Safe and affordable suburb for a family of four? (Chicago: apartments, rent to own)

[dissipate]

Hi,

My family and I currently reside in a 900 sq ft, makeshift 2 bedroom apartment in the city. We're looking to leave the city in hopes of being able to find a more affordable place without having to possibly risk the security of a safe neighborhood.

My children 17 and 21 years old, so no school aged ones here. And by affordable, I'm thinking no higher than $1,200 (give or take) for a 3 bedroom apartment or rent to own. And I'm really hoping to live in a suburb that has access to the Metra, as we don't have a car right now.

I'm open to looking around any of the suburbs north, west, or south. I've been looking into Tinley Park, Oak Lawn, Morton Grove, Glenview, and Niles. Is it possible to find a place here in my price range? Does anyone have any other recommendations?

[chet everett]

Oak Lawn is probably your best bet to stay around $1200 for a 3 bedroom and have access to Metra.

You might get more space in like Justice or Summitt, but public transit options will be more limited.

[jsk1983]

If you don't have a car I'd personally just stay in the city. If you really want to be in the suburbs I'd look at the ones adjacent to Chicago. Oak Park, Berwyn, Forest Park, Elmwood Park.. Metra is great for commuting into the loop but only runs every few hours on off peak times which will really limit your mobility.

[cubssoxfan]

I would look at renting in a small building located in a SFH type of neighborhood. A 3 flat scenario in Skokie or Morton Grove. Harder to find but I always felt the smaller the building, the less transient the residents and less potential for "riff raff" that you can run into in larger buildings or developments.

[knitgirl]

Agree with Cubssoxfan. I am the owner of a 3 flat and since I live in the building, I screen my tenants pretty carefully. You never know who your neighbor will be in an inexpensive large building or complex.

[mewgirl]

Schaumburg's cheapest apartments are $500. Well technically that one's actually in Hanover Park but Schaumburg is better for safety except apparently the high school as its using those ugly Chicago cameras. The one in Schaumburg was $550 (that's a "studio" even though it did have two bedrooms). Someone killed their spouse for cheating on them or something, inside the house in their private dispute, like 3 years ago. The police said "ZOMG MAJOR EVENT EVERYBODY LOCK YOUR DOORS IMMEDIATELY11!11" on their website. I found this out about 5 months after it happened by randomly checking their website for something else and seeing this "bulletin".

Schaumburg has Dial-A-Ride which takes you door-to-door anywhere in Schaumburg inuding Woodfield which is a Pace Hub (to Chicago, Elgin, Oak Park, Forest Park, and DuPage County, Evanston, Golf Mill, Old Orchard, Des Plaines, Chicago Ridge, Great America, and Bloomington as the farthest "no transfer" locations... the last two are $4 though). The Dial-A-Ride is the same price as any other bus and takes and gives out transfers. There are like 3 other suburbs somewhere that have this for everyone and none are in the same area/NW Suburbs. There is a new one for "Rolling Meadows/Arlington Heights" , but the area is very restricted; it ONLY runs where regular buses already exist! So incredibly pointless!! And stops at 5.

Tree House calls itself the "luxury apartments". I am not sure why its called that as it looks like a normal apartment to me as long as you exclude the Chicago-like apartments, privately-owned worn-down buildings, etc., or any place where the hallway smells like Indian cooking. But the rent there is about $800 if I remember correctly. My mom had a 2-bedroom.

The cheapest town in this area is Palatine (afaik), but there is LITERALLY NO transportation ANYWHERE in Palatine except the Metra (don't count Harper College - only one bus there as well and it's barely Palatine), and there are a few bad people around. Although you won't get robbed.

[cubssoxfan]

^^ Sounds like a SNL skit

[Lookout Kid]

Originally Posted by mewgirl

Schaumburg's cheapest apartments are $500. Well technically that one's actually in Hanover Park but Schaumburg is better for safety except apparently the high school as its using those ugly Chicago cameras. The one in Schaumburg was $550 (that's a "studio" even though it did have two bedrooms). Someone killed their spouse for cheating on them or something, inside the house in their private dispute, like 3 years ago. The police said "ZOMG MAJOR EVENT EVERYBODY LOCK YOUR DOORS IMMEDIATELY11!11" on their website. I found this out about 5 months after it happened by randomly checking their website for something else and seeing this "bulletin".

Schaumburg has Dial-A-Ride which takes you door-to-door anywhere in Schaumburg inuding Woodfield which is a Pace Hub (to Chicago, Elgin, Oak Park, Forest Park, and DuPage County, Evanston, Golf Mill, Old Orchard, Des Plaines, Chicago Ridge, Great America, and Bloomington as the farthest "no transfer" locations... the last two are $4 though). The Dial-A-Ride is the same price as any other bus and takes and gives out transfers. There are like 3 other suburbs somewhere that have this for everyone and none are in the same area/NW Suburbs. There is a new one for "Rolling Meadows/Arlington Heights" , but the area is very restricted; it ONLY runs where regular buses already exist! So incredibly pointless!! And stops at 5.

Tree House calls itself the "luxury apartments". I am not sure why its called that as it looks like a normal apartment to me as long as you exclude the Chicago-like apartments, privately-owned worn-down buildings, etc., or any place where the hallway smells like Indian cooking. But the rent there is about $800 if I remember correctly. My mom had a 2-bedroom.

The cheapest town in this area is Palatine (afaik), but there is LITERALLY NO transportation ANYWHERE in Palatine except the Metra (don't count Harper College - only one bus there as well and it's barely Palatine), and there are a few bad people around. Although you won't get robbed.

Jeez, do you look at the date of a thread before you reply? This is two years old.

If you're going to come in here guns blazing with ridiculous opinions, AT LEAST try to answer threads that weren't abandoned years ago.

[knitgirl]

Originally Posted by cubssoxfan

^^ Sounds like a SNL skit

Yeah, that girl at the party one that they did last year a lot. It's the girl who is an anchor on Weekend Update now.