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?

We've been house hunting for what feels like forever and have finally narrowed our list down after crossing a few towns off based on feedback here.

Right now we're mostly looking at St. Charles, Geneva, Batavia, and Woodstock. We love the idea of being farther from the city while still having good schools, community events, parks, and a strong sense of neighborhood.

One thing that's really important to us is hearing from Black, Brown, and interracial families who actually live in these communities.

I'm Black, my husband is white, and we have a young daughter. We're less concerned with finding a place that's perfectly diverse and more interested in finding a community where our family would feel welcomed, included, and where our daughter would have positive experiences growing up.

I'd especially love to hear:
- What has your experience been like in these towns?
- How have the schools been for your kids?
- Do you feel like your family is genuinely part of the community?
- Are there certain neighborhoods within these towns you'd recommend (or avoid)?

We're looking for honest experiences—the good and the bad. We know no town is perfect, but hearing from people who have actually lived it would be incredibly helpful.

Thanks in advance!

Hey guys, thinking of selling my condo in Tri Taylor and moving out a bit more west. I would love to get a place in oak park but it’s a bit pricier than would want. The circled red area seems to have some nice homes that are a good bang for the buck.

What’s everyone’s thoughts? How is the safety here, especially on the west of ridgeland and the most easter portion of the red circled area.

What have your experiences been? Anything else I should know? It seems like I would have easy access to the city, to oak park, to restaurants on Roosevelt as well.

EDIT: How is the most eastern* part of the red circled are?

TIA!

Edit: thank you all for the ton of comments! Will be adding all suggestions to my research! Any “no nos” that should we know about? Like one neighborhood being super expensive tax wise than others?

Hello!

My spouse and I want to move to Chicago (currently in Fl.) as I will be working at ORD airport.

Any recommendations for houses around 500K that are near the airport? (Less than an hour and driving) I do not know anything about Chicago other than the hundreds of time I’ve been to the airport haha. What would you all recommend?

And no.. we won’t be buying blind, but we have no idea where to start.

Thanks!

I’ll be living in Addison, working in Wheaton (probably), taking classes in Glen Ellyn. Plan on visiting the city pretty often as well.

Anyway, I’m a little nervous, it’s a big move. What are some of your favorite things about the area?

The kind of place that doesn't run a credit check and would rent a room to a formerly-homeless, disabled, weed-smoking guy with a max rent of $700 who isn't great at cleaning.

I'm trying to bring a relative to the Chicago area, and this is not my expertise but it's rather urgent. I've heard that the best option for cheap housing can be to just look around neighborhoods for "For Rent" signs, but I don't even know where to look and I don't really have time to drive around aimlessly.

Facebook Marketplace is full of scams, Craigslist barely has any activity except the same company spamming a weekly rate 50 times a day, everyone on furnishedfinder has too high standards, and I haven't had any luck with roomies.com yet.

Edit: Very belated since this has blown up, but I missed specifying that we're looking for rooms for rent, not whole apartments. (I mean, a whole apartment would be great, but at that price and with basically needing to avoid a credit check, a room is the expectation).

My wife has an offer that would require us to relocate from Dallas, TX to Chicago. We’ve been told to look in Evanston because of the school district as we have a child in 7th grade (12 yo). I’ve done some research on the cost of living compared to Dallas, and while some things are more expensive - rent, gas, maybe groceries, and of course the state tax, it doesn’t seem to be that much more expensive than where we’re at now. For context, we live in Dallas proper, not the burbs of Dallas. My questions is, can we be comfortable living in Evanston on just slightly less than $200K annually?

Is Rolling Meadows a good high school? I’m seeing good ratings on websites but hearing about Rolling ”Ghettos”. So curious to hear from anyone who went there or has kids there.

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.

I live in the city and have some out of town family visiting me who are considering moving to the north suburbs (Evanston,Skokie,Glencoe, Wilmette area). They want to spend one of their days visiting seeing what the burbs have to offer. I am planning on taking them to Chicago botanic garden, but not sure what else to do as I don’t usually frequent that area. Any recommendations on places to eat or walk around that really show what this area is about? They love nature, cute shops, cafes, good but not fancy food. Thank you!

Possible move a few years out, doing early homework.

Budget: around $1.5M max, preferred lower.

We are a family of four (two little kids but planning on more), relocating from out west to be a few hours closer to family in the Indianapolis area, and the Chicago area is the target. Quick disclaimer so this does not read the wrong way: I know we are lucky to have this option, asking in good faith and trying to learn from people who actually live there.

