My parents live in a great old neighborhood in Evanston with a good mix of housing. Everything from cool 1920s bungalows (which sound exactly as you describe) up to million dollar tudors.

Just curious - what was it about Arlington Heights that appeals to you?

Oak Park is great for all the reasons everyone has mentioned, but the taxes have become a force to be reckoned with and if you dont have kids there is no reason to pay so much money. we have 2 litte ones so we love everything about OP except the ridiculous amount we pay in taxes. We moved from Ravenswood and aside from the tiny yard and noise, it was an exceptional place for a couple. You can walk to great restaurants and shops and be at the lake in a 15 minute bike ride (weather permitting!)

The same with Evanston.

In the City of Chicago your water and property tax bills will be greatly reduced in comparison- possibly less than half. And at this particular point in time, IMHO, you are going to be at the better part of the buying curve than if you went to the suburbs.

It's because the Boomers are returning to the City in droves and revitalizing former shabby areas in the process. Not that the suburbs are bad at all or that there are not great choices out there. But they are different in many ways from each other as well. You might want to spec them out or rent before you buy.

Suburban houses are stagnating in value a lot faster than Chicago houses are right now-BUT there are still great buys out there/here in the burbs.

I love the burbs myself- my Park programs, nature, peace and quiet, huge personal yards etc.

But you sound like you would love a Ravenswood.

And honestly in 2006- the trains are not as fast or as regular as just 5 years ago. My son in Westmont gets there in just under 30 minutes on the train itself. But has at least 5 to 10 more at each end. Driving is another whole story. But nearly everywhere North/South and many of the best burbs I know well, have much more than 30 minute commutes- regardless of what you see on paper.

Thanks again everyone. There's so much info to take in! To answer a few questions, what I liked about Arlington Heights when I visited was the character of the older homes, the big trees that line the streets, the green spaces and the quiet. It's not all that different from the suburbs of Syracuse where we grew up. We saw one house that had stone gargoyles in the front. I literally pulled over and sat and admired it for 5 minutes.
We're very liberal, so living in an area like Oak Park would probably work for us as well. We love our independent films and our b-movies. The kinds of places we eat tend to be trattorias and smaller good but unpretentious places. We like to try new things. We've recently gotten into Sushi and Korean BBQ but we also see the value of the chain places for a quick bite. I'll definitely look into the neighborhoods mentioned above. If my husband gets this job, we'll probably rent in a place closer into the city for a while and get to know the area, then decide where to buy from there. I saw that episode of "What you get for the money" last night and the Lincoln Park adjacent condo they showed was very nice. We've never lived anywhere where we didn't have to drive, so if this move happens, it'll be a whole new experience and lifestlye. Part of me is excited but I don't want to jinx our luck either since nothing is definite yet. The only things I'll miss about L.A. are the Amoeba Music and DVD store, and the American Cinematheque at the Egyptian theatre in Hollywood where you can watch double feature Godzilla films every July and great other stuff all year round. A lot of my friends are moving out of L.A. so I only have a few people left that I'll miss.

Sounds like Music box theatre west of wrigleyville might be up your alley.

http://www.musicboxtheatre.com/

That defintely sounds right up our allley.
Thanks for the link!

Just think of the great coats you can buy! Welcome.

Magicvoice, a word to the wise...Before investing in any property, check to see how much the property taxes have risen in that particular neighborhood or city - and how much they are expected to rise.

There are many owners (home and business) who are experiencing nasty shocks due to unexpectedly large (higher double digit) increases.

There have been recent articles in the Chicago Tribune about this very subject within the last couple of months. One in July or August of this year (I think)commented on the huge tax increases some of the Chicago neighborhoods are experiencing or going to experience and the repercussions to the businessowners, landlords and homeowners.

And another in later September was specifically about Oak Park residents who are extremely upset due to tax increases. (I personally thought the idea of them having a nude protest might gain a little attention!)

But, seriously, I suggest that you search the Tribune's recent articles and archives; and read the entire articles for yourself to see what you could be in for - depending on where you wish to settle.

My suggestion would be to rent in Chicago for a short period of time (either an apartment or condo) and get to know the area first; then go from there in deciding where you want to buy. By the way, since there are a great deal of suburbanites commuting into the city, you can find out first hand of their complaints and compliments on any particular area.

Good luck to you in your decision!

Hi. I relocated from the Los Angeles area 10 years ago (I lived in Canyon Country...howdy neighbor!). I live in the western suburbs and the commute downtown is a piece of cake on the Metra (train). Most of the suburbs (north, west, and south) have great train lines to the city. When I worked downtown and decided to move to the burbs, I made up my mind that I was willing to look in areas where it wouldn't take me longer to get to the city by train more than 1 hour. Of course, in Los Angeles, 1 hour was the average commute so I was willing to do that. The advantage was...I didn't have to drive (since I took the train).

