/Receptionist job would be ideal. So just looking for an area where we would have these options in terms of employment.

So, if you have any great info or suggestions for us Id greatly appreciate it!! Thanks for your time!

Jennifer

[GreenieTA]

I would start by posting what communities you're interested in and going from there. There is good and bad in every suburban town. I had an apartment in Beech Point Apartments off Schaumburg Rd. next to Lalo's and don't have any huge complaints with that community. However, right across Schaumburg Rd. was another apartment community that I'd never live in.

In my opinion, the cost of living around here (I'm currently in very eastern Elgin, 5 minutes from Schaumburg) isn't worth it. My family and I are moving to FL this summer. We can get a bigger, better house in a much prettier area (with much better weather!) for much less than this area. Granted we're looking to buy, but still.

[Jbl5362]

Thanks For the feedback. That's why I wanted some information, bc we don't HAVE to be in any of these areas, I'm just moving to IL & since I am doing a program at UIC & since we live in a huge city now(Houston) I wanted to be *near* CHI but, when I say that, even being an hour away is fine for us bc we only plan to go into town for entertainment every now and then. Once I get specific communities I can post them, but right now I'm trying to simply narrow down areas based on what we r looking for.
As far as weather, I hate the heat. I've been in TX for 10 years and it's miserable! Plus, I grew up in upper Michigan (Marquette area) so lower MI& IL weather does not phase me. Now for my fiancé who is from TX? That's another story lol!!
Good luck with your move!

[GreenieTA]

Schaumburg (/Hoffman Estates) is a nice place to live overall. If you like shopping, Woodfield Mall is huge and fantastic. The surrounding Woodfield area has ever store you can imagine. Places to eat, galore! Everything you need is here. It's about 30 minutes to the city with no traffic. Besides rush hour, there is no rhyme or reason to the traffic (expressways or major roads alike). One day at 11am it can be backed up for miles. Other days, it's an easy drive. The few people I know who commute to UIC from around here take the train. There are newer and older parts of Schaumburg. I would consider Schaumburg a safe place. If we were to continue living around this area, we'd stay close to the Schaumburg area. It gets iffier in Hanover Park and Streamwood. More, ghetto ... for lack of a better term. I'd stay away from those areas. Arlington Heights, Prospect Heights, Palatine ... older towns, though I've heard a younger generation is moving in! Into DuPage County ... Bloomingdale, Bartlett (some in Cook County) ... lot of nice "upier" areas there.

Naperville is half country/farms and half turning into a mini Schaumburg! Areas are well established and others are up and coming. Same with Schaumburg, some communities aren't the best. I haven't been out that way in a while so I can vouch for much.

You can get more bang for your buck in areas like Huntley, Hampshire, Crystal Lake, etc (McHenry County, I think?). They're furthur from the city and not as busy as Schaumburg. Still lots of farm land out that way but very up and coming.

Hope this makes a little bit of sense! LOL! Good luck!!!

[cubssoxfan]

Typically people will find work first and then move somewhere that is within a convenient to tolerable commute.

[Jbl5362]

Thank you so much for this info! You were VERY helpful, exactly what I am looking for. I happen to live in a "not so great" area in Houston, so Id like to try and avoid the bad areas, even if it means moving furthur out. Now I know what to avoid and that makes my search much easier. Schaumburg sounds like a very nice place with lots to do, I also like your suggestion of being a bit further out if needed, I will be looking into those towns.

Isnt terrible traffic the best? lol Its bad here in Houston too, I live 7 miles from work and it takes me 45 min most days and thats not even on a main Hwy. Hopefully I can escape that a little if we decide to move a bit furthur out

But thanks again, I do appreciate your time!

