Best Neighborhoods in Chicago for Professionals Relocating from Out of State

What are the best Chicago neighborhoods for professionals relocating from out of state? Chicago's North Side offers six neighborhoods consistently sought by relocating professionals: Lakeview, Lincoln Park, Andersonville, Lincoln Square, Ravenswood, and Roscoe Village. Each has distinct transit access, lifestyle character, housing stock, and price points. The right choice depends on where you work, how you commute, and what kind of neighborhood you want to come home to.

I specialize in helping busy professionals make the move to Chicago's North Side. Most arrive having done significant research online — Liveability rankings, Reddit threads, neighborhood comparisons — and still feel uncertain because online research cannot replicate the experience of walking these streets on a Tuesday morning or a Saturday night. This guide gives you the honest, experience-based breakdown that online research cannot.

For a deeper look at the relocation process itself, download my free Chicago Relocation Guide and explore the Chicago Lifestyle Guide to understand what daily life looks like across the city's best neighborhoods.

Lakeview: Best for Professionals Who Want Urban Energy Close to the Lake

Lakeview is Chicago's densest and most active North Side neighborhood, and it consistently draws professionals who want the full urban experience — walkable to restaurants, bars, the lakefront trail, and Wrigley Field, with excellent Brown Line access to the Loop.

The neighborhood is divided into distinct sub-areas. East Lakeview is closest to the lake and commands the highest prices. Southport Corridor is quieter, more residential, and extremely popular with young professionals and couples. Wrigleyville is the most energetic and the most noise-tolerant. Boys Town has a strong community identity and excellent walkability along Halsted Street.

Lakeview has exceptional transit access — served by the Red Line, Brown Line, and Purple Line express, giving residents multiple fast options to the Loop and beyond. The Red Line in particular runs 24 hours and is one of the most useful transit lines in the city for professionals who keep irregular hours.

Price points in Lakeview are among the highest on the North Side. Condos start in the mid $300,000s and single-family homes routinely exceed $1 million in desirable sub-areas. For professionals with strong incomes who prioritize lakefront proximity and urban density, Lakeview consistently delivers.

Best for: Professionals who want to walk to everything, are willing to pay a premium for lakefront proximity, and thrive in a high-energy urban environment.

Lincoln Park: Best for Professionals Who Want Prestige and Proximity

Lincoln Park is Chicago's most established North Side neighborhood — the one that has been drawing professionals and families for decades and shows no signs of slowing down. The neighborhood sits directly on the lakefront, with Lincoln Park itself running along the eastern edge and offering one of the great urban green spaces in the country.

The DePaul University presence gives Lincoln Park a younger energy in some pockets, while the western sections near Armitage and Webster feel more established and residential. Transit access via the Red, Brown, and Purple Lines is excellent for downtown commuters.

Lincoln Park is one of the more expensive North Side neighborhoods. Updated condos start in the mid $400,000s. Single-family homes start around $1.1 million and can reach $5 million or more in prime locations.  For professionals for whom prestige address, lakefront access, and long-term appreciation matter, Lincoln Park remains one of Chicago's strongest long-term bets.

Best for: Professionals who prioritize established prestige, lakefront access, and top-tier walkability and are willing to pay accordingly.

Andersonville: Best for Professionals Who Want Character and Community

Andersonville is the North Side neighborhood that consistently surprises relocators who had not put it on their list. The Clark Street commercial corridor is one of the most genuinely independent and community-rooted commercial strips in Chicago — Swedish heritage mixed with a strong LGBTQ+ community identity, excellent independent restaurants and shops, and a neighborhood culture that actively resists chain homogenization.

Andersonville offers strong value relative to Lakeview and Lincoln Park, with condos going from $200,000 -$900,000 and single-family homes more accessible than in its southern neighbors and are going from $600,000 - 2M+. Red Line access at Berwyn and Bryn Mawr provides solid downtown connectivity.

Best for: Professionals who value independent neighborhood character over urban density, want strong community identity, and are looking for better value than Lakeview or Lincoln Park.

Lincoln Square and Ravenswood: Best for Professionals Who Want Value and Neighborhood Authenticity

I cover these two together because they are geographically intertwined — Lincoln Square is the official named neighborhood anchored by Lincoln Avenue, and Ravenswood is the broader surrounding area. Together they represent what I consistently recommend to relocating professionals who want genuine neighborhood character, strong housing value, and a quieter daily life without sacrificing city access.

Lincoln Square's commercial corridor — the Old Town School of Folk Music, the Davis Theatre, Sulzer Library, Wells Park, a farmers market twice a week — gives it a cultural richness that most North Side neighborhoods cannot match at this price point. Ravenswood adds the Metra UP-N line, which is a significant advantage for professionals who commute to the suburbs or O'Hare.

