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Old 06-20-2014, 10:24 AM
 
2 posts, read 2,720 times
Reputation: 15

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Hi, my husband just got a 1-year postdoc at Loyola Roger Park campus, and I need some advice on where to look for apartments/houses to rent. We are moving from a college town in PA, so I know there is going to be serious sticker shock when it comes to rental and daycare prices. I have been trying to negotiate the complex public transit maps and various neighborhood recommendations, but I am drowning in information and need a better place to begin. Thank you for your advice!

Here is our list of considerations:

1. We have one car, so preferably somewhere with easy commute to Loyola (which is on the red line).
2. My company has an office in Barrington, so preferably on the North to NorthWest side of town.
3. We have a 2 year old that will need to go to daycare, preferably one with a preschoolish curriculum (what is the price range?).
4. Safe neighborhood.
5. 2 - 3 bedroom.
6. My husband wants a house and yard, but looking at prices I think an apartment is going to more in our price range.
7. We are currently paying $1000 for a 2.5 bedroom apt and <$800 for daycare/month. I know these numbers are impossible for the area we will be moving to, but that's our starting point.

What neighborhoods would be good to look at? Where can I search for listings?

Thanks again!
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Old 06-20-2014, 10:40 AM
 
2,115 posts, read 5,398,544 times
Reputation: 1138
Is your Barrington office within walking distance of the Metra stop in Barrington?

Quote:
Originally Posted by kraymond24 View Post
Hi, my husband just got a 1-year postdoc at Loyola Roger Park campus, and I need some advice on where to look for apartments/houses to rent. We are moving from a college town in PA, so I know there is going to be serious sticker shock when it comes to rental and daycare prices. I have been trying to negotiate the complex public transit maps and various neighborhood recommendations, but I am drowning in information and need a better place to begin. Thank you for your advice!

Here is our list of considerations:

1. We have one car, so preferably somewhere with easy commute to Loyola (which is on the red line).
2. My company has an office in Barrington, so preferably on the North to NorthWest side of town.
3. We have a 2 year old that will need to go to daycare, preferably one with a preschoolish curriculum (what is the price range?).
4. Safe neighborhood.
5. 2 - 3 bedroom.
6. My husband wants a house and yard, but looking at prices I think an apartment is going to more in our price range.
7. We are currently paying $1000 for a 2.5 bedroom apt and <$800 for daycare/month. I know these numbers are impossible for the area we will be moving to, but that's our starting point.

What neighborhoods would be good to look at? Where can I search for listings?

Thanks again!
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Old 06-20-2014, 10:41 AM
 
Location: Oak Park, IL
5,523 posts, read 13,911,915 times
Reputation: 3907
Given the geographic constraints, (Loyola and Red line close to the lake and Barrington far west), you are in for some serious pain. Luckily, its only for a year. What kind of hours will your husband be working?
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Old 06-20-2014, 10:44 AM
 
Location: Lake Arlington Heights, IL
5,479 posts, read 12,220,539 times
Reputation: 2847
Who will be "point person" for caring for your child(ren)? What hours will your husband be keeping? Strictly Lakeshore Campus, or downtown or other location? Splitting the distance still will involve a 45+ minute commute. You will have the advantage of having a bit of a reverse commute traffic pattern going to Barrington. My initial thought is Northbrook, but that would typpically give you a shorter commute than your husband. Will you need to be in the office constantly, or is work from home an option?
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Old 06-20-2014, 11:29 AM
 
28,455 posts, read 85,109,634 times
Reputation: 18726
Skokie is almost certainly the best compromise.

The tough thing is going to be not just the nearly the 40 miles that separate Loyola from Barrrington but the paucity of good options linking this two locations.

My gut says the train is not a viable option to Barrington, it is going to require driving and that drive will absolutely consume every bit of one solid hour in the AM and probably about 1:15 to 90 minutes in the evening.

At least by starting in Skokie, which is technically the MOST DIRECT way to get to the Loyola Lakeshore Campus in Rogers Park via the El, you also will be as far west as one can for the least hassle in getting out to Barrington. It probably makes sense to find out ASAP where in Barrington the actual work site is -- there are handful of employers in odds locations. I think Gatorade has a performance lab that is still right across from the high school, so you could probably take the Edens to Lake-Cook Rd for that commute but there are some more tradtional office parks closer to 90 / Jane Adams tollway that might actualy be faster to "backtrack" down Grosse Point Rd to like Oakton, get on 294, take that to 90 and then back up Barrington Rd. It is not as complicated as it sounds...
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Old 06-20-2014, 12:03 PM
 
2,115 posts, read 5,398,544 times
Reputation: 1138
I'd also look into Glenview & Northbrook as well.

