Catmo

Hello

I just moved to Arlington Heights 6 months ago, due to my husband's work in Des Plaines (another nearby suburb)

I agree that you need a car here to get anywhere, but Arlington Heights does have a downtown area (a few blocks) with cafes, restaurants, bars and nice little shops. It also has an excellent library and parks for children, is very safe and family friendly, and if you were to live near the downtown area then you would most likely be quite close to your husband's work.

The suburbs here all look pretty much the same, and as stated above, you absolutely need a car to get anywhere. There are hardly any pavements, no public transport and the drivers are so unused to seeing pedestrians that they always seem determined to run you over when they are turning right through a red light.

Hope that helps!

Catmo

Just reread my post and realised it sounds like you cannot walk anywhere. You can, it's just less common here.

If you choose a house/apartment within a reasonable walking distance of where you want to be, then you could easily walk into the downtown area for a coffee/trip to library/park etc. You would most definitely need access to a car at some point for doctors/bigger shops/meeting friends but could probably drive your husband to work those days, so you don't feel completely trapped!

Woodfield Mall in Schaumburg always seems to be full of mothers and toddlers during the week, so you could go there if the weather is too hot or cold. There appears to be a playground penned in bit for little kids to run around in.

SultanOfSwing

Quite a few of the Chicago suburbs have walkable (there's that word again ) town center areas, with shops and restaurants and pubs, parks or whatever. Also, most towns around here are well served by the Metra lines so it's quick easy to get a train into downtown Chicago for all the city stuff if you like that kind of thing.

Though, to do a weekly grocery shop or whatever you'll still need a car, as they have their supermarkets outside of that town center.

Arlington Heights does have a nice town center itself though, I had to go to a few bid readings at their village hall in my first job and I would pass extra time when early by wandering around.

Lbjen

I used to live in Arlington Heights too, it's a nice town and it has one of the best Metra connections imo. Nice to be so close to Schaumburg (and ikea!) and not too far from the city when you want to go downtown.

Dawn johnson

Hi,
We moved from London to Schaumburg in May 2012. We had never visited the Chicago area before. My husbands job is based in Schaumburg, so we wanted to be as close as possible until we knew where we wanted to live. Schaumburg is a place you have to drive. Everywhere! There is no town centre to it, as we would know at home. Huge shopping mall, and lots of strip malls. I was there for six months, trying to walk everywhere, and it's not possible without a second car. The roads are busy, and in some parts are six lanes wide. It's like trying to cross a motorway! We looked at Arlington Heights. While better than Schaumburg, we found the downtown area very small, and the train into Chicago about an hours journey, and not that frequent at weekends. A letting agent suggested we go and see Evanston on the north shore. I'm very glad she did! We have now lived in Evanston for a year, and love this area. It's 12 miles from Chicago city centre. Only 20 minute drive. The metra takes 20 minutes into the city. And there's also the EL train. Plenty of buses too. We have five beaches, great downtown area, with lovely boutique shops, many restaurants, cinema etc. it's the best of both worlds, city on one side, lovely drive out to the countryside the other! I have found everyone to be very friendly here, and now work in Evanston too. My husband is still based in Schaumburg. It takes him about 45 minutes driving each way. Which he actually prefers to the commute across London on the under grounds! There is a bus that goes directly to Schaumburg too. Also a great little bus that goes directly to O' Hare airport.
It's quite a scary thing to be moving away from home to a new country, but we have found since moving to Evanston, we have really settled. it's very family friendly, with lots of great parks and events down by the lake during the summer months.
I'm not sure when you are moving over, but please feel free to contact me. I would be very happy to show you around Evanston. I think you are looking for the kind of area I was, walkable! Look up Evanston on line and see what you think. Very good luck with your move. Chicago is great!

jamesshaffer

Even moving to another part of the city can sometimes be stressful, no to mention moving to another country with different culture and mentality. Yet, as you do your research, you're probably prepared for some kind of adaptation period and I hope it will be smooth for you and your family.
And I think walking could be an effective adaptation strategy, as sports always helps to be more optimistic and reduce stress and anxiety while simulating your immune system at the same time.

WEBlue

This is so true. If you love to walk and feel you need it in your life, it's really worth attempting to search out a city, town or village that will allow some. It may not be at ALL easy ... because this is America, after all, and true walkability is often difficult-to-impossible find.

We found a pretty walkable town to buy a house in, after over a year of looking I should say. But even so, there's no supermarket even close to within walking distance, just a very limited Seven-Eleven convenience store. Still, the husband or I can walk there for the newspaper or the odd quart of milk, so that's a plus of sorts.

Pulaski

We used to have a petrol station and convenience store close to the entrance to our subdivision that was walkable, but apart from petrol it's business was mostly tobacco, soda, and sweets. Then it closed after the proprietor was murdered, shot by robbers, just a few months after he took over the business.

SultanOfSwing

Isn't that nice

We're quite spoiled by the sound of it, we have a big strip mall containing a laundrette (not needed), cinema and among other shops three small groceries, in addition to a few pubs, cafés, a bakery, the library and the railway station all within a mile of our house and easily accessible on foot.

We still drive to the supermarket for the better deals on groceries, though . That being said, it's only 2.5 miles down the road, I could walk if I really wanted to.

WEBlue

Where we rented for the last year in CT, we lived in SUCH a walkable town. It was fantastic! Train station, library, several pizza joints, a small supermarket, a few coffee shops & cafes--all within a mile with good sidewalks all the way. But the property taxes in that town were completely outrageous, and it was slowly becoming a suburb of a larger, more dangerous city. So we didn't want to buy a house there.

I love walking, but I'd never do a real food shop without the car. That's just inviting a dislocated shoulder.

SultanOfSwing

Our property taxes went down this past year, if you can believe that. We are, technically in a suburb of a city that I believe just took over as murder capital of the US, but we're far enough removed that I don't even worry about it.

Pulaski

SultanOfSwing

Where the sweet **** did that one even come from?? That's what I'd like to know.

Rose tea

Laughed too hard at this and have now had to close my BE tab.

Pulaski

The local grocer's stock of superfluous apostrophes, perhaps?