Moving to Chicagoland, need help please
 

Well, I've given plenty of info to places in Texas for prospective members it's time for me to ask for help.

I'll be working in Bensenville, Il and I was hoping for some input from members about the many cities which make up Chicago. Not so much things to do yet, though it'll follow, but more along the lines of good areas for young professionals.

Where are the good neighborhoods, hopefully with stuff to do in them. I don't mind a commute, but don't exactly want to be living on the other side of the city either.

Any and all information would be awsome, thanks :)

The big question, Seaver, is will this move mean that you can spend more time on the TFP?

That really depends on what stuff to do you're talking about. A few places not too far from there are Schaumburg, Skokie, Norridge, Mount Prospect, but if you provide a few more details, it may be easier to give a better answer.

Well I'm looking for kind of a younger, hip neighborhood. I'm not looking to drive for 30min to be able to have any fun, but at the same time I don't want to be paying downtown prices.

I heard Bucktown is nice, but google doesn't pull up where it is in relationship to where I'll be working (Bensenville).

I hear Bensenville is more industrial type of area, with questionable crime.

In essence, I'm looking for a place where the women instinctively flock to like the Salmon of Capistrano (Aspen is not available).

At least until I can find some new drinking buddies, I'll miss them :cry:

are you looking for urban delights, or suburban leisure?

Well I'm young with no family, so I don't care about good schools or crap like that.

How about urban delights with more than a 5 square foot apt.

Yes, you do need help. Serious help.

Also depends on the price range you're looking at.

Schaumburg is a decent area that's not too bad in terms of cost, but there are really a lot of neighborhoods in that area that are manageable. That said, what town you live in doesn't matter too much in terms of things to do, because no matter what you're going to find yourself driving to do things. There are plenty of things to do in the suburbs, it's just more spread out than the city (and, if you're really interested in doing things and attending events and concerts, you'll probably end up going into the city every now and then anyway.

wow, lots of responses while I wrote that.

Ok, first, Bucktown is a neighborhood in Chicago.

And, to be frank, you're not going to find what you're looking for in any of the suburbs. Except maybe some of the ones just north of the city, like Evanston or possibly Skokie.

There's really no such thing as a "young, hip" suburb ;) They're not bad or anything, but suburbs don't have personality in the same way that city neighborhoods do.

Thanks for the replies yall.

I'll try to get more specific if it helps. I'm getting a nice pay raise with this promotion, so an apartment for $1500/month is reasonable. I'm just looking for somewhere that'll be easy to find a drinking buddy, within walking distance of some good bars/clubs and live music.

I'm heading up there next weekend to so some serious searching. Right now I'm looking a lot in the Bucktown/Wicker Park region based on what I've heard, but there's no way to gauge the city neighborhoods online.

If anyone else has suggestions / personal experiences I'd love to hear them.

Just know that if you're going to live in the city and work in Bensenville....your commute will likely suck.

Why's that? I figured most cities have heavy traffic In in the morning and Out in the evening. I would be going the opposite.

Morning traffic shouldn't be a problem as I'll probably start at 7-8am, the evening is a different story.

You're right up to a point. There are a LOT of folks also doing a reverse commute, so the traffic is better, but it will still be slow. There's also the issue of people working in the northern suburbs but living on the South Side of the city or in the southern suburbs.

I'm guessing that you'd take 290 to 294 to get to work. 294 northbound can be a parking lot in the morning. Your alternative is to take 90 to 294, but then you're in MY way going to O'Hare as well as all the folks that live farther in but work in Schaumburg.

Yeah, the Chicago area is sorta famous for its dismal traffic ;) Part of the issue is that the population density drops much more gradually than most cities (obviously setting aside comparable cities like New York or LA).

If you're looking for a nice, clean, safe town to do some work in, I think there's only one place for that, and that's Naperville, IL. Yes, it is a pretty pricey place to live, but you can't beat the environment and the downtown entertainment. I lived there for 4 months and it was fabulous. Give it a look, it's worth it. Good luck!

Being old and married with kids I can't be of much use to you here at this point.

Naperville is good with perhaps the best night life of any suburb, but it won't beat down town for that sort of thing.

I'm not a north sider, so not sure where you would want to be in that direction.

Never put ketchup on a hot dog.


I think the first time you just get a warning but after that they start cutting off fingers.

You have to choose between a long commute and a dull nightlife. A car commute will sap your purity of essence and cut into your enthusiasm for fun. I suggest you commute to Bensenville by Metra or suck it up and find a place in Bensenville. You can always head in to town via Metra + CTA when you feel the need.

Thanks for the input everyone. In truth I'll be showing up to work between 5am or 8am at the latest.

I'll be managing a coffee route delivery region. So I'll show up when my drivers do, which is usually at ass-thirty in the morning. The traffic TO work does not bother me, as I'll only see it on the way back.

Bucktown bordered by Ashland Ave to the East, Western Ave to the west, Fullerton to the north, and North Ave to the south.

The intersection of North Ave and Damen is "ground zero" for Bucktown.

You are a 45min - 1 hour commute away from Bensenville coming from Bucktown (avg is probably about 45 minutes at rush hour, but it can be much longer if there is a Cubs game or a snow storm).

For what it's worth, I live in Bucktown and work in Libertyville (35 miles away--twice as far as yours would be). FYI, the traffic starts backing up at 6:30 in the morning. If I can get on the road by 6:15, I can usually make my commute in 45 minutes. After 6:30, it's between a 1.25-1.5 hour commute.

Thanks, love the input everyone.

What are the major activities in the Bucktown/Wicker Park areas?

Many restaurants, bars, clothing boutiques, coffee shops, and great street festivals and neighborhoods parks to enjoy in the summer.

Keep in mind, if you're living *in* the city, pretty much any of the neighborhoods are easy access. So, it's more a matter of what's a safe, affordable place to live. The CTA can help you get to wherever you want to be for activities. :)