Summer is finally just around the corner, and you know what that means – we’re about to enter full-on festival season! There’s a lot going on in Chicago this summer, so we’re going to be breaking down our event articles monthly to make sure all the best and most interesting events are covered.

This week’s article is about what’s happening in June. There are free concerts in Millennium Park, neighborhood street fests, Pride celebrations, art fairs, and food crawls.

Before we get started: if you’re new here, welcome! 

We’re the Ben Lalez Team, an award‑winning real estate team serving buyers and sellers all over Chicago and the suburbs. For more than a decade, we’ve been helping people find the right home in the right neighborhood. Every week, we publish a new article about something interesting, useful, or fun going on around the city. If you’d like these guides sent straight to your inbox every week, make sure you’re subscribed to our newsletter.

With that, let’s take a look at what June is bringing to Chicago.

Chicago Blues Festival

June 4 -7

The city’s signature Chicago Blues Festival returns with four days of free performances, opening with a kickoff night at the newly restored Ramova Theatre and then spreading across multiple stages in Millennium Park. Expect tributes to Chicago blues legends, afternoon sets on the lawn, and evening headliners that draw big crowds.

The festival is produced by the City of Chicago’s Department of Cultural Affairs and Special Events, and as always, admission is free. Make sure to plan ahead for crowds, transit, and where you want to sit or stand.

57th Street Art Fair

June 6 – 7

Held every year on the first full weekend in June, the 57th Street Art Fair brings nearly 200 artists to the streets around the University of Chicago campus for what’s billed as the Midwest’s oldest juried outdoor art fair. You’ll find everything from paintings and photography to ceramics, jewelry, and sculpture, with artists on-site to talk about their work.

It’s a great opportunity to spend several hours browsing, talking with artists, and grabbing snacks from pop‑ups and nearby coffee shops, especially if you pair it with a visit to the Museum of Science and Industry or the lakefront.

Andersonville Midsommarfest

June 12 – 14

Andersonville Midsommarfest turns Clark Street into a 3-day celebration of Swedish summer traditions. There’ll be multiple stages of live music, Swedish and global food, kids activities, and local vendors.

The suggested donation of $10 at the gate, along with beverage sales, goes back into neighborhood events and community programs. This is their 60th year, so if you haven’t checked it out in a while, make sure to stop by this year to enjoy the festivities.

Puerto Rican Festival Chicago (Fiestas Puertorriqueñas)

June 11 – 14

Humboldt Park hosts the multi‑day Puerto Rican Festival, a major cultural celebration that features carnival rides and vendors with live music, performances, and of course, tons of good eats. Weekend tickets get you into the fenced festival area where you’ll find stages, rides, and a big selection of Puerto Rican and Latin American food.

And if you’re into running, on June 21st, the annual San Juan 5k Run is taking place at 7:30am.

Taste of Randolph

June 19 – 21

Taste of Randolph turns Restaurant Row into one long block party, with the West Loop Community Organization closing Randolph between Peoria and Racine for a weekend of live music and food from some of the neighborhood’s best-known restaurants. Multiple stages feature national and local acts, while pop‑up booths and beer tents line the street.

There’s a suggested donation at the gate that helps pay for the festival and supports community programming, but once you’re in, you can wander your way down one of Chicago’s most talked‑about dining corridors.

Gold Coast Art Fair

June 20 – 21

The Gold Coast Art Fair features a variety of artists across different media. You can browse paintings, prints, jewelry, ceramics, and more over the course of the weekend.

If you’re thinking about how to decorate a new place, or you’re just looking for something unique to hang on the wall, this is a good event to check out.

Chicago Pride Fest

June 20 – 21

Chicago Pride Fest is a 2‑day street festival in Boystown, held the weekend before the city’s main Pride Parade. Stages along Halsted will feature pop acts, DJs, and drag shows all day, while vendors line the street with food, drinks, and Pride merch.

It’s one of the biggest neighborhood festivals of the month, and you’ll get an up‑close look at the energy along Halsted.

