Nicole and John Oertel
Are you thinking about relocating from Chicago to the suburbs? The suburbs are having their moment with Chicago residents making the move, and it all started during the pandemic. With everything the suburbs have to offer, it’s no surprise! With Chicago-worthy restaurants, locally owned cafes, the parks department, and local small theatre productions, the suburbs provide their own brand of charm that makes the decision to move from Chicago to the suburbs feel like the obvious choice!
The Chicago suburbs provide the best of both worlds. They offer the convenience of a continued commute to the city with the tranquility and peace of living in a community-driven town. The suburbs offer some of the best schools in the state, an amazing range of restaurants and dining, fantastic shopping experiences that keep the focus on small businesses, and plenty of community-centered activities and events that put its citizens at the center of it all! Curious to know what we mean? Check out the Citadel & Lincolnshire Marriott Theatre to see what we mean! But making the move to the suburbs comes with considerations to make, knowing your non-negotiables, and doing a little digging on what area would be best for you, based on your needs. Keep reading for more!
Deciding to leave Chicago for the suburbs is a major decision, but deciding which suburb to move to is even more important. With so many amazing locations to choose from, how do you begin to shorten the list to the ones you’re serious about? The first step is to decide what your non-negotiables are! Is it a suburb that will make your commute easy? One with amazing schools, or a lake view? Or a suburb that will fulfill your interests just as much the city did? Oftentimes, when making a big move, these are the decisions that have to be made in order to start your search for a new home. These decisions will drive which homes you’ll be able to view, and the homes you know aren’t worth a glance because they don’t fulfill your non-negotiables.
If you already know, without a doubt, that your move from Chicago to the suburbs will come with a continued commute, then you’ll need to look at suburbs that provide a quick and easy jump on the metro! Winnetka is a fabulous suburb that provides a quick commute to downtown via the Metra train line and bus routes. Traveling by car? It’s still a fabulous choice! Additionally, Winnetka is known for its tranquility. Tree-lined streets and sprawling homes near top schools provide the sort of peace and tranquility that most look for when moving to the suburbs. Need another option in the suburbs that provides the same type of easy commute? Rivinia, in Highland Park, is a quick and easy jump on the metro with frequent service to downtown. It’s just a few stops away from some of the best restaurants and shops!
Looking for a Chicago suburb that has the best schools to offer your family? You might be surprised to know that Winnetka makes the list again! Along with Lake Forest, Wilmette, and Lake Bluff. In Winnetka, New Trier Township High School has an A+ rating. It’s high rating comes from a combination of its overall performance and experience in academics, teachers, administration, sports, clubs, and activities. In Lake Forest, Lake Forest High School also gets an A rating for its performance in college readiness, college curriculum, and state assessments. In Wilmette, you’ll find that elementary-aged children (through eighth grade) test well above the state and national average. Wondering where those children head to for high school? Typically New Trier High School! Lastly, when it comes to Lake Bluff, you’ll find that Lake Bluff Elementary School is ranked in the top 10% of the 3,663 schools in the state of Illinois! Math and reading proficiency are at the forefront of the curriculum taught at Lake Bluff Elementary School with children ranking in the top 5% for mathematics and the top 20% for reading proficiency.
With so many amazing choice schools in the suburbs, it provides you with the ability to widen the search for your dream home! Giving you premium options when new homes come on the market. But there is one more consideration to make when deciding on any of these beautiful locations, land! Our home buyers looking for more land or a new construction home are typically drawn west.
We love helping our clients make the move from Chicago to the suburbs. As fellow residents, we know the importance of finding a town that has you saying "I love where I live"! To work with The Oertel Group on your move from Chicago to the Suburbs, you can contact us here.
