Lincolnwood-possible happy medium?

[mstengle]

Thanks for all the feedback! I know Evanston is out of the picture for sure. Not sure why. Park Ridge sounds like a good choice! Out of the areas you have listed - what is more affordable -- Lincolnwood or Park Ridge? Or others? Would Wilmette be a good choice for this difficult commute challenge?

We are, of course, going to drive around next weekend. Have never expored the North Shore area! Been in Western suburbs for about 3 years and up and down Tollway!!

Any recommendations for North Shore tour route?

[Lookout Kid]

Park Ridge, Lincolnwood, and Wilmette are all have somewhat expensive real estate. If you ask me, I'd pick Wilmette or Park Ridge over Lincolnwood any day. Lincolnwood has the least to offer in terms of urban ammenities, and the real estate prices have always seemed pecularly high there to me. I've never really understood the appeal.

[Lookout Kid]

Originally Posted by mstengle

Any recommendations for North Shore tour route?

Sheridan Road! It winds up along the shore all the way to North Chicago (I think). You can hop off Sheridan periodically if you want to explore places along the way.

[chet everett]

While Sheridan Road is fairly scenic I think that the price point is WAY WAY WAY over what the OP is looking for unless they have secret pile on money. I know Forest Park pretty well and I would suggest that they might want to drive from there up 1st Ave/River Rd and maybe head west to downtown Mt Prospect. Back track through all of DesPlaines along NW highway. Continue into Park Ridge. Take Touhy east to Skokie Blvd, south to Devon than back east to Lincoln and up through Morton Grove, Dempster back east to Skokie Blvd, up to Old Orchard. Then Golf Rd west to Harlem and all the way back to Forest Park. Zig zagging around might make em dizzy but they can hit most the of commercial areas in the towns that way and get a lot better sense of what the houses look like and how many for sales signs they see. Better to burn a dozen gallons of gas and kill one weekend day then to have to eliminate towns one by one. If you don't have GPS print out some maps as the diagonal streets and snaky sections can get you lost pretty fast...

[mstengle]

Yes- you are on the right track! I did see a 2Br/2Bath Condo in Park Ridge for under 200K. So that would be a good "starter" in the area-possibly. They can check out Wilmette, etc - and start dreaming!! If I have a good understanding of the area!!

[Lookout Kid]

Originally Posted by chet everett

While Sheridan Road is fairly scenic I think that the price point is WAY WAY WAY over what the OP is looking for unless they have secret pile on money.

I was under the impression that they just wanted to see the North Shore. I was not recommending Sheridan Road as a place to find real estate.

[mstengle]

No-going to be a perm move - either renting or buying!! Have to start looking around! Thanks Lookout.

[Avengerfire]

Originally Posted by Lookout Kid

...Lincolnwood has the least to offer in terms of urban ammenities, and the real estate prices have always seemed pecularly high there to me. I've never really understood the appeal.

The taxes are high because the Edens runs through it and it is next to Chicago.