The northern suburbs are nice including Arlington Heights, Glenview, Deerfield, and Glenview. They are all on train lines.

I live in the western suburbs so you may want to consider those too (Wheaton, Elhurst, Geneva (beyond perfect little town), and Winfield...). Naperville is very nice too. The downtown is cuter than cute but it is more of a family community so you may not be as attracted to it since you don't have children.

For a young couple without children, you may want to consider Oak Park (west). It has a nice, trendy downtown and is only a few minutes (on train or el) downtown. Evanston is also an interesting choice and is also close to the city (north). Nice restaurants there too.

Not sure you are up for living downtown but Chicago is a wonderful city to live in. The public transportation is fantastic. Great restaurants, museums, and cultural activities. You probably would need to buy a condo or townhouse but it may be worth it if these things are attractive to you.

I don't miss California in the least. I love Chicago. You will get used to the winters (although, I had to relearn how to drive in the snow). It gets cold but there are not as many big snow storms as you probably think (usually only one or two a year...the rest are relatively mild). Summers bother me more than winters. I don't like humidity but there are not that many days over 90 degrees (think it averages 5 days a year). Still...I don't regret moving here for a minute.

Good luck!!

Oh...forgot to mention...if you are considering moving downtown...you may want to consider Lincoln Park, Lake View, Old Town, or River North. These are fantastic areas and are full of great activities. Remember, too, living downtown...you are close to the lake and the lake front is a great place to walk or bike. The views are beautiful of the city from the lakeshore.

Actually, my boyfriend and I are considering moving downtown ourselves since we enjoy the downtown activities so much (we don't have children either).

Again, Good luck!

I lived in Geneva until a few years ago, the above stated "beyond perfect little town". I'd say it was like that in the 80's and 90's. These days, the picturesque downtowns of Geneva and St. Charles are snarled in constant traffic.
Randall road is a full blown disaster, the worst thing that ever happened to Geneva.
All of the homes built west of Randall have brought way too many people to the area. Not too mention the long commute on Metra and terrible location for highways.
I'd pass on this area. It will only get worse. Too bad, it was gorgeous at one time.

Magicvoice, I'm your age and before our baby, would have moved into the city proper in a heartbeat-jobs just didn't allow it. Absolutely consider living in the city-there are immensely livable areas that sound right up your alley. I also tend to agree with the other poster who suggested a rental for a bit to see what neighborhoods you really like and to give you a chance to explore on your own.

Too bad you dislike Geneva so much, celfan. I still think it is adorable and was just there last Sunday. Very cute and about an hour commute on the metra to downtown (and believe me...having once lived in Los Angeles, that is not a bad commute (plus, you don't have to drive!)). I know how the traffic is in Los Angeles (having lived there for 25 years). Geneva traffic isn't that bad.

My wife and I are in our late 30's, no kids and live on the north side (south Uptown). DON'T move to the suburbs yet!!! Rent in one of the great neighborhoods first. We live two blocks from the lake, Wrigley Field, the Southport corridor w/the Music Box, fantastic restaurants and great neighbors. We are all over the city with charity events, dinner parties, concerts etc. For example, last night at 5:30 we decided to see the Magnificent Mile lights festival parade and fireworks. We jumped in a cab, watched the parade and the fireworks on the river, went to dinner then went to the movies (Casino Royale) It was so much fun and if you lived outside the city you would have to fight traffic and make plans a lot earlier. There are concerts at the Lincoln Park Zoo, free movies in Grant Park, amazing street fests, it goes on and on. The best part of living in the city are the people you meet. In no time you will be invited to bbq's, dinner parties, wine tasting and tons of holiday parties. So park your car on the weekends and give Chicago neighborhoods a chance.

Having lived in the suburbs (Wilmette, Evanston) for 20 years while raising family, and back in the city on the north side for the last 3 years, my advice to a young couple with no children would be DEFINITELY stay in the city! There are many charming and quiet neighborhoods all over the city--Andersonville, Lincoln Square, North Center, St. Ben's, East Ravenswood, Sheridan Park, I could go on and on!--where you will find leafy streets and close proximity to restaurants, entertainment, and all the fun things Chicago has to offer. I think it is harder for people without children to make friends in the suburbs, except for the more city-like ones, maybe, such as Oak Park and Evanston. And don't move too far away from our lake!

I know this is an old thread, but I thought I'd thank everyone for their advice. We decided to stay put in CA for a while longer. The job just didn't feel right to my husband.