Taking a job in Northbrook, can I move to Chicago downtown? (Cicero: apartment, neighborhoods)

[snookersmama]

Im relocating to Chicago from FL and taking a job in Northbrook, IL. Im a single 30 yr old female and I dont know anyone in town. Living in the burbs seems like torture. I dont mind a long drive to work if it means a better weekend/ social life. Is it even realistic to think of living downtown? If so, where? I have an SUV so gas may become expensive...

[pvande55]

Yes, it is realistic. Many do it everyday. Actually I would recommend commuting by train (yes, we do have commuter trains here). One problem with driving is the reversible lanes on the Kennedy will be going the wrong way. And of course on Fridays everyone, or so it seems, from the north suburbs goes downtown. Ticket cost is $163.75, easily less than you would spend on gas.

[Coyote27]

Yes, you certainly can live downtown. The item to factor will be your proximity to 90/94, meaning if you live right on the lake, you will have to travel quite a ways through the city to get to the interstate. Parts of lakeview, lincoln park, old town should be manageable. I lived there for seven years and commuted a little further north than you will be going. The commute was around 45-70 minutes depending on traffic, time of the day, sporting events, and weather.

You may also want to toss this question in the chicago section to get some perspective on what we call the reverse commute.

[jgardener]

You should also consider living further north, like Andersonville or Ravenswood or Lincoln Square. All are great neighborhoods with a good vibe, restaurants, coffee shops,and bars. They also put you near Foster Ave (5200 N.) which has an on ramp (3 to 4 miles west of these neighborhoods) to 94 (Edens Expressway). It could cut off the time in traffic spent on 90/94 before they split and street parking would be easier and off street parking cheaper than downtown. Also, there is good access to the 'L' if you want to go downtown.

Do you have a specific budget? Garage or street parking? Apartment size or building type (highrise, 2 or 3 flat, vintage, new)? These could limit/determine what neighborhoods you should look in.

[chet everett]

First, having been to many parts of FL I can understand why / how you view living in the outlying areas "torture". Fortunately the desirable suburbs around Chicago are far more thoughtfully developed than most areas in Florida. The majority of people that work in towns like Northbrook prefer to live near to work so that they do not spend excessive amounts of time in bumper-to-bumper traffic.

That said it is entirely true that there are more opportunities to walk to neighborhood eateries / nightspots inside the desirable north side / near to the lake neighborhoods of Chicago. These are not "downtown" but in places like Lakeview, Lincoln Park, Lincoln Square and other area.

The key to understanding where you might still have a not totally tortuous commute and nice mix of amenities is to understand the layout of the toll/ expressways that link Chicago to Northbrook. The Edens generally is the preferred route. It forks off the northbound lanes of the Kennedy. This junction is east of Cicero and south of Montrose. While technically the sub-neighborhood of Ravenswood Manor is close to this junction it is not much for a single-scene night spot. You might be better off looking around Roscoe Village or Bucktown depending on your desire for "hipster quotient" -- edens kennedy junction Chicago Il - Google Maps

[pvande55]

Congratulations, Chet, on being one of the most informative. OMG, that was three weeks ago and I just noticed it!