General info on the burbs (Chicago, Evanston: apartment, neighborhoods, living in)

[OleSchoolFool]

I been researching the CHI for a while, but haven't really researched da burbs. I live in NYC area and thinking bout moving. I like cities, but prefer to live next to them in the burbs. I'd like to understand the price difference and general comparisons between North Jers and the Chi burbs, as well as any other useful info. Is it better to live in the Chicago burbs if u have a car and use it a lot? Is traffic heavy from the burbs going into the city? Is there tolls? Would the whole prairie typa setup and landscape look weird to me coming from here? Are they diverse? How's the racial relations situation?
Thanks.

[April Goodwin]

One of the great aspects of living in a nearby 'burb of Chicago is that the public transporation is so good. Why would you want to use a car a lot if you had the opportunity to get downtown way quicker and not have to pay an arm and leg for parking?

[OleSchoolFool]

Originally Posted by April Goodwin

One of the great aspects of living in a nearby 'burb of Chicago is that the public transporation is so good. Why would you want to use a car a lot if you had the opportunity to get downtown way quicker and not have to pay an arm and leg for parking?

well if i go to the city, i mite use it, but i also drive around a lot erywhere else plus depends where in the city i go, mass transit is not always convenient, i have 30 min train commute to midtown manhattan, but then wat if i need to go downtown or uptown or other boroughs then it becomes long and fd up so even here with all the traffic and bs, when i go out in nyc, i mostly go in my car cuz many times the transit will take longer, parking is def an issue, but u take the good wit the bad
i also jus like bein in my car by my self with my music blastin

[reppin_the_847]

I've seen your posts in the City section and I also saw that bargain apartment ad that you posted up in south suburban Oak Forest. Knowing you and your profile (young, hip hop loving Russian dude that lives in a NJ suburb pretty close to NYC), I think that you need to hone in on the suburbs that border the city, or actual city neighborhoods. That Oak Forest apartment looked very nice with great amenities, but I think you'd be bored out of your mind. Plus the Metra does NOT run 24/7, and is not super frequent except during rush hour. At least in Evanston, Oak Park, Forest Park, etc. you have access to BOTH the Metra & the CTA trains, and it won't be difficult to convince cabbies to bring you back to these areas after a long, drunken night out in the city either. You mentioned that you appreciate beautiful African-American women as well. For this reason, I think you should consider the Hyde Park neighborhood in the south side of the city & possibly the South Loop and maybe the West Loop as well. You just won't bump into them in as great numbers on the north side. For more of a hip hop / Brooklyn vibe (some say hipster but I say they've fled to grittier nabes & some yuppies have taken their place), take a peek at Bucktown & Wicker Park in the northwest side of the city as well. Actually now that I think about it, you should also consider the far north side city neighborhoods of Uptown, Edgewater & Rogers Park. Quite diverse & tons of bargains, and easier to keep a car compared to the neighborhoods closer to the Loop. Nightlife kind of lacks in these neighborhoods & you'll need to travel south most of the time, however.

[OleSchoolFool]

Originally Posted by reppin_the_847

I've seen your posts in the City section and I also saw that bargain apartment ad that you posted up in south suburban Oak Forest. Knowing you and your profile (young, hip hop loving Russian dude that lives in a NJ suburb pretty close to NYC), I think that you need to hone in on the suburbs that border the city, or actual city neighborhoods. That Oak Forest apartment looked very nice with great amenities, but I think you'd be bored out of your mind. Plus the Metra does NOT run 24/7, and is not super frequent except during rush hour. At least in Evanston, Oak Park, Forest Park, etc. you have access to BOTH the Metra & the CTA trains, and it won't be difficult to convince cabbies to bring you back to these areas after a long, drunken night out in the city either. You mentioned that you appreciate beautiful African-American women as well. For this reason, I think you should consider the Hyde Park neighborhood in the south side of the city & possibly the South Loop and maybe the West Loop as well. You just won't bump into them in as great numbers on the north side. For more of a hip hop / Brooklyn vibe (some say hipster but I say they've fled to grittier nabes & some yuppies have taken their place), take a peek at Bucktown & Wicker Park in the northwest side of the city as well. Actually now that I think about it, you should also consider the far north side city neighborhoods of Uptown, Edgewater & Rogers Park. Quite diverse & tons of bargains, and easier to keep a car compared to the neighborhoods closer to the Loop. Nightlife kind of lacks in these neighborhoods & you'll need to travel south most of the time, however.

kul
ill check it out

[Lookout Kid]

Also note that in Chicago, unlike New York City, it is quite possible to own a car in most neighborhoods of the city. Most people I know in the city own cars, though most don't use them to commute to work.

In pretty much any Chicago suburb, car ownership is the norm--and almost mandatory. But it is possible to live in many suburbs without a car, depending on proximity to other transit options and amenities.

[OleSchoolFool]

ill have a car either way, no matta where i live

[lakecountylifer]

"Prairie typa set up"? Lol. I saw more dirty prairies (meadowlands for instance) in North jersey off 95/NJ turnpike than you see within 30 miles or so of Chicago. The New York area and Chicago area are pretty similar. Flat, urban landscape ---and just like NY, you will find some country once you get 40-50 miles outside the city.

[pvande55]

If you work in downtown Chicago, and don't live close to the station, check out the parking at the station. Generally the suburbs with the best service have the worst parking. Are there tolls? On some roads, but there is not a monopoly, like in NY where all the tunnels and bridges charge it. There is always a way to get there without paying a toll, though it may be slower. Traffic is heavy both going into and out of the city during both rush periods. Illinois is very flat, though there are flatter places. Probably at least 150 miles before any mountains.

[OleSchoolFool]

Originally Posted by pvande55

If you work in downtown Chicago, and don't live close to the station, check out the parking at the station. Generally the suburbs with the best service have the worst parking. Are there tolls? On some roads, but there is not a monopoly, like in NY where all the tunnels and bridges charge it. There is always a way to get there without paying a toll, though it may be slower. Traffic is heavy both going into and out of the city during both rush periods. Illinois is very flat, though there are flatter places. Probably at least 150 miles before any mountains.

o ok so if u live in the train towns, is it jus best to try to be walking distance to the trains? cuz round here parking is very hard or non existent in those kinda train towns