Chicago Pride Parade

June 28

On the last Sunday in June, the Chicago Pride Parade kicks off in Northalsted, drawing hundreds of thousands of spectators to celebrate LGBTQ+ life and community. Floats, marching contingents, and neighborhood groups will wind through Lakeview and surrounding areas over the course of the afternoon.

If you’ve never experienced the parade, it’s worth experiencing at least once. If you’re planning on attending, note that there is a long list of prohibited items:

• Alcohol
• Bicycles, scooters
• Coolers
• Drones
• Fireworks
• Folding chairs
• Propane, propane Tanks
• Tents, canopies, or structures
• Tripods, monopods, selfie Sticks
• Vending
• Weapons

Make sure to check the event website to find everything you need to know.

Flavors Of Albany Park

June 24

Flavors of Albany Park is a one-night restaurant crawl that turns one of Chicago’s most diverse neighborhoods into a global tasting route. Your ticket gets you access to a curated path across 60‑plus participating restaurants, with small bites at each stop along Lawrence, Montrose, and Kedzie.

Albany Park is one of Chicago’s most diverse zip codes, and the event reflects this through food from the Middle East, Mexico, the Philippines, Korea, Eastern Europe, and many other cuisines.

Logan Square Arts Fest

June 26 – 28

Logan Square Arts Fest returns this year after a construction‑related pause in 2025, and organizers are calling it “back and bigger than ever.”

Since its launch in 2009, the festival has attracted hundreds of thousands of visitors and raised tens of thousands of dollars for local nonprofits, with proceeds supporting neighborhood arts and preservation groups. Expect a mix of local bands, indie touring acts, pop‑up galleries, interactive art pieces, family‑friendly daytime activities, and a beer and cocktail presence from local bars and breweries.

Chicago Taco & Tequila Fest

June 26 – 27

Chicago Taco & Tequila Fest is a ticketed tasting event held in Wrightwood Park that brings together taco vendors, tequila brands, and live entertainment over two days. Tickets are typically sold in tasting sessions, with each admission including a set number of taco samples and the option to add tequila tastings or cocktail samples, depending on the ticket tier.

Roscoe Village PorchFest

June 28

Roscoe Village PorchFest is one of a series of porch‑based music festivals organized by the Lakeview Roscoe Village Chamber of Commerce. Homeowners volunteer their porches as mini‑stages, and local musicians are assigned time slots, with a printed or digital map guiding visitors from set to set through the afternoon.

Genres range widely, and the scale is intentionally small, more like a neighborhood block party than a full‑blown street closure. We highly recommend you check it out.

North Center Garden Walk

June 28

The North Center Garden Walk is a self‑guided tour of residential gardens, organized by the North Center Neighbors Association. Participants receive a map and program listing all featured gardens, along with notes on which locations have extras like live acoustic music, refreshments, or plant swaps.

Gardens range from small parkways with carefully planned perennials to full backyards with vegetable beds, water features, or pollinator‑friendly plantings. If you like seeing how people actually use their outdoor space for container gardens on decks, creative shade solutions, or front‑yard landscaping ideas, this is a good place to get inspiration.

A Few Other Things Worth Keeping on Your Radar

Beyond the big marquee events, June also brings:

• Free Grant Park Music Festival concerts at the Jay Pritzker Pavilion, with the Grant Park Orchestra and Chorus performing classical and contemporary works on many Wednesdays, Fridays, and Saturdays.
• City and neighborhood farmers markets that get busier in June, including long‑running markets like Division Street and Daley Plaza, plus dozens of smaller neighborhood markets.

Final Thoughts

This is it, the few months in Chicago where we can enjoy the summer weather and everything that’s awesome about spending time outdoors in the city. Next month, we’ll cover the events happening in July, so stay tuned.

In the meantime, if you’re checking out an event and find a neighborhood that feels like home and you want to talk next steps (buying, selling, or just getting a sense of what’s possible), reach out to us at the Ben Lalez Team. We’d be happy to help you figure out the right move for you and your family! 

