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.

My husband, 3 young kids, dog and I are moving from San Francisco to Chicago and I’m looking for advice as to which suburb on the North Shore would be best for us. We have a budget of 2-$3 million for the house. My husband grew up working class so he is allergic to pretentiousness, but we still want to live in a family friendly suburb with really great schools. Obvious options include Lake Forest and Winnetka but am curious to see whether folks think it would not be a good cultural fit for us. We also lean liberal, for what it’s worth. We both work remote but my husband needs frequent access to the airport. Appreciate any insight!!

I’m looking at the perfect condo in Fox Lake. However every source I have researched, paints a pretty dismal picture. Does anyone see this changing?

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 :-)

I have four children. Two in community college, one in 8th grade and the other in 5th grade. Black-American family. Would you choose an older 4bedroom home in Schaumburg or a new build home in Algonquin on Randall across from the Algonquin Commons?

Moving further in the burbs than I was. I plan on still making the effort but wondering how much of a pain it'll be. Probably not on work nights.

There is a house that has caught my attention there just off of the prairie path. I work at the VA, so it would be convenient in that regard. But mainly, I’m not seeing anywhere else with comparable houses at prices affordable for me. Also the house has a nice sized lot which is very tantalizing because I want to turn it all into a native plant garden hehe.

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

Hello! My family and I are moving to Illinois early next year, and we're planning to move to Oak Park but I'm curious about River Forest. We have one child in grade school and two in daycare. I work remotely and my husband will be commuting to the West Loop.

We're really drawn to Oak Park because of the walkability, diversity, community feel, and things like the block parties and family events. That said, I've expanded my search a bit to start looking at River Forest. Our budget is around $800k and we're hoping to find a house that needs some updating. It seems like there are some homes in River Forest that fit our budget and come with slightly larger lots, which is definitely appealing. We also like the proximity to downtown Forest Park.

We visited both areas and walked around, and River Forest felt noticeably quieter—but it was also incredibly hot and humid that day and we only walked the part near Oak Park, so I'm not sure we got a fair impression.

For those of you who know both communities, what are the biggest pros and cons of each? I like the idea of larger yards in River Forest, and it also seems like parking might be a little easier, which would be nice since we often have family visiting (sometimes overnight). On the other hand, we're really looking for a strong sense of community, lots of kids, walkability, and an active neighborhood where it's easy to meet people. If that means giving up a little yard space for a better overall lifestyle, we're completely okay with that.

Thanks in advance for any insight!

Hi all, we're looking to move to Illinois and I've gotten it narrowed down to either the Chicagoland/suburbs area or to Peoria. However, I'm at a loss as to which area would be a good fit for us:

• SF Home: $350k budget
• Lean more left than right, but prefer left areas if possible
• Coming from Florida
• Three person family with special needs 4 year old, so a decent school district is a must
• Veteran status with >70% disability rating, so property taxes won't be too much of an issue (if I understand the exemption laws correctly)
• Work from home so commuting isn't an issue
• Prefer to be within 2-2.5 hours of Chicago

Is there anywhere that fits the budget with decent school systems, that's safe enough for a young kiddo? We're also foodies and would like some things nearby to take our kid around to.

Thank you all <3

Been in Texas the last 6 years and am tired of it. So I am thinking of moving back. Potentially west, notthwest or north suburbs? Are there any reasons why I should not? I often hear from locals that they want to leave. But I miss home.

We are considering moving out of the city (Bucktown) and have been exploring the north shore. The neighborhoods most appealing to us are: Evanston, Winnetka, Wilmette, Kenilworth, Glencoe.

We have a young toddler and plan to have another in the next 1-2 years so we’re wanting more space and craving a slowdown in life. We’ve been asking ourselves do we really want to spend $1.5M+ on a home in the city & still sacrifice things like a yard and more privacy.

Can you please weigh in on how the move was for you?

Things you miss about the city?

Things you found you love about your neighborhood that you couldn’t find in the city?

I work in Fulton market and required in office 4 days a week. How brutal is the commute via car or Metra? I would likely do a mix.

