Young Professional Relocating - New Job in Mokena, IL (Chicago: apartments, leasing)

[newguy2012]

Hello Everyone!

I posted this in the Chicago Forum, but someone advised I look into the Suburbs as well.

I was recently offered a job in Mokena, Illinois with an annual salary of $60k. I was wondering if anyone had suggestions of a Chicago Suburb that would be a good fit for me.

A little background on me:

I am a 21 year old guy, and would like to live near other young professionals. I am also looking to own/lease a car to get back and forth from work.

I would like some sort of nightlife, as I'd like to be able to go out on the weekends and have fun. I don't want to be stuck inside with nothing to do.

Safety is also important to me, I don't want to end up in a sketchy area.

Feel free to provide recommendations. Thanks!

[MSchemist80]

Orland Park is just to the north and that is a nice suburb.

[Army_Guy]

Why not live in Mokena? It's a very nice area. There are some apartments along Wolf Road. Frankfort is also a very nice community, a little bit older than Mokena, if that makes any difference to you.

Personally, living in the suburbs, I would advise against leasing a vehicle because of the mileage limitations, especially if you're going to make trips to Chicago. You could ride a bike to work for a few months out of the year but Chicago winters will make that bike pretty much useless.

You do have 2 Metra train stops in Mokena, one off LaGrange and the other off Wolf Road that take you into the loop in Chicago.

[MSchemist80]

Originally Posted by Army_Guy

Why not live in Mokena? It's a very nice area. There are some apartments along Wolf Road. Frankfort is also a very nice community, a little bit older than Mokena, if that makes any difference to you.

Personally, living in the suburbs, I would advise against leasing a vehicle because of the mileage limitations, especially if you're going to make trips to Chicago. You could ride a bike to work for a few months out of the year but Chicago winters will make that bike pretty much useless.

You do have 2 Metra train stops in Mokena, one off LaGrange and the other off Wolf Road that take you into the loop in Chicago.

You can ride a bike most of the time between late April and late October. With proper gear you can ride it most of the rest for shorter distances <5 miles depending on your cold tolerance. I can't stand the cold. It makes my eyeballs and the skin on my face hurt and nose run though I could still do 5 miles at temps above say 20.

[mattywo85]

If you look North you can check out Orland Park/Tinley Park area, going west you can check out Joliet/Shorewood area. Sketchy areas would be to the east in South Holland, Harvey, etc....in other words avoid that area. Going south there isn't much besides Frankfort which is a nice area as well. How far are you willing to drive from work to home? As far as nightlife what are you looking for?

[newguy2012]

Originally Posted by mattywo85

If you look North you can check out Orland Park/Tinley Park area, going west you can check out Joliet/Shorewood area. Sketchy areas would be to the east in South Holland, Harvey, etc....in other words avoid that area. Going south there isn't much besides Frankfort which is a nice area as well. How far are you willing to drive from work to home? As far as nightlife what are you looking for?

Thanks for the suggestions.

I'm looking at a commute that is less than 45 minutes (one-way). In terms of nightlife, I'd like to be able to go out to restaurants and bars, and meet others around my age.

[newguy2012]

Originally Posted by Army_Guy

Why not live in Mokena? It's a very nice area. There are some apartments along Wolf Road. Frankfort is also a very nice community, a little bit older than Mokena, if that makes any difference to you.

Personally, living in the suburbs, I would advise against leasing a vehicle because of the mileage limitations, especially if you're going to make trips to Chicago. You could ride a bike to work for a few months out of the year but Chicago winters will make that bike pretty much useless.

You do have 2 Metra train stops in Mokena, one off LaGrange and the other off Wolf Road that take you into the loop in Chicago.

Thanks for the suggestion. I've pretty much decided against leasing as well, since I'll probably be driving a lot. I'm now looking at getting a used Toyota Corolla/Camry or Honda Civic/Accord.