Quote:
Originally Posted by chet everett View Post
Skokie is almost certainly the best compromise.

The tough thing is going to be not just the nearly the 40 miles that separate Loyola from Barrrington but the paucity of good options linking this two locations.

My gut says the train is not a viable option to Barrington, it is going to require driving and that drive will absolutely consume every bit of one solid hour in the AM and probably about 1:15 to 90 minutes in the evening.

At least by starting in Skokie, which is technically the MOST DIRECT way to get to the Loyola Lakeshore Campus in Rogers Park via the El, you also will be as far west as one can for the least hassle in getting out to Barrington. It probably makes sense to find out ASAP where in Barrington the actual work site is -- there are handful of employers in odds locations. I think Gatorade has a performance lab that is still right across from the high school, so you could probably take the Edens to Lake-Cook Rd for that commute but there are some more tradtional office parks closer to 90 / Jane Adams tollway that might actualy be faster to "backtrack" down Grosse Point Rd to like Oakton, get on 294, take that to 90 and then back up Barrington Rd. It is not as complicated as it sounds...
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Old 06-20-2014, 12:12 PM
 
2 posts, read 2,720 times
Reputation: 15
These are all excellent things to consider. Let's see if I can answer all the questions.
1. Currently I work remotely because there is no office near me. I am hoping that I can at least commute to the Barrington office a few days per week (1000 Hart Road, Barrington, IL right off of 14), so my commute is less important than his to Loyola, at least on a daily basis.
2. He is going to be teaching a few classes at Loyola (Rogers Park campus only), but the exact times/days are unknown at this point. His schedule will help determine when I commute.
3. Right now, I do all the daycare pickup and dropoffs with our car. If I have a crazy commute on some days, that might not work, so we would have to have a daycare very close by if he was picking her up on foot. Or, I only go into the office for a few hours.

Is there a difference in the cost of daycare in Skokie vs. Evanston and Rogers Park? So far, the tuition I can find is $200-250 per week, which is twice what we pay now.

Thanks for all your questions!
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Old 06-20-2014, 12:45 PM
 
2,115 posts, read 5,398,544 times
Reputation: 1138
Other folks on this forum may disagree, but in addition to Glenview & Northbrook, I'd even look at Wilmette, Deerfield & Highland Park. I'm not sure if you'll find the living space you need within your budget, but at least from Deerfield & Highland Park, the drive to Barrington is opposite the typical commuting direction. From a town like Highland Park, the drive to Loyola University Rogers Park isn't that terrible considering that you can probably shoot straight down Sheridan Road when I-94 gets clogged up. But yeah, Skokie would provide a very do-able commute into Loyola. Wilmette would give you a very easy drive into Loyola University (or CTA ride via the Purple / Red combo), but a considerable haul out to Barrington.

Quote:
Originally Posted by kraymond24 View Post
These are all excellent things to consider. Let's see if I can answer all the questions.
1. Currently I work remotely because there is no office near me. I am hoping that I can at least commute to the Barrington office a few days per week (1000 Hart Road, Barrington, IL right off of 14), so my commute is less important than his to Loyola, at least on a daily basis.
2. He is going to be teaching a few classes at Loyola (Rogers Park campus only), but the exact times/days are unknown at this point. His schedule will help determine when I commute.
3. Right now, I do all the daycare pickup and dropoffs with our car. If I have a crazy commute on some days, that might not work, so we would have to have a daycare very close by if he was picking her up on foot. Or, I only go into the office for a few hours.

Is there a difference in the cost of daycare in Skokie vs. Evanston and Rogers Park? So far, the tuition I can find is $200-250 per week, which is twice what we pay now.

Thanks for all your questions!
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Old 06-20-2014, 01:40 PM
 
28,455 posts, read 85,109,634 times
Reputation: 18726
Skokie has a reputation of having lower over all costs for things like apartments and daycare than towns like Evanstion or more upscale towns like Northbrook / Glenview / Deerfield / Wilmette / Highland Park . FURTHER NONE OF THOSE TOWNS have direct connection to the El save for Wilmette though the Purple line - which also serves Evanston, is an much more costly part of the region as is signficantly closer to the lake...


Unless the OP really want to complicate things it probably makes sense to economize given they have a two year old and I imagine rather constrained budget.
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Old 06-20-2014, 04:08 PM
 
1,517 posts, read 2,332,296 times
Reputation: 573
Quote:
Originally Posted by chet everett View Post
Skokie is almost certainly the best compromise...
Agree.

Towns neighboring Skokie too. If the OP isn't too familiar with the area: Lincolnwood, Edgebrook, Niles, Morton Grove.
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