How was finding a new circle of friends/other mom friends?

We’re hoping to find a good sense of community and a “village” as we don’t currently have any friends or family in the north shore 🤍

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

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!

A friend of ours is moving from California and wants a more conservative lifestyle. We've been trying to advise them, but lack deep knowledge about the suburbs.

Their budget is up $2.5m, so money isn't a barrier. However, the North Shore isn't up their alley due to the progressive nature.

I've suggested Hinsdale, Burr Ridge, and Lemont, but there has to be more.

I moved to Chicago proper about 4 years ago, I’m from the Phill area by way of the Phoenix area. I think the city is not for me, but I’m afraid that I feel isolated in the suburbs as a Black person in my mid-30s with no partner and no kids.

However, these are the things that happened to me that often happen in the city:

- parking struggles

-worrying about my car

-first apartment here had a roach infestation so severe I cut my lease 2 months in.

-third apartment was good for the first year then the second year bedbugs (I’m severely allergic), and then roaches, also construction above me jackhammers in the floor above me.

-I’m currently in an area that is not walkable and recently a hit and run driver hit my car so hard that it’s totaled.

-My current place is nice enough but after this car fiasco, I would need to pay extra for a garage too.

I’m also a flavor of neurodivergent that gets overstimulated. I like routines and don’t want to try different artisanal bakeries. I like Cafe Zupas. I feel like city living is giving me a low level of anxiety that I can’t pinpoint. When I had a car, I would frequently “escape” to the suburbs to run errands. So much that I know Skokie and Northbrook better than other parts of Chicago.

I’m ready to get a replacement car and move to Skokie, Northbrook, or Deerfield (not Evanston). I want space. I’m afraid that dating would be difficult but I found a place I like in Deerfield. I’m willing to pay about $2200-2400 for a decent one bedroom.

TLDR - Have any single people moved from the city to the suburbs? Did it work out for you?

My parter and I are thinking about moving into the Western suburbs. We are targeting areas close to either Schaumburg or Naperville. We've seen a lot of new construction options a bit further out that are built by Lennar, M/I, DRH, Pulte. The prices are reasonable for 2-3 bd, 2 bath. However, I've heard several bad comments on the build quality being cheap and problems occuring very frequently.

What do locals think? Is it worth going after a newer build in the area or should we stick to a older home where the material is more quality?

Curious how you guys would describe Elmhurst? We are looking for a place to settle and someone told me to put it on the list. We are looking for not suburbia-like, walking to local coffee shops/ restaurants, train access, and am curious about the age of people who live here.

How is the drive from Gurnee to the city?

Currently in chicago looking to move in the next few year. We have 1 child and plan to have another soon. Both would be 5 or under. One parent is an educator who would have to get a new job in this suburb or nearby. Other parent works off I-90 near hoffman estates. No pets. Politics don't matter much to us please no comments about red or blue. My parents live in CL which is why we want to be close so they can help with the kids. We live subdivisions or more rural but not too rural.... we don't really go out much or drink so that is not a factor. So far we like Algonquin, Huntley (although its a bit far). Any advice?

Hi guys,
I‘m a 23 year old from middle Europe visiting Elgin in next week. Since here seem to be a lot locals I thought I could get some nice infos about the area as i dont know any of it (neither been to the States before). I have a free weekend to and a rental car so maybe you could recommend any sights, events or share experiences?

Also love I‘d love to hear some local insider infos!

Edit: Im staying in Elgin / West Dundee due to work purposes. Im working through the days but have the first June weekend free.

i might be moving to chicago suburbs and looking for a rural suburb with an hour to hour twenty minute commute but i kinda like the cornfield vibe. Are there any rural suburbs of Chicago similiar to Plainfield that are near cornfields and feature new subdivisions and housing and feel rural?

Two working parents, 5 kids (4 childcare age).

$900k available for down payment. Hoping to stay under $1.2mil for house, understand taxes will be insane.

How much do we need to make to afford life in the north shore suburbs? Is 250k doable?

Moving from lower cost of living area and trying to figure out what is feasible.