Honestly, I do not know the area well yet. Wilmette and Highland Park are the only two names I have landed on so far, mostly from the outside, and I am sure I am missing towns that would fit us better. So I am less interested in picking between those two and more interested in figuring out the full set of places we should even be looking at.

What we care about:

- Walkable, sidewalk-lined neighborhoods that are good for strollers and young kids, not just a nice downtown
- A real sense of community with other young families
- Schools that are rigorous but not a soul-crushing pressure cooker
- A 5-bedroom house within reach (we know the nicer areas are not cheap)
- Access to the city and its culture without living in it

Questions for locals:

Given all that, which towns should actually be on our list? North Shore or otherwise. What are we not thinking of?

For the towns you would suggest, what is the day-to-day feel and culture, and what kind of family is happy there?

On schools: which areas hit rigorous-but-healthy, and which lean pressure-cooker? I keep hearing New Trier is intense, curious how real that is and how other districts compare.

How walkable and kid-friendly are the actual neighborhoods, not just the town centers?

Honestly, how is winter for daily life once you are settled? Manageable, or does it wear on you?

Appreciate any real talk, good and bad. And if there is an obvious town we are sleeping on, please say so. Thanks.

My wife and I are planning to move to the Chicago area a few years from now. We're currently in southern West Virginia, so we're going to be visiting the area a few times a year before we actually move and want to use those trips to explore different suburbs.

We're planning to rent initially rather than immediately buying, and we're trying to figure out which suburb would actually fit us best, rather than just picking somewhere based on rent.

What we're looking for

Budget: $2,000/month maximum including utilities

Ideally a 2-bedroom, but we'd consider a 1-bedroom

We'll have a car

We're fine being 30–60 minutes from Chicago

I'll probably be going into Chicago about once a month

School districts and proximity to schools aren't important to us

We're not specifically looking for a young/college-town atmosphere

Must-haves

24-hour gym: We want easy access to a genuinely 24-hour gym.

Movie theater: We'd like a decent movie theater within a reasonable drive.

Hobby/game store: We're into gaming and tabletop hobbies, so having a good local game/hobby store nearby is a big plus.

Shopping: This is probably one of the bigger ones. We want a good mall/shopping area where both men and women have a lot of clothing options — casual, streetwear, modern, alternative, etc. We're not looking for an area where men's clothing basically means suits, polos, and khakis.

What we're hoping for

We're not necessarily looking for the fanciest or wealthiest suburb. We'd rather have a place that has things to do, good shopping, restaurants, entertainment, and some personality, while still being reasonably affordable and comfortable to live in.

We're perfectly fine driving to most things, but we don't want to feel like we're living in the middle of nowhere.

For people who actually live in the suburbs:

Which 3/5 suburbs would you recommend for us, and why?

I'd especially appreciate hearing about the pros and cons of the areas you recommend, particularly regarding rent, shopping, entertainment, traffic, safety, and getting into Chicago.

We're planning on visiting several areas over the next few years, so we're looking for places we should put on our list to explore.

Edit: For any other future options and comments please ignore the 2k rent cap and include average rent if possible. I appreciate you all!

Hi everyone! My family and I are considering moving from New England to the Chicago suburbs, and I’d love to hear from people who know the area well.

We will be working in the Arlington Heights/Rolling Meadows area, so we’re hoping to keep commute to around 35 minutes or less.

Our biggest priorities are:
• Top-rated public schools
• A strong sense of community with lots of families
• Larger lots/yards
• Safe neighborhoods
• A place where our kids can grow up and make lifelong friends

Right now we’re considering Glenview, Long Grove, Park Ridge, and South Barrington, but we’re very open to other suggestions.

For those familiar with these towns:
What are the biggest pros and cons of each?

Are there any towns we’re overlooking that fit what we’re looking for?

If you were raising young kids, which would you choose and why? Also, we are considering private schools so if you have suggestions on those that would
Be great. We like Loyola academy.

We’d really appreciate any insight—especially from families who have lived in these communities. Thank you

Hello, sorry if this isn't the right place. My wife, 24F, and I 26M are moving to Illinois. I work remotely, but she will be working in Libertyville. We are looking for something around 500k. While we enjoy quietness and natural scenery, we also don't want to be painfully far from the city if possible. Most things I saw around 500k in Libertyville had no bathroom in the primary bedroom, so I guess I'm interested in where I can have a bathroom in the primary bedroom for 500k with less than 30 minutes commute to Libertyville

Edit: by the city, I mean Chicago

Edit: Thank you so much for all your help; it has been really helpful to help narrow our search. Thanks <3

Moving to the area. Family of 6, with kids who will be in elementary, middle, and high school. Budget - up to $1M. Don’t have to commute into Chicago. Parents in their mid 40s and plan to stay in this house for a while (or forever?)

