1. Where should I live?
   

   • Most Postdocs live north of the laboratory in the communities of Woodridge, Darien, Westmont, Clarendon Hills, and Downers Grove. These communities offer commutes of less than 30 minutes to the laboratory, and housing in many different styles and price ranges. Many of the permanent staff live in Naperville, which is west of the laboratory and a 30-40 minute commute, though some do live closer to downtown (see below).

   • Here is a map outlining key apartment areas close to the laboratory with locations of grocery stores, hardware stores, shopping districts, and post offices:

     
     View Housing Around Argonne in a larger map

   • The ANL Newcomers Assistance Office (Inside Argonne Link) keeps a list of apartment complexes in the area that postdoc and staff have rented from in previous years. It is updated annually, and while not comprehensive, it is definitely a good place to start.

   • Other websites to help with your apartment search:
     • http://chicago.craigslist.org/ - Note: The lab is considered to be in the western suburbs.
     • http://www.rent.com/ - Note: Requires a free account and password
     • http://www.apartmentguide.com/apartments/Illinois/Chicago/
     • http://www.walkscore.com/ - A guide to gauge how easy it is to get around on foot in a given area.
       1. The walkability rankings of various Chicago neighborhoods: http://www.walkscore.com/rankings/Chicago/
     • There are many firms to help with apartment hunting in the Chicago area, though many don’t handle the suburbs. Some have hidden fees so be clear upfront how the service works.
       1. http://www.chicagoapartmentfinders.com/Default.asp
       2. http://www.rentsmartchicago.com/

   • What about living in downtown Chicago?

     • Some postdocs do live downtown in number of different areas. The commute from downtown to Argonne by car goes against the major traffic flows, but it is still typically 30 – 90 min. Commute time can be substantially reduced if travel is at off peak hours. Public transport to the suburbs is quite good. Metra trains (http://www.metrarail.com/) run from Union Station (downtown) to the Westmont Station (Cass Ave, north of 55th St.). However, getting from the Metra station to the lab by public transport can be tricky. There is a PACE bus (http://www.pacebus.com/) that connects to the lab, but service is infrequent.
     • The neighborhoods of La Grange and Oak Park offer a housing solution that is splits the distance between downtown Chicago and the laboratory. These neighborhoods have a much more urban feel and are much more walkable than the communities of Darien, Downers Grove, etc, but provide a longer round trip commute.

   • Things to remember when apartment hunting:

     • Always ask for employee discount. Many of the complexes near to Argonne have a discount program for employees of “preferred companies”, Argonne among them. It usually results in either a discount on the application fees, extra perks for free, or sometimes a small reduction in the monthly rent.
     • Make sure to see the actual apartment you are renting, not just the show apartment. In bigger apartment complexes, they will often have model apartments to show off the different layouts, and attract customers. While this is a great way to see your layout to its fullest potential, make sure to look at the actual apartment you will be renting. It may have different appliances, street noise level, etc.
     • Know your rights and responsibilities as a tenant:
       1. Tenants rights in the state of Illinois:
          http://www.uslandlord.com/laws/il.html
       2. PDF from Illinois Attorney General:
          http://www.badlandlords.info/landlordtenantrights0404.pdf
       3. Illinois statues:
          http://www.ilga.gov/legislation/ilcs/ilcs2.asp?ChapterID=62 - Note: Scroll down to “Landlord and Tenant”

2. Where do I buy groceries?

   There are a number of grocery chains in the Chicago Area. We’ve broken them down into three categories, and links to local stores are on the neighborhood map above.

   • Cheap and Cheerful
     • Aldi
     • CostCo/Sam's Club - Note: Membership is required at these two stores.
     • Ultra Foods

   • Middle of the Road
     • Dominick's
     • Jewel-Osco
     • Meijer's
     • Trader Joe's

   • Posh and Expensive
     • Nature’s Best Foods (257 N Cass Ave, Westmont, IL)
     • Whole Foods

   • Ethnic and Local Delights
     • If you are interested in local or organic food, the mid-west is a great place for Community Supported Agriculture (CSA’s) and farm shares.
       http://www.familyfarmed.org/csa_list.html
     • There are many Farmer’s Markets open for the summer and fall seasons.
       http://www.farmersmarketonline.com/fm/Illinois.htm
     • Westbrook Market (http://www.westbrookmarket.net/) and Brookhaven Markets (http://brookhavenmarket.com/index.asp) have excellent fresh produce and a good selection of ethnic items.
     • H-Mart (http://www.hmart.com/company_new/shop_main.asp) has a good selection of Asian ingredients.

3. Where do I shop?
   • Bolingbrook Mall (http://thepromenadebolingbrook.com/)

   • Oakbrook Mall (http://www.oakbrookcenter.com/)

   • Yorktown Mall (http://www.yorktowncenter.com/)

   • Outlet Stores in Aurora are a good place to get great deals on fashion items.

   • Naperville, Downers Grove, Westmont, Hinsdale shopping districts provide a boutique stores with unique merchandise.

