City vs suburbs living (Chicago, Cicero: rent, car insurance, crime rates)

[Stechkin]

Just wondering in general about the pros/cons of living in each. Obviously, if one wants action every night they would pick the city, but I am not the one, as I only go out on weekends. Is car insurance cheaper in the suburbs? Less crime? Schools don't matter to me. What about taxes?

[williepotatoes]

Originally Posted by Stechkin

Just wondering in general about the pros/cons of living in each. Obviously, if one wants action every night they would pick the city, but I am not the one, as I only go out on weekends. Is car insurance cheaper in the suburbs? Less crime? Schools don't matter to me. What about taxes?

In short I'd say that the city is far more interesting and more fun, but the burbs are easier living. Chicago is blessed to have this kind of regional dichotomy. After many decades of being a Chicago Nazi, who belittled and scoffed at the mere mention of the suburbs, I joined the mall people because age changed my priorities. Comfort, convenience and family trump all now. Still spend a lot of time in the city though, because I had a long, good life there and I have a lot of friends and associates amongst the concrete and neon people.

[Chi-town Native]

Originally Posted by williepotatoes

In short I'd say that the city is far more interesting and more fun, but the burbs are easier living. Chicago is blessed to have this kind of regional dichotomy. After many decades of being a Chicago Nazi, who belittled and scoffed at the mere mention of the suburbs, I joined the mall people because age changed my priorities. Comfort, convenience and family trump all now. Still spend a lot of time in the city though, because I had a long, good life there and I have a lot of friends and associates amongst the concrete and neon people.

I think it's pretty difficult to pigeonhole all of Chicago's outlying areas as "the suburbs" for conversations like these. Oak Park, Berwyn, Skokie, Evanston, etc. have most of the same infrastructure and conveniences as Chicago as they are still on the grid. Get out to Plainfield and it's considerably different.

A lot of people I know would argue that the reasons they stay in the City are exactly "comfort, convenience and family," (my family, work, activities, etc are here), so perhaps the real blessing of this area is that both the City and burbs can work for all kinds of people.

[Tex?Il?]

Originally Posted by williepotatoes

In short I'd say that the city is far more interesting and more fun, but the burbs are easier living. Chicago is blessed to have this kind of regional dichotomy. After many decades of being a Chicago Nazi, who belittled and scoffed at the mere mention of the suburbs, I joined the mall people because age changed my priorities. Comfort, convenience and family trump all now. Still spend a lot of time in the city though, because I had a long, good life there and I have a lot of friends and associates amongst the concrete and neon people.

I Hate Illinois Nazis - YouTube

[nikitakolata]

Originally Posted by Stechkin

Just wondering in general about the pros/cons of living in each. Obviously, if one wants action every night they would pick the city, but I am not the one, as I only go out on weekends. Is car insurance cheaper in the suburbs? Less crime? Schools don't matter to me. What about taxes?

I just moved to the suburbs (Elmhurst) from the city (east side of Humboldt Park). The pros/cons for me are:

Suburb Pros:

• Cleaner
  Safer//pics3.city-data.com/forum/
• More space between neighbors//pics3.city-data.com/forum/
• Neighbors are more friendly
• Commute on Metra is much more pleasant than the CTA commute I had
• Much less traffic to get to daily errands like the grocery store

City Pros:

• Closer to work
• No schedule for commuting
• More dining options
• Better nightlife
• Closer to culture (museums, theater, etc.)
• More festivals in the summer in close proximity

For me personally, the suburbs are a much better fit. My tax bill went up moving here, but then again, my house cost 1.5 times as much so that's a given. The schools are better, of course, which is nice because I know we won't have to move when we have kids. I still hardly drive (walk to Metra for work) so my commuting costs haven't changed significantly.

