S2000toIS350

Hello Chicagoland,

I received an offer from Abbott and am very excited about the opportunity.

Do any of you folks work there and how do you like it?

We will be relocating from Boston and I have been sorting out the where to live piece as well.

Lakeview sounds like the place for us (near urban living). How does that area stack up and is the Metra ok for commuting?

Thanks

neurocity

iTrader: (17)

I don't work for Abbott, but I know the company.

Are you going to be in the Roundlake office or the Waukegan/Lake Bluff office?

If your looking for houses that are close and cheap now, but will be worth huge money in 5 years. Volo/Wauconda

S2000toIS350

Hi Neorcity,

Thanks for the reply.

The location was described as Abbott Park.

What is doing with Volo/Waucanda that is so positive going forward?

I would like a condo that faces the showroom of Lake Forest Sports Cars but those don't exist.

Otherwise we are looking for a near urban place.

Thanks again

aliti19

Abbott Park is less than 10 mins from my house & my best friend works for them - great company! As much as you would probably love to live in the city, the commute every day will kill you. There are a lot townhouses within 5 miles (Lake Bluff) of Abbott Park that are affordable and VERY nice.

S2000toIS350

Thanks for the point aobut Lake Bluff.

We are heading out there on Sunday for a tour for a couple of days.

I am used to taking the train and carpooling.

Do you have any experience with the Metra?

I wish I could bring Tom Brady with me. Imagine the Bears with that guy chucking the rock instead of Rex getting chucked by the defense.

VikH

iTrader: (5)

Lakeview is a nice area filled with young working people (20's-30's). If you are going to take the train, you will have to take a 30 minute L train ride to downtown chicago. Then you will have to take the metra train out to Great Lakes which will take at least another 30 minutes. Then you will have to walk about 3 miles to Abbott. So about 1.5 hrs commute.

If you drive you can do the commute in about 45 minutes to an hour by taking 90/94 west and 94 North. One morning you can check the traffic maps and see that it usually is pretty clear.

If you are young it will be tough living in the burbs.

aliti19

The Metra is great! It would be a huge pain to get from the nearest Metra station to Abbott though.
Plus, there is a HUGE construction project starting next week on the 94 lasting well into next year. Thet's gonna make the drive HELL! Living somewhere nearby might make the most sense.

Tom Brady on the Bears would be a dream!

George

neurocity

iTrader: (17)

Volo is cheap and is Going to boom like Lake in the Hills did.

Urmil and Chris can vouch for how fast and how nutty the prices blew up in the LITH area.

Volo Wauconda is the next big area to do the same.
Its also right next to Round Lake. But since you are in the Lake Bluff area...Then you should check out Vernon Hills, Lake Bluff, Lakeview...the closer you get to the city along the lake the higher the prices go up.

Glencoe, Winnetka, Lake Forest, Highland Park, along Sheridan road...huge money!!! (See any John Hughes film) Ferris Bueller's Day off, or Risky Business...all filmed in that area.

Lake Bluff is like 20min north of there.

Welcome to the area....New guy throws the BBQ!!!!
We like Ribzzzzzzz and Wingzzzzz Meat on bones!!!!

DIrEctQL

Hahah. I work at Abbott. Abbott Park is located on the corner of 137 and I-94.

neurocity

iTrader: (17)

So you took that job, I was wondering. What a drive for you buddy.

DIrEctQL

Well, couldn't miss the job. The company is nice and stable. People are nice and pretty relaxed. Nearly the opposite of where I came from: EDS/United Airlines. The drive is a long but not too bad.

DIrEctQL

What type of work do you do?

S2000toIS350

I am in Regulatory Affairs.

From my scouting of the Metra, I could catch the train at Clybourn or Ravenswood.

Abbott has shuttles to and from the train. I think the N. Chicago stop works.

We are no empty nesters and my wife will be working from home and wants some urban scene.

When I visited in August I stayed in Deer Park and the driver went through Lake Forest. That are does have the bling with a clubby sort of feel.

I am an excellent grill master so I guess I will need to find a place with a deck.

kpytoi9

I would look into Evanston...a lot closer than Lakeview with a pretty urban feel. As far as Volo/Wauconda is concerned, I would stay away from there....cheap houses but EXTREMELY far from civilization

S2000toIS350

Good point on Evanston.

We were there this week to check out Real Estate and to meet with the new boss.

Had dinner with him and the VP last night and the VP mentioned Evanston.

The limo driver took us through there a bit and it is more of a city that I had imagined. I am going to get the Realtor going on that area as well.

We did find a place on West Barry near Sheridan that would do the trick (after a big rehab that is). Lake view has a good buzz to it. Urban yet not too vertical. Lots of cool places to shop and eat and you can walk to the Wrigley scene.

Chicago here we come!