Moving to the Chicago area?

I've been helping a friend of mine whose husband has just accepted a position with a firm in Chicago. She's a small town girl, and this move to a big city has her pretty nervous. The two of them have decided that they will look for a home on the outskirts, and that a 50-60 mile commute for him is not all that bad.

We have been searching online for smaller communities in that area, and came across a web release for NewCastle Realty Group, which serves the Northeastern region of Illinois. We found this one smaller city named Aurora, and it looks to be perfect for them. Also dubbed the "City of Lights", we thought that was because of the name, and related that to the Aurora Borealis, also known as the Northern Lights, but that's not the reason. Apparently, Aurora Illinois was the first city in the USA to use electric street lights, hence the "City of Lights". With a population of about 157,000, it's a similar sized city as we live in, and is just what they are looking for. Located about 45 miles or so Southwest of Chicago, Aurora is populated by residents with the average age of thirty-something, so this is another plus for my friend, as her and her husband are both in their early thirties as well. There are a few golf courses in the area, which is a plus for her golf crazed husband, and she's pretty excited about the zoo that is in the city. With free admission to that, she's thinking it would be a great place to spend sunny days with their animal loving two year old boy! Aurora real estate prices start at about $52,000., and go up to about $975,000., so there is a broad range of homes available -- something for everyone.

I'll miss my friend, but on the other hand, I've always wanted to check out the "Windy City" of Chicago, so I see a road trip for me in the future!

Olivia