Moving to Deerfield IL from Florida (Chicago, Arlington Heights: apartment complexes, neighborhoods, university)

[Gaudicia]

Hello,

I'm in the process of moving to Deerfield, IL and I was wondering what neighborhoods are worth considering when looking for apartments. The most I would like to drive would be 30 minutes to get to Trinity International University as I will be working from my apartment.

I'm looking for a one bedroom apartment.

Also if you know of any services that are similar to chicagoapartmentfinder.com or apartmentpeople.com that would be great.

Thanks,
Gaudy

[chitown85]

There are several medium sized apartment complexes in Deerfield near Trinity. There are likely several realtors on this board that have knowledge of the,. Glenview in a neighborhood called the Glen has plenty of apartments and is not too far. A further drive is downtown Arlington Heights, which has a decent amount of restaurants/bars.

Deerfield is mostly family oriented and is upper middle class to wealthy. It is a bedroom suburb.

[Gaudicia]

Thank you for the info.

I was also wondering what would be the commute from Chicago to Deerfield?

What neighborhoods would keep my commute to an hour? Also, I have a car, and I was wondering is worth keeping it or should I rely on the public transportation?

Thanks,
Gaudy

[chitown85]

Depends on where you live in Chicago. The city is huge. Not sure of your age or wish list, but the north side has most of the younger and more vibrant neighborhoods. These include Lincoln Park, Wrigleyville, other parts of Lakeview, Wicker Park, Bucktown, and Downtown (Gold Coast, Streeterville). The METRA runs from the Loop (south of downtown) all the way to Deerfield. There are many stops on that line which you can check on the METRA website. Problem is the Deerfield METRA station is too far from Trinity to walk, especially in the winter. A car is a necessity depending where you live. Even within the city of Chicago the car could be essential because public transit on the El or on the buses isn't as convenient as people would like. Parking in regular neighborhoods such as Lincoln Square, Ravenswood, etc on the far north side is easier than in Lincoln Park and downtown for example. Trinity is just off of 94/294. If you live in Irving Park, Portage Park, or Lincoln Square, your commute time could be under an hour going north. Back into the city in the winter and on Fridays might be a drag. It is doable though.