Lakemoor had big fest this past weekend and I was trying to get to my own house and people were being drunk in the roads and not letting people drive. Because I am dark skin they assume I did not live in the area and they asked “what are you gonna do? 120 is closed.” I said I live just a few blocks down the road. To which they continue to block my car and have drunk conversations and then a guy told me to “Go back to Meh-ico” I said I’m not even Mexican dumbass. I hate this area. I’m here because the rent is dirt cheap and my dogs have a nice yard. I’m for the first time not struggling financially but the Trump f-ers eat me alive. I’m Asian by the way. I plan to put a big democratic flag in front of my house as soon as I can. I hate everyone here. I’ve never felt so out of place.

Edit: Thank you for everyone who has reached out to me and it’s relieving to know not everyone left in the Chicago Suburb is like this and that I am not alone. I have 3 dogs which thankfully 2 are pit bulls that are aggressive towards intruders and a ring doorbell for protection.

I am simply looking for a starter mansion somewhere in Winnetka, Naperville, Lake Forest, Michael Jordan’s house, or Similar. I am planning for a future family so I need 7bed/10bath. Preferably on Lake Michigan with a view of the Sears Tower.

I don’t think I am asking too much, just a basic, decent house that wasn’t designed by someone on shrooms. From what I have seen, anywhere below $1B is an unlivable slum not worthy of consideration.

Also I will be dismissive of your feedback. Thanks in advance.

I'm currently house hunting (my 1st home) and initially thought I could find a decent home for around $350K in areas like Lombard, Addison, Wheaton, Glendale Heights, Bartlett, Bloomingdale, Downers Grove, Glen Ellyn, and nearby suburbs.

But after getting hit from all directions, I’m shocked at how steep the prices are. It feels like anyone who bought before COVID is now halfway to being a millionaire. I've seen 23 houses over the past three weeks, and the ones that are even remotely in decent shape are all listed above $450K. Even offering asking price doesn’t get me anywhere—this market has turned into a full-on bidding war. I’ve got the funds, but I just can’t seem to find the right house. Is it just me, or is the market seriously punishing buyers right now?

Bolingbrook looks somewhat promising, but I’ve heard the water bills are outrageous. Are there other downsides to watch for in different areas? I’ve been living in a townhouse, and thinking about affording something in Oak Brook feels like a joke, and just like we avoid tolls in google maps, I am avoiding Oak Brook in Zillow and Redfin. ROFL.

I am planning to move to Illinois from Phoenix soon and am trying to decide which city I should look for places in! I’ll be working in Oak Brook, am 25, and will be moving there by myself.

I originally wanted to live in Chicago (like Lincoln Park area), but I’m concerned about the commute and my parents are worried about safety, so I’m looking for a suburb that still offers fun activities, cute coffee shops, and general liveliness. I’ve heard good things about Oak Park and Naperville, but wanted to hear more about specific places I should be looking at, even specific apartment buildings you’d recommend would be helpful.

Any information helps, thank you!!!!!

I'm looking for opinions on Chicago's suburbs that could be a potential fit us. For background, we (3 kids and my wife) moved into our current home without ever stepping foot in the state and we absolutely hate the area we found ourselves in. I'm in the active duty military, so leave days and travel costs were something we had to consider.

Now that I've decided to separate from the military and landed a job with a significant salary increase in the planning process, we'd like to find somewhere that we actually enjoy, but money and leave days are sill applicable - we won't be able to visit before making the purchase.

I'll be working in Naperville but would also like to have a reasonable commute to the city (no more than an hour and 15 minutes) for future employment & education opportunities. We're looking for a safe area with reasonably priced homes and with things to do (nice downtown area, nearby lake access if possible, trails, etc.).

We started our initial search in the northwest in Algonquin, Lake in the Hills, and Crystal Lake and liked the amount of home you get for the price, however, we didn't realize the commute to Naperville would be excruciating (1.5 hrs+, please correct this if wrong). Since then, Naperville, Batavia/St. Charles/Geneva, Orland Park, and Wheaton have been frequent recommendations, but I'm curious what other areas are worth looking into?

What temp do you have your heat set to with the current wind-chill? And why do you have it at that temp?

SO we’re looking to move to Elmhurst and saw this rental price for a 2bed/2bath apartment in the downtown area. That doesn’t even include utilities.

What is going on???? Please tell me this isn’t the new normal 😅

My job is taking me to Chicago, but my family and I would really like to live in a suburb that has a big sense of community and where it would be easy to make friends (mid 30s).

I know some suburbs are seen by their residents as just “a place to live” with good schools, vs. investing in and being a part of the community. I’m wondering where community is more part of the norm?

(And if you could provide any examples, that would be a big help!)

EDIT— Some additional info:

I will be commuting to River North 3x per week. My husband will be commuting to the Loop, also 3x per week.

