Where are the best suburbs to live outside chicago? (Naperville: housing, rent)

[crappinatbernies]

I agree with, darn...who was that 8 pages ago.....? Anyway the one who said Oak Park may be expensive but not safe.

The city is ridiculous. You better be rich. Why pay that much to live in the limits? Especially for a cramped, congested, polluted environment.

Sure hustle-bustle sounds fun. Carrying groceries doesn't. No parking doesn't. Pollution doesn't. Crime doesn't.

I think the city is for the young kids with rich parents who help them out, so they can be close to the bars. Living in the sleeper communities doesn't mean you're not a part of Chicago. The bedroom towns keep Chicago alive.

75% of our working residents commute.


Anyway, if you move to the burbs, pick one that is on the train line. Get as close as humanly posssible to the station. Yeah if you're out west like me, you do have an hour ride into the city. Multitask. You're not driving, so pay the bills. Get a wireless laptop and manage the online banking. Read. Plan vacations. Use that as your alone time. It's not like you're gonna live right next to your job in the city anyway. You still have to hop on transit or walk.


Naperville is wonderful. Downers Grove is wonderful. Wheaton. Elmhurst. there are so many great burbs.

Think lawns, main streets, parks, quiet, petty crime.

[cavewoman]

tell us what you rlooking for and we can help. Everyone has their opinion based on what they know.
Others have been there and done that, You should be able to get positive and negative and input from somone who has been somewhere a few years at least.

Bolingbrook is awesome....Tinley too pricey and congested.,
what do you need. Kids? Schools.... tell us what you need.

[cavewoman]

you need to identify where your husband is working and how much time you are willing to commutte.
Then we can answer these questions better. Do you have kids? What are you looking for and what else do you like to do?

[cavewoman]

Originally Posted by jenne03

I understand having a negative attitude about where you live..I could say the same thing regarding maryland..since i am not happy here...but if I have to move to chicago ...i have too.. It doesn't help me to have someone tell me how horrible it is..there has to be some redeeming qualities...I need advice to the best areas to move. Unfortunately telling me to stay away and live 1000 miles from some place..doesn't help.

Chicago has alot of wonderful things. One is the people...usually they are open and friendly, allthough not the best drivers. There are good and bad places everywhere...and I am sorry someone was so negative.

Chicago has great food, people and lots of choices all over. Tell us what you need and we can help more. Some of these vague posts are hard to help without enough data.

Hang in there.... Chgo is the land of opportunity and has much to offer.

Sure beats New York, Michigan, Indiana, and so many other places not so sweet. (if your looking at large cities)

[cavewoman]

wow.....it is amazing that some of these posts are really distorted.
Crime rates and gangs in Naperville are astounding. Taxes are killers, go visit the homes there and most are empty. People in Naperville have nice homes, but No Furniture!
Any large city is going to come with bad news.... the good and bad travel with money. No one area is perfect.
Name your priorities and go for the right area for you.

[cavewoman]

If you didn't like the ride from Bolingbrook, why would you go to Naperville?
Duh?
Unless you have tons of cash making over 6 figures I don't see options like Hinsdale, Western Springs or Lagrange.
Pay for private school and find an area that you feel good in.

[greenlee2]

Any of the far western suburbs have great schools, low crime, easy, reliable commuter trains to the city, and a high-quality lifestyle; Yorkville is a hot area still very small-townish with good schools & Metra to Chicago. Also Plainfield, Oswego are far west but again, high quality lifesyle small-townish. The south suburbs are industrial, blue-collar and average schools so I would avoid them. The far west suburbs like St. Charles, Batavia, Geneva are a long Metra ride but very clean, high quality lifestyle & great schools. The Northshore 'burbs are very expensive. Forget them. The very far North near the WI state line are still reasonable but a long commute to the city. You can try way out in Huntley but nearby Barrington is quite expensive. The train systems is good here because people have relied on it to get to work downtown for many, many years. Chicago is a clean, very livable city with great lofts, condos, townhomes & yes... even apartments. I have lived here for 17 years, grew up in a small town and find it very liveable. There is a whole culture of successful married professionals with children that live here .. not the bad stuff you see on TV. I live in the Gold Coast & there are neighborhood groups & 'regulars" at the taverns just like anywhere in small town U.S.A. Don't let the negative posts scare you. Those people are probably looking for a Seattle or San Francisco & sound young & silly. The Northwest suburbs or the Western/Far Western suburbs are the very best best for you. That also includes Westchester, Lisle, Downers Grove, Glenn Ellyn ... all exceptional and pretty areas.

[greenlee2]

As far as living in Naperville and working in the City; I know for a fact you can't get a parking space at the Metra station in Naperville and people are getting there earlier & earlier, say 4 a.m. in the morning (trading floor, brokers probably) to park and you can't walk there because everything is far away from the station. I know of one person that is moving with her husband & child back to LaGrange because they can never get to work via the trains half the time so they end up driving downtown and paying out the nose$$ for all-day parking.

[Steve-o]

Originally Posted by cavewoman

wow.....it is amazing that some of these posts are really distorted.
Crime rates and gangs in Naperville are astounding. Taxes are killers, go visit the homes there and most are empty. People in Naperville have nice homes, but No Furniture!
Any large city is going to come with bad news.... the good and bad travel with money. No one area is perfect.
Name your priorities and go for the right area for you.

HUH? Just curious what youre smoking?

Naperville is NOT crime ridden, especially for its size! Taxes are killer, and to say people dont have furniture is simply goofy. I spend every weekend and several weekdays in that down, and have YET to see a gang banger, other than the occasional one that cruises through downtown, just trying to get attention with his/her obnoxious stereos.

[UrbanQuest]

Here are your best choices imho,
Glen Ellyn
Arlington Heights
Libertyville
Naperville
Downers Grove
St. Charles
Oak Park/Riverforest