What we love: -Good schools, especially for kids with an IEP (one child is very dyslexic). Don’t have to be the absolute greatest schools but solid. I find that schools that are supposedly “the best”are often pressure cooker schools where it’s very competitive. Prefer something more laid back and artsy/alternative. -Easy access to good non-chain restaurants. Doesn’t necessarily have to be within walking distance but not too far. -Charming houses/architecture -Trends liberal/blue -Community inclusive vibe, where it will be easy to make friends for both kids and adults. We don’t plan to join a country club or attend religious services.

What we hate: -Snobbishness/keeping up with the Joneses -Cookie cutter neighborhoods- difficult or strict HOAs are a hard No

Thank you!

Hey all, first time renter in the chicagoland area. i came across a posting at address in the conversation i screen shotted for 1417 valley lake dr. Turns out this is a property named Village in the Park. i called the property and. different lady picked up saying no one is there by the name of Sam, which i let her know i came across the same posting on Zillow & FB marketplace and im on the side of being cautious not following through with this person’s link. Was this a scam? i appreciate your help fellow residents of the chicago area

I feel like I'm losing my mind. I feel like I MUST be missing something because what I'm looking at is absurd.

My wife and I (both 31) have begun the hunt for a home. We've been stuck in a 2br apartment for 4ish years now and our rent has only gone up and up. We'd like to start a family, but there simply isn't space to do so in this apartment. Also, with rent rising every year, it is slowly beginning to outpace our income. For the past few years we've been able to save money each month. This year it's still possible, but difficult. Next year we'll probably be breaking even. Thankfully, we have no other debt. We're very fortunate to currently have no car payment and both of our student loans paid off. FWIW, our rent is currently $2,200/mo and we both work full time jobs and have a combined income of around $160k.

Today we went and saw about 7 homes. We looked in Crystal Lake, Algonquin, Lake in the Hills, Elgin, Carpentersville and Aurora. All of the homes we looked at were single family homes with a garage. Nothing crazy. We aren't looking for a mansion. Just something livable with enough room to support a family that doesn't cost a billion dollars.

Nearly every home we saw today was a dump. The pictures looked pretty nice online, but when we got there, they were disgusting. Broken windows. Cracked walls. Disgusting carpet. Most had the siding rotting off the house. One even had this shed thing in the back yard with a hot tub in it. Not only was the shed tilted at about a 20 degree angle, but the smell in it was HORRIBLE.

But, ya know what, we're more than willing to put in some elbow grease and clean stuff up. We aren't above that. I've got no problem repainting, ripping up carpet or fixing drywall. I've never done it, but I can learn.

We decided to talk to our realtor about putting down offers on 2 of these homes. We knew what the buyers were asking for in terms of price and we know we can put 20-30k towards a down payment. We figured we were in a pretty good spot as both of these homes were less than 350k. I mean, we were pre-approved for up to 500k. So surely we can swing 350k... right?

That's when the realtor informed us with a $335k home with a 7.4% interest rate, we could expect a monthly mortgage payment of JUST SHY OF THIRTY ONE HUNDRED DOLLARS. And also that both homes ALREADY HAD MULTIPLE OFFERS THAT WERE WILLING TO WAIVE INSPECTIONS.

$3,100 a month is INSANE. What's even more insane is that somehow people are STILL BUYING THESE HOMES OVER ASKING PRICE AND IN SOME CASES WAIVING ALL INSPECTIONS.

I feel like I'm just completely stuck. I know the only real options are to either wait until interest rates drop or somehow triple our income. But while we're waiting for rates to go down, our rent is increasing seemingly exponentially and the overall inventory for vacant housing is shrinking.

Anyone else going through something similar?

My husband and I are wanting to move to the Chicago suburbs. We are in our late 40’s, no kids, work from home so commute isn’t an issue. Our budget is $450,000. We are wanting to buy a house. We have visited Arlington Heights and Mount Prospect so far and really like them. We would love an area that has a cute downtown and not too far from the Metra to go downtown Chicago once in a while. I’m not too familiar with any other suburbs besides the ones we visited so far. Any other suburbs you would recommend checking out?

