Chicago or Dallas? (Worth: apartment, how much, live in)

[chet everett]

I have worked with a few folks that commuted into the Loop from NW Indiana. Without exception these were folks that grew up in NW Indiana. I mention this because I think it is significant and points out the fact that there is less mobility in that area. In simple terms it means that you are more locked into the area. I believe it is also evidence that few people from outside the area consider NW Indiana which tends to limit the real estate potential.

These trends may change, but they are important, especially if you are buying with an eye to move down the road...

There are homes available in some desirable towns for under $250k, but not many. The majority of these homes will require at least some sprucing up, maybe they will also be in locations that have some downsides -- you can live a nice life in a nice suburb but still be across the street from an ugly water tower or on the route that ambulances use to get to the Emergancy Room...

If you have the skills and motivation to get a rough / starter home that is the far and away the best entry into a desirable town, and I personally feel that for many people this truly is an excellent option.

I do, however, feel that for probably a larger pool of people it may make sense to live in a part of the country where the future is less likely to be more oriented toward the middle income earner...

[Lookout Kid]

Originally Posted by tahoeman101

Thanks once again for the feedback - it is valued. Based on what I'm hearing, we are going to have a tough time finding a nice home with lower property taxes in IL. If we choose to live near Chicago, we may be better off in Northwest Indiana where we can jump the South Shore into the city and in some cases actually see a shorter commute than from an IL burb. Any thoughts on NWI?

You might try posting in the Indiana forum. One half of my family is originally from Hammond, and I would avoid that town. They all left for a reason. And avoid Gary, obviously.

People I know who like suburban-style housing have had positive things to say about Munster and Merrillville, but I can't really comment much on them.

[tahoeman101]

Thanks for the responses - very good information.

[Carrie2979]

I was just in the Chicago area last week visiting friends that live in Weaton. It's a cute little suburban town. We went into Naperville for the day (the neighboring suburb) and if I were to move into the Chicago area, I would consider Naperville or Glen Ellyn. Of course there are quite a few Subarban towns that are just as great, but that is what I saw from the Metra on the way to Downtown that stood out.

[chet everett]

Naperville is on the BNSF and that line passes thru Lisle, Downers Grove, Clarendon Hills, Hinsdale, Western Springs, LaGrange,Brookfield, and Riverside.

Glen Ellyn is on the UP West line.

[Lookout Kid]

Originally Posted by chet everett

Naperville is on the BNSF and that line passes thru Lisle, Downers Grove, Clarendon Hills, Hinsdale, Western Springs, LaGrange,Brookfield, and Riverside.

Glen Ellyn is on the UP West line.

All fine suburbs. But pricey, with the exception of Brookfield.

[darrelljr00]

Im born and raised in Chi and moved to dallas.. Chicago Winter sucks.. Badly.. Dallas winter is decent .. summer is stupid hot.. But spring and fall are nice.. Chicago has much better food.. and downtown in chicago is incredible.. Dallas.. Not so much.. Dallas has tons of restaurants.. But no culture like chicago or ny .. So food isnt authentic.. Trust me.. your going to miss pizza and italian beef and italian sausage sandwiches.. Forget Taylor street polishes and hot dogs.. and portillos..

But in Texas real estate is cheap , no state income tax, roads dont have potholes, schools are newer and your car insurance will drop like crazy..


Its a coin toss.. really..

[cubssoxfan]

So in Dallas, during the time of year when your kids have more time (due to no school) to spend with you doing outdoorsy stuff like biking and camping it's stupid hot and when they're in school you have the nice weather. In Chicago it's flipped. Hmmm, stuck indoors becasue of stupid hot summer or a winter that sucks? Days are shorter in winter, kids are in school a lot more..........I pick Chicago because I think 3 straight months of 95+ weather will drive me crazier than 3 months of Chicago winter. Maybe one day, I'll have enough saved to retire and become a snowbird-best of both worlds!

[chicagojlo]

We almost found ourselves choosing between the two earlier this year and we were happy to head down to Dallas but it didn't work out.

Dallas has better property prices, while salaries are comparable to Chicago. Although I've heard anecdotally that property taxes are higher which you might want to look into. The lack of a winter really makes a difference if you are not so partial to the cold. But my Dallas born and raised friend is always complaining about the heat and the humidity, and being confined to her house for weeks on end in summer.

If we got the chance we'd probably still pick Dallas. But different people want different things. You can't base your decision off what motivates others. Decide what it is you want in a city and then figure it out.

[cubssoxfan]

Originally Posted by chicagojlo

We almost found ourselves choosing between the two earlier this year and we were happy to head down to Dallas but it didn't work out.

Dallas has better property prices, while salaries are comparable to Chicago. Although I've heard anecdotally that property taxes are higher which you might want to look into. The lack of a winter really makes a difference if you are not so partial to the cold. But my Dallas born and raised friend is always complaining about the heat and the humidity, and being confined to her house for weeks on end in summer.

If we got the chance we'd probably still pick Dallas. But different people want different things. You can't base your decision off what motivates others. Decide what it is you want in a city and then figure it out.

Exactly! Few years back we were visited Dallas and Houston for possible relocation. MY impressions of Dallas were, where are the trees and greenery? and that it was a much worse area for an avid bicyclist like myself. Too many cookie cutter suburbs and not enough with the charm of the North Shore or towns built along the Metra line.
But some people love the open spaces, uncluttered by trees and shrubs that the No. TX prairies offer. I did love the highway infrastructure! Texans don't screw around, if they need to build a road they do it. If traffic increases it expands. Too bad they don't have the foresight to incorporate cycling in more areas. Then again most states are guilty of this.
And yes, there were some appealing areas. Really liked Flower Mound and Eldorado section of McKinney.