Wicker Park/Bucktown, Oak Park, or further burbs? (Chicago, Naperville: transplants, houses)

[musicguy1982]

Hi. I just landed a job in Carol Stream and have to move in about 2 weeks. My wife and I have one car, which I have to take to work (job requires I have it). My wife will want things in walking distance. We would prefer to be close to the el, either the Damen stop for Blue line or the Harlem stop for Green line. Google tells me my commute time from either Wicker Park/Bucktown or Oak Park is up to 55 minutes in traffic. Is this accurate, or an underestimate? What if I take 64 instead of the interstate?

We would way rather have city life or close to it, but would it be a smarter idea to live in Wheaton or somewhere closer to Carol Stream?

Thanks iin advance for your help.

[Avengerfire]

Originally Posted by musicguy1982

...but would it be a smarter idea to live in Wheaton or somewhere closer to Carol Stream?...

Yes.

[oakparkdude]

Oak Park to Carol Stream via 64 (North Ave) is probably about 40 minutes (based on my commuting experience.) From Wicker Park I'd guess another 30 minutes on top of that.

[musicguy1982]

Thanks for the superquick replies.

40 minutes is not bad at all. My guess is we look at Oak Park. Plus, you've gotta love the Wright houses. (Super excited to be a Chicagoan)

[oakparkdude]

Originally Posted by musicguy1982

Thanks for the superquick replies.

40 minutes is not bad at all. My guess is we look at Oak Park. Plus, you've gotta love the Wright houses. (Super excited to be a Chicagoan)

Oh, it'll always be longer coming back inbound in the afternoon. Figure up to an hour.

[SmartGXL]

Originally Posted by musicguy1982

Thanks for the superquick replies.

40 minutes is not bad at all. My guess is we look at Oak Park. Plus, you've gotta love the Wright houses. (Super excited to be a Chicagoan)

Hi Musicguy,

As someone who has tried living in the city but working out in the burbs, it wont work well. I would highly recommend finding a place to live out in the West burbs, (I think someone mentioned Wheaton, etc), which will be close to your job.

The problem, was not only the drive time, but other factors. For example, I was working in Oak Brook but living down in lakeview, in the city. In winter one year, there was a pretty standard snowfall that caused a lot of traffic congestion, and it took me literally FOUR HOURS to get home. No exageration - I was in the car for FOUR hours; traffic was crawling (if anyone remembers the night that the plane touched down at Midway, slid on the ice thru the cement wall, and crashed into a van out on the street, kiling a young child - it was that night).

Also - when you move here, if you do choose to live out in the burbs, you wont be a Chicagoan - you will be a suburbanite. Many people from the burbs like to claim that they are "from Chicago", but they are not. They are from _____________ (insert town name here). Those of us who really are from Chicago, who live in the city limits, will tell you, that they are not "from" Chicago! They may live near Chicago, but are not from there.

[chet everett]

I agree with SmartGXL's assement of the commute situation.

I disagree that there is anything magic about being a Chicagoan that is taken away from one that moves out to the burbs. I was born in Chicago, lived within spitting distance of Midway for a portion of my youth, moved with parents to the burbs, frequently visited with relatives that live in the City, went to post undergrad classes at most every University in Chicago, worked for the CPS, worked in the Loop for many years, still get to a large number of sporting and recreational venues on a regular basis --frankly much more than I would be able to afford (monetarily & temporally) if I lived in desirable part of Chicago as my money & time flat out goes further in the burbs for a similar lifestyle factoring everything from commute to what I would have had to spend on private schools to hassles with City permits and lifestyles.

All that said I do think that the crucial factors are not just the commute but what you do at each end. Meaning that if you have the kind of job that your punctual daily arrival is critical you had better have the kind of schedule away from work that will support this. If you want to party at some 4AM closing night spot in Wicker Park on any random weeknight you better have an employer that will be understanding of what that means either getting to work via a bumper-to-bumper drive or a packed El train / bus...

There is no denying that the percentages of younger single folks in certain neighborhoods of Chicago is far higher than in any suburb and the opportunity to meet up with them is greatest when working and living in close proximity.

