Urban feel in West 'Burbs?? (Chicago, Naperville: travel, job, homes)

[Gone2Travel]

Newly married and moving from Mpls's hipster uptown area to take a job based in Lombard. My spouse will be attending UIC. Is there a suburb you recommend for us that has a bit of Chicago feel to it?(With the exception of the Chicago neighborhoods, I would assume there is something like a downtown Naperville feel... only not as far out as Naperville.)

Your help is appreciated!!!

[Lookout Kid]

I hate to sound like a broken record here, but look into Oak Park. It's a walkable older town with a vibe similar to Minneapolis, and the Blue Line would connect you conveniently to UIC. If Oak Park is too urban and diverse for you, LaGrange is a more suburban alternative (but has no CTA access to UIC).

Berwyn might work out as well if you don't need good public schools, but it doesn't have a nice downtown. But it definitely feels like Chicago. It's grittier and more Hispanic (and consequently much cheaper) than Oak Park or LaGrange.

[Drover]

Oak Park sounds like the only reasonable way to split the difference between Lombard and UIC and still give something approximating an urban feel.

[SloopyJ]

Oak Park and LaGrange are probably your best bets, depending on how you feel about the commute to Lombard. Oak Park is certainly the most urban of the western suburbs and, while I don't know exactly what you mean by "Chicago feel", the bustling downtown and historic collection of Frank Lloyd Wright homes make it a very "Chicago" place.

LaGrange, while more suburban than Oak Park, has a very nice downtown with restaurants, bars, a Trader Joe's, etc. I would say that LaGrange has quickly risen into the top tier of suburbs that young families are moving to when they decide to leave the city after starting a family. This is largely due to its short commute to the city, vibrant downtown, good schools, and lack of crime concerns that come with most places that are more "urban".

[sukwoo]

If you're really lucky, you may be able to take the commuter rail to work in Lombard. Then ypu could live in Oak Park and be walking distance to the Blue line (to UIC) and Metra (to Lombard). Otherwise it's probably a thirty minute drive to Lombard.

[Gone2Travel]

You guys rock!! Thanks so much for the prompt feedback!

[NearWestSider]

Originally Posted by Gone2Travel

Newly married and moving from Mpls's hipster uptown area to take a job based in Lombard. My spouse will be attending UIC. Is there a suburb you recommend for us that has a bit of Chicago feel to it?(With the exception of the Chicago neighborhoods, I would assume there is something like a downtown Naperville feel... only not as far out as Naperville.)

Your help is appreciated!!!

The BNSF has a stop at Halsted Street at University Village, which is just south of UIC.

Unless they've changed the schedules, there is even an express train from La Grange Road that stops there, so La Grange sounds like it might be a good choice logistically.

But be forewarned: La Grange is a family-oriented, kid-friendly kind of place. In fact, there is NO suburb that is hipster-oriented, so if that is what you are looking for, you might want to consider moving to Pilsen (which IS hipster-friendly and also within walking distance of the UIC campus, just south of University Village) and doing the reverse commute on the Eisenhower.

[mstengle]

Don't forget to check out Forest Park. It is the neighboring suburb of Oak Park- less expensive. Excellent walking downtown, restaurants, lots of bars. Oak Park is within walking distance, along with Metra, both green and blue lines.

[Lookout Kid]

Originally Posted by NearWestSider

But be forewarned: La Grange is a family-oriented, kid-friendly kind of place. In fact, there is NO suburb that is hipster-oriented, so if that is what you are looking for, you might want to consider moving to Pilsen (which IS hipster-friendly and also within walking distance of the UIC campus, just south of University Village) and doing the reverse commute on the Eisenhower.

Yeah, if you want hipsters you may want to look at the city. Oak Park has some aging hipsters to be sure, but there's not much nightlife there (people often head to the nearby strip in Forest Park for bars). It's definitely the most urban suburb in that direction, however.