Evanston

If Evanston didn’t exist, John Hughes would have had to invent it. In reality, Chicago’s most prominent suburb isn’t the placid yuppie haven immortalized in Hughes films like “Sixteen Candles” and “Ferris Bueller’s Day Off.” In fact, it’s one of the most lively, diverse corners of Chicagoland.

One of the only local areas to maintain a real “college neighborhood” feel, Evanston is home to the academic juggernaut that is Northwestern University. And with a Big Ten college comes an attendant array of youth-oriented businesses. The downtown area teems with so many restaurants, boutiques, bars, movie theaters and niche shops that many residents seldom bother heading into the city proper (although Metra and CTA Purple and Yellow Line trains makes it easy to do so). Beyond the college area, Evanston leans toward family-friendly residential neighborhoods with far more cultural and economic diversity than “Breakfast Club” fans might expect. Plenty of city parks and a string of beaches along Lake Michigan add to the allure of a city that’s more than just another ‘burb.

Take a tour of Evanston

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Unicorn Cafe in downtown Evanston

Currently available in the Evanston area

Average rent in Evanston

Check out these similar neighborhoods

If you like Evanston you might feel at home in these Chicago neighborhoods:  Rogers Park, West Rogers Park