Both neighborhoods offer more square footage and more architectural character per dollar than Lakeview and Lincoln Park. Updated single-family homes start in the $600,000s. Condos start in the high $200,000s. Two-flats in the $650,000 to $950,000 range make the area compelling for buyers who want to offset their mortgage with rental income.

For a detailed comparison of these two neighborhoods see my post on Lincoln Square vs. Ravenswood, and my complete Lincoln Square neighborhood guide and Ravenswood neighborhood guide.

Best for: Professionals who want genuine neighborhood character, better value than Lakeview and Lincoln Park, and either a vibrant commercial corridor (Lincoln Square) or Metra access for suburban commuting (Ravenswood).

Roscoe Village: Best for Professionals Who Want a Residential Feel Without Sacrificing the City

Roscoe Village is the most residential of the North Side neighborhoods I recommend to relocating professionals. The Roscoe Street commercial strip has excellent independent restaurants, cafes, bars, and bookstores — a vibrant local scene that does not feel like it is trying too hard. The residential streets feel genuinely quiet and removed from commercial activity, which suits professionals who want to decompress at home after demanding workdays.

Roscoe Village is well served by the Brown Line and has strong bus connectivity. Price points are slightly more accessible than Lakeview and Lincoln Park, with well-updated single-family homes typically starting in the mid $650,000s and go up to 3M+ and condos in the mid $300,000s.

Best for: Professionals who want excellent restaurants and neighborhood energy within walking distance but prefer quiet residential streets at home. Often appeals to professionals who have previously lived in denser neighborhoods and are ready for more breathing room.

How to Choose: The Questions That Matter Most

After 24 years of helping professionals relocate to Chicago's North Side, here are the questions I ask every client before we start narrowing down neighborhoods:

Where are you working and how are you commuting? If you are going downtown daily, any of these neighborhoods works well via the L. If you are commuting to the suburbs or O'Hare, Ravenswood's Metra access is a significant advantage. If you are working remotely, transit matters less and neighborhood feel matters more.

What is your price point? Lakeview and Lincoln Park command the highest prices. Lincoln Square, Ravenswood, and Andersonville offer meaningfully more value per square foot. Roscoe Village sits in between.

What does your ideal weekend look like? This question tells me more about neighborhood fit than almost anything else. If you want to walk to brunch, catch a game, and be at the lakefront within 20 minutes — Lakeview. If you want to browse independent shops, catch a show at a neighborhood theater, and be at the farmers market on a Tuesday morning — Lincoln Square. If you want to sit on your front porch and hear almost nothing — Roscoe Village.

Chicago's North Side is running at roughly 1.5 months of housing supply right now — well below the 4 to 6 months that NAR considers a balanced market. Homes in all of these neighborhoods are moving quickly. The professionals who make the smoothest transitions are the ones who have done their neighborhood homework before they arrive, not while they are touring homes.

Frequently Asked Questions: Relocating to Chicago's North Side

Which Chicago neighborhood is best for young professionals?

Lakeview and Lincoln Park are the most popular with young professionals for their urban density, nightlife, and lakefront access. Andersonville and Roscoe Village attract young professionals who prefer a more community-rooted, independent feel. Lincoln Square and Ravenswood appeal to professionals who want to build long-term equity in a neighborhood with strong appreciation potential.

How long does it take to commute from Chicago's North Side to downtown?

Brown Line and Red Line commutes from North Side neighborhoods to the Loop typically run 25 to 45 minutes depending on your specific starting point and destination. Lakeview and Lincoln Park are generally 25 to 35 minutes. Lincoln Square and Ravenswood are 35 to 45 minutes via the Brown Line. Ravenswood also has Metra access with faster express service to certain downtown stations.

Is Chicago a good city for professionals relocating from New York or San Francisco?

Consistently yes. Chicago's North Side offers a quality of life — walkable neighborhoods, excellent restaurants, strong cultural institutions, genuine community feel — at a price point that professionals from New York and San Francisco find remarkably accessible. The housing market is competitive but not at the level of those coastal cities, and the neighborhoods have a genuine character that is hard to find in many major American cities.

Ready to Find Your Chicago Neighborhood?

Whether your move is 6 weeks away or 6 months out, I would love to help you find the right neighborhood before you start touring homes. I specialize in relocating professionals to Chicago's North Side and have built a process specifically for out-of-state buyers that covers everything from neighborhood selection through closing day.

Explore all the North Side neighborhoods on my website, or schedule a complimentary and confidential relocation consultation here.

Dee Savic
Realtor® | Baird & Warner
773.719.0989
[email protected]
deesavic.com