This is because it's an hour if you're lucky. It can quite easily and frequently be 90 minutes or 2 hours. It's a ton of stop-and-go which gets very taxing very quickly.

Others have mentioned it. Since you're gay, check out Andersonville and Edgewater. They have significant gay populations (and a strip of gay/gay-friendly bars/restaurants along Clark St). It will be cheaper and quieter than Boystown.

If you want to be halfway between Chicago and Northbrook, the only real choice is Evanston unless you are married with children. Northbrook is a very nice, genteel, upper middle class predominantly Jewish suburb. Not the place for a single gay man to have much of a life. My grandparents used to live there.

These are all solid suggestions. Logan Square has always felt a little sketchy to me, but that's just because it's not really gentrified. Lots of poor Mexican families still live there (which means great cheap Mexican food). There is a really nice stretch of Logan Blvd with grand old mansions on it.

I only quoted the above so I could give it a ^.

And I will say that I have always really liked Crew (the gay sports bar). Good food, nice people. And a porn star bartender (though he's in dirrrrrrty porn...).

So, here's the deal. I am gay. I lived in Evanston for 3 years. Yes, two of those were for MBA school so I had the whole gay Kellogg community to play with. We mostly took sojourns into Boystown for our fun. And yes, I remember spending lots of that third year trying to figure out where to move into Chicago. It is definitely makes you feel a little alone to be "stuck" in E-town when you're gay and you want to meet people if you're not affiliated with Northwestern. Just understand that it is a suburb with a nice fake-city downtown area by Northwestern. It's got a lot more of a city feel than most suburbs, but it's still gonna be quieter.

Driving in Evanston always drove me crazy. It felt like the traffic lights were all programmed to keep you from getting anywhere. As soon as one turns green, the next turns red.


That said, there are more than a few gays in Evanston. Yes, lots are Northwestern students. But there are a lot of older (not sure of redheadtempe's age) gays, some single, some not. There is certainly the possibility to meet non-college gay friends in Evanston. It's just not as easy as if you lived in the center of the action. But don't feel like Evanston is a wasteland of anti-gay people. It's quite gay friendly and progressive.

This is the flip side of what I said above. Also very true - but you can also easily take a Chicago taxi from Boystown to Evanston. It's about $20. If you want to get between Evanston and downtown, it's much easier and quicker on the Metra (about 20 mins).

IT comes down to:
-if you want easier commute and perhaps lackluster social life, pick Evanston.
-if you value social life more than commute, pick Andersonville or one of the fun neighborhoods adjacent to the Kennedy. Of the latter, my choice would be Wicker Park or Ukrainian Village. In either of these, count on at least a 60 minute commute.

Shoot, was hoping it'd be on the other side of town where there might be a shuttle to the UP-N line (which is *much* more accessible from Lake View). That location is the MD-N line for sure.

So, best case for Lake View is you live somewhere pretty close to Addison, take the Addison bus 25-35 minutes to Milwaukee, walk a block or two to the Grayland station, then 30 minutes on Metra to Glenbrook North or Northbrook station (your office is kinda between them, shuttle could go to either), then the shuttle, I'd guess 10-15 minutes. So absolute best case 75 minutes. That said, the big minus for the reverse commute on Metra is that that trains are very infrequent. If you miss your train, the next one isn't coming for a while (outbounds are 6:50, 7:18, 7:58, 8:52, 9:52), meaning you have to give yourself some leeway on the bus to make sure you don't miss the train. ie, you'd want to plan to be at least 10-15 minutes early for the train in case traffic screwed up the bus.

As others said much earlier, consider somewhere closer to the Healy or Western stations (Logan Square, Bucktown, Wicker Park, etc). These would be a quick cab ride to Halsted bars whenever you wanted.

Also, I think the chad/trixie (or bro/dbag/whatever) is overstated. Yes, the Clark Street bars by Wrigley are lousy with them, but in much of the rest of the neighborhood (especially the west side) you're more likely to get run over by a lululemon-clad mom-with-stroller than run into a bunch of chads.

thats why having a car and going to indiana makes it worth while. you can also get a free shuttle to the horseshoe casino in hammond IN from the city get smokes near the casino and head back for free to save that drive.

i moved from green bay and its definitly been an adjustment. i live in a near west burb of berwyn. cheaper rent, gas, groceries everything. i have some friends that live in lakeview area and it would pain me to spend that much on a place to live. not saying its cheap by me but in comparison it is.

you do get used to the prices/taxes but learn fast where things are cheaper. i do like the city but i do like leaving it behind and going back to the burbs. the city is great, you wont run out of things to do.

Thank you all for all the replies. They have already arranged for an interview next week via video link, so I am excited and a little freaked at how fast this is all progressing.

It appears that a car will be absolutely necessary if I am going to commute to Northbrook. My job does allow working from home a 1-2 days a week, but even then, I would like to use public transportation (to work) as an option, not as a necessity. The only thing that really annoys me is that most apartments appear to charge extra for a parking space.

