City vs suburbs living (Chicago, Evanston: taxes, groceries, shop)

[Lookout Kid]

Originally Posted by Bardot

It's one thing to live in rural or suburban areas because you enjoy the space, the nature, the affordability...but if you try to argue that night life, restaurants and entertainment in the suburbs are even remotely sufficient enough to compete with that of the city (or satisfactory in any way), you're sadly mistaken my friend.

Very true. I guess a lot of people find their lives less focused on nightlife, restaurants, and entertainment as they get older. And it's not exactly impossible to still enjoy all of what Chicago has to offer in the rare case you want the Senegalese food on 79th street or the Ecuadorian Food on Milwaukee Avenue. Or the latest bad at the Empty Bottle. It's all still there, and frankly not that much harder to get to.

[MassVt]

Originally Posted by Lookout Kid

Why? Unless you HAVE to live in the city due to your job (like CPD, CPS, etc.), why would you pick a far northwestern or far southwestern city neighborhood over a nice inner ring suburb? Those far-flung neighborhoods have inferior amenities and often longer commute times--in addition to the fact that you are still stuck with CPS schools. Other than bragging rights about still "being in the city", which is a meaningless designation at that point, there is little reason to consider those neighborhoods over inner-ring suburbs like Oak Park, Evanston, Park Ridge, Brookfield, La Grange, etc. Heck, Oak Park is actually CLOSER to the Loop than either the far NW or SW sides.

Pretty amazing when you spend some time in the Oriole Park area, and then cross over I-90 bridge/Blue Line Cumberland stop and enter Park Ridge. Oriole Park is perfectly fine, but Park Ridge is on a whole 'nother level..

[Lookout Kid]

Originally Posted by nearnorth

Yep. As of 4:30 PM the estimate from Uptown to Naperville is 1 hour 36 minutes. I suspect that it will be close to the aforementioned two hour mark by 5 or 5:30.

Who the hell would drive from Uptown to Naperville on a regular basis? Dumb scenario.

[Lookout Kid]

Originally Posted by holl1ngsworth

Ehhhh, when I lived in Lincoln Park the journey would usually be about 30-35 minutes. But if you say so.

I do say so. Uptown has many more, faster Lake Shore Drive express bus options than Lincoln Park. I would walk to the end of my block, hop on an express bus, and it would stop once more before hopping on Lake Shore Drive at Irving park Road. It was very very fast, assuming Lake Shore Drive wasn't a parking lot.

[chet everett]

Originally Posted by Lookout Kid

I do say so. Uptown has many more, faster Lake Shore Drive express bus options than Lincoln Park. I would walk to the end of my block, hop on an express bus, and it would stop once more before hopping on Lake Shore Drive at Irving park Road. It was very very fast, assuming Lake Shore Drive wasn't a parking lot.

As much folks generally hate the idea of a diesel (or propane) bus storming up or down LSD like twenty tons of bad movie destruction, the relative speed of the express buses between Uptown or Hyde Park is probably the most time efficent and least costly "mass transit" the CTA operates.

Of course the image of such a bus literally wallowing in a snow-socked morass of abandoned vehicles also represents kind of the "worst case scenario" of urban surface transportation...
and for those who wonder how a "trolley" or "street level light rail" might fare in similar conditions google the stories of what happens when Toronto gets dumped on...

[Lookout Kid]

Originally Posted by chet everett

Of course the image of such a bus literally wallowing in a snow-socked morass of abandoned vehicles also represents kind of the "worst case scenario" of urban surface transportation...

On February 1st 2011 I stayed at work in to the late afternoon, and realized it was a mistake as soon as I looked out the window from my office on the Chicago River and saw the wind-driven snow. I had a choice, take the fast bus home (which dropped me off at the end of my block) or take the Red Line (which offered a 2/3 mile walk towards Lake Michigan from the Sheridan stop). I was very lucky that I chose the longer walk and didn't take the bus, or I would have been one of those poor souls who slept in a CTA bus that night.

My walk towards the lake from the "L" was pretty much total hell too, and I had to duck in to doorways on Irving Park Road multiple times due to the pain of the snow pin pricks on my face. By the time I made it to my condo my face was red and swollen. I'm from parts slightly north of here, but I've never experienced anything like that storm before or since.

