New hire working at Walgreens in Deerfield and need to decide where to live (Chicago: fit in, rent)

[moving_to_IL]

New hire working at Walgreens in Deerfield and need to decide where to live.

This is my first job out of college. Gross income is $70,000 a year and I have about $50,000 of school debt. I'm single, no kids and 22 years old. I don't have friends or family in IL. Would like to live in a "happening" area with other people in their 20's and early 30's, but don't know how feasible that is. By happening, I mean nice restaurants, energy, shops, nightlife...etc...again, don't know how feasible that is.

Not sure if I want to buy a car because of the additional expense. Not sure if I should just get a place in Deerfield. Any advice would be helpful given age, income, debt, etc.

[Careless]

Well, what's your tolerance for commute time? Because it sounds like you'd like to live in Chicago or some place like Evanston, but you're talking about 30-60+ minute commutes. 30 minutes without traffic from Walgreens HQ to Evanston, a 50ish minute Metra ride from Deerfield to Chicago (it's a little drive from the station to the campus. There's a shuttle provided for employees). Not sure how long the drive is during rush hour.

[moving_to_IL]

I would be willing to commute 30-60 minutes, just don't know if it's feasible. From what I've read on this forum, some people made the comment that it can't be done/shouldn't be done because of the frequency of transportation and the likelihood of missing transportation, etc.

[Careless]

So are you ok with driving? Looking at google's estimates of Walgreens to a randomly selected spot in Evanston near Northwestern, they're suggesting a 30-60 minute drive at rush hour

On the other hand, picking a place in the middle like, say, Niles means you're not in either, but it's usually an easy drive (you're past the worst of the traffic), and you're not painfully far from the parts of the city and inner suburbs you want to be in.

[moving_to_IL]

I'm currently doing a cost/benefit analysis.


Deerfield - around the corner and I can easily get to work, no traffic, not nearly the type of nightlife/young people/big city feel/energy, rent is likely cheaper. Cars are expensive and it would save me a ton of money for just a little bit of added nightlife benefit in Lincoln Square.

Lincoln Square - traffic, need a car, lots of nightlife/young people/big city feel/energy, rent is likely more expensive


Then go further into analysis, could I live in Deerfield and not have a car? How much cheaper is it? How much nightlife/young people/big city/energy is there? Would it even matter if I could jet up to the city on the weekends? Would it be lousy to live there during the weekdays?

Lincoln Square is nice, but I would have to have a car. Parking would be impossible and it would cost me $2,000 a month to get a spot. I would get stuck in snow and not be able to drive to work. Ok, I don't need a car, but I can't get to public transportation all the time on-time. I have $70,000 a year and $50,000 of debt so I can't afford a place in this area. So Lincoln Square is a no-go.

These are just random blurbs I am making up, but it's the type of analysis I am trying to do.

[Careless]

Where are you from, anyway? What are your references?

[moving_to_IL]

I am from Boston. Not sure what you mean when you say references?

[Careless]

Originally Posted by moving_to_IL

I am from Boston. Not sure what you mean when you say references?

Your frames of reference. You're from Boston. you went to university in ____. Maybe you've spent a lot of time in some other place.

Anyway, being from Boston, you understand traffic, commutes, and density, if not Chicago-level crime, so you're not making these choices in a complete lack of perspective like, say, my friend who grew up in New Mexico and went to college in North Dakota did

One unpleasant surprise for you: while the climates between the two cities aren't all that different, spring in Chicago is terrible compared with New England.

[Careless]

Personally, if I were in your position, I'd be picking Evanston, but I lived there for a number of years, so I may be biased. Walkable, young, compact university city (in the parts you'd be moving to, anyway), easy access to Chicago (it's on the border of Chicago, and connects to it via light and heavy rail), and the routes to and from Deerfield aren't the kind that get traffic jammed, so you can drive to them in a reliable time.

[moving_to_IL]

My frame of reference is entirely Boston. I don't know much outside Boston. I understand traffic, commutes, density, and crime as you said. It's unfortunate that spring in Chicago is not ideal, but it is what it is.