To Live in the City or Not to Live in the City

Thanks for asking this question - my husband and I are struggling with the same thing. I will keep looking back for comments!

Hi R.
I think living in the city is overrated. We currently live in the city and I can't wait to move! The city is not very kid friendly and it's hard getting somewhere without driving (who is willing to drag a stroller, carrier, diaper bag on the bus or around pothole ridden streets?). I think people in the city are a bit more snobbish then those in some of the burbs. Yes, I will really miss all the great restaurants but this is the only thing. Taxes, crime and garbage everywhere are pushing me out of here.
Good luck with your decision!

I think it all depends on what type of person you are. Personally, I grew up in the suburbs (not in Chicago) and prefer it. I have lived in an apartment in the city and a condo downtown. I now live in a single-family home in the Beverly area. It's still 'officially' the city limits, but when I think of the city, I think of like Gold Coast, River North, Lincoln Park, etc, certainly not Beverly.

I love having a fenced-in yard where my child will one day be able to play and run around without worry of getting creamed by one of the crazy city drivers (yes, crazy drivers are in the suburbs too!). I love having a 2-car garage where I can store all our stuff, park without ever having to fight for a spot or share a garage with others, and never have to scrape frost or dig out a spot. I love not sharing my walls with someone who is a bachelor, a college student, a yuppie who hates kids, a family with noisy pets, etc. I love having a much larger house with plenty of storage space, as opposed to being shoved into a tiny little shoebox (my 2800 sqft house cost the same as my 1275 sqft condo+assessments). I love knowing that the trip to the grocery store or errands will only take a short amount of time because the stores are close and there is parking, as opposed to having to fight traffic and duke it out for parking. I love not having to drag a stroller up 3 flights of a walk-up building, while also trying to juggle groceries, dry cleaning, packages, etc. There are just so many advantages that I am not willing to give up.

I do miss the city, but we are so happy with our decision to move to the suburbs. We are closer to family (my mom babysits weekly) and we have a back yard!!

For us, we simply couldn't afford what we wanted in the city--so the choice was obvious. We looked at moving to the far Northwest side, but then realized the commute into downtown was just as bad as living in the burbs. We now have a yard, a very easy commute to downtown Chicago (17 minute express train), and my daughter will be able to WALK to school! Speaking of schools, that's another reason we moved. I found many schools in the city quite competitive and expensive (preschools primarily).

We live on a very nice block with wonderful neighbors (who also all came from the city!). Our town has a really cute "downtown" of it's own with a Borders, restaurants, library, Trader Joe's, coffee shops all within walking distance to our house. We still have one car since I'm the only one who uses it. We live near the train station and my husband can walk there to catch the train. Also, we are in an historic area of town--we live in a charming 1920's Craftsman bungalow.

We are thrilled with our decision to move. We still have lots of friends in the city that we hang out with often. It's the best of both worlds.

We lived in a very snobbish part of the city, and for us, moving to the suburbs has been a breath of fresh air. Everyone we know here is really down to earth.

Good luck with your decision :)

Hi! Check out Edgebrook/Saugnash. I grew up here and we recently purchased our first home here. It's absolutely wonderful...it completely feels like a suburb, but is in the city with in a great school district. Much Luck!!!

That is a big can of worms! My husband and I moved to Berwyn before our son was born. We love being biking distance from the zoo and being able to walk to lots of parks and shopping (and the train, the YMCA, banking, restaurants and pretty much everything). BUT...most of our friends are still in the city so we spend a lot of time - in the city! You can make a happy home anywhere. My only real advice is research schools before you make a move and consider private school tuition in your budgeting if you are not happy with the public schools - we are actually considering moving because the schools here are not very good (and we live a half a block from where he'd go). Good luck, and happy New Year!

we moved from chicago (andersonville and north center/lincoln square) to evanston. we're happy in evanston. has the parks, great libraries, schools, etc. and it feels nice to not be in the city when i'm not at work (which is downtown). i was recently in the city yesterday and definitely missed some of its flavor/urbanesque qualities but i realize that's always there to visit. i think wherever you move, you just need to realize that your favorite haunts in the city or outside, are just a drive or bikeride away...

We live in Evanston. It offers a wonderful mix of urban walkability, shops, and diversity but balances with being able to have a house, a yard, quiet, great lakefront, etc. It also has the advantage of both the Metra and L making frequent stops for quick trips into the city. We found a great church that has opened so many doors to social/spiritual opportunities for families.
Evanston is a great family friendly city!
Finding someplace that has the characteristics that you like about the neighborhood where you currently live, balanced with the things you desire might not be as difficult as you would expect! Good luck!

I have to agree with Beth - I would move back to the City tomorrow if I could, but my husband is a suburban person and it will never happen. I was raised in the City and never thought I'd live in the suburbs. While I do like our area (near West burbs) and I do love the older houses, good schools, good park districts, I do not feel we really have much more available to us than I did growing up. What I feel we're lacking is the character of the City - the neighborhoods, the people, the constant availability of things to do. I particularly miss the walking! We have to hop in the car to get anywhere, and for someone who didn't even get her drivers license until I was 20 because I plain didn't need it, that's a hard adjustment. We've lived in the suburbs for 5 years and I still do not feel like it is home. I love our neighbors, our house is cute, I like having a big yard, but these are all things we had growing up downtown (well, not the big yard, but a nice small yard and a huge park across the street). I'm sure I'll appreciate the schools more as my children get older, but for now my daughter's in private preschool anyway, so thus far we aren't reaping those benefits either. I guess I do appreciate our tax bill as opposed to what it would be for something comparable in the City :)

Ultimately, however, you'll have to find the right are for yourself and your family, whether it's in the City or suburbs. Good luck!!