[justalicious6989]

Originally Posted by Lookout Kid

On February 1st 2011 I stayed at work in to the late afternoon, and realized it was a mistake as soon as I looked out the window from my office on the Chicago River and saw the wind-driven snow. I had a choice, take the fast bus home (which dropped me off at the end of my block) or take the Red Line (which offered a 2/3 mile walk towards Lake Michigan from the Sheridan stop). I was very lucky that I chose the longer walk and didn't take the bus, or I would have been one of those poor souls who slept in a CTA bus that night.

My walk towards the lake from the "L" was pretty much total hell too, and I had to duck in to doorways on Irving Park Road multiple times due to the pain of the snow pin pricks on my face. By the time I made it to my condo my face was red and swollen. I'm from parts slightly north of here, but I've never experienced anything like that storm before or since.

I hear you on that one! I had to work until 9pm. While I still lived with my parents in 2011, it took 1 hour 45 min to get to 87th and Pulaski. That was driving from 43rd and Pulaski. Anything over 3-5mph and the car would fishtail. Then again it was also a 92 I was driving at the time.

[jdiddy]

Originally Posted by Lookout Kid

Why? Unless you HAVE to live in the city due to your job (like CPD, CPS, etc.), why would you pick a far northwestern or far southwestern city neighborhood over a nice inner ring suburb? Those far-flung neighborhoods have inferior amenities and often longer commute times--in addition to the fact that you are still stuck with CPS schools. Other than bragging rights about still "being in the city", which is a meaningless designation at that point, there is little reason to consider those neighborhoods over inner-ring suburbs like Oak Park, Evanston, Park Ridge, Brookfield, La Grange, etc. Heck, Oak Park is actually CLOSER to the Loop than either the far NW or SW sides.

I can take this one, as a northwest side resident. You get nice houses, good attendance boundary schools, great parks, better transportion options (CTA and Metra - where the Cumberland stop is likely the second least ped friendly on the CTA), lower property taxes, and generally lower price per sq foot on homes than in Park Ridge.

[holl1ngsworth]

I need some advice.

Here's my situation:

I don't care whether my commute is 20 minutes or 40 minutes to the Loop, as long as I can sit and get some work done with the time.

I currently live in the suburbs and I have a large affordable home, a backyard with bunnies and birds, parks and tot lots aplenty, stellar schools k-12, a walkable downtown with tons of boutiques bars and restaurants, a park district that directs endless community-building events, a well-stacked library, a clean public pool, a friggin' waterpark, a free zoo, a local outdoor French market, nature preserves, festivals, parades, wide streets, fresh air, safety in public and considerably lower prices paid (tax+price) for goods and services versus the city of Chicago. I should also mention that while living in the suburbs I have developed this strange feeling that comes over me every time I pay my property taxes or shop at a local store. I get the feeling my tax dollars are actually improving my local community.

Can anyone sell me on the advantages of a city neighborhood over my suburb? What could convince me to move back to the city? I'm <30 with a wife and young child.

Thanks in advance for your help!

[ChicagoMeO]

Originally Posted by holl1ngsworth

I need some advice.

Here's my situation:

I don't care whether my commute is 20 minutes or 40 minutes to the Loop, as long as I can sit and get some work done with the time.

I currently live in the suburbs and I have a large affordable home, a backyard with bunnies and birds, parks and tot lots aplenty, stellar schools k-12, a walkable downtown with tons of boutiques bars and restaurants, a park district that directs endless community-building events, a well-stacked library, a clean public pool, a friggin' waterpark, a free zoo, a local outdoor French market, nature preserves, festivals, parades, wide streets, fresh air, safety in public and considerably lower prices paid (tax+price) for goods and services versus the city of Chicago. I should also mention that while living in the suburbs I have developed this strange feeling that comes over me every time when I pay my property taxes or shop at a local store. I get the feeling my tax dollars are actually improving my local community.

Can anyone sell me on the advantages of a city neighborhood over my suburb? What could convince me to move back to the city? I'm <30 with a wife and young child.

Thanks in advance for your help!

Wow! I'd love such a place!!! I have lived in suburbs but i'm torn between the city and suburbs coz of the Metra commute. i got too antsy from the daily commute for some reason, but i'm in a worse shape than you because part of me is in the city and part of me is in the suburbs and im torn in half. (my physical self is better in the city for the short commute but my heart and emotions are in the suburbs where i love the stuff you just mentioned). i hate going back and forth, so im in a pickle.