Originally Posted by GreenieTA

Schaumburg (/Hoffman Estates) is a nice place to live overall. If you like shopping, Woodfield Mall is huge and fantastic. The surrounding Woodfield area has ever store you can imagine. Places to eat, galore! Everything you need is here. It's about 30 minutes to the city with no traffic. Besides rush hour, there is no rhyme or reason to the traffic (expressways or major roads alike). One day at 11am it can be backed up for miles. Other days, it's an easy drive. The few people I know who commute to UIC from around here take the train. There are newer and older parts of Schaumburg. I would consider Schaumburg a safe place. If we were to continue living around this area, we'd stay close to the Schaumburg area. It gets iffier in Hanover Park and Streamwood. More, ghetto ... for lack of a better term. I'd stay away from those areas. Arlington Heights, Prospect Heights, Palatine ... older towns, though I've heard a younger generation is moving in! Into DuPage County ... Bloomingdale, Bartlett (some in Cook County) ... lot of nice "upier" areas there.

Naperville is half country/farms and half turning into a mini Schaumburg! Areas are well established and others are up and coming. Same with Schaumburg, some communities aren't the best. I haven't been out that way in a while so I can vouch for much.

You can get more bang for your buck in areas like Huntley, Hampshire, Crystal Lake, etc (McHenry County, I think?). They're furthur from the city and not as busy as Schaumburg. Still lots of farm land out that way but very up and coming.

Hope this makes a little bit of sense! LOL! Good luck!!!

[cubssoxfan]

OK, let's see if I can explain this in HOuston terms. It would be like advising you live in The Woodlands or Kingwood and you had no idea where work was going to be and you were doing online work at Rice and occasionally needed to go there. Now imagine this during rush hour. That is why this is a little bit of "putting the cart before the horse".

If you are confident you can find work close to where you live or want a public transit option in case you find work downtown, I would recommend Evanston. It has a mix of suburban/urban vibe and has CTA and Metra train to downtown. This would also allow you to use CTA to easily get to UIC instead of battling Chicago traffic. And if you need to drive because of irregular schedule or later hours, it also is much closer than Schaumburg or Naperville.

Like Houston, the distances may not look bad on a map, but the actual driving times can be very long. And I think Chicago traffic is worse than Houstons.

[Jbl5362]

-Not concerned about a job. Don't need one for quite some time. I'm all set there.....

-Maybe I need to clarify my need to get to UIC, perhaps that is creating confusion. I only have to go there one time (if that) per semester...so, we are talking 2-3 times a year...so as you can see, I'm not really concerned about getting to campus.

-Ill look into Evanston, that comes up often in my rental searches so its good to know that is a nice area. Thanks!

Originally Posted by cubssoxfan

OK, let's see if I can explain this in HOuston terms. It would be like advising you live in The Woodlands or Kingwood and you had no idea where work was going to be and you were doing online work at Rice and occasionally needed to go there. Now imagine this during rush hour. That is why this is a little bit of "putting the cart before the horse".

If you are confident you can find work close to where you live or want a public transit option in case you find work downtown, I would recommend Evanston. It has a mix of suburban/urban vibe and has CTA and Metra train to downtown. This would also allow you to use CTA to easily get to UIC instead of battling Chicago traffic. And if you need to drive because of irregular schedule or later hours, it also is much closer than Schaumburg or Naperville.

Like Houston, the distances may not look bad on a map, but the actual driving times can be very long. And I think Chicago traffic is worse than Houstons.

[cubssoxfan]

Originally Posted by jlynnb08

-Not concerned about a job. Don't need one for quite some time. I'm all set there.....

-Maybe I need to clarify my need to get to UIC, perhaps that is creating confusion. I only have to go there one time (if that) per semester...so, we are talking 2-3 times a year...so as you can see, I'm not really concerned about getting to campus.

-Ill look into Evanston, that comes up often in my rental searches so its good to know that is a nice area. Thanks!

OK. Gives you flexibility. What do you like to do recreation wise or hobby wise? What do you need to be near to be happy? Is within walking distance more important than having to use your car? Do you like rural, suburban or urban living?

[GreenieTA]

I personally wouldn't consider Evanston a true suburb (though it technically is). Many consider it part of Chicago. I believe it's part of Chicago's "gold coast" ... ritzy neighborhoods on the lake. While I'm sure it'd be fantastic to live there ... it'll be closer to city living than suburb life.