Moving from Orange County, CA to Chicago, IL. Do you know any good suburbs to live in?

[deanpear]

Western and Northern suburbs can be great, south are generally terrible FYI.

Southwest is tricky, you just have to understand that southwest is more of a game of racial checkers than anything else (not trying to make controversial comment but it is the reality of the real estate game in the south/southwest).

If you like Orland, check Palos Park - which is a lot nicer. Way cooler than anything you'll see in the western suburbs - including burr ridge and oakbrook. Commutes are not great but the flex in price your going to get and the spread you can have will beat anything in the north or west. It may be worth the commute for you.

Western and Northern suburbs (save for north shore) are a bit boring and totally on display - you have no privacy, you're surrounded by yuppies and you're getting ripped off.

P Park isn't talked about, not very well known and very sleepy. There is no industry in the village which sets it apart from other areas (in a good way), and that won't change since cook county forest surrounds the village. Demographics aren't changing either as that seems to effect the farther flung southern burbs (actually western and northern will see more demo changes than this area 10 years forward), P Park can be a bit expensive for other southern hemisphere dwellers.

Cook county prop taxes are a steal compared to collar counties, and at 700K you could end up with a ranch in palos park on an acre at least -heavily wooded totally private (largest stand of old growth forest for hundreds of miles in any direction - just look at a satellite image of the village). If you visit you will look down on everything else you see.

[ToriaT]

The suburbs that are good to look at are the western suburbs. The northern ones are great but very expensive. The western suburbs such as La Grange, Elmhurst, Glen Ellyn, Wheaton, Naperville, and Downers Grove are really nice. Wheaton and Naperville have some great more modern subdivisions the others have a mix. Schools are good and all have train lines into the city.

[pvande55]

Don't forget to check out parking at the stations, unless you can find a place within 1/2 mile walk or along a shuttle bus route. The BNSF line has some of the best service-and worst parking. Rumor has it the wait for a parking permit at the Rte59 station is eight years.

[deanpear]

who cares about parking at stations and modern subdivisions, except sheeple yuppies

go for something cool, western suburbs are boring as ****, same with northwest, south is depressing (but always exciting), north shore the best - and too expensive for most, southwest can be your savior by cook county forest preserves, believe it.

I would rather live in an alley in joliet than a cookie cutter suburb like naperville - even more depressing and boring

[MarkFS]

I no you were looking southwest, but might want to consider Northwest such as Barrington or Barrington Hills. It is 45 to 60 minutes by train to downtown, and you are getting into horse country. Given your price range, you can definitely find beautiful homes in your price range!
Mark