Moving: work in Downers Grove, and want to live in Chicago (Aurora: to rent, condo)

[SuccessSW]

I'm a single 28 year old woman who has been living in Wheaton since moving to the Chicagoland area last year. Needless to say, I am ready to move! My office is in Downers Grove, but my job is unique in that it requires me to travel all over the Chicagoland area ( I worked in Crystal Lake, Lansing, Aurora, and downtown several times in the past year) for two to three week intervals. All that being said, I want to live in Chicago proper. ( I'm also considering Oak Park for it's proximity to 290) Any Chicago neighborhood recommendations for a young professional single in my predicament? I'm going to rent, and since I plan on getting a studio, most neighborhoods are in my price range. Ideally, I'd like to live fairly close to a major interstate, but that's not a must.

[chitown85]

You might be better off posting in the Chicago city forum for actual neighborhoods. Andersonville, Rogers Park, and Albany Park are close to the Kennedy.

I would stay out of the West Side unless you plan on going to Oak Park or close to downtown such as Greektown or the Near West Side.

[chet everett]

Wheaton is somewhat centrally located. I would think that if you truly must drive you would be foolish to go much further east than Oak Park, you'd add considerably to your commute time and that would be a hard trade off.

[SuccessSW]

Thanks so much for your responses!

Chitown 85: Thanks the tip, I'll post over there too.

[knitgirl]

I would not envy you a commute from anywhere on the northside to Downers. I live in Elgin and briefly worked in Downers. Coming home, taking 53 north to get onto 90 going west was awful. That section where 53 and 90 meet was very poorly designed because you have a lot of cars getting on and off and merging in a very small section of road. I can understand wanting to live in the city, but you are really going to spend a lot of time in your car. I agree with Chet that you are pretty well located for where you need to go.

[SuccessSW]

Originally Posted by knitgirl

I would not envy you a commute from anywhere on the northside to Downers. I live in Elgin and briefly worked in Downers. Coming home, taking 53 north to get onto 90 going west was awful. That section where 53 and 90 meet was very poorly designed because you have a lot of cars getting on and off and merging in a very small section of road. I can understand wanting to live in the city, but you are really going to spend a lot of time in your car. I agree with Chet that you are pretty well located for where you need to go.

True enough. And I should say that while I have been out far west, I've also worked in LaGrange, Brookfield, and South Holland, so luckily, not every assignment means being in a Western or Northern suburb. Regardless, I know that another year out in Wheaton as a single person will not work. I'm not really into the suburbs, being from a large city myself, and the only reason I moved to Wheaton because I had a very short time to make a decision about where I wanted to live before relocation. If I had it to do over, I would have lived elsewhere.

[knitgirl]

I think Oak Park might be a good choice, or Wicker Park or Bucktown. You'd have pretty good transportation options from any of those.

[MstheCity]

University village is right by UIC, close to 90/94, 290 and 55. I'd try Wicker Park/Bucktown. But there were a lot of condo coversions that didn't sell so rent if often as much as a mortgage payment. West of Greektown is also nice if you can/want to live in a loft. I lived in River West for years and drove to Warrenville for work. It was 45-60 minutes. Ususally coming in was worse than getting out.