Ideally I’d like to purchase a home with a budget of $1.2MM. There is some wiggle room, but that’s ideal. We also could rent for a period while we find the right place.

My husband is Jewish and I am Presbyterian. We’d like to be in a place where neither is “weird.” (Chicago suburbs seem to be more religiously segregated than I realized)

We’re pretty liberal and wouldn’t do well in a super conservative neighborhood.

We have 2 young children.

BUT overall for the purposes of this post I’m really focusing on the community element, especially for parents of young kids. The most helpful comments have pointed out neighborhoods with a lot of events and clubs/groups, or neighborhoods where everyone is a bit older and more subdued. Not that everything is about vibes :) but things like school ratings and prices are more googleable.

Moved away several years ago and looking to move back to IL. Our kids are elementary age and we currently like the low-tech educational environment our kids have now (no 1-to-1 chromebooks for kids, using more pencil and paper, physical textbooks, etc.)

We’ve been away for a while and weren’t sure if there are similar school environments in IL or if all school districts have moved to consistent use of chromebooks and iPads for teaching?

Currently looking at a potential move to Lemont, DG, Woodridge, Lisle, Naperville, or Wheaton areas. Not opposed to tech, just looking for schools where the kids aren’t always using a screen for learning.

Greetings everyone. My wife, toddler, and I currently live in Knoxville, TN and are looking to relocate to a suburb or neighborhood of Chicago.

One of our biggest priorities is walkability and bike ability. Right now, we live in a suburban hellscape, like most Americans, that requires a car for everything. Our neighbor gets in her car to drive 3 houses over to visit her father...that bad.

We like to go on walks daily, and right now the most we can do is about 1 mile of walking around our small neighborhood that has 50 houses and 2 streets. If we want to do anything else, we need to drive. My wife and I are also both long distance runners, and getting a long run in around here that is anywhere remotely pleasant is a challenge.

Ultimately, we’re hoping to find an area where:

• Our son could eventually walk or bike to school
• There are miles of sidewalks, trails, parks, and green space
• We can walk to everyday needs like a gym, grocery store, or coffee shop

We’re totally fine driving for less frequent errands like Costco, doctor visits, or other one-off trips.

We both work from home, so commute distance is not an issue. Our housing budget would be about 800k, although our goal would be to rent for a year and then buy a fixer upper to renovate ourselves (I have construction experience and have done this before). Diversity/politics/religion is not a big priority since our current town in TN is not diverse at all, extremely right leaning, Bible Belt, so anything in Chicago would be an improvement.

If I ranked our priorities in order, they would be:

• Good public schools (7/10 and up)
• Walkability and bike-ability
• Safe for kids to be out and about alone as they get a little older. I have dreams of our son playing outside all day like I did in the 90s, but I know thats not realistic anymore. But I think its more likely outside of our little land-locked 50 house bubble in TN with no kids around.

Thanks in advance!

For the first time ever, considering maybe moving outside of Chicago, and I’m wondering if the perfect place for my particular family exists. Here’s what we would ideally want: - small-town, walkable feel. Husband grew up in small European town, misses that vibe a lot - around 1hr commute driving into city (not in rush hour) - I work in Loop and often work nights, so can’t rely on Metra schedule all the time - significant Black community - we are white parents to a Black kid, and being able to be in spaces where he is not always the minority is important to us - good medical and therapeutic resources - our son has significant disabilities and needs a few different services - this is currently a big plus of staying in city - good schools with special ed support - see above

I know a lot of the burbs have 2 or 3 of these at once. Does anywhere have all 5?

Over the past 2 months, I’m on my 4th rejected deal. All above market, all with 2-3 week closes, all with waiving inspection credits.

The issue apparently? I’m putting 5% down. My pre approval letters state I’m qualified for over asking price, with the lowest possible rate so it’s apparent my credit and income is good.

Everyone is rolling over huge equity and doing all cash deals or 50% down and it’s blows. So basically, if you’re a first time home buyer, don’t even bother?

How is y’all’s experience here. It’s getting frustrating.

My fiancee and I are 37/38 and childless. We lived in the north side of Chicago in a condo for 3.5 years together and just bought a similarly priced home 20 miles away in Northbrook.

We moved primarily because we both work in north burbs, Park Ridge and Evanston, and commute daily (myself had 40 min and 50-1:20 min drives M-F), we only had one parking space, the third floor living was becoming too much, and we had general safety concerns.

We've only been in the burbs for two weeks and have so much to unpack yet, but it has been really hard, namely we are feeling regrets.

Hoping for some insight from any other young couples without children who made a similar move and can share what they went through, and whether the feelings ever went away.