Until next week, break out the sunscreen and enjoy the rest of May!

The post June 2026 Events In Chicago appeared first on Ben Lalez.

We write about this city every single week (we’re the only real estate team that is committed to weekly articles), and honestly, it’s easy because there is always something new or interesting to cover about Chicago. 

This week, we put together some of our favorite Chicago facts that don’t usually make the standard tourist guides. A few of these might surprise you even if you’ve lived here for years.

If this is your first time here, we’re the Ben Lalez Team, and we’ve been helping people buy and sell homes in Chicago for over a decade. Every week, we publish an article about something interesting or useful about the city. Subscribe to our newsletter if you want these sent to your inbox.

Don’t forget to check our YouTube shorts as well. You’ll find Ben and the rest of us posting videos we’re sure you’ll enjoy.

Now, onto the facts!

There Was A 60-Mile Railroad Under Downtown That Almost Nobody Knew About

About 40 feet below the streets of the Loop, there’s a forgotten network of freight tunnels that once stretched for roughly 60 miles under most of downtown. 

Built starting in 1900, they were large enough to run a railroad that delivered coal, mail, and merchandise straight into the sub-basements of major buildings. The Board of Trade, City Hall, Marshall Field’s, and the Federal Reserve Bank were all connected to this. 

The system ran from 1904 to 1959, and because it operated below the city’s own sewers and utility lines, most Chicagoans had no idea it was there when it was in active use.

One of the stranger details about it: the company vented the tunnels’ natural cool air up into hotels and theaters and sold it as an early version of air-conditioning. When the company went under in 1959, the little locomotives were sold for scrap, and the tunnels were sealed up and basically forgotten.

The reason most people eventually heard about them is a good story as well. In 1992, a crew driving piles near the Kinzie Street Bridge accidentally punched through one of these old tunnels right under the Chicago River. Water rushed in and spread through the whole network, flooding the basements of 24 downtown buildings and causing hundreds of millions of dollars in damage.

You Can Walk Across A Big Section Of Downtown Without Going Outside

This one is for people who haven’t been to Chicago yet.

Just above those freight tunnels and below street level, there’s the Chicago Pedway, a five-mile network of tunnels, underground concourses, and skybridges connecting more than 50 buildings in the Loop, along with CTA and Metra stations, hotels, and government offices. The first section opened in 1951, and it grew piece by piece over the next few decades as different buildings added their own links. That’s why it feels a bit like patchwork rather than a single uniform design.

In the winter, it’s useful to get across downtown to avoid the cold. But it’s poorly signed, easy to get turned around in, and a lot of Chicagoans have never walked the whole thing, even though it’s been there for 70 years.

Wacker Drive Goes In All Four Directions

Downtown Chicago has a system of double and sometimes triple-decked streets built along the river to separate different kinds of traffic. Wacker Drive is the best example. 

There’s an upper level for riverfront traffic and building entrances, a lower level for trucks and through traffic, and in one section, a third level below that for towing and utility work.

Because Wacker follows the river’s bend, it’s the only street in Chicago with addresses assigned in all four directions at different points. North Wacker, South Wacker, East Wacker, West Wacker. That trips people up when they’re navigating downtown for the first time.

The multilevel streets are actually a later version of something the city did even earlier. Starting in the mid-1850’s, Chicago lifted whole blocks of buildings four to seven feet using thousands of screw jacks while people were still inside going about their day, all so engineers could install a sewer system underneath. 

Some older buildings still have what look like half-buried basement doors at street level because of it.

Lincoln Park Is Built On Top Of Thousands Of People

This one surprises people, and it’s a bit morbid. Lincoln Park started as Chicago’s main municipal cemetery in the 1840’s. Tens of thousands of people were buried there, including cholera victims and a large potter’s field for the poor. 

When the city eventually decided to convert the land and ordered remains relocated to cemeteries farther out, the whole process was rushed and inconsistently documented. A lot of graves were never moved. 

