Need advice on Areas to live in Chicago and newcomer from Australia working in America (Arlington Heights: extended stay, apartment)

[matt_sax]

I am relocating to America from Sydney Australia with Motorola and will be based in their Schaumberg office. I am in my early 30s and don't really know anything about renting watch outs and also areas that I should live in.

As I am new to the city I would prefer to be within close proximity to shops, bars, restaurants etc. Could you please give me some views on the following suburbs (perhaps 3 positive and 3 negative on any of these that you might be familiar with):

River North
Old Town
Gold Coast
Lincoln Park
Lake View

I will be purchasing a car and I have heard that the commute can be pretty tough (around 1 hour?) from the city suburbs I listed above out to Schaumberg but I really don't want to live too far out of the action. What is the commute to and from these areas and Schaumberg really like?

Are there any other areas that you would recommend I consider?

What advice can you give me to help me through this big move eg being able to survive the winter, how to meet new people, working in america, cultural differences, buying cars - anything really?

Any hep would be really appreciated!

[chirack]

Welcome, ah those are city of Chicago Neighborhoods not burbs. I wouldn't suggest living in Chicago but working in Schaumberg. It would work fine the other way around but if you work in the far burbs it is best to live near that burb. They are probably going to move your post to the burbs section.

If you drive in winter it could take an 1:30 to get from the city to the burbs if it snows.

[chicagojlo]

You are in for a big culture shock! Most especially in terms of the weather - not sure how familiar you are with snow but you are about to learn how to drive in it. A lot.

Most newcomers tend to start out making friends at work which is why it's sometimes advisable to live closer to the office at least in the beginning. Considerably less driving, especially in the winter, and you get a lot more for your money while you try to figure out where you want to settle.

I assume Motorola has a relocation specialist working with you on getting your social security card, helping you get a bank account and cellphone etc. If not, ask for one. You can't do much of anything without your SSN, most especially you can't get paid, so make sure that is the first thing you do off the plane.

I moved here from Europe nearly 4 years ago so I've been through it. PM me if you have specific questions.

[chitown85]

The commute from those parts of the city to Schaumburg can run between 60-90 minutes on the Kennedy Expressway (I-90 to Route 53). You will likely make your initial friends from work. The NW suburbs ("burbs") are not too socially active. There are some places to go, but lots of driving required. It is a big tradeoff. Schaumburg has tons of businesses and thus tons of extended stay type hotels. Those are where you can live in a furnished apartment for a certain period of time. THey are a bit pricey, but worth it for two or three months until you figure out where you want to live.

For those city neighborhoods, Lakeview and Lincoln Park are not close to the expressway. River North, Old Town, and Gold Coast, although further south, are next to the highway and that saves time.

You should also check out Avondale and Irving Park. They are nice city neighborhoods and next to the Kennedy. Commute time from there is about 60 minutes. If it snows, prepare for longer. It also gives you the opportunity for an active social life.

[Attrill]

I would definitely suggest checking out places in Irving Park close to the Blue Line. It is a safe area with a reasonable commute to work, and you can get to parts of Chicago with a lot of nightlife pretty easily on weekends using the Blue line.

What types of bars and restaurants are you looking for? What sort of activities are you interested in on weekends? Different neighborhoods have different strengths.

[Avengerfire]

People are getting lit up around the border of Irving Park and Albany Park still...

Man shot in Albany Park neighborhood - Chicago Breaking News (http://www.chicagobreakingnews.com/2010/09/man-shot-in-albany-park-neighborhood.html - broken link)

[JBVirtuoso]

Irving Park is a good option. Jefferson Park might also work as a bit of a compromise, as it's further northwest, yet still close to the blue line. If I were making this decision, I'd probably look for a place around Arlington Heights, a northwest suburb. It has a Metra line and a reasonably cohesive downtown for a suburb, while still providing you with a reasonable commute to Schaumburg (probably around 20-30 minutes).

[DoneWithDC]

I work for Microsoft in Chicago and one of my customer's offices is out in Schaumburg, so I make the commute out there 2-3 days a week. The commute generally takes anywhere from 35 minutes on a really good day to 1.5 hours on a really bad traffic day. If your schedule will allow for any flexibility on the hours you work or if you can work from home some days, living in Chicago and working in Schaumburg is not terrible, but I know I would get sick of the commute if I had to do it everyday.

I say this a lot in these forums, but Logan Square is really a good option for living in the city. There are a number of excellent restaurants open and more on the way. It is extremely convenient having the blue line right here for public transportation that can take you right out to O'hare Airport or right into the heart of downtown. There is also relatively easy access to the expressway to get out to Schaumburg.

I know you aren't here yet, but welcome to Chicago. My wife is from Queensland, Australia and she absolutely loves being here. I know QLD is a bit different that Sydney, but she is in no rush to move back to Australia or anything. This city is amazing!

[chitown85]

Jefferson Park is very family oriented, in my opinion less to do socially than in Schaumburg. Irving Park and Logan Square are good. Irving Park is a little safer.

[chicagojlo]

You might want to check if Motorola runs any shuttles from the local Metra stations, if they did then you could at least go and live in the Loop area - west or south Loop would be reasonably affordable. You could probably get away with not needing a car initially that way too. I should imagine the Motorola is one of the more likely candidates for having one of the shuttles bearing in mind how large they are in Schaumburg.