Everyones who's been or live in Chicago IL?

Question

I live in indiana as of now. My husband was born in Chicago and would like to go live there now. Im up for it but as I look for houses to live in all i see are apartments. Are there any houses or neighborhoods that aren't so "city" like? I want to live in a normal house not an apartment! thanks !!

Answer 1

http://www.circlepix.com/onyx/main/search.htm
http://chicago.craigslist.org/
http://www.chicagotribune.com/classified/realestate/?track=cthomestab

good luck

Answer 2

Houses are plentiful in Chicago and surrounding surburbs. Of course, if you are coming from Indiana, the cost of such housing is not cheap. You can move to the suburbs (not North burbs) and find cheaper housing. Naperville, Niles, and Lincoln park area, Hyde Park area are very expensive. The latter two have poor parking available. You should check out Dreamhome.com for the Chicago area.

Answer 3

The houses in Chicago itself will either be very expensive or in areas and condition you probably are not interested in. Houses in the suburbs will be a better deal but the commute time is murder ( 3+ hours to get downtown and some areas 2+ hours to go 10 miles). Where in Indiana are you? Gary Hammond area is almost Chicago, it just has probably the worst commute of all.

Answer 4

well it depends on what you want. do you want townhouse? then check the suburbs near the city for most of those such as Des Plaines, Niles, Mount Prospect. If you want condos I personally would go for the lakefront properties... you can still find some cheap ones that quadruple their prices in 2-3 yrs. If you want mansion like houses then the far west, south, and north suburbs( check out aurora, naperville, bloomingdale, joliet, palatine) if you want ranch homes there's a bunch of great areas in the city such as Jefferson Park, Norwood Park etc. Norwood Park has the greatest neighborhoods there's a lot of firefighters, policemen, city/county employees residing here b/c of their employment limits. There's also Palatine they have some great homes more recently developed areas. Hope this helps.

Answer 5

There are *tons* of single family homes scattered throughout Chicago, especially on the South, West and Northwest sides. Chicago even has it's own type of single family home, the Chicago Bungalow:
http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2005/05/29/AR2005052900847.html
http://www.chicagobungalow.org/owners/index.shtml

Chicago's single family homes don't tend to be in the trendiest neighborhoods, and they aren't usually cheap. Most of the neighborhoods that have lots of single family homes are much less "city-like" -- but that means they also tend to be less served by public transportation and have fewer shopping and restaurant options. You might not be able to walk to your closest pharmacy or dry cleaner, and your only nearby restaurant is likely to be a hot dog joint or take-out Chinese of potentially questionable quality.

These sites have some additional information on many of the city's neighborhoods and the types of housing stock that are common in them: http://www.chicagoneighborhoods.cc/chicago-neighborhoods.html
http://www.chicagohome.com/neighborhoodMasterList.cfm

The Chicago Tribune classified section has a really robust home search feature that will give you an idea of what's available and what it costs. Also, you can check out the web sites of some of Chicago's larger real estate companies, such as Baird & Warner or Coldwell Banker and search their proeperty listings.

http://www.chicagotribune.com/classified/realestate/
http://www.bairdwarner.com/content/Home.asp
http://www.coldwellbankeronline.com/

If you've got money to spare, Forest Glen (Edgebrook), North Park, Sauganash, Budlong Woods, Bowmanville and Ravenswood Manor are great places to begin your search. If you're on a budget, try the South Side or Portage Park, Jefferson Park or Mayfair.

Answer 6

I live about 45 minutes south of Chicago. I don't think there are a lot of houses in the city. Most of them are in the suburbs. Naperville is nice. Just a suggestion.

Answer 7

Naperville is yucky overcrowded lower middle class white suburbia. If he was born in Chicago and wants a hometown feel he would not want to move to go live there. There are plenty of houses in closer neighborhoods. Go over to realtor.com and you can start hunting that way.

Answer 8

Try Geneva, Illinois.

You will love it.

http://www.genevachamber.com/festivals.html

Geneva’s charming shopping district, established neighborhoods, award-winning school district, myriad of recreational opportunities, and a river running through it are just a few of the elements that attract residents, businesses, and visitors to this unique town.

Located 40 miles west of Chicago, Geneva is a growing suburb with a hometown appeal, where residents take active roles in the schools, community, and churches. First settled in the 1830's, Geneva showcases its historic roots with shady streets lined with century-old homes and commercial buildings, while accommodating the needs of its citizens with the continued development of residential communities, retail centers, and industrial parks.

Answer 9

Look in the Oak Park neighborhood. It's on the EL line but far out enough to not feel like it is in the city. It's awesome. I lived there for 12 years.

Answer 10

Chicago IL. is the baby sister of New York. Very few houses. most of the houses are far out and very expensive.

Answer 11

Naperville is probably the most popular at the moment.