Evanston

Evanston is Chicago's first suburb to the north, but calling it a suburb sells it short. This cosmopolitan lakefront city of 78,000 feels more like an extension of Chicago than a typical commuter town. Northwestern University anchors the north end, and the rest of the city delivers ethnic diversity, a walkable downtown at Church Street and Sherman Avenue, and four miles of Lake Michigan waterfront.

Housing varies dramatically block by block. Grand vintage Victorians and Colonials in the lakefront blocks east of Sheridan Road. Brick bungalows in the central neighborhoods. Modern condos near the Purple Line stations. New-construction townhomes popping up in transit-oriented zones. Prices range from accessible entry points near Davis Street to multi-million-dollar lakefront estates.

The schools in District 65 (K-8) and District 202 (Evanston Township High School) draw families who want academic rigor with genuine socioeconomic and racial diversity. The cultural life here, from the Block Museum of Art at Northwestern to the Music Institute of Chicago to the independent film and theater scene, makes Evanston one of the most intellectually rich communities in the Midwest.

Downtown Evanston's dining scene reflects the city's diversity. Found Kitchen and Social House on Davis Street offers globally inspired comfort food in a lively social setting, while Oceanique on Main Street has been serving French-inspired seafood for decades. Peppercorns Kitchen on Church Street is a neighborhood favorite for casual Southern-inflected comfort food.

The Davis Street corridor is the commercial heart of Evanston, with a mix of national retailers and independent shops including Bookends & Beginnings (a hidden basement bookstore on Sherman Avenue), the vintage furniture dealers on Chicago Avenue, and the year-round Evanston Farmers' Market at the parking lot on University Place.

Northwestern's campus brings cultural programming that most suburbs simply cannot match: the Block Museum of Art hosts traveling exhibitions, the Wirtz Center presents student and professional theater, and Pick-Staiger Concert Hall features performances from classical to jazz. The city's nightlife centers around the Evanston SPACE performance venue on Chicago Avenue, which draws national touring musicians to an intimate 350-seat room.

Evanston's transit is strong enough to rival most city neighborhoods. The CTA Purple Line runs through the center of town with stations at Davis Street, Dempster, Main, South Boulevard, and Central Street. Rush-hour express service gets you to the Loop in about 30 minutes. The Purple Line also connects to the Red Line at Howard, which opens up even more flexibility.

Metra's Union Pacific North Line stops at Davis, Main, and Central, offering an express commute to Ogilvie Transportation Center in about 25 minutes from Davis Street. Pace bus routes handle local circulation, and Northwestern's own shuttle system covers the campus area.

Sheridan Road and Lake Shore Drive give you scenic car routes to Chicago's North Side, while the Edens Expressway (I-94) is accessible from Dempster for trips to O'Hare (about 25 minutes) or the northern suburbs. Evanston's flat terrain and bike-friendly streets, including the Green Bay Trail, make cycling a realistic year-round commute option.