ISO my ideal first place (Chicago, Naperville: hardwood floors, real estate, affordable apartments)

[FlyingFroggy]

I'm a single 34 year old woman working for an airline based out of NY. I grew up on the border of Queens and Long Island, and it looks like I am priced out of NYC. I can afford a mortgage for a shoebox, but the maintenance/association fees (I cannot in any way afford a freestanding house in NYC....I probably couldn't even afford to room with rats in a crack den ) might cost more than the actual monthly payment to the bank!

I'd be a first time home buyer. I'd love someplace to call my own, but not so far from my friends and family in NY that I feel I may as well be in another country.

I am really getting bummed by many NY'ers attitudes. I appreciate the friendliness of the midwest but the liberal leanings of the northeast. I appreciate diversity myself, and love to learn of others views, whether or not I feel the same way. I want the arts and fun events of NY, but some friendliness and leftover pocket change to go with it.

I wish to be in a safe, possibly suburban area, with easy access to public transportation. Chain stores are ok for me. I like places that have a coffee shop that actually remains open for about the same or more hours than it remains closed. (If I wake up late after my redeye, did I miss the only chance I had in the day to get a latte?! ) Likewise, easy to get to the supermarket for groceries.

My salary remains the same whether or not I relocate, as I'd be commuting to JFK. I am currently researching areas where I could possibly survive without a car, enroute to O'Hare,1 BR condos preferable, but open to possibility of a house.

As its a quick flight for me, I'd like to be able to take my off days here and there, and simply fly out for the day to walk around and get the feel of the areas. I was thinking of Naperville, and along those lines, though admittedly I have only been to Chicago's downtown area, and the area by the Steppenwolf Theater.

What would you advise? Any suggestions? Areas to avoid? Streets that are shady? Places to check out? Places to shun, lol.? For example, where I currently room, the location is fantastic, across the street from the Long Island Rail Road, around the corner from the local bus to the Express subway. But walk 3 blocks south and 2 blocks west and the area suddenly downgrades. The homeowners seem to take no pride in their houses, the area just seems more run down.

Thanks so much in advance!

Jodi

[oakparkdude]

Assuming that you'd be flying out of Ohare, I'd recommend looking in that area. Commuting to Ohare from Naperville would be no fun by car, and probably almost impossible by public transit. Luckily, the northwest suburbs of Chicago are generally nice and low crime. The closer-in suburbs like Des Plaines and Park Ridge have a very urban (but safe) feel to them and developed around a train station, so they have a small downtown area with coffee shops, etc as well as commuter rail service to downtown Chicago. I don't know that area very well, so hopefully others will chime in.

[J Randolph]

You can buy a nice one bedroom condo for under $175,000-- payments would be under $1400/month more than likely--that is including taxes.

[OakBrookMom]

The L's blue line goes into O'Hare (right into the airport terminal) so areas where you can walk to the blue line would be my choice. The L (our subway system) runs at all hours of the day and night. There are many areas in Chicago off the blue line where you would be able to afford a 1 Bedroom condo. I agree that Park Ridge would be a very nice suburb (Hillary Clinton lived in Park Ridge during her younger years), you can forget a home under 175K- you would be looking at a condo like J Randolph said. If you don't mind riding the blue line for awhile, you could take it into the city and stay on it as it rides through the west side into Oak Park and Forest Park. There are many affordable condos in both suburbs right off of the L (both the green line and the blue line plus the Metra which is our suburban commuter rail service go into Oak Park so you can switch lines downtown if you find something you like closer to the green line). In June I took a client from New York to see many areas (she was in the under 175K range) and she really liked Oak Park best- very eclectic, good schools, nice downtown area, easy to walk to everything, quick commute to the city (7miles - 15 minute train ride), reminded her much more of parts of New York than other suburbs we saw. Forest Park has nightlife along Madison Ave. very much like some areas of the city and I would recommend south of Madison, east of DesPlaines and north of the highway. For under 160K - in some cases under 150K - you can get a 1 bedroom condo in a newly converted vintage building with hardwood floors, new/newer maple cabinets, sometimes granite counters, new/newer appliances, in unit washer/dryer and many times a separate dining room in addition to kitchen and living area. If you are considering a car that opens other options to you like Arlington Heights but you would more than likely have to take a taxi or park at the airport so keeping yourself close would be important (I love Naperville but honestly, Naperville is not a good commuting distance from the airport - buy a condo closer to the airport and wait until the Starline is completed which is the new rail service which is projected to go right into O'Hare - then it will be an option and you can get a nice townhome or starter home). Good Luck to you

[skompton]

If your looking for nice apartments close to O'Hare with good transportation (bus, train, car) I suggest Skokie, Morton Grove, Des Plaines, Park Ridge, and Arlington Heights for very diverse and humble middle class suburbs. Wilmette and Glenview tend to be more expensive but have a lot of comfortable and often very beautiful complexes/communities. You can get pretty much anywhere you need to fairly easily, they're safe but can get a bit boring. If your looking for more to do, Evanston and parts of northern Chicago might be a better fit (Rogers Park has some spacious and affordable apartments around Sheridan Rd.). I'm no expert, but these are some of the best areas I know of. I almost forgot, you shouldn't have any trouble finding a good cup of joe wherever you settle down. That's something you can pretty much count on.

[FlyingFroggy]

Thank you so much! I so appreciate your broadening my horizons!!

[HOWELL_STREET]

Dear Friend:

All of the above threads are very good. Since my youngest son is a mortgage processor in my town of Wheaton, Illinois - - I would like to suggest a slightly different approach.
From my son, I have learned that either 'Freddie Mac' or 'Fannie Mae' have what is called, an 'REO'. It means 'Real Estate Owned' (by Freddie Mac, for example).
In the past, I did a little research for a lady out in Arizona. From there, I discovered a Wheaton, Illinois condo - - single bedroom, single bath - - for $139.4K. Now that is a very good price around the Chicago land area. But the caveat for you is that of a convenient transportation to O'Hare. Yes, there is a automobile 'short cut' by using Irving Park Road and then Manheim Road. But there are no convenient public transportations that will get you to O'Hare, quickly, from Wheaton.
However, what you should do is to search Freddie Mac for it's REO listings using zip codes in Chicago proper and the NW suburbs. Like some else mentioned, about the only suburban town areas would be in the Northwest sections of the suburbs.

Best Regards,

Carter Glass