[marothisu]

One of the pros of living in Chicago is that you don't need a car IF you live in a number of areas. This doesn't apply everywhere, and while NYC is far above everyone else with regards to public transit in the city, Chicago comes in 2nd with extensiveness. Some areas are very, very walkable so there's that and on average the food and bars/clubs/lounges are better in the city for sure (not to say you can't get good for either in the burbs). There are also beaches right in the city if you're into that too and the lake isn't actually terribly cold in the summer. Also in the summer, there are festivals and markets all the time..many going on at once. Definitely closer to more cultural things, although there are some OK museums in some of the suburbs and art centers.

On average yes the burbs are safer but that goes for any city in the US just about. Although in the last ten years, some suburbs around the US have gotten unsafer. Chicago is a big city, so there are areas that do definitely enjoy suburban esque crime rates for certain crime for sure.

There are some okay burbs in Chicago. Some good food (especially the ones close to Chicago - Evanston, Skokie, Niles, Oak Park, etc...some have some awesome Korean food), bars, etc but you definitely need a car and it's not terribly walkable unless you're in like parts of Evanston, Oak Park, or Skokie..and I guess Cicero, parts of Berwyn, etc. Those are definitely older suburbs with older infrastructure. The CTA train actually goes into Oak Park, Skokie, and Evanston.

The public high schools in the suburbs are also better. There are some awesome high schools in Chicago city, but they are selective enrollment (you know, have to be very smart to get in, or just have big time connections). The city also has some good elementary but the high schools are lacking versus the burbs for sure.

Cost of living in the average suburb is of course cheaper too especially for a family, but there are some suburbs that are actually more expensive than some good areas of Chicago (i.e. parts of Evanston) and you can find cheap-ish rent in Chicago in some areas - and in the hot areas it can actually be cheap if you have roommates of course.

I don't have kids nor am I married, so the city is a better fit for me. I could understand how someone would choose the suburbs. Big yard and all that. Actually there are many areas of Chicago that you can get a single family home for a good price (and lately people have started building even more of their own in some areas) with an OK sized yard. It's definitely not suburban by nature, but you can still do it. For me though, the city is more spontaneous. It has more life, and I don't even need a car doing my daily life. Culture, food, nightlife, etc is all much better in the city and that's what I'm about.

[williepotatoes]

Originally Posted by Chi-town Native

I think it's pretty difficult to pigeonhole all of Chicago's outlying areas as "the suburbs" for conversations like these. Oak Park, Berwyn, Skokie, Evanston, etc. have most of the same infrastructure and conveniences as Chicago as they are still on the grid. Get out to Plainfield and it's considerably different.

A lot of people I know would argue that the reasons they stay in the City are exactly "comfort, convenience and family," (my family, work, activities, etc are here), so perhaps the real blessing of this area is that both the City and burbs can work for all kinds of people.

Comfort, convenience and family are of course subjective to one's personal logistics. My family and many of my friends eventually drifted out of the city over the years. When my employer moved from Belmont-Cragin to Streamwood, I bugged out too. Today, Chicago is my playground, I'm like a frequent tourist who can spend a whole day just driving around to visit old places, and soak up all the changes, both good and bad.

Still, despite all this my tightest friends and the core of my non-family social network are embedded in the city.

[Now What]

I think I can summarize:

City = Awesome
Suburbs = Lame

Good luck with your decision!

[LittleMartha]

Originally Posted by Now What

I think I can summarize:

City = Awesome
Suburbs = Lame

Good luck with your decision!

[Attrill]

For me the city is much better, there's just a lot more to do and I'm not tied to my car. Pretty much any conveniences I can think of in the suburbs I have in the city. I've got a SFH with a yard and garage, typical suburban stores (Costco, Grocery stores, Target, Menards, Home Depot, etc.) within 2 miles of my house, easy street parking, I really can't think of anything I'd gain by moving to a suburb.

I would however lose quite a bit. There are a lot of smaller local stores that I like, as well as general nightlife options. I'm in my mid-40's with a kid but I still get out a few nights a week just because it's so easy to do. There are scores of bars and restaurants within a 15 minute walk of my house and I have enough friends in the area that it's easy to send out a text and meet some friends any time I want. Most of my friends and family living in suburbs don't have the option to do that.