Relocating to Chicago suburb area from NC? What do you suggest? (Naperville: for rent, new home)

[fisher01]

I am looking at a job in Joliet but would like to live somewhere between Joliet and Chicago. I am assuming I need to be near a Metra station so I can take a train to and from chicago and joliet.

Does anyone have suggestions on where to start looking? I am being flown up next weekend for an interview and would like to start looking preliminarily for apts or homes for rental.

Everyone cross your fingers for me, I really want to get to the Chicagoland area.

[chet everett]

Joliet has some of the worst Metra service in the region and the odds of a newer place of employment being near the Metra station are slim.

Far more people need to drive to work in Joliet. Do you have details on where the job location is?

[knitgirl]

Metra - Welcome to Metra Metra website. Newcomers to the area seem to like Naperville. I don't know what that commute would be like, but I second Chet that you'd need to drive to work. If you want to use Metra to get into the city occasionally, that's a little different. Lockport is kind of a cute town, Orland Park isn't far. People can give you better advice if you're more specific about what you're looking for. Do you have kids and need to be concerned about schools? Are you looking for a brandnew home or something with a little more charm. I think Orland and Naperville pretty much qualify as standard suburbia, USA, though from what I hear Naperville's downtown is walkable and has some older homes. Are you young and looking for places to party?

[chitown85]

Unless your office is next to the METRA or your company has a shuttle from the METRA to work, you will have to drive to Joliet. Joliet is a far south suburb in Will County, so if you moved close to the city, it would be a trek.

Living in the city is difficult if you want to commute to Joliet, especially with traffic on the highway. Tell us more specifications, such as if you want to live in a young area or have a family.

[04JETTA]

I was gonna say Orland Park they've got the Metra and lots of shopping

[cmoscinski]

I would suggest the western suburbs vs. the south burbs of Orland if you need to take Metra, just better.

I would possibly consider looking into great affordable suburbs of Brookfield and Downers Grove - lots to do & diverse for single persons or family. 30 minutes to loop from Downers Grove, 20 from Brookfield and about 30 minute drive to Joilet.

But as mentioned in earlier response, the traffic will kill you on I-55 going to Joliet and coming home during rush hour is terrible. So, maybe you should focus on something closer to work, possibly a nice area like Lemont would be my suggestion.

Are you single or have a family? Big difference if moving to Lemont.

[BurrRidge Cub]

There's a ton of nice suburbs between Chicago, and Joliet. Really depends on what you are looking for. Hinsdale, Darien, Westmont, Orland Park, La Grange, Lemont just to name a few. All of those, with the exception of Orland Park is fairly accessible to 55, which runs to Joliet.