May be moving to Chicago.. need advice please (Park Ridge, Lincoln: lofts, condos)

[tgirl05]

Hey everyone! I need some help.

I am interviewing for a job in Chicago that is located near the O'Hare airport. If it helps, the zip code where I would be working is 60631.
I have been to Chicago 4-5 times before but have always stayed downtown, so I am unfamiliar with many of the neighborhoods. Does anyone have any suggestions on what neighborhoods I should consider looking at that are not too far from my work? I have heard Bucktown and Wicker Park are nice areas but are not sure how long it would take me to commute.. I absolutely love the downtown area, but should it be out of the question for me to consider living there (too far/long commute to work?)

I am also not sure which areas it would be recommended to have a car or not. (Maybe not any)? Any advice is much appreciated.

Thanks so much!!

[Stitches]

I grew up not to far from here. In fact I was born in the hospital in that zip code.

Bucktown and Wicker Park are decent, but west of there can be "iffy". Alot of the younger folks like to live in Lincoln Park and Lakeview, east of the neighborhoods you mentioned. Lots of nice bars and restaurants. The further you get from downtown, the cheaper housing becomes. I'd recommend Park Ridge. It's the first suburb out of Chicago in that area. There's new condos and lofts going up in their uptown area--a little cheaper than Chicago. Another neighborhood to check out would be Edison Park.

There is a blue line train that runs from O'Hare to downtown along Interstate 90. If your work is close to this train, then you may not need a car. Traffic is horrible during rush hour. This would probably take at least 30 minutes in rush hour by car from Wicker/Bucktown.

[Avengerfire]

Go for Norwood Park,Jefferson Park,or Edison Park.

[aragx6]

Since you appear to be looking at city neighborhoods, I'm going to move this to the Chicago forum.

My question? How long are you willing to commute? I lived near my suburban job for a year and then moved to Wicker Park, despite the hour commute because to me it's worth it.

Also -- can you get to your job via public transit? Or will you need to drive?

[Drover]

Originally Posted by Avengerfire

Go for Norwood Park,Jefferson Park,or Edison Park.

Ditto, and throw Portage Park, Mayfair and Irving Park into the mix.