Thank you for all the suggestions. Lakeview is kinda out at the moment. Edgewater, Evanston, or perhaps Logan Square seems more likely. Are there "amenities" I should look for in an apartment that should be standard? Water of course, but some advertise heat and A/C included? (something not common in Phoenix). Is first and last month's rent common (plus security)? Not so in PHX, so I ask.

And yes, sadly, it appears that if I make the move, I will be making day trips to IN for cigarettes. Should I buy everything while I am there? (Food, liquor, etc.)

I do appreciate the advice regarding "gay" life. I almost feel the need to defend the need for close bars.

It isn't that I spend all my time in bars, but so much of gay culture revolves around bars (even if you don't drink and all you are going to is poetry readings), it is important, and for the person who asked - I am 38, "ancient" in gay years, so I'm not going out every weekend.

A question I am curious about is street parking. A fair number of apartments say street parking available. From my time in Denver, I would say that is a pipe dream, but wanted to get opinions.

It is like you read my mind ...

My job (while I do ... enjoy/tolerate it) is very run of the mill. Financial analyst in healthcare/employee benefits. I'm sure there are other opportunities out there.

First of all good luck in your interview.

Here are some good things
-Opportunity to find a new job in the event you decide to leave your current job. There are enough major companies in Chicago.
-A lot of younger people live on the Northside in the area's you mentioned.
-Great town to go partying in.
-Deep Dish Pizza is wonderful
-A lot of opportunities for a new job if needed. Much more than Phoenix.

Bad things
-TAXES!!!!! They are AWFUL here! One reason why I am looking to leave.
-Commute times can be awful especially from Chicago to Northbrook. You will need a car for this one. The problem with using the Metra is that the "reverse commute" trains are pretty limited e.g. Northbound in the Morning, Southbound in the Afternoon. Here is the link to the Metra timetable for the Northbrook line.
http://metrarail.com/content/metra/e.../md-n/map.html
-The Bears drafting. Yes football fans I am mad about our draft pick.

Regarding the murder rate it isn't as bad as they say BUT the problem of "Flash Mobs" is increasing and at an alarming rate sadly.

I'd have to think about coming here long and hard a lot of it would depend on the salary.

When I saw your name, I thought maybe you were going to offer up the twin bed in your room.

If you can telecommute a couple days a week then commuting from the City is waaaay more doable, IMO, especially if you can pick and choose the days you work from home (i.e., bad weather days).

Heat/AC included is hit and miss….you find it mainly in older/bigger buildings as opposed to 2-3 flats. One month’s rent is typical for the security deposit…asking for 2 months isn’t that common in my experience. Parking spaces typically cost extra.

Street parking really depends on the neighborhood. I think street parking is doable in most of Logan Square. I’m guessing Evanston would depend on where exactly you live. Can’t help you with Edgewater, but I'd bet it's difficult given the proximity to the Lake.

Know that if you go w/street parking you may need to get a parking permit – depending on the neighborhood and even the particular block. You’ll also need a city sticker assuming you take up residence in IL and get IL plates. I don’t recall the costs associated with all that but expect it to be at least a couple hundred dollars per year. Also know that your car will get beat to hell parking on the streets – your bumpers, in particular, will never be the same. Then there’s street cleaning on certain days and no overnight parking on the major streets during winter. All-in-all, I’d go with a parking spot if you’ve got the $.

Another neighborhood to consider is Humboldt Park. HP -- named after a huge City park south of the Logan Square neighborhood -- is similar to Logan Square, though I’d say not as gentrified. And by Humboldt Park I only mean the areas North or preferably East of the Park itself. I wouldn’t live South or West south of HP. HP is a fantastic park, by the way. Check it out regardless of where you end up living.

Lastly, another benefit to living in any of the neighborhoods that I’ve mentioned is that you’ll likely be within walking distance of the Blue Line
(24hr line that runs between ORD and the City) – it’s a real bonus if you travel a lot.

Rainy days and Mondays....

Cutting against the idea of trips to Indiana for cheap things is the fact that you have to go to Indiana. Crossing out of Chicago into Indiana on the Skybridge sets you back something like $6 each way, and the toll-free route is much longer. Then there is the stench that stretches between E. Chicago and Gary. Even with the AC set to recirculate, the stench always finds its way into the car on I-80/90.

One thing worth mentioning: traffic in Chicago is very unpredictable. You can be on the freeway on a Sunday and it will take one hour to go 5 miles. Then there is winter, followed by "patch the potholes" season. And lets not get started on local roads with their 6-way intersections.

I always found Chicago driving to be far more hellish compared to Houston. At least Houston traffic follows some vague kind of pattern of if you leave at time X it will take Y minutes on average to get to your destination. And then there is Chicago residents' love of using their horn and screaming.

Ah, eau de refinery. If you make so little money that saving a couple bucks for cigarettes is a concern, you probably won't be able to afford anything nice in Chicago or Evanston. Plus, the money you save on cigarette taxes will be spent in gas and time sitting in traffic on the city's south side.

