Help! Recent grad accepting first job in chicago (Oak Park, Forest Park: living in, restaurants)

[urza216]

Originally Posted by dewthedru

he was looking for opinions regarding the best place to live and i gave mine.

And that's what the forum is for. No hard feelings.

[tomcho]

Originally Posted by srs46

lol Tomcho, I have no problem making the blackhawks #2... And yes west chicago thats 30 miles away

Ok I just wanted to be sure you weren't referencing commuting to West Chicago from Oak Park via train. As that would be a problem if your work isn't near the station on the West Chicago end.

With regards to commuting via a car, Oak Park is probably the best collar suburb to do it from. If I had to drive to West Chicago, there is no way I'd consider any of the typical north side neighborhoods. That commute would be a nightmare. West Chicago to say Lakeview on a January night after 8" inches of snow could literally push 3hrs.

[srs46]

How bad is the commute away from the city???

[urza216]

Originally Posted by srs46

How bad is the commute away from the city???

It depends where in the city you're commuting from.

[tomcho]

Originally Posted by srs46

How bad is the commute away from the city???

In my opinon it's nearly a wash at this point. There is so much reverse commuting that inbound/outbound travel times are nearly the same on many roads. Being from Buffalo you are used to the snow, you'd think Chicagoans would be as well, but snow brings the expressways to a crawl here.

Check this site between 4-7 on a weekday to get an idea of commute times. If you took the expressway it would be the Eisenhower, but only for a short time. It's normally a 55mph road.

Travel Midwest

The problem with West Chicago is it's not close to any expressway, you'll be on "surface" streets most of your commute. North Ave(64) or Roosevelt(38) all the way there might be a better bet.

[oakparkdude]

Originally Posted by srs46

How bad is the commute away from the city???

If your job is close to the West Chicago metra station, then taking the train from OP is the best option. You can usually set your watch to the commuter rail schedule, its quite reliable. My suggestion is to live within walking distance of the Metra station in OP, which is in downtown OP with plenty of restaurants, an upscale health club, Trader Joes, and Whole Foods nearby.

If you must drive, its about 40 minutes from downtown OP to downtown West Chicago. Its about 1 hour coming back to OP in the afternoon. Its about the same time whether you take North Ave, Roosevelt Rd, or the expressway (I know this from extensive personal experience.)

I'm married with a kid, so I'm not quite the same demographic as you, but OP does have a decent young adult scene. Granted, its no Lincoln Park/Lakeview, but given the constraints of your commute, its probably your best choice. I know several single 20 and 30 somethings who live in OP due to jobs in the west burbs, but spend a fair bit of time in the city on weekends (and even weeknights). As I mentioned, there are some decent restaurants and bars in OP and nearby Forest Park so you don't always have to go into the city for entertainment. With your salary, you'll live pretty well.

[srs46]

Thanks alot Guys appreciate all of the good feedback, I think Oak Park sounds like a good place and am indeed going focus my attention on that area. Are there any parts of Oak Park I should stay away from??? Also, whre are the best places for night life in the city, for a 23 year old. Not necessarily looking for real fratty areas, but young, full, vibrant bar areas...

[chitown85]

There are so many places for young singles to go in Chicago it would be hard to pinpoint them all. Most neighborhoods have some nightlife. The major nightlife areas are:

North Side: Lakeview, Wrigleyville (part of Lakeview), and Lincoln Park
Downtown: Streeterville, River North, River East (is that what they call it now), Gold Coast, and Old Town.

Other: Bucktown, Wicker Park (both Near NW Side), and Near West Side.

I think you should look into Near West Side. That way you have good nightlife, are close to other good nightlife, and you are near Union Station for an easy METRA ride into West Chicago. The drive from the city would 75 minutes each way during rush hour. Just make sure you can catch the METRA from West Chicago back into the city by not missing the train.

Oak Park is more laid back and ladee da. There are some young professionals and there is a bar scene, but not to the extent of what you find in the city.

Berwyn is not for someone who is looking for nightlife. Yes it is very urban, but mostly families.

[oakparkdude]

Actually, chitown raises a good point. Another option besides OP definitely is the near west side (of Chicago). As long as you're close enough to Ogilvie Station (the terminus for the UP-West line, its doable by transit. Of course, your commute will be an extra 15 minutes from Ogilvie versus Oak Park, and rents will be higher in Chicago versus Oak Park, but that might be a reasonable trade-off for living closer to the heart of the college grad social scene.

[srs46]

is the near west side known as the west loop????