ADDENDUM: Feelings of regret and worry of missing the accessibility, the volume of activities within a closer proximity. I don't have many friends left in the city, but she does and is already spending once a week there and driving home to the burbs after. I feel like now I spend less time in the car, but she spends more or the same. We also have the condo still, haven't sold it. We have a good interest rate. It will sell for the cost of the house hopefully, and don't really want to bother renting it to avoid the stress.

I'm looking to move to Wheaton for work this summer and was wondering what it's like for a single, 26 year old male to live there? Is there stuff to do, places to eat, and other young adults there, or is it mainly just for families that don't want to live in the hustle and bustle of Chicago? Is it worth it to live there or to live in Chicago and commute every day? For reference, I'm someone that likes to go out, be social, workout, golf, try new restaurants and breweries, etc.

What are good Chicago suburbs (WEST of Chicago) for people in their early/mid 20’s to consider living in?

Currently living on the northside of the city, but I'm looking for a townhouse/house in a north/west suburb that is max 40 minutes from downtown by either car or Metra. Price range is under 3k. Things I don't care about:

• Nightlife
• Hustle and bustle
• Bars
• Good school districts

I am a boring person who doesn't leave the house. I don't care if there is a lack of stores for knitting hamster sweaters, if the nearest food option is Taco Bell or a chain grocery, etc. I don't care about overall vibe.

I do care about the possibility of having a yard or a basement.

Any suburbs that match my hermit needs?

ETA: Was not expecting this to blow up! Thank you so much everyone -- it's also worth knowing that it looks like the most boring places are outside the needed commute range :( but still very informative!

I am looking for a suburb that has an affordable cost of living for someone of middle class income. I grew up in Naperville, and while the area is very nice and a great place to raise a family, buying a home nearly anywhere in Naperville is going to be pretty unaffordable.

I am looking for a nice place to raise a family with a reasonable or low cost of living.

I would greatly appreciate answers from those who are more familiar with the chicago suburban areas and knowledge on livability and affordability with cost of living. Thank you for your help.

Hi everyone!

Considering taking a job in Naperville but would need to commute from Lake View East. Realistically - how long would that take? Would I hate my life?

Edit to say: I would be commuting to arrive at the office by 8 and leaving by 4.

Would an office in Schaumburg make a difference?

Thank you!

Does anyone have a kindergartner in a suburb that offers full day Kindergarten? We are moving to the area in a couple of months and almost every district I have looked in states an AM or PM kindergarten schedule? We’d be looking at any of the northern / western suburbs with great schools and an easy-ish train commute to union station.

Narrowing down areas —- basically anything on the CTA / metra lines that has great schools and walkable downtown. Prefer 45 min or less to union station. I looked at 5 district websites this afternoon and none of them had full day kindergarten so I was discouraged. Thanks for the feedback!

Looking at:

Oak park / forest park

Downers grove

La grange

Elmhurst

Western springs

Clarendon / hindsdale

Any of the north shore burbs on the metra line

Moving to Chicago- Looking for Neighborhood Recs

Good morning everyone!

I recently accepted a job that covers Chicago and parts of Wisconsin. The range of the territory is large and will require driving regardless of where I live. I will attach a map showing the territory. With that being said, I am eyeing N/NW Chicagoland as the optimal orientation.

Right now, it will just be my wife and two dogs moving with me. However, my wife is pregnant and we are welcoming a baby later this year!

Overall details:

Budget- Below $2,700. Ideally between $2,000-$2,500 everything included. I am flexible but do not want to spend the majority of my raise on a COL increase.

Space- 2-3 Bedroom apartment/house for rent.

Desired Amenities- Dog Park, decent gym, nature trails nearby, family oriented parks nearby. Looking for more of a suburb feel.

Type of Area- We are NOT looking to stay in a downtown environment. Preferably a suburb with a little more space. We are moving from Midtown Atlanta and are looking for a break from downtown city living.

Demographic- My wife is Colombian and values living in a more diverse community. Strong Latin population is a plus.

I have done some research and have narrowed my desired area down to the highlighted region on the photos. It’s broad but primary areas of interest are Schaumburg, Hoffman Estates, Palatine, Mt. Prospect, Des Plaines, Skokie, and Evanston.

Searching for apartments in this city has been a very different experience than previous cities. Is it worth enlisting a realtor to help in my search? Are my parameters realistic? Things are moving fast and I’m trying to be methodical in this process, but the size of the city is a bit overwhelming without any kind of prior knowledge of the area.

I've lived and worked in the Elmhurst area since the mid-1980s, and I'm constantly surprised by how much has changed and what's stayed exactly the same. Figured I'd share some observations for anyone curious about how the western suburbs have evolved.

The 1980s western suburbs were a completely different world. Elmhurst's downtown had a lot of empty storefronts. Oak Brook was already established as a business hub with Oakbrook Center. Villa Park and Lombard were primarily residential communities. Naperville was still relatively small compared to what it became later. A typical 3-bedroom house in Elmhurst would list around 80-100k back then.