Yes, the old saw has it that Chicago has two seasons: winter and construction. Traffic is unpredictable, though the weekday rush hour traffic is predictable: it predictably sucks. Leave early or late to avoid the worst of it.


Another bonus to Edgewater or Evanston is that you can take Sheridan Road up to work if the highways are awful. It's a more roundabout way but less traffic (though guaranteed to be slower than the highway if there's no traffic on the highway).

I don't think you'll find any place in Chicago with AC included. Heat and gas is frequently included in larger or older buildings.

With all the time you're going to spend schlepping to Indiana (ugh!) you might as well consider living there. I wouldn't with THAT commute on my worst enemy, however. You don't seem to realize that it will take about 40-60 mins each way from Edgewater-ish in moderate traffic just to get to the state line. THen you have to go somewhere in Indiana to buy things where you won't get shot. The area right along the state line is not nice. Perhaps this will be a good reason to quit smoking?

If you want to find cheaper cigarettes, since you work in Northbrook it would be much simpler to go to a gas station on the Lake County side of Lake Cook Rd and buy them there.

I think most of gay life revolves around Grindr these days...

Accept that if you do this move, you'll be going to bars in Lakeview and Andersonville a fair amount. There's really no way around it if you want to go to a gay bar. I think there are one or two in the suburbs but I've never been.

Depends on the neighborhood. In general, the neighborhoods you've been mentioning will be tough but possible to find street parking. Most of them are all- or mostly-permit parking, so you'd need a permit. Having a permit means you'll generally get a spot nearby. Street parking also means remembering to move your car for street cleaning days and when whole swaths of the city go no-parking in response to snow. As mentioned, your bumpers will be thoroughly tested. Also, street parking means you need to make your car more theft-resistant.

My experience here, let it be known, comes as someone who never lived in those neighborhoods (so I didn't have a permit) but drove to them often enough. I think it's one of those things that, if you move and do street parking, you'll decide it's mostly all right. If you move and get a parking space, then do street parking, you'll curse the street parking.

(as usual, adding on to others that have beaten me to the punch)

Make sure you know whether heat is included or not, it very often is, but if it isn't, you need to find out how much that'll run in the winter. Anything older with a boiler is going to have heat included (and this can range from a 2/3-flat to a high rise). Newer stuff might have a separate electric or forced air system. This is especially true of condos, they often have their own furnace, meaning you'd be paying the gas bill.

Most common for up-front is you pay 1 month security deposit and first month's rent (sometimes both early, sometimes 1 early, 1 at move-in). Occasionally you might see 1.5 or 2 months security, but that is rare (and might be a red flag against the landlord). Last month I've never seen here.

Parking really depends on where you are. Lake View is terrible. Edgewater is not much better, Andersonville a little better. The problem with street parking is that you may sometimes find yourself getting home from work late, be it a bad traffic or stormy day or you work late or you end up at happy hour with coworkers and don't get home until 9 or 10 and you have to drive around for blocks to find a space. With a commute to the burbs, I'd really recommend sucking it up and paying for a space, just to save the stress when you get home late.

You will have to get a city sticker, that's $85/year. If you live in a "zoned" area (ie restricted parking), that's an additional $25/year. Right now that's due in July, but it's going to switch in 2014 to be opposite your license plate expiration (ie, if your plates expire in March, your city sticker will expire in September).

Get used to a parking spot costing extra, it's rare for one to come with the place for free. Only time I've seen this is condos where the owner owns the spot and just doesn't want to deal with renting it separate.

50+ year Chicagoan here. I have lived all over the northwest side. One neighborhood not yet mentioned is the Lincoln Square area. It is fairly up and coming with lots of two flat brick buildings and new condos. Lots of interesting restaurants, from Indian and German to Kyrgyzstan and coffee house (was just there last week). Lots of singles and young families. Brown line right there on Western Avenue. Gay friendly. Andersonville just east, Middle Eastern neighborhood and Ravenswood just west. Just another thought.

I live in Northbrook most of the time and there are way worse places though you might want to wait until you have a family to move there.

I see many people get off the Metra train in the morning and take a cab to their office, I would suspect most of them are going to the Allstate headquarters. There are many firms located along the Edens Highway, taking a train would defeat the purpose of saving time. You are heading back east, it would take +/- 10 minutes to get there. If you had a car you are right off the Dundee exit.

Evanston has some fun things going on, if you like college sports there is always something going on.

Unless your job is downtown it might be very difficult to commute to Northbrook without a car.

No doubt about that, but someone young, gay and single would hate it (other than Ravinia, perhaps). A place to raise a family and shop? Great!

i wouldnt say day trips. buy a carton or two at a time. you can find cheaper food and liquor closer to home. sams club works pretty well and at least at the one by me in countryside you dont need a membership to buy beer. ive brought some friends that live in lakeview to the walmart in the suburbs on a slow saturday and grocery shopped, they were shocked at how much they saved.