I know you've already posted a "so what happened" response, but I want to second the vote for Evanston. My husband and I had lived in the city for about 5 years (pre-kids) before we moved on and decided Evanston was a great next step since it's close to the city, has the same great public transportation, is still on the lake has culture and has a neighborhood feel. We live down the street from the Central St. shops and I love taking our son for walks to get out of the house, play at the park and get some errands run all at the same time. It's great to have an environment that feels safely and cleanly suburban, yet urban in its arrangement and values. If you're contemplating a move, I think it's a great way to wean yourself from city life. And no matter what you decide, remember no move is permanent. You'll never know what's right for your family if you never try it. Good luck!

I moved from the NW side of the city to Oak Park 3 years ago and feel more a part of a diverse, down-to-earth neighborhood than I ever did in Chicago proper. We easily and frequently get into the city for both family and grown-up fun, but have also found a community of open-minded and progressive families to raise our kids with. But I imagine not every suburb is the same -- some are more urban in feel, some more spread out and rural. Some are more affluent (and perhaps then less diverse and snobbier) while some have a greater mix of ethnicities and tax brackets. So it DEFINITELY depends on the suburb. Take some drives into areas that seem good for you in terms of commute or locale (some people must stay near the lake), you need to see places for yourself before you can settle on a decision.

I struggled with this and sometimes still do. We moved to Oak Park a few years ago and I think we made a good move. It's a far more diverse neighborhood, ethnically, racially and economically than our city neigbborhood was. We still walk to the train and to get coffee or the library or park. I can walk to the grocery store as long as I don't need a ton of stuff. We didnt' have a grocery store in our old neighborhood. I think that I do the same amount of walking as I did being a city dweller. OUr schools are great and the property taxes reflect that but I don't think anyone's taxes are reasonable anymore. Basically, my husband wanted a single family and it was out of the question in the city or in any neighborhood we liked. Galewood is a great neighborhood just north of us with much lower taxes but then you need to deal with the school issue. I wanted my kids to grow up taking the el and walking places and knowing kids of different types of families and that was the essence of Oak Park. We feel that we couldn't have picked a better place to reflect our values.

I was one of those people who grew up in the city and never thought I would leave. But I did, over a decade ago, and while I still love Chicago, and work in Chicago, I am glad to be raising my family in a suburb. The things I most appreciated initially involved how much easier my life seemed (with small kids), no more parking stress, a (then) affordable house with a backyard, nice parks and pools and places for long walks, and easy recycling. I was surprised to find a community that is not perfect, but more diverse than most neighborhoods in Chicago, and schools that maintain small class sizes and a committment to the arts. We are also close enough to the city to not have to feel like we miss anything, including easy access to public transportation, though it took me about a year to feel that way.

I think you ask a great question. My husband, son and I moved from the city to the suburbs this year so I feel I can give you my opinion. I think it basically depends on your personality. I soooooo miss the city- I would move back tomorrow. I have had a very, very hard time adjusting to the suburubs. However, my husband and son (and dog) love the 'burbs. I miss the city because I love the city. I love being part of a neighborhood. I miss walking everywhere. I miss the energy of the city. I miss the ease of getting downtown, etc. The positives of the suburbs include more space for your money, lower taxes (depending on the town), better schools, more kid oriented events/park district activities, etc., more access to shopping. I think the negatives (at least for me) are the lack of diversity (racially, ethinically, economically), the total reliance on your car, and the snobbery. I have some friends who moved from the city and love it and others who feel like I do. I think you are best to find a particular suburb you like and then talk to people who know that town or live there. Good luck!

Good luck with your decision. When my husband and I decided to "upgrade" our space after getting married we wanted to stay in the city. Initially we looked at larger condos but decided for the money we were going to be spending we wanted a house and garage. We knew right away that we wanted to stay in the city. We love the city and at that time we both worked in the city. I wanted no longer than a half hour commute for work and we wanted easy access to the city on the weekends. We ended up moving to the Mont Clare/Galewood area. It is a beautiful area of the city just north of Oak Park and just east of Elmwood Park. We love it. We got a much larger house than we anticipated for our money and we got an older house (1915 craftsman american four square) with a lot of the original woodwork and charm.

Metra is within walking distance and getting downtown is about a 20 to 25 minute Metra ride. We are also close to the blue and green line of the CTA with parking near the stations for when the Metra schedule isn't convenient for events. It is a very diverse area with fabulous Italian and Polish restaurants and groceries, we are walking distance to Caputo's. We have very friendly and helpful neighbors, for the most part. Our alderman is very helpful. It is definitely not the suburbs, but is close if the need arises to get to the suburbs.

There was a comment on an earlier post about taxes being cheaper in the burbs. We have not found that to be the case between our taxes and our friends that moved to the burbs, at least not on our property taxes.

Since we moved out to the area, my husband's boss and his wife, who are close friends of ours, have bought a house a mile and a half from us after doing a lot of searching (they also felt that they wanted to stay in the city and looked initially in the Rogers Park area which seems to be pretty popular lately as well). Another co-worker of my husband's is looking now and my husband and his boss seem to have them pretty convinced that they want to move into the neighborhood as well.

I think it depends on your personality and how much you think you will want to go back to the city after you move out. For the most part my co-workers and friends that have moved out of the city (Naperville seems to be very popular and also Downers Grove and LaGrange) don't seem to head back to the city very often at all.

Good Luck,
D.