Help!Moving to Chicago soooooon!!! (Mundelein, Libertyville: apartments, renting, health insurance)

[vp78]

Hi everybody! My husband and I, along with our four-year old and eleven-month old will be moving to Chicago in a month or so from Greece. We have job offers of about $35,000 each. We have no idea what the cost of living is in Chicago.We were thinking of renting an apartment. our jobs are at Milwaukee Avenue and at Diamond Lake Road,Mundelein. Where should we be looking for apartments?How much would the cost of living be( more or less) ?(From groceries to phone and internet packages, utilities, health insurance for the kids,etc)

Thank you for any information that you can share!

[Aleking]

Mundelein is really far out there and Milwaukee avenue is very long. Chances are the suburbs will be your best bet

[vp78]

Could you please name a couple of places that I could look up on the map?

Thank you so much for replying!

[oakparkdude]

Milwaukee Ave is about 70 miles long and passes through many towns. Do you know where on Milwaukee Ave the job is located?

[Drover]

Originally Posted by oakparkdude

Milwaukee Ave is about 70 miles long and passes through many towns. Do you know where on Milwaukee Ave the job is located?

She said at Diamond Lake Road in Mundelein.

vp78, Mundelein is pretty far outside the city limits and you're better off asking in the Chicago Suburbs forum here:
//www.city-data.com/forum/chicago-suburbs/

[vp78]

Thanks! I'll check the suburbs then!So from what I'm realizing Mundelein is a city outside Chicago, right?The other job offer is on 700 something Milwaukee Avenue. I guess I thought both job offers where in the same city. Guess again ,right??!

Thanks again!

[Drover]

I was under the (apparently) mistaken impression you were given job offers at the same place in Mundelein.

700 some Milwaukee Avenue where? Chicago? Somewhere else?

What is considered "Chicago" is something of a fluid concept. Strictly speaking, the City of Chicago, population roughly 3 million, is at the core of the Chicago Metropolitan Area. However, the city is surrounded by several hundred politically independent municipalities extending in a radius of roughly 70 to 80km around the city's central business district, containing an additional 5 to 6 million people for a total metropolitan population of roughly 9 million. Mundelein is one such independent municipality.

[marothisu]

Originally Posted by vp78

Thanks! I'll check the suburbs then!So from what I'm realizing Mundelein is a city outside Chicago, right?The other job offer is on 700 something Milwaukee Avenue. I guess I thought both job offers where in the same city. Guess again ,right??!

Thanks again!

Mundelein is is 25- 30 miles (40-48 km) north from the northern most part of the City of Chicago..Mundelein is within the "metropolitan area" but it's an independent city different than the city of Chicago. This will give you an idea. The starting point (Norwood Park) is a neighborhood of Chicago on the outskirts right next to suburbs:

http://goo.gl/maps/wipYk

If you think it's in the same city then 700 Milwaukee might be in Libertyville which is the city just east of Mundelein. I would really make sure what city 700 Milwaukee is actually in. If it IS Libertyville, then your life will be easier but yes..you will want to live in the suburbs for sure.

[vp78]

I'm sorry that I can't be more specific.As I said, I'm from Greece, I only have two addresses (from the two job offers) and no idea where is where.I've been trying to figure out through maps, but I have to admit that it's pretty hard to know where one city starts and the other begins. I'm sorry if I mistakenly mentioned Chicago.I truly had to idea that it is so complex.

Is Mundelein a nice city to live in?Or should we look somewhere else? Libertyville? Is that better?

Again, I appreciate greatly all of your help, and apologize for not being able to be more elaborate. I think the combination of knowing nothing of the area and my English has perplexed you.

[vp78]

marothisu thanks for the link. somewhere in between this route, is there a nice quiet place to go apartment hunting? schools play a major role too...