I am Moving to Hoffman Estates...Help (Chicago, Arlington Heights: apartments, rentals)

[Matt633]

Hi all!

I'm looking to move to the northwest suburbs and I thought Hoffman Estates was it, that is, until read a few post here on the site. I have looked at several apartments and liked the Berkshires located off of Barrington Rd. But as I stated, some of your post on this area have scared the heeby jeebys out of me. With that said, where should I go from here? I work in Evanston, however I am not interested at all in that area nor any of the surrounding suburbs ie Winnetka, Wilmette, Highland Park. Those areas are not diverse enough for me and the vibe is kind of vain or snobby. I know there is a commute here of about 30 miles, but I drive that now from my current location. I am scheduled to move in July and would like some information on decent northwest suburbs to rent in. Or maybe some areas to stay away from.

Thanks

[middle-aged mom]

You are looking NW for more diversity than Evanston?

[cubssoxfan]

Matt, was Evanston not to your liking? The commute from Hoffman Estates to Evanston will get really old, REALLY FAST. Unless you commute during non-rush hour times you're looking at 45 minutes on a good day and 1 hour to 1:15 on many days. Have you looked at closer suburbs?

[bulldawg1594]

evanston

[Matt633]

Well, I travel 25 miles to get to work now. My commute is usually 45min to 1 hour. Actually, that is fine with me. I have truly gotten used to it. I do not like the apartment living in Evanston or surrounding neighborhoods. They are larger buildings with much smaller apartments, fewer amenities, and horrible parking. Evanston is not my idea of suburban living. I currently reside near the Oak Park area, but even it to me is no longer suburban. I prefer a much more relaxed area, and thus far the Hoffman Estates area seems to be much of what I desire. I just want to be sure I am not moving into something other than I have percieved. So any advice or suggestions of the area or surrounding suburbs would be greatly appreciated.

[jonathancool345]

hoffman estates is verycountry and all white

[cubssoxfan]

Originally Posted by Matt633

Well, I travel 25 miles to get to work now. My commute is usually 45min to 1 hour. Actually, that is fine with me. I have truly gotten used to it. I do not like the apartment living in Evanston or surrounding neighborhoods. They are larger buildings with much smaller apartments, fewer amenities, and horrible parking. Evanston is not my idea of suburban living. I currently reside near the Oak Park area, but even it to me is no longer suburban. I prefer a much more relaxed area, and thus far the Hoffman Estates area seems to be much of what I desire. I just want to be sure I am not moving into something other than I have percieved. So any advice or suggestions of the area or surrounding suburbs would be greatly appreciated.

Read the post on Moon Lake Village and some other Hoffman neighborhoods first. Not saying there aren't good sections, but it certainly has it's undesirable sections. Have you looked at Schaumburg? Arlington Heights?
Here is a beautiful complex in Wheeling with a wooded feel, but it's pricey: Rent Apartments Wheeling | Wheeling Apartment Rentals | Luxury Apartments Wheeling | Chicago Suburb Apartment Rentals | Rental Apartments Chicagoland

[ChicagoBanker]

I live in Schaumburg about 15 mins from the complex that you are favoring. The area is not bad, but not great either. Don't listen to the (all white and country) post above. The area is middle class and diverse. You are minutes from everything you could possibly want (other than your work, lol). We have some great shopping, good HWY access, and lots of parks and nature preserves in the area. You will have to deal with the winters, which are ROUGH. Look at Schaumburg too. I have had no problems with crime and been happy here.

Some recommendations for the area:
Arboretum shops at 59 and 72
Greater Schaumburg Area
Takes 30-45 mins to get to the City
Cute little towns along the Fox river out west

Just watch that commute..LONG

[GoCUBS1]

I also recommend Schaumburg as, IMO, it is diverse and relatively safe and (compared to some nearby communities) has better parks/forest preserves, shopping, restaurants/clubs, entertainment (e.g. community theatre, art faires), schools, libraries, govt. services, and transportation options. IMO, Schaumburg will continue to prosper and maintain a higher standard of living vs some nearby towns due to:

• larger # of retail establishments / corporate HQ which feed into the tax base
• the existence of the "Crime-Free Multi-Housing Statute" (look it up) which gives police and landlords much more authority to remove "problem" tenants from rental units and keep the community safer.

[bulldawg1594]

Originally Posted by jonathancool345

hoffman estates is verycountry and all white

hoffman estates in not country at all, and it isn't all white.