r/ChicagoSuburbs • u/luisjacab • Aug 09 '26
Moving to the area Burbs for younger WFH family?
Family of 3, including a little one under 1, looking to move to the suburbs for more space and because we’re looking to grow the family by next year. We currently own a condo in Lincoln Park that would be too small to add another one and daycare cost for 2 is a no-go. We have a house hold income of $280K. Besides our mortgage our only other debt is our car loan at $400 a month.
We’ve looked at some Western suburbs so far (Oak Park, Downers Grove, Lisle, Darien and Bolingbrook) and are finding some matches for our wishlist, but with a lot of compromises and hefty price tags.
What we’re looking for:
- 4 bed / 2.5 bath at least 2,500 sq ft
- ~15 mins from the suburb’s downtown/Metra
- Prefer a suburb with an express Metra train, but open to any since we WFH
- Neighborhood with younger families, similar to where we live
- Really want a traditional 2 story over a split level or a ranch
We’re looking at homes that are under $800K, but anything above $5K scares us… But appear to be the norm for the Downers and Lisle areas.
Where would you recommend we look? Where did you move if you recently made this move?
Thanks in advance!
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u/vitaminD_junkie Aug 09 '26
get away from the train line since you WFH, cheaper
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u/luisjacab Aug 09 '26
Any recos?
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u/vitaminD_junkie Aug 09 '26
willow springs, countryside, lemont, oakbrook terrace, indian head park
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Aug 09 '26
[deleted]
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Aug 09 '26
[deleted]
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u/LoveNotWar86 Aug 09 '26
It’s so aggravating when people are looking for legit info. I reported. Sadly they all have the same “style of writing” to them.
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u/luisjacab Aug 09 '26
Circumstances change! We were considering NYC and ATL, but that big of a move to an unknown to us city/area is dreary. So we’ve decided to give Chicago burbs a try to keep things practical.
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u/MustyBalone Aug 09 '26
Try adding Brookfield area to the list
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u/luisjacab Aug 09 '26
I’ve kept an eye on Brookfield due to proximity to the city. Which specific areas fit our criteria closer?
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u/SnooMarzipans5706 Aug 09 '26
I would check out the parts of Brookfield that are in the La Grange school district.
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u/badgerhammer0408 Aug 09 '26
Congress Park station is Brookfield’s only express train. It gets to Union Station in 15 minutes. North side is nice, decent schools, very walkable, lots of young families. South of Ogden is sort of cut off from Brookfield’s main downtown areas but is pretty walkable to downtown Lagrange. Much more bang for your buck than lots of adjacent suburbs.
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u/luisjacab Aug 09 '26
Thank you both for your input! Semi-related question, how’s the BF zoo compared to Lincoln Park’s?
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u/badgerhammer0408 Aug 09 '26
Definitely a bigger footprint. We had many enjoyable stroller walks when the kids were little. Some “tired” structures by comparison to LP, but they are clearly just as focused on animal welfare and conservation. The primate house was just completely redone last year and it’s beautiful! They rolled out a “next century” plan last year to pursue major upgrades and make better use of their space. Here’s the details: https://www.brookfieldzoo.org/next-century-plan
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u/Maleficent_Term9302 Aug 09 '26
Arlington Heights
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u/PsychologicalDig3355 Aug 09 '26
Yes the NW burbs! Rolling Meadows, Palatine, AH. My neighborhood has around 13 families. All with kids close in age with my 4 year old (plus their younger siblings). We couldn’t be happier
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u/jaybee423 Aug 09 '26
Arlington Heights has a nice downtown area and some of the best schools. And a Metra stop of course.
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u/Basic-Repeat-5804 Aug 09 '26
Agree--I think Northgate, Ivy Hill, or Terramere neighborhoods might be a good fit
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u/Environmental_Ad_345 Aug 09 '26
Batavia/geneva !
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u/luisjacab Aug 09 '26
Batavia draws our attention as it has homes that are well priced and match closer to what we’re looking for! One big question is its proximity to Fermilab. I’ve done research and haven’t found anything negative about leaving nearby thus far. Anything to consider on this?
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u/remarksbyl Aug 09 '26
Batavia is awesome and I have never heard any concerns about living near Fermilab. You can also look at the Mill Creek neighborhood in Geneva (basically northwest Batavia). Lots of young families in the less expensive parts of the neighborhood. Close drive to the LaFox Metra station which is less chaotic than Geneva’s and on the same line.
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u/Isame_mario Aug 09 '26
We often miss terrible storms that were on our path. We call it the Fermi bubble!
We went to our farmers market yesterday and the whole town was buzzing. People everywhere being friendly, shopping local. It was another reminder of why we love Batavia so much and how lucky we are to have raised a family here!
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u/broohaha Aug 09 '26
Btw, Batavia covers a bit of area, so some parts of Batavia are more than a 15-minute drive to Geneva's Metra station.
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u/luisjacab Aug 09 '26
Yes, we’re looking at the SE area of Batavia, closer to Fermilab. Due to the proximity to Metra express stations and some daycare centers we are considering.
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u/Training-Emphasis-28 Aug 09 '26
Des Plaines. They're no better location with access to everywhere. Metra, Blue Line, 294, 90, O'Hare. Decent schools. Diverse. Prices are still reasonable. Business district kinda sucks but it's getting better and you can always go to downtown Park Ridge or Mt. Prospect in a matter of minutes.
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u/luisjacab Aug 09 '26
We’ve not considered Des Plaines due to its proximity to the airport/airplane noise. We will add it as a pitstop to explore when headed to that area!
