Chicago neighborhood W/ good schools+urban taste+commute to Hammond (Oak Park: apartment, for rent)

[nowire77]

Hi there!
We're looking for an affordable (our max budget is around $350K for buying or $2500/month for renting) village/neighborhood/suburb in/around Chicago that has good public schools, urban taste (walkable) and easy to commute to Hammond, IN (less than 1 hour commute would be good). We have 2 little ones and love to live in a safe, diverse community with lots of cultural events and VERY walkable! Do you think such a thing exist? Or, we're just dreaming too much? What would you recommend? We're confused with over 200 neighborhoods/villages around here...Please HELP!!! Thanks!

[4122]

Look at Munster, Crown Point, and Valparaiso.

[chet everett]

Your budget is going to make it quite a challenge for any of the traditionally desirable neighborhoods inside Chicago unless you'd be OK with a condo in Hyde Park -- https://www.redfin.com/IL/Chicago/52.../home/17463502

If you want a detached home, you might consider Flossmoor -- https://www.redfin.com/IL/Flossmoor/.../home/12872489 taxes are high and trending worse ...

Your housing dollars would go ridiculously far in Hammond itself -- 252 Fernwood St, Hammond, IN 46324 | Zillow

Munster has some retro gems too -- 1130 Elliot Dr, Munster, IN 46321 | Zillow

[nowire77]

Originally Posted by 4122

Look at Munster, Crown Point, and Valparaiso.

Any "walkable" neighborhoods there?

[nowire77]

Originally Posted by chet everett

Your budget is going to make it quite a challenge for any of the traditionally desirable neighborhoods inside Chicago unless you'd be OK with a condo in Hyde Park -- https://www.redfin.com/IL/Chicago/52.../home/17463502

If you want a detached home, you might consider Flossmoor -- https://www.redfin.com/IL/Flossmoor/.../home/12872489 taxes are high and trending worse ...

Your housing dollars would go ridiculously far in Hammond itself -- 252 Fernwood St, Hammond, IN 46324 | Zillow

Munster has some retro gems too -- 1130 Elliot Dr, Munster, IN 46321 | Zillow

If we could increase our budget, then what would you recommend as our best bets (i.e. walkable, safe, good schools, and no more than 1 hr drive to Hammond)?

[chet everett]

Originally Posted by nowire77

If we could increase our budget, then what would you recommend as our best bets (i.e. walkable, safe, good schools, and no more than 1 hr drive to Hammond)?

The options listed (like Hyde Park and Flossmoor...) also have a wider range of options if you move up another $50K or so, that keeps your commute as manageable as possible...

There are handful of sort of walkablish options in the sections of Oak Park that might be under an hour from Hammond under ideal conditions, that might be around your budget too -- but given the mix of expressways that you would be dependant on, the the frequency that weather and collisions end up snarling traffic 1 hr would not be consistently possible...

Looking in a whole other direction, you could find something in the cute inland but "resort influenced" town of Three Oaks MI -- 301 E Indiana St, Three Oaks, MI 49128 | Zillow

116 Featherbone Ave, Three Oaks, MI 49128 | Zillow

[beaniemac]

350K is not enough money to buy a SF home in hyde park for the most part. as for suburbs, why not tinley park? it's right off I80, so it's a direct shot to hammond.

[beaniemac]

Originally Posted by chet everett

Your budget is going to make it quite a challenge for any of the traditionally desirable neighborhoods inside Chicago unless you'd be OK with a condo in Hyde Park -- https://www.redfin.com/IL/Chicago/52.../home/17463502

If you want a detached home, you might consider Flossmoor -- https://www.redfin.com/IL/Flossmoor/.../home/12872489 taxes are high and trending worse ...

Your housing dollars would go ridiculously far in Hammond itself -- 252 Fernwood St, Hammond, IN 46324 | Zillow

Munster has some retro gems too -- 1130 Elliot Dr, Munster, IN 46321 | Zillow

WOW, if I'm going to pay those kinda taxes in flossmore, I would live in oak park. more diverse, better schools, more ammenities, close to downtown, and close to public transportation (blue line/green/line/metra) and it's right off the eisenhower.

[chet everett]

Originally Posted by beaniemac

350K is not enough money to buy a SF home in hyde park for the most part. as for suburbs, why not tinley park? it's right off I80, so it's a direct shot to hammond.

Walkable options are very limited -- I have been at at handful of businesses that are "in town" but the number of homes that would qualify as being as even a "short drive" from that part of Tinley Park vs the MUCH more common strip malls and such are very small percentage of total housing units.


The other factor is the congestion that occurs east of the 80-94 junction -- due to the traffic patterns from both commercial trucks and things like vacationers / long distance businesses means that there is a whole lot of traffic funneled through an area that is prone to bad collisions / severe weather. The lack of decent alternatives means one has to be prepared to endure tie-ups on pretty regular (if unpredictable...) basis which can especially maddening. I have personally "gotten stuck" in the tie-up that add 30+ minutes to what is otherwise a trip of the same length, effectively doubling travel times... Not pleasant at all.

Of course, the same issue really happens with 90% of spots west of Hammond -- the poor spacing of surface streets that cross the border mean very few good options.

[nowire77]

Thanks everyone for your detailed replies and thoughtful comments. I guess, for now, our best bet is to rent an apartment for a few years in Darien, IL, which is a very close commute to Hammond and the prices are reasonable. If we can save enough and make a good few years of income, then maybe La Grange would be the best option for us; if we can afford it. As you all mentioned, most of other options either have traffic issues and/or schools are not desirable. BTW, walkability is gonna stay my long-dreamed item in the list :/