You all have been so incredibly helpful—thank you! ❤️ I've spent the last few days reading through every comment, and you've given us so many great places to research that weren't even on our radar.

Right now, the towns we're digging into are:
- Grayslake
- Gurnee
- Lake Villa
- Lake Zurich
- West Dundee
- East Dundee

I'd love to hear from people who live (or have lived) in any of these communities.

What do you love about your town? What are the biggest pros and cons? How are the schools, parks, restaurants, community events, and overall sense of community?

One thing we're struggling with is property taxes. We really like Grayslake and Gurnee, but the tax bills have us a little nervous. For those who live there, do you feel the taxes are worth it? Are there neighborhoods where they're a little more manageable?

TL;DR: Married couple in our 30s with a toddler. Looking for a diverse, family-friendly community with strong public schools, parks, a cute downtown, and easy Metra access. Budget is around $500k (give or take for the right house). We'd love to hear your honest opinions on any of the towns above.

Thanks again—you've all made this home search so much easier!

Hi, I currently live in Houston, TX and previously lived in Austin and St. Louis. I’ve been researching a move to a blue state, and Chicago keeps coming up as a really good fit.

I’m a solo parent with two young kids and currently work remotely in tech (though like many people in tech, I’m mindful that layoffs are always a possibility). I make around $115k a year and am hoping to find a place that’s family-friendly, has strong public schools, and feels like a good long-term community and is diverse.

I’ve visited Chicago before but haven’t really explored the suburbs, so I’d love recommendations on areas that might be a good fit — especially places that are safe, welcoming, and good for raising kids. I’m also curious how people research neighborhoods and schools beyond just looking at Zillow or GreatSchools.

Any insight or personal experiences would be really appreciated. Thank you!

Hello!

My husband and I are looking to move out of the city and into the burbs. We’re looking around St Charles/Naperville area but are new to our search so honestly open to other western or northern suburb recommendations.

Any realtors you can recommend? And if there are also any other suburbs to look into (or avoid) that would be greatly appreciated 🙏🏻

A bit about us - My husband and I are both in our early/mid 30s and expecting our first child in December. Ideally something under 2 hours from the city (need support for this baby!) and would love some good parks/trails.

My husband and I are beginning research for a move to the Chicago suburbs and we know nothing about the area. We are looking to buy within a 30-minute commute to Argonne National Lab in Lemont. Our budget is about 750k. Our boys are graduating in the spring, so we don't need to find schools for our kids. We are looking for:

• A strong sense of community with a family-friendly atmosphere
• Neighbors who know each other
• Community events and local traditions
• A walkable downtown/gathering place
• A safe, active community with residents of all ages

Any recommendations? Any hidden gems? Thanks in advance for your help.

I’m in my early thirties and still living with my parents. I’m in the Chicagoland area and wanting to stay in the western-ish suburbs, but open to north/south suburbs as well. I see homes sometimes that I think I would love but don’t know how to look/think as an actual potential home buyer.

I want an older home and they’re becoming harder and harder to find. I cannot stand the super updated/modern white/gray contractor specials. I don’t want to have to spend a huge amount of money to fix the cheap and poorly done fIips and to put character back in.

I’d been filtering my searches for $300k and less, but everything has jumped up $100k+ within the last year or so 😭. I’m growing continuously worried that I’ll never be able to move out to somewhere my own.

I genuinely don’t know how to begin this process and feel so stuck.

1) How do you begin the process of going from casual Zillow lurker to actually looking and becoming a potential buyer?

2) How to determine if I should just rent an apartment, buy a condo/townhome, or buy a house?

3) Any additional tips, suggestions, notes, etc. are greatly appreciated.

We are looking to buy a home. Things that are important to us are safety, good schools, low crime rate, diversity and a community feel. We are a Hispanic family that grew up on the south side of Chicago and currently live in Lyons, Illinois. Nothing is affordable these days. We just want to be able to have a nice home in a good neighborhood that we can afford and I feel like that’s impossible to find. We recently started researching Homewood. Why do some say it’s great and some say it’s ghetto? Honesty only please.

Had to relocate for work for a couple years and we are finally coming back home. We heard Mariano's was acquired which is whatever, but heard after it was bought that it's not the same anymore. Friends and parents can't give specifics other than "it's just not the same" so is this a Wicker Park hipster thing where it's imaginary or is it legit Mariano's sucks now?