What is the vibe in LaGrange, IL? (Chicago, Aurora: appointed, crime)

[cycleback]

I am considering a job located in LaGrange, IL and know next to nothing about the Chicago suburbs and in particular LaGrange. Can anyone give me a sense of the LaGrange vibe and what it is like to live there?

Things I would like where I live:
-Medium size (think Madison, Portland, and Seattle)
-Overall politically liberal -Large number of people in their late twenties and early thirties.
-Short commutes and easy access to public transportation.
-Easy access to urban environment and outdoor parks and green spaces
-Ultimate frisbee leagues or pickup nearby
-Access to lakes for sailboat racing and windsurfing
-Good bike trails
-Local non-chain restaurants and shops

Are there any particular parts of this suburb or other suburbs that I should try to at least drive a round to get a feel for the area?

How easy would it be to live in one of Chicago neighborhoods closer to the core?

Any problems with crime or other issues?

What is the general vibe in LaGrange?

[tonythetuna]

LaGrange is a suburb filled with families. It has around 20,000 people, which is more of a small city.

There is nothing wrong with that suburb, but I think what you are looking for only exists in the Chicago. The question is if you will be willing to put up with long commute times by train or car.

[oakparkdude]

We pretty much have only one lake here. Luckily, its a pretty big one. LaGrange is close enough that you can live in the desirable north lakefront neighborhoods and commute without too much hassle.

[chet everett]

Madison is a college town, that sort of mix of kids is going to exist inn the parts of Chicago near the collge campuses and most of the lake front as well as some hipster areas.

Depending on what kind of job offer you have in LaGrange you might be able to take Metra, our regional commuter railway via the BNSF. There is some Pace suburban bus service that connects to the handful of employment centers that are not walkable from the train (like the hospital).

[Vlajos]

Originally Posted by cycleback

I am considering a job located in LaGrange, IL and know next to nothing about the Chicago suburbs and in particular LaGrange. Can anyone give me a sense of the LaGrange vibe and what it is like to live there?

Things I would like where I live:
-Medium size (think Madison, Portland, and Seattle)
-Overall politically liberal -Large number of people in their late twenties and early thirties.
-Short commutes and easy access to public transportation.
-Easy access to urban environment and outdoor parks and green spaces
-Ultimate frisbee leagues or pickup nearby
-Access to lakes for sailboat racing and windsurfing
-Good bike trails
-Local non-chain restaurants and shops

Are there any particular parts of this suburb or other suburbs that I should try to at least drive a round to get a feel for the area?

How easy would it be to live in one of Chicago neighborhoods closer to the core?

Any problems with crime or other issues?

What is the general vibe in LaGrange?

You will have to live in the City of Chicago to get what you are looking for. You could live in Oak Park as well I suppose. I assume the commute from Chicago/Oak Park to LaGrange is horrible, though I don't really know.

[Chummy Waters]

It feels kinda like a psychedelic trip through the 20's with the scent of some 70's herbs lofting between tangerine trees beneath marmalade skies.

[adele115]

Originally Posted by Vlajos

You will have to live in the City of Chicago to get what you are looking for. You could live in Oak Park as well I suppose. I assume the commute from Chicago/Oak Park to LaGrange is horrible, though I don't really know.

The commute from Oak Park to LaGrange is easy non rush (Ike to LaGrange Rd South). 15-20 minutes. Even during rush it's fine....

From the city central you could take Ogden all the way and it's still fine. Not pretty, but not too bad.

All in all LaGrange is a great burb, great architecture, with lots of amenities to the west. Politically mixed, very nice people.

[prairiestate]

Originally Posted by tonythetuna

LaGrange is a suburb filled with families. It has around 20,000 people, which is more of a small city.

There is nothing wrong with that suburb, but I think what you are looking for only exists in the Chicago. The question is if you will be willing to put up with long commute times by train or car.

Aurora has 200,000 people, that's a small city. 20,000 is a medium sized town.

[tonythetuna]

Originally Posted by prairiestate

Aurora has 200,000 people, that's a small city. 20,000 is a medium sized town.

In my mind in some ways I agree. But, unfortunately, the definition in Illinois of a town is 2,500 and below. Any place over that can call themselves a city. When Chicago incorporated as a city in 1837, it only had about 4,000 people.

[chet everett]

Town is a pretty generic term. There are a handful of places that have their borders of "township" and municipality coterminous , like Cicero and Berwyn, but most everyone uses it to mean "incorporated place of any kind".

The style of governance usually goes along with "city" having a Mayor and Council while "villages" tend to have a President and Board of Trustees along with an appointed Village Manager...

The power of the appointed "operational government head" varies widely, put size is not the real factor -- legislative intent and liability are pretty clear distinction of who is the "implementet" vs "idea people".