Moving to Chicago area for a job in Lake Forest... (Naperville: rental homes, condo)

[zoomob]

I might be getting a job in Lake Forest and will need to move my wife and 2 little kids. We are looking to rent a house or condo but would like to be close to work (about 30 minute drive).

How are the towns of Mundelien, Libertyville, Vernon Hills, etc...

We would like to be close to the train station also.

Thanks!

[linicx]

Lake Forest is in Lake County. The median family income is $200,000. It is located on the shores of Lake Michigan. 2000 pop. 20,059

All the communities you mentioned are less than 10 miles from you job. Munelein is the farthest where Libertyville is the closest. It appears each has a train station and perhaps a Pace Bus.

The Village of Mundelein is also in Lake County. The median family income is $75K and the population is 31,000
The Village of Libertyville has a population of about 21,000 and a median family income of $127,500.
The Village of Vernon Hills has a population of about 21,00 and a median family income of about $100,000.

I lived in Chicago three different times and never used public transportation. Someone who knows the county will have to help you with the routes.

[jlawrence01]

Originally Posted by zoomob

I might be getting a job in Lake Forest and will need to move my wife and 2 little kids. We are looking to rent a house or condo but would like to be close to work (about 30 minute drive).

How are the towns of Mundelien, Libertyville, Vernon Hills, etc...

We would like to be close to the train station also.

Thanks!

The only issue that you will find is how close you will be to the train station. I work one mile away from the local train station. It sounds like riding the train would be great option. However, are you willing to walk a mile in -10F weather? I am not. Also, will the train really fit your work schedule.

Don't get me wrong. If you work in the Loop, riding METRA rail is a great option and avoids a lot of driving and parking expense. Outside of that, it is really hit and miss.

[Suburban Mom of 2 Kids]

All the towns you mention are reasonable to live in.....you can even go up and down the north shore - Lake Bluff, Highland Park, etc.

The closer you are the better to LF.....travelling west in the morning to get to LF, and east in the afternoon to go home would be your optimal solution. You will be going against traffic either way.

If that's not possible.....I would select the town that is closest to Lake Forest. Lake Forest itself has many rental homes available at this point as well.

[cubssoxfan]

Using the train to commute to work may not be optimal; suburban bus service can be spotty. I would also add Buffalo Grove and Deerfield to your list of towns to look at. Both have Metra train service to downtown Chicago and have good schools, parks, and libraries.

[chet everett]

There are signficant differences in the costs of a home in Libertyville, which is among the most desirable towns in the region with its traditional layout, centrally located train station, nice mix of historic and newer homes vs Vernon Hills which is mostly centered around intensive retail development and Mundelein which has a history of kind of a "summer cottage" type town that has morphed over the years as an affordable destination for the large Hispanic population that wants something a little more secure than Waukegan.

I agree with others that it would be extremely unlikely to be able to commute to Lake Forest via rail from any of the towns or frankly to get any signficant employment center in Lake Forest from the rail station unless there is a specific shuttle.

Depending upon budget it probably makes sense to concentrate on Libertyville or perhaps some of the other desirable towns nearby like Highland Park, Deerfield, Bannockburn, and Lincolnshire.

[wjj]

First I would ask why you want to be near a train station. The commenter train network is excellent for going from the burbs to the city and vice versa, but not so good going from suburb to suburb.

If you are thinking longer term and schools are a priority, there is one high school in Lake county that is hands down the best. That is Stevenson in . Don't get me wrong, there are many excellent high schools in Lake county, but Stevenson is on another plane. But it is a huge campus and a huge school with over 4,000 students and very competitive which some people just do not like. Not unlike a small university with great facilities. Contrast that with Vernon Hills high school which is literally a 5 minute drive north but is an excellent school and about a third the size. A little further north of that is Libertyville high school which is also an excellent school (Vernon Hills high school was opened to relieve over crowding at Libertyville about a dozen years ago). School districts meander all over the place and so if you are focusing on schools, be sure you are in the district you want to be in. It is not always apparent. For instance, Steveson includes PARTS of Buffalo Grove, Vernon Hills, Long Grove, Hawthorn Woods, Riverwoods, Lincolnshire, Green Oaks, Prairie View, etc.

I agree with another poster's comparison of Libertyville, Vernon Hills, and Mundelein. Spot on. The old downtown area of Libertyville is really impressive. Not something most suburbs that far out have.

Most large businesses in Lake Forest are clustered along route 60 just east of I 94. Is that where you will be? Is yes, that will mean driving as it is a long way from the train stations and unless there is a company shuttle, it would be a tough commute. Traffic going east bound in the morning and westbound in the afternoon can be really tough. You might want to consider looking a little south at Banockburn, Deerfield or Northbrook.
Commute might be easier. Probably little in the way of rentals in Banockburn though.

[wjj]

First I would ask why you want to be near a train station. The commuter train network is excellent for going from the burbs to the city and vice versa, but not so good going from suburb to suburb.

If you are thinking longer term and schools are a priority, there is one high school in Lake county that is hands down the best. That is Stevenson in Lincolnshire. Don't get me wrong, there are many excellent high schools in Lake county, but Stevenson is on another plane. But it is a huge campus and a huge school with over 4,000 students and very competitive which some people just do not like. Not unlike a small university with great facilities. Contrast that with Vernon Hills high school which is literally a 5 minute drive north but is an excellent school and about a third the size. A little further north of that is Libertyville high school which is also an excellent school (Vernon Hills high school was opened to relieve over crowding at Libertyville about a dozen years ago). School districts meander all over the place and so if you are focusing on schools, be sure you are in the district you want to be in. It is not always apparent. For instance, Steveson includes PARTS of Buffalo Grove, Vernon Hills, Long Grove, Hawthorn Woods, Riverwoods, Lincolnshire, Green Oaks, Prairie View, etc.

I agree with another poster's comparison of Libertyville, Vernon Hills, and Mundelein. Spot on. The old downtown area of Libertyville is really impressive. Not something most suburbs that far out have.

Most large businesses in Lake Forest are clustered along route 60 just east of I 94. Is that where you will be? Is yes, that will mean driving as it is a long way from the train stations and unless there is a company shuttle, it would be a tough commute. Traffic going east bound in the morning and westbound in the afternoon can be really tough. You might want to consider looking a little south at Banockburn, Deerfield or Northbrook.

Commute might be easier. Probably little in the way of rentals in Banockburn though.

[pvande55]

I assume you want to be near a train station for travel to the city on weekends. For this purpose, the North Central Service is useless. Libertyville or Grayslake would work for that. If, on the other hand, you want to be near a train station because you will be flying out of O'Hare a lot, it is great. Mundelein or Vernon Hills are on that line.

[zoomob]

Thank you everyone for your replies! Initially i was going to work in Lake Forest but that is going to change as the company also has an office in downtown Chicago. Metra is at the location of their downtown office. So now i think i have more options of where to move to. I would be taking the train since i don't want to drive in the cold weather and deal with traffic. We have been looking at Naperville as they have a train to work which takes 30 minutes. Now the question i have is are are any good cities between downtown and Naperville for small families that are safe and friendly?