We recently moved up to Chicago and are renting while we house hunt. When I got hired here a while back, we decided that me commuting wasn't a good option and of all the base choices Chicago made the most sense (until the Seattle base reopens).

That being said, we have a lot of new hires coming on board and I would like to hear from them as well as some of the old timers as to where we should settle down in Chicagoland.

We are looking for a younger suburb with some diversity, good schools (we plan on having kids), nice downtown, etc. that is reasonably close to downtown. We rent in Naperville now, and although it is nice, it feels a little to isolated.

We have been looking in Glen Ellyn, Wheaton, and Downer's Grove. I'm thinking about expanding the search to Oak Park as well (I hear it has sketchy areas but it's a great location). I don't need to be on the airport blue line.

I know there are older threads that discuss this, but I'm looking for some fresh opinions. Thanks for the input. Go Hawks.

 

I spent my first year with United in Chicago - one of the suburbs that is - Elmhurst. About a 20 minute drive to the parking lot unless a freight train was pulling into the yard in Bensinville. Loved it - at least the 2 days annually that were perfect weather days. Lots of humidity in the Summer, plenty of mosquitos and yellowjackets. It seemed like once a month some Chicago Alderman was caught jacking up a local business for money. Besides all that, Chicagoland is not a bad place to live.

 

Millers Pub

 

I know a UAL guy who's house literally hits the MLS tomorrow in the McHenry area. PM me and I'll try to give you some more info.

 

Plenty of great areas inside the city as well, complete with the "suburban" feel. Ravenswood Manor and Lincoln Square (not to be confused with Lincoln Park) are two fantastic neighborhoods ridiculously family friendly with great schools, and I would move there in a heartbeat if the wife would let me. Ravenswood Manor especially; you'd be walking the neighborhood completely oblivious to the fact that you're inside Chicago city limits. And you know it's good; Federal Prisoner 40892-424, Rod Blagojevich, called that neighborhood home, and rarely spent any time at the Governors Mansion in Springfield while he sold, I mean held, office.

Outside of the city limits, I also liked Oak Park, as well as Elmhurst. Glen Ellyn, Oak Brook (McD's headquarters) Hinsdale and Clarendon Hills offer some exceptional choices.

 

I live in Schaumburg, Very nice town with good schools and good Parks.
getting to ORD can be done by I90 east to I 190 or by Higgins Road from the West. About 23 minutes from the airport and the shopping is very good in Schaumburg, Schaumburg, Palatine, Elk Grove areas are great family area as well.

 

you cannot go wrong with Elk Grove, or Schaumburg area very easy commute great schools.

 

A decent compromise between city for fun and 'burbs for schools/kids is being close to a Metra line. You might look at Geneva, Batavia or St Charles. All are less than an hour to the parking lot. Schools are almost all good, some are great, try to avoid U-46; it's an amalgam of Elgin, Bartlett, Wayne and a few other towns.
Be aware, annual property taxes will be about 2% of your house's purchase price. All of the collar counties are at or near this rate, Cook is lower.
Enjoy the honest, cheap, effective government !

 

Please PM with more questions

 

The WX isn't quite that bad, but everything else you said is accurate