4. Where are the nearest hardware stores?
   • Ace Hardware and Home Depot have several locations in the suburbs.

5. Where can I buy furniture and household goods?
   • Ikea Bolingbrook - Boughton Rd & I-355 (http://www.ikea.com/)

   • Target – 63rd & I-355 (http://www.target.com/)

   • Bed Bath and Beyond (http://www.bedbathandbeyond.com/)

6. How do I get around?
   • The Newcomer’s Assistance Office has outlined many of the transportation options in the Chicago area.

   • Trains: There are three train systems in the Chicago Area:
     • Metra works to get from the suburbs to downtown (http://www.metrarail.com)
     • The CTA (Chicago Transportation Authority) connects the neighborhoods of Chicago proper together (http://www.transitchicago.com/)
     • Amtrak connects Chicago to other major cities (http://www.amtrak.com)

   • Buses:
     • CTA buses work within city limits (http://www.transitchicago.com/)
     • PACE buses around suburbs (http://www.pacebus.com)

   • Airplanes/Airports:
     • Chicago Midway (http://www.chicago-mdw.com/)
     • Chicago O’Hare International (http://www.ohare.com/)

   • Taxicabs:
     • American Taxi serves the greater Chicago area, but more importantly the suburbs. It is the least expensive cab service to and from the airports and to travel in between points within the suburbs. (http://www.americantaxi.com/phone_numbers.asp)

7. How do I find out what is going on around the Chicago area?
   • Time Out Chicago - An excellent resource for mainstream and alternative entertainment (http://chicago.timeout.com/)

   • Not For Tourist’s Guide to Chicago (http://www.notfortourists.com/chicago.aspx)

   • Chicago Tribune - Particularly the Friday, Saturday, and Sunday editions (http://www.chicagotribune.com/)

   • WBEZ – Chicago Public Radio (http://www.chicagopublicradio.org/default.aspx)

   • Chicago Magazine (http://www.chicagomag.com/)

8. What to do for entertainment?
   • The Newcomer’s Office describes gives an excellent overview of attractions in the area (http://www.dep.anl.gov/Newcomers/museums_attractions_recreation.htm)

   • Hollywood Blvd Theatre lets employees in for free on Wednesday with the purchase of food when you show your badge.

   • Second City - If sketch comedy and improv are your thing, this is the place to go. There are three theatres; the Mainstage and E.T.C. theatres show their polished performances while the Skybox is more of a training ground for skits and comics. The prices vary accordingly, and it’s guaranteed to be an entertaining evening out.

   • Broadway in Chicago – All the Broadway musicals that come through Chicago are listed here.

   • Lollapalooza - An all-night party in August in downtown Chicago for all-things relating to music.

   • Taste of Chicago – In the two weeks leading up to the July 4th weekend, Grant Park is taken over by food artisans of all kinds.

   • And that’s just the beginning…

9. Where can I go for sports/fitness?
   • Argonne hosts a fitness center in Building 200, K-Wing that is free for all badged Argonne and DOE employees and scientific users. The fitness center is outfitted with aerobic exercise machines, strength machines, and free weights. The aerobic workout portion of the center includes treadmills, exercise bikes, elliptical trainers, and steppers. New mats, exercise balls, foam rollers, balance discs, and other stretching and toning equipment are on order. For more information, visit http://inside.anl.gov/community/fitness/.

   • Along with the fitness center, Argonne is home to many clubs devoted to various sports and fitness activities. A list of current 2010 clubs and their points of contact can be found at the Argonne Clubs website.

   • The following national fitness center chains all have branches close to Argonne’s campus:
     • Bally Total Fitness - http://www.ballyfitness.com/
     • Cardinal Fitness - http://www.cardinalfitness.com/
     • Lifetime Fitness - http://www.lifetimefitness.com/index_low.html
     • Along with those chains, many other gym/fitness centers provide services to the Argonne area. A search on Google or the Yellow Pages should yield other alternatives.

   • For more nature based activities, the Illinois Park & Recreation Association is a great place for information regarding forest preserves, parks, and many other outdoor activities. The offer a service called Locate-a-park that maps park and outdoor lands in Illinois.

10. What about medical care?
    • http://www.dep.anl.gov/newcomers/medical_care.htm

11. Where do my children go to school/daycare?
    • http://www.dep.anl.gov/newcomers/schools.htm

    • http://www.dep.anl.gov/newcomers/childrens_activities.htm

12. The Argonne Postdoc’s Restaurant/Pub Guide to Local Favorites:
    • The restaurants/Pubs on the map below are broken into three categories. Pubs and Breweries are marked in red. Quick bites are marked in green. The rest are nice meals in a variety of price ranges and cuisine styles.

      
      View Restaurants in a larger map

    • For other restaurants in the Chicago Area we recommend the following guides which review and rate restaurants by both location and cuisine:
      • http://www.zagat.com
      • http://www.gayot.com

If we’ve missed one your questions here, try the Newcomer’s Assistance Office or contact a PSA member with your concerns/questions.