Aurora, Illinois

Though the most popular city of Illinois is probably Chicago, Aurora isn't far off, having the distinction of being the second largest city in Illinois and also a part of Chicago's metropolitan area. Far too large to just be a suburb of Chicago, it is a great option for folks looking for a great place to live close to Chicago without actually living in Chicago.

With a population of over 170,000 people, Aurora is hardly a small community. The city offers a lot of amenities in terms of businesses, retail stores, restaurants, and arts and culture venues. The city has its own zoo, called Phillips Park Zoo, and downtown is full of great entertainment options, like the Paramount Theatre, a large live performance theater that's even on the National Register of Historic Places. Downtown is also home to the Hollywood Casino, and tons of museums like Aurora Regional Fire Museum, the David L. Pierce Art and History Center, the SciTech Interactive Science Museum and more. The Aurora Public Library and a branch campus of Waubonsee Community College are also downtown.

Aurora is divided into several distinguishable regions, like The West Side, located of west of the Fox River; The East Side, an area east of the Fox river and Fox Valley. Aurora also has a number of diverse neighborhoods in the city, home to their own housing styles and cultural attitudes, like Cherryhill, Dutchtown, Georgetown, Little Italy and more. Aurora's Wikipedia entry has a great breakdown of each neighborhood with descriptions. For those interested in educational pursuits, Aurora's also a great place to live because it's home to Aurora University.

Because of Aurora's size and diversity, there's a wide array of residential housing options available. You can find two bedroom apartments for $700-$800 a month, one bedroom apartments from $650 to houses and condos into the $2000 a month range. It really depends on what neighborhood you choose to live in. Craigslist is best for finding the right price range for your budget. Getting around Aurora shouldn't be a problem: there is a bus service and a commuter rail service. Overall, Aurora is nice-sized city with plenty of options for jobs and entertainment, with lower housing prices than Chicago, but still a close drive to the city.