Naperville vs Westmont (Chicago, Wheaton, Downers Grove: best suburbs, apartments, rental)

[avchicago]

Will be moving to Chicago in the month of September with my office at a walking distance from the loop.

Don't like to the excessive "buzz" of the downtown so want to settle in a peaceful and safe neighborhood.

Have picked Naperville and Westmont as my options.

Pl. let me know which is a better place to live.

A few bullets that will help you to comment :

- have a 18 month old baby, thus school is not a priority for at least some time.
- though have a car, but will travel by the Metra Line and don't mind traveling for about 30-40 mins.
- Budget - 1300- 1500 USD for a 1-2 Bedroom Apartment.

Will also help if you can recommend a few good apartment buildings near the train station.

[4122]

Naperville is a better place to live, but Westmont is great too. Naperville is definitley much busier and has a vibrant downtown, but the suburb is so big, that you can find a quiet area to live in.There are 2 train stations, one in downtown Naperville and one in west Naperville, so you don't have to live by downtown to have easy access to the train. Westmont is cheaper and it has a smaller downtown area that's not as big as Naperville's and it's not a busy area.

[ToriaT]

Naperville is nicer but you should also look at Downers Grove, Glen Ellyn and Wheaton. They are all nice like Naperville and are a step up from Westmont.

[4122]

Originally Posted by ToriaT

Naperville is nicer but you should also look at Downers Grove, Glen Ellyn and Wheaton. They are all nice like Naperville and are a step up from Westmont.

These are good options too. Glen Ellyn and Wheaton are on the more expensive side, but you should find an apartment within your budget. You could look at Lombard and Lisle too if you want more bang for your buck lile Westmont. I would also check out Elmhurst (also expensive, but really great location to the train and downtown is really nice yet you can also live in a quiet area too) and La Grange (also expensive but less so then Elmhurst, but it's worth looking at).

[BIG CATS]

Id go with Naperville over Westmont. We lived right off Rt. 59, which was busy as heck, but loved the city to death. Its one of the best suburbs in the nation, IMO. If you need to get downtown for work, you can literally choose from apartments (in your price range) right on the Metra line. Check out Railway Plaza in Naperville.

[avchicago]

Thanks a lot for your inputs everyone !!!

Naperville looks like a better bet here... but will also definitely consider other areas which you recommended, if that cuts down my travel time to the Amtrak.

[holl1ngsworth]

Schools will be a priority sooner than you realize. Also, your budget is a little lean for a rental within walking distance to suburban train platform. That said, it might pay to broaden your search to include other nearby desirable towns. FWIW, I think Westmont is a step down from Naperville in terms of overall appeal, amenities, charm, etc.