Andersonville/Ravenswood (near north chicago neighborhoods) are pretty damn close, only 10 minutes on the metra from the ravenswood stop. Evanston IS undeniably great, and much cleaner than the city. It truly depends on you and your interests.

Terri: Let us know how the "hunt" went.

If you happen to read this before finding a place, I'd like to add a few additional city neighborhoods you might want to consider in addition to Lincoln Park:<BR><BR>Old Town<BR>Bucktown<BR>West Lakeview<BR><BR>Good luck!

Hi All,<BR><BR>We went to Chicago last weekend and because of the limited time, we looked only in Evanston and Rogers Park. Now, I'm faced with making a decision between two apartments...<BR><BR>Evanston is absolutely beautiful...parks are beautiful, beach is great -- and most of the places we saw were close to the lake (and the dog park), close to shops, and close to transportation. The apartments themselves were quite nice, but pretty standard compared to one particlar apartment we saw in Rogers Park.<BR><BR>THe RP apartment was larger than the others (1300 square feet), great layout with a few interesting artchitectural details. It was on a quiet tree lined street (Glenwood) and is also within walking distance of the beach and the Loyola El. I didn't see a lot of shops or restaurants within walking distance.<BR><BR>So.....we'll need to choose between a great apartment in a good neighborhood or an good apartment in a great neighborhood. Tough one...<BR><BR>I must say, in both RP and Evanston, everyone was so friendly. (Maybe the dog was a conversation opener?) We drove out of Chicago along Lake Shore Drive and just can't wait to explore the entire city in the coming months.

Terri, sounds like you've narrowed your list to Evanston or Rogers Park. I grew up in Evanston, and it is great. I just wish I had seen your post earlier and been able to encourage you to look into Lincoln Square (NOT Lincoln Park). Lincoln Square is a mid-North Chicago neighborhood (RP is a far-North neighborhood) that has tree lined streets, ethnic restaurants, a movie theater, public transportation galore, and a demographic that you and your husband sound to fit smack-dab in the middle of. If you have the chance, checck the chicago reader's apartment finder for Lincoln Square listings. Oh well, when your lease is up, you can move to LS! Good luck. Again, both RP and Evanston are great places. Lincoln Square just might have been better!

Paco,<BR><BR>Yet another great neighborhood that we missed....just not enough time in a weekend....So Lincoln Square will have to be on the visiting list for now!<BR><BR>You know, we tried, without success, to get a 6-month lease with some of these apartments in RP and Evanston. The landlords just wouldn't go for it....

Terri -- You're correct, it's very difficult to find a short-term lease in most apartments, especially the non-highrise type you prefer. I believe in Evanston they're practically unheard of, especially near the University.<BR><BR>Many people sublet their apartments in the summer to visiting students or dorm-dwellers who need summer housing.<BR><BR>Good luck in your search, and don't worry about Linclon Square. It's a nice community, but not very accessible to Northwestern, especially by public transit.<BR><BR>HTH,<BR>Racy

Maybe you are here already. I live in Glenview, a neighboring suburb to Evanston. Without kids, working for the University, I highly recommend Evanston. It's more city like than other suburbs. Also, the convenience to work would be great. If you pick Lincoln Park, your commute can vary from 40 - 60 minutes, depending on traffic and weather.