As the OP is not single and has already taken a job that is far outside the "hipster zone" the decision they have to make now is whether it is worth trying to search for place where he has a short commute and his wife can be walking distance from a variety of at least moderately interesting places to eat and shop. It would also be critical to know if they have kids now or want them in the near future as in pretty much all suburbs that is big part of the social scene...

[SJaye]

Originally Posted by SmartGXL

As someone who has tried living in the city but working out in the burbs, it wont work well. I would highly recommend finding a place to live out in the West burbs, (I think someone mentioned Wheaton, etc), which will be close to your job.

Although this statement holds true for this particular situation, I don't think it is always true. Carol Stream is quite far away from the city, and even the commute from Oak Park looks like it would suck. However, there are situations where someone could land a job in a nearer suburb and not have too terrible of a commute from city neighborhoods closer to that suburb. If you consider Oak Park the city, it is not too terribly unreasonable to commute to Oak Brook from there. People could live on the north side and work in Glenview, Evanston, Roasemont, Des Planes, etc.

As for the OP, even if the most desired neighborhoods near the El are not feasible, you could find an area in Dupage County that is somewhat more pedestrian friendly and near a METRA, such as Downers Grove or Lisle.

[SmartGXL]

Originally Posted by chet everett

I agree with SmartGXL's assement of the commute situation.

I disagree that there is anything magic about being a Chicagoan that is taken away from one that moves out to the burbs. I was born in Chicago, lived within spitting distance of Midway for a portion of my youth, moved with parents to the burbs, frequently visited with relatives that live in the City, went to post undergrad classes at most every University in Chicago, worked for the CPS, worked in the Loop for many years, still get to a large number of sporting and recreational venues on a regular basis --frankly much more than I would be able to afford (monetarily & temporally) if I lived in desirable part of Chicago as my money & time flat out goes further in the burbs for a similar lifestyle factoring everything from commute to what I would have had to spend on private schools to hassles with City permits and lifestyles.

All that said I do think that the crucial factors are not just the commute but what you do at each end. Meaning that if you have the kind of job that your punctual daily arrival is critical you had better have the kind of schedule away from work that will support this. If you want to party at some 4AM closing night spot in Wicker Park on any random weeknight you better have an employer that will be understanding of what that means either getting to work via a bumper-to-bumper drive or a packed El train / bus...

There is no denying that the percentages of younger single folks in certain neighborhoods of Chicago is far higher than in any suburb and the opportunity to meet up with them is greatest when working and living in close proximity.

As the OP is not single and has already taken a job that is far outside the "hipster zone" the decision they have to make now is whether it is worth trying to search for place where he has a short commute and his wife can be walking distance from a variety of at least moderately interesting places to eat and shop. It would also be critical to know if they have kids now or want them in the near future as in pretty much all suburbs that is big part of the social scene...

Hi Chett,

I think what I was referring to, were people who are born and raised in a suburb (i.e. Schaumburg, naperville etc) and who never actually lived in the city. But, I would say, in your case, you are definitely FROM the city! And you are right, there is nomagic that is taken away, but when it comes to transplants who move to IL and live in the burbs, they are not Chicagoans as long as they are both living and working in the burbs.

[SmartGXL]

Originally Posted by SJaye

Although this statement holds true for this particular situation, I don't think it is always true. Carol Stream is quite far away from the city, and even the commute from Oak Park looks like it would suck. However, there are situations where someone could land a job in a nearer suburb and not have too terrible of a commute from city neighborhoods closer to that suburb. If you consider Oak Park the city, it is not too terribly unreasonable to commute to Oak Brook from there. People could live on the north side and work in Glenview, Evanston, Roasemont, Des Planes, etc.

As for the OP, even if the most desired neighborhoods near the El are not feasible, you could find an area in Dupage County that is somewhat more pedestrian friendly and near a METRA, such as Downers Grove or Lisle.

One suggestion for the OP: they could find a place in downtown Naperville, if they want to live in an area that has a "scene". Downtown Naperville is a great place.