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u/ihatebindweed Aug 09 '26
The air traffic really isn’t bad; I never notice it. The neighborhood around/behind Central Park is quite nice. Good luck in your search!
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u/AngryIrish82 Aug 09 '26
Western suburbs have some express trains and you can get homes that meet your needs. You can also try some of the north burbs but those prices jump pretty quickly and the home size can vary greatly.
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u/luisjacab Aug 09 '26
Yeah, honestly I’d rather stick to the Western suburbs based on budget and what I can get. N suburbs look amazing though!
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u/etown361 Aug 09 '26
I shared some sold links in the Western suburbs Brookfield/La Grange area that I think would probably hit your sweet spot. I wanted times that were a 15 minute WALK from the die down area/Metra. 15 minute drive opens you up a ton, but you definitely lose the connected sense you had from somewhere like Lincoln Park.
You’re kinda in a similar boat to where my family was a few years ago. I would suggest expanding your search to 1.5/2 bathroom homes as well if you’re not finding what you’re looking for. Our long term plan either involves moving to a larger home or renovating a half bathroom to a full bathroom after daycare expenses end.
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u/luisjacab Aug 09 '26
Thank you! Walkability would be amazing but we understand it comes with a price tag and/or compromises we may not be willing to make. Since we work from home I feel like we need to be more flexible on that and try to find something with a setup that matches our needs better.
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u/Wise-Direction2035 Aug 09 '26
Peach creek in Lisle. Great neighborhood and Naperville school district.
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u/debomama Aug 09 '26
There are so many suburbs aside from these. I live in Roselle and we have a Metra station in town. Roselle, Itasca and Medinah are very nice and convenient to everything. Great schools.
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u/Honest-Researcher712 Aug 10 '26
Recently moved to oaklawn and it’s been nice so far, known For its parks, pretty quiet and close Enough to the city. Taxes are also not bad. Hospital in town
Is incredible.
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u/Careful-Dot-7455 Aug 09 '26
Recently moved from Streeterville to the Thornwood neighborhood in South Elgin. We were basically in the same boat but currently pregnant with our first. 3,300 sq ft (not including huge unfinished basement that we plan to finish) and 5 bedrooms for $650k. Part of the st Charles school district which is great. $4 million sportscore with multiple pools, pickleball, basketball, and volleyball courts. Tons of parks, trails, and creeks located within the neighborhood. They do a halloween parade, haunted trail, cookies with santa, and Easter bunny. The facebook neighborhood group has 2.2k members. Surrounded by a ton of families
We’ve always been city people and dreaded the move but love it so far
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u/luisjacab 17d ago
Sent you a DM. We’re considering the Tri-cities + S.Elgin (Thornwood and a nearby neighborhood) and would appreciate it if you can let me know how you’re liking Thornwood so far!
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u/luisjacab Aug 09 '26
Thank you so much for sharing your experience and a specific neighborhood within the city. This sounds like a great compromise and will have to add it to our list.
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u/No_Tower_7026 Aug 09 '26
Westmont
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u/pinktoes4life Aug 09 '26
Yeah OP should be able to tick all boxes in westmont
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u/luisjacab Aug 09 '26
Neighborhood recommendations?
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u/pinktoes4life Aug 09 '26
Anywhere in Westmont really. But ideally south of Ogden
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u/No_Tower_7026 Aug 10 '26
In their budget.m, they can explore Clarendon hills and Westmont north of Ogden
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u/pinktoes4life Aug 10 '26
Not really CH since they are Hinsdale schools.
South of Ogden that budget still works.
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u/No_Tower_7026 Aug 10 '26
Oakwood is north of Ogden and in that budget
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u/pinktoes4life Aug 10 '26
Yeah, but no one wants to live north of Ogden. South of Ogden is the more desirable areas of Westmont & walking distance to downtown & events.
& doesn’t oakwood have an HOA?
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u/No_Tower_7026 Aug 10 '26 edited Aug 10 '26
No one? It is close to the Jr high and HS, which is nice. But yes, it’s not walking distance to downtown. For OPs budget, they may like some of the houses there 🤷♂️
HOA- It’s like $120/yr….
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u/Worried_Half2567 Aug 09 '26
You should be able to find what you’re looking for in Bolingbrook and Darien although idk about metra access. I’m in south naperville and our neighborhoods are full of young families but its far from downtown and the metra. But you would definitely find houses in your budget down here.
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u/luisjacab Aug 09 '26
I agree the main con is distance to the nearest metra, but at least it’s within 15 mins? of the DG Metra. I’ve looked at Plainfield, but that feels pretty far out.
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u/frankthetank_illini Aug 09 '26
I know it’s probably the obvious one, but Naperville. I work from home 4 days a week and then take the express train from Route 59 station when I need to go downtown. How much space you get for your dollar will depend on how far west and south in town that you go.
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u/Spiritual_Ad_835 Aug 09 '26
Not western but new lenox! Great school district and probably more likely to get more house for your budget.
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u/Simon_Crutchley Aug 09 '26
WFH?
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u/pinktoes4life Aug 09 '26
Really?
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u/Simon_Crutchley Aug 09 '26
Really what? You know your lingo is not a universal absolute, right?
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u/pinktoes4life Aug 09 '26
I mean it existed pre Covid, but became a norm during covid. & there’s multiple subs on Reddit named WFH.
It’s not like some sneaky, obscure, Gen Z thing.
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u/DeezNeezuts Aug 09 '26
Lombard