Questions About Area Near Elgin (Chicago, Naperville: apartments, rent, crime rates)

[Bing147]

I work for Verizon and they have an office in Elgin. I could potentially transfer there next year and I'm interested in doing so for a variety of reasons. I currently live in the suburbs of Atlanta and I like being near a big city. What are some decent areas that are fairly close to Elgin but also a little closer to Chicago? Also, being closer to Naperville isn't bad because my fiancee's mom lives there. Also, price wise, we'd be looking for a 1 bedroom apartment in the area for under 800 a month. We're originally from MI and have some friends there we might be interested in trying to room with but if the one bedrooms are in our price range bigger ones would be for sure with a group. Being near public transport into the city would also be really nice as I do like going into town at least a few times a month if I have time. Thanks for the help.

[Vlajos]

Elgin itself is way far out and boring as hell. I guess you may need to look at Naperville, there is life there. The problem is likely the rent level of $800.

[pvande55]

Bartlett, Hanover Park, Roselle have commuter train service to both Elgin and Chicago. Unless you want to live very close to the office, that is a big advantage.

[DTR rex]

Elgin is no good. Several areas are shady, there's absolutely nothing to do, I think there's one starbucks in the whole town, and it's pretty far from the city (2 hour drive in traffic if you're lucky, over an hour without and nearly an hour and a half metra ride to the city.
Not to mention the trip to Naperville would be about an hour.

I would look at areas like schaumburg and arlington heights which are much closer to the city, have a lot more to do, and are right off rt 90 which can take you into Elgin in roughly 25min.

Roselle is another option because it's further south than the other two. It's decently close to the city, only 20-30 min from naperville, and has a good metra station. Biggest issue here would be the likely 40min commute to Elgin in traffic.

Another option is South Elgin. It has expanded quite a lot, has more to do, and in my opinion is much better than Elgin. You'll be slightly closer to both the city and naperville and quite close to work.

[pvande55]

Roselle is about 20 minutes to Elgin by rail plus whatever at both stations. I forgot about South Elgin, ranked among the 100 best places to live by Money magazine.

[koriemo]

I90 goes right downtown. The Verizon building is also right off of I90... So most likely, you want to find an apartment close to that road. I can get from Elgin to the middle of Chicago in an hour with no traffic... 2 hours with traffic.

St. Charles is closer to naperville, and has a good downtown area. Tons of stuff to do, but further from Chicago. It's a straight shot to the Verizon building too. 20-30 minutes.



Hoffman estates and schaumburg are both closer to Chicago, and aren't a bad commute to Elgin, especially with the location of Verizon. You're looking at 20-40 minutes, depending on traffic and your exact location. These two are also on I-90, with Hoffman estates closer to Elgin. Schaumburg, however, makes for an easier commute to Naperville.

The other best option is Bartlett. The commute to The Verizon building is annoying, as there isn't really a good way to get there, but it isnt too long. It's again, closer to Naperville.

So... In conclusion, if your heart is set on Chicago, pick Schaumburg. If you want a bustling suburb with a decent night life and things to do, yet still near Chicago, pick st. Charles.

[aga412]

If you want prime expressway access, you should go with Batavia.

[cubssoxfan]

Batavia has prime expressway access to Elgin? Wow! Did they build the Fox Valley Expressway and I didn't notice it?!
Downtown Arlington Heights is pretty lively by suburban standards. Movie theater, live theater, restaurants, bars, shops, groceries, library, parks, pool all in walking distance. So is Metra if your job ever gets switched to downtown. It is a reverse commute to Elgin so drive time would be 35-45 minutes except during downpours or snowstorms.

[aga412]

Sorry, I meant to say it had prime expressway access to the city! (closer to 88 than St. Charles)

[knitgirl]

ok, had to comment on this thread. Is your fiancee moving with you? Where will she work? You should put some thought into that when deciding where to live.

It would be ridiculous to live in Batavia and work in Elgin if you're moving from out of the area and you want to be somewhat close to the city. You'd spend at least 30 minutes commuting along 31 or Randall Road and you would encounter some fairly heavy traffic and a lot of lights. Elgin has several train stations all on the same line that go to Union Station. There are 2 of them within about a 5 minute drive from Verizon.

Naperville is a more active city than Elgin, but it would be an awful commute. If you're a typical 20 something, when you go to Chicago you'd be hanging around on the North Side, and Elgin and the other towns off 90 would give you much better access.

You don't say much about yourself, so depending on what you're looking for, yes, Elgin may be "boring as hell" to quote Vlajos or it may not. I've lived in Elgin for years now and there are a surprising number of things going on here. I was never the kind of person who spent a lot of time in bars, so even when I lived in the city, I rarely went out drinking. So for me, Elgin has enough going on with occasional visits to the city and surrounding areas. I own a 3 flat and rent out 2 of the apartments and all my tenants are under 30. The tenants before them were in that same age group and still live in town.

I also disagree that South Elgin has more to do, would really like to hear what's going on there that I am missing. It's also not on a train line. Elgin has the 2nd largest and 2nd best symphony in IL, it's got an active theater community, a casino with great burgers and what seems to be a reasonable assortment of bars and restaurant, though I wish our downtown was more active.

I personally want to live within 30 minutes or so of work and I agree that Arlington Heights has a bustling downtown and would be a good possibility for you as it is more centrally located with good access to both Elgin and Chicago. Your budget would make it tougher to find a good apartment than in Elgin.

There are some sketchy parts of town, but there are also some great ones. Check out the crime rates on City Data and you'll see that things aren't as bad as some would have you believe. Most serious crime is gang related and there is some gang activity anywhere you'd be likely to find an $800 apartment. If you do decide to look in Elgin, pm me and I will try to give you more specific information.