Where to buy condos/townhouses in Chicago (Arlington Heights, Schaumburg: rent, condominium)

[ozonthemove]

Hello All,

My wife, infant daughter (6 months old) and I will be moving to the US from Australia. We have now narrowed our preferred cities down to Minneapolis and Chicago.

On investigation of Chicago accommodation options we are looking at Lincoln Park or Bucktown. However, we would appreciate other recommendations for a suburb that is family friendly. As I tend to work away our preference would be a secure townhouse or condominium development. An area with nearby shopping would be ideal. We would be looking at spending circa $500K but there is flexibility with the budget. My family and I would be looking for a unit with either 3 bedrooms or 2 bedrooms and a den.

If anyone has lived in both cities and could give a comparison of the pros and cons of each I would also appreciate it.

Thank you in anticipation.

[emathias]

Originally Posted by ozonthemove

...
If anyone has lived in both cities and could give a comparison of the pros and cons of each I would also appreciate it.

Thank you in anticipation.

I don't have much in the way of advice on where to live in the Chicago suburbs, but I have lived in both the Twin Cities area and in Chicago.

Minneapolis has very nice suburbs, and a few nice urban neighborhoods. There are a few downsides, though. Minneapolis is less diverse than Chicago is. If diversity is something you enjoy about city or inner-suburbs living, Chicago will be more interesting. While improving, public transit in Minneapolis is a shadow of public transit in Chicago.

In my experience, too, the local culture in Chicago has a warmer personality. In addition to the colder winter weather, Minneapolis people seemed colder to me in personality, too. I had a hard time making friends there, which isn't a problem I've had in Chicago (or anywhere else for that matter). And the winter weather really is not to be underestimated. I don't think anywhere in Australia has weather that comes even close to how cold it gets in Chicago, and Minneapolis winters are both colder and longer than Chicago winters.

Overall, Minneapolis is a nice area and it's a nice place to raise a family. But Chicago is a better *city*.

[chitown85]

I have not lived in in Minneapolis, but from what I'm told, Minneapolis has a good downtown area with lots to do. As the previous poster said, Minneapolis doesn't hold a candle to Chicago. We have 3 million in the city and 10 million people in the Chicagoland (metro) area. Minneapolis is about 1/10 the size of that. Chicago is way more diverse and has many more entertainment options.

Chicago winter is brutal, particularly November to March. For someone not used to driving in snow and ice, living by your child's school, your work, and easy shopping center for your wife are priorities.

In the city in those neighborhoods, you will pay a lot of money for a condo or townhome that is being an electronic gate. I have no idea about prices for condos and townhomes in the neighborhoods you listed, other than I know someone who purchased a condo in Bucktown that was 2 bedroom for about $400,000, but I don't know how about the security. Usually condo buildings are secure with a security guard and a gate, but make sure to check that out.

The condo complexes and townhomes in the suburbs are varied in terms of affluence. Wealthier suburbs like Glenview have nicer condos and townhomes. I suggest if you go suburban, purchase a townhome rather than a condo. Check out Glenview, Northbrook, and Northfield. If you prefer to be within a 25 minute drive to O'Hare, Arlington Heights and Schaumburg. Make sure you get a good look at your townhome community no matter what suburb, because some of them are becoming magnets for street gangs. List the communities you have found and we can tell you about them.

[chicagojlo]

Are there any gated communities in Chicagoland? I never heard of any. You will find condo buildings with doormen downtown but the assessments on those are astronomically higher, you could pay as much as $1,000 per month in assessments alone especially in the current climate where so many other owners aren't paying.

[emathias]

Originally Posted by chicagojlo

Are there any gated communities in Chicagoland? I never heard of any. You will find condo buildings with doormen downtown but the assessments on those are astronomically higher, you could pay as much as $1,000 per month in assessments alone especially in the current climate where so many other owners aren't paying.

There are gated communities in Chicago proper (and I don't just mean doorman highrises), and I'm pretty sure there are more in the suburbs, too.

[chicagojlo]

Wait is Fort Sheridan a gated community? I just did a google search and saw Rosemont is one.

[middle-aged mom]

It sounds like you are new to the U.S. Why buy anything until you actually live here for awhile?

[chicagojlo]

At least until you have your green card. The problem with visas is if you lose your job you often lose your visa with it, and you can lose your job because the sky is the wrong shade of blue here, they don't need a reason.

[SJaye]

Originally Posted by chitown85

I have not lived in in Minneapolis, but from what I'm told, Minneapolis has a good downtown area with lots to do. As the previous poster said, Minneapolis doesn't hold a candle to Chicago. We have 3 million in the city and 10 million people in the Chicagoland (metro) area. Minneapolis is about 1/10 the size of that. Chicago is way more diverse and has many more entertainment options.

Not arguing that Chicago is much bigger in size and scope, but it is not quite a 10:1 ratio. Minneapolis population is estimated at 385K, and the METRO area, when Saint Paul and Bloomington are included, is a little over 3 million. It's probably more of a 3:1 ratio.

Minneapolis - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

To the OP, deciding between Chicago and Minneapolis probably depends on a bunch of factors. Do you have a preference between public transportation and driving? How much does extreme traffic and congestion bother you? How important is outdoor activity? Do you enjoy skiing, snowmobiling, etc? At what temperature do you start to feel uncomfortably cold? How important is it for you to have a variety of neighborhoods with distinct character? Do you enjoy going to the beech in the summer? Do you have any allergies that can be triggered by polluted air? All of these factors may make one of the two places more or less attractive to you.

[Humboldt1]

Rent for 1 year and then buy once you feel out the neighborhood and are sure you want to plant roots. Prices are not going up anytime soon.