Moving to the Chicagoland area...

[elfff]

Originally Posted by Back 2 the Midwest

How long do you think the commute would be? Is it too much? Where would be a good place to live that would be close to Wilmette yet not too far to Oak Brook? Is Evanston safe in all parts?

evanston to oak brook every day? that is an insane commute! you're looking at at least 1.5 hours each way. i work in oak brook and live in oak park, a mere 8 miles away. oak park is a very nice town, a near western suburb of the city, and has two cta trains and the metra line running through it. i can get to oak brook in 20-25 minutes every day, no matter what time i leave; my co-workers, on the other hand, live in lincoln park, lakeview -- all closer to oak brook than evanston is -- and it often takes them 30-45 minutes just to get to the loop. also keep in mind all of the traffic that accumulates before the oak park exits on the eisenhower expressway (OP has left-hand exits and ramps in a right-hand world, which backs up all of the traffic in the morning).

i had considered living in the city but in the end, i realized that having almost 2 extra hours free time each weekday was worth having to take the 15 minute train ride into the city on weekends.

if your fiancee gets the job in wilmette, i'd look for homes in park ridge. you can hop on 294 straight to oak brook and it should be low-traffic commute.

[jigsaw]

Originally Posted by Back 2 the Midwest

So it's official. The fiance got the job in Wilmette so now it's time to find that place to live. Are there places to rent in Wilmette or is it just really expensive houses?

Congrats! I just got a position at Willmette Public Schools too. Which school will your fiance be working at?

We found a nice four bedroom house for rent (with lease/purchase option) in Wilmette and move in on June 15th.

If you can't find anything in Wilmette, look in Glenview, Skokie, Morton Grove, Niles and Park Ridge. Evenston is good, but the property taxes are extremely high compared to some other areas. Those are all up in the greater north shore area. If you end up there, you'll want to find a way out to 294, which will take you stright down to Oak Brook (warning: 294 is under some MAJOR construction right now).

Hope that helps.

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[Drover]

I think Glenview in particular would be a little out of the way for someone who has to commute to Oak Brook every day.

[jigsaw]

Originally Posted by Drover

I think Glenview in particular would be a little out of the way for someone who has to commute to Oak Brook every day.

It's a shorter drive than from Wilmette.