Best areas for young families ... (Chicago, Evanston: condos, townhouse, best schools)

[midwest]

Hello!

I will be moving to Chicago in next couple of months with my family (wife and 2 yr old daughter). As of now, I do not know where exactly I will be working in Chicago. Considering that, can you please suggest areas to check out for houses?

- 3BR/2BT (or 2BR/2BT with Den), $400K range
- Convenient commute to most places in Chicago area
- Open to living in downtown or suburbs
- Easy access to park/gym

Thank you.

[marcin25]

Northwstern suburbs.
That is: Niles, Des Plaines, Park Ridge, Morton Grove, Skokie and maybe Evanston. NW suburbs have some of the best schools here, neighboors are freindly, it's close to Chicago, commute is good but hey, during rush hours it sucks everywhre and you can't escape that.
For $400,000 you'll find a house in all the cities mentioned above except for Park Ridge. In PR you'd need like at least 500,000 and 15,000 for taxes each year. Condos are not as expensive. They seem to be the same everywhere in northwest burbs. One bedroom is about $170,000 and 2 bedroom $200,000+.
Maybe you can try looking for a townhouse.

[Drover]

Originally Posted by midwest

Hello!

I will be moving to Chicago in next couple of months with my family (wife and 2 yr old daughter). As of now, I do not know where exactly I will be working in Chicago. Considering that, can you please suggest areas to check out for houses?

- 3BR/2BT (or 2BR/2BT with Den), $400K range
- Convenient commute to most places in Chicago area
- Open to living in downtown or suburbs
- Easy access to park/gym

Thank you.

Find out where you're going to work first, then figure out where you're going to live. Otherwise you may end up with a commute that is going to test your psychological endurance and faith in humanity.

The good news is no matter which part of the Chicago area you end up working, you'll find an area that meets your criteria, in your price range, within manageable commute range.

[pmoracco]

Agreed. It is such a large area, you really need to know where you'll be working before finding your home. Basically, the north side is more expensive than south or west. The closer you get to the city, you can expect to pay more for a home and have less space between you and your neighbor. However, if you are working right in the city, the price may be offset by the convenience. Let me know if you want help finding a home that meets your needs.