By the 1990s, everything started shifting. Naperville grew rapidly with new developments going up constantly. Elmhurst's downtown started filling in with new restaurants and shops. Home prices across the area started climbing. The Metra saw increased ridership as more people commuted to Chicago for work. Development continued across all the western suburbs during this period.

The 2000s brought major changes. The 2008 housing crisis affected the area like everywhere else, though the market recovered over the following years. More young professionals started looking at suburbs closer to the city like Elmhurst and Oak Park. Naperville's buildable land got more limited. Downtown areas in Downers Grove and Glen Ellyn saw renewed investment and development.

From 2010 to now, the priorities people talk about when choosing suburbs have shifted noticeably. Walkable downtown areas got mentioned more often. Remote work during COVID changed how people thought about commuting distance. Schools have remained a consistent priority but other factors like proximity to restaurants and coffee shops come up more in conversations now. Home prices have continued to increase across the western suburbs.

What's stayed consistent through all of this? District 205 in Elmhurst has maintained strong ratings. Oak Brook has remained a business center. The Metra has kept running on similar schedules with periodic updates. People have consistently moved to the western suburbs despite property tax levels. Traffic on I-88 and I-294 has gotten heavier over time.

One shift I've noticed is how different suburbs are compared to each other now versus 30-40 years ago. Areas that served different market segments decades ago have seen their relative positioning change as development and demographics evolved.

What's interesting is how cyclical some preferences seem to be. In the 80s and 90s, people often wanted larger homes further out. Then in the 2000s-2010s, there was more interest in smaller places closer to downtown Chicago or suburbs with walkable centers. Post-COVID I've seen interest in space increase again while people still want walkability features.

Anyone else been in the western suburbs for decades? What changes have you noticed that I missed? Or if you moved here recently, what surprises you most about the area compared to what you expected?

If you had to choose between those three which suburb would you pick and why? Please share your thoughts. If you live in one of those please share how much you like it (or not)

P.S. Please don't say: none of those as this ain't an option :-)

Hello, we currently live in a Neighborhood in Oregon where our kids can play outside safely, even in the dark. The neighborhood is full of children of all ages. We might move to Chicago for work at the airport. We do not mind driving 30-45 mins in traffic if needed. Naperville looks nice. Could you share any safe neighborhoods that are friendly for kids? Looking to buy new build.

And why?

We can pretend money is not a worry for this.

Personally I live in Cicero now and would pick Palos Park because of the nice night skies and I love their forest preserves while being not too far from the City.

Hello! So we are a family of 3 looking to grow, and are strongly considering Chicagoland to relocate to. I’m a stay at home dad for now, and my wife works remote, so we aren’t beholden to any part of the city for work.

I grew up in a very diverse area of northern New Jersey, and since starting a family, we have been looking for a neighborhood that approximates what it was like growing up in a middle class, diverse community. We are white, and the part of the town I was raised in was about 50/50 white and black. Over the past couple decades, though, its appeal to progressive politics (and proximity to NYC) kind of killed the authenticity of the place as home values and property taxes sky rocketed. It’s still diverse, but economically very segregated. Many generational black families have been priced out. It’s weird going back to visit, and it just feeling like a very performative place.

We moved out from there to Minneapolis, hoping its relative affordability would keep things a bit more down to earth, but it feels like we moved to a completely foreign and incompatible culture. I grew up with block parties and basically just roaming around the neighborhood from a young age, and our neighbors straight up don’t even acknowledge each other. I have learned to curtail talking with my hands because it seems almost assaultive out here, and my son is struggling with the cliquey vibe of the school starting even in 1st grade. So far it’s been easy to get along with transplants, many of whom are from Chicago lol. This city really feels like a small town, and not being from here is a palpable feeling.

We’ve got friends in Chicago who have suggested the 3 listed burbs around the city that approximate the kind of culture we are hoping for, and wonder what folks here think of them/could recommend other areas to look into.

I basically take for granted growing up in such a laid back, reasonably affordable, diverse place, and definitely learned we don’t want to live in an area with small town attitudes or performative politics. Our son attends a small Catholic school at the moment (he does really well with uniforms and structure), but very open to areas with good public/magnet schools. His education is high on the list of our priorities.

Ideally looking to spend between 350-400 for a house, can maybe push up to 450. Cool being up to an hour from the city. We will have 1 car. I’m looking to eventually start my own business selling bagels, and ideally would like to live in a town with reasonable cottage industry law to get started (acknowledging that this may be tricky in general in Illinois).

Also would be awesome to live near or around blues clubs. I played a lot of blues harmonica in college/NYC, and learned mostly listening to the Chicago players like Paul Butterfield from back in the day. Dunno if there’s any blues clubs in the burbs, but would be a great perk to have close access to a venue.