Working in Hazel Crest, but where to live? (Chicago, Oak Park: apartment complex, rentals)

[vedakai]

So, I'm going to be moving to the area from Maine in a few weeks because my company has moved me to job in Hazel Crest. I'm 20something and have been told that living in the suburbs is social suicide (for my age). I am not terribly adventurous when it comes to doing things on my own, which is why I considered looking for a place to live with roommates.

I guess my question is. . . do you have any recommendations on where to live (in an apartment)? I have a large (50 lb) dog I'd like to bring with me, but she's not a deal-breaker. I've looked at everything to living in an apartment by myself and my dog in Homewood (5 minute drive to work, but hour train ride to the city) to living with three roommates in Oak Park (45min-1hour commute it looks like--if anyone can confirm this, I'd be grateful, but short train ride into the city). I'm so overwhelmed looking for a place to live from 1200 miles away. Any advice?

While I'm at it, I was looking at one apartment complex and was wondering if anyone knew anything about it--Governor's Place in Homewood. The application was really long and asked about financial info. . . I wonder if that means they're looking for it to be lower than a certain income or higher than a certain income.

Thanks!

[prairiestate]

First, Oak Park will be a minimum 1 1/2 hour to 2 hour commute. There is no expressway nearby to get you to Hazel Crest. Your best bet, by far, will be the South Loop. Chicago Magazine just had a story on how it may be the hottest neighborhood in the country. Once construction is finished on the Ryan this year, the commute will be a breeze. The Dan Ryan is the only Chicagoland expressway where there is really no reverse commute, so going out to the 'burbs in the morning and back to the city in the evening wil be easy. And if you're amenable to having roommates, you can afford a pretty nice place there.

[NSH]

agree with prairiestate, def want to find a place in the south loop, the lake, the museums, the restaturants, (the bar scene is a little light but very friendly)
If the South Loop is too expensive you can look into bridgeport which is less trendy but still close enough to everything. And the added bonus is you will get a some "street cred" when you tell people you live in bridgeport.
Your only worry about getting to south holland will be how to keep it under 70 mph

[preppyboyofIL]

I know of a nice bustling suburb with easy access to Hazel Crest and the city plus it is a very safe neighborhood; Orland Park.

Orland Park is home to 3 major malls, every restaurant you can imagine, bars, great athletic facilities (i.e Sportsplex, Lifetime Fitness, Bally's, Centenial Waterpark, etc.), excellent public facilities (Chicago southland's largest public library), 10 minutes away from the First Midwest Amphitheater in neighboring Tinley Park, a 30 minute drive to the Loop, it is surrounded by forest preserves containing bike and hiking trails, housing costs are reasonably priced, and is provided with ample mass transit via Metra.

Orland Park is by far the most bustling burb on Chicago's south side right now, so if you are looking for a short 20 minute commute to work to help curb those $3.50 a gallon gas prices consider looking around Orland Park's intersection of 151st Street and La Grange Road, this will put you right in the center of all of Orland Park's convienences.

Check it out... Village of Orland Park

[NSH]

Orland Park is nice, but I wouldn't recommend it to single guy or gal from out of town in their 20's. Most people your age group have grown up together in Orland/Tinley and have a very strict clique that they will stay with. This will make it hard to meet others if you don't know anyone. The city of Chicago is full of people who have moved here from somewhere else so you may find it easier to meet people than in orland/tinley. I hope this doesn't come off as a "dog" on orland because I really like the area, just that it's not a perfect fit for everyone.

[wv wildflower]

I think Homewood is a great town. The Metra train to downtown Chicago is 40 minutes. There are alot of rentals near the train station as well as boutique shops. Regarding the social scene, the only way I know of to meet people in the burbs is by joining a group such as a church. There is a quilt guild in Homewood that might interest you if you are a sewer. The public library hosts community events on the weekend and you might hook up with someone there. Otherwise, you need to go downtown to meet people. The art museums have monthly programs for singles that are nice. There are walking and running clubs and a host of other recreational activities.

[preppyboyofIL]

It is true about the Orland click, however I would like to remind anyone who sees this that this is 2007 not 1987... There are always chat rooms, or online dating if someone wishes to meet that special someone, and yes online dating does work! Besides if someone wants to be around others, then where is that usually done? In that person's apartment? DO people just come up and start knocking on one's door to party with them? NO, you drive to a bar or nightclub and start talking to someone. That being said, you can live in the burbs, yet drive into the city on a Friday night and go to a nightclub. Lets not also forget that if this person is working in Hazel Crest, then most likely his co-workers will be living near there as well and co-workers are a great way to meet people

[cjhemphill]

I live in Homewood and it's a great community. You need to know that the communtes around Chicago are horrible, especially around rush hour. I am a teacher and many of the young teachers I work with in Homewood got condos in the city because of the social life and are regretting it because of the commute. It's not like you go out every night and there is a train into the city from Homewood you can hit the town all weekend, make some friends who'll let you crash at their place, if you must. Orland has horrible traffic and is over priced because of all the rich white people who don't want to live near balck people. Hazel Crest is right off 294 and 80, so you should at least look for something with easy access to one of them.

[NYrules]

Originally Posted by cjhemphill

I live in Homewood and it's a great community. You need to know that the communtes around Chicago are horrible, especially around rush hour. I am a teacher and many of the young teachers I work with in Homewood got condos in the city because of the social life and are regretting it because of the commute. It's not like you go out every night and there is a train into the city from Homewood you can hit the town all weekend, make some friends who'll let you crash at their place, if you must. Orland has horrible traffic and is over priced because of all the rich white people who don't want to live near balck people. Hazel Crest is right off 294 and 80, so you should at least look for something with easy access to one of them.

Yes Orland's traffic is bad, but rich whitey that hates "balcks"??? LOL!!! WHAT!!!??? What is this, 1960? Does the town sheriff wear his huge sunglasses and beat the colored folk after dark in Orland?

Just for your info, it has nothing to do with whitey in Orland being racist and not wanting to live near them, it has to do with the fact that many BLACKS cannot afford to live in Orland Park, but they are more than welcome into the community if they can afford it and not let their house go to hell in a handbasket so to say and bring in their teenage gang banger sons into the town. I actually would like to have some mixing of neighbors to diversify the town some as long as it was with some upstanding citizens and not the scum of the earth.

The nice thing is that Orland has been mixing with a little of everyone over the past 10 years. By no means is it diverse though. While the city is still primarily white, it is becoming more and more over run with middle easterners who settle here as there is now a new Mosque in the town on 104th Avenue. All races are welcome though to "The OP" (It earned it's name The OP after Fox's "The OC" premiered showing the lifestyles of a bunch of rich white kids in Orange County)