It’s estimated that between 6,000 and 12,000 bodies likely still lie beneath parts of the park, including baseball fields. The only visible remnant of the old City Cemetery is the Couch Mausoleum, a stone tomb sitting in the middle of the park near the Chicago History Museum.

Grant Park Was Built On Fire Debris

Before it was a park, the area east of Michigan Avenue was an open, polluted area. After the Great Chicago Fire of 1871, rubble from burned buildings was dumped into it and over time, that garbage became new land.

Later lakefill projects continued to push the shoreline further east. In some parts of downtown, the current shoreline sits nearly a half-mile east of where it was when settlers first arrived. Millennium Park is actually sitting on an open lake from the 19th century.

A mail-order businessman named Aaron Montgomery Ward then spent about twenty years suing the city, and winning four separate Illinois Supreme Court cases, to enforce old map language that said the lakefront east of Michigan Avenue had to remain forever open and free of buildings. 

Without those lawsuits, Grant Park would likely be all warehouses and office towers.

Chicago Has 1,900 Miles Of Alleys

Chicago started as a city of alleys. The original 1830 town plat required 18 ft. wide alleys on every block, and that requirement continued for new subdivisions. 

Today, the city has more than 1,900 miles of alleyways, which is the largest alley system in the country. They handle garbage pickup, deliveries, utility lines, and garage access from the back, which is partly why Chicago’s main streets generally look less cluttered than in other dense cities.

Locals call the narrow walkway between two houses a gangway, so if you’re new to Chicago, that’s what they mean when you hear the word.

More Movable Bridges Than Any Other City In The World

Because Chicago is located where river, lake, and rail networks all converge, the city became a committed builder of movable bridges. It currently maintains 37 of them, most of which are bascule drawbridges on the Chicago and Calumet Rivers. We’re described as having more movable bridges than any other city in the world.

You’ll see them during the seasonal bridge lift runs in spring and fall, when boats move to and from storage and traffic stops while the bridges go up. You can check out the bridge machinery up close at the McCormick Bridgehouse and Chicago River Museum. It’s worth a visit if you’ve never been.

There Are Wild Parrots Living On The South Side

Hyde Park and Jackson Park have feral colonies of monk parakeets, small green parrots from South America, that have been there since at least the late 1970’s. 

They arrived through the exotic pet trade, either escaped or were released. Jackson Park now has one of the largest monk parakeet populations in the region.

The River Flows The Wrong Direction On Purpose

Early Chicago dumped sewage into the Chicago River, which originally flowed into Lake Michigan, the same lake the city was drinking out of. Cholera and typhoid followed. Around 1900, engineers reversed the river’s flow entirely through a system of canals and locks, redirecting it toward the Mississippi River basin instead of the lake. It’s considered one of the more significant civil engineering projects of its time and is still in operation today.

Three Things You’ve Probably Eaten That Were Invented Here

The chocolate brownie was invented at the Palmer House Hotel in 1893. They still serve them today using the original recipe.

Twinkies were invented in 1930 in a suburb just outside Chicago. The original filling was banana cream, switched to vanilla during World War II when bananas became scarce. Local media eventually called Chicago the Twinkie Capital of the World.

The first commercially successful automatic dishwasher was invented by an Illinois socialite, who patented the machine in 1886 and debuted it at the 1893 World’s Fair in Chicago. It won an award for mechanical design. Her company eventually became part of KitchenAid.

The Post Office You Can Drive Through

The Old Main Post Office at 433 W. Van Buren Street was built with the Eisenhower Expressway running directly through its base. It’s one of the only major postal facilities in the world that straddles a highway. 

It was a mid 20th-century compromise between needing a massive mail-sorting facility and needing to complete the interstate connection into downtown. If you’ve ever driven the Eisenhower and looked up at just the right moment, you’ve been through it.

Final Thoughts

Chicago has enough official history to fill several libraries, but the stuff we covered here is just the tip of the iceberg. There are a lot more fun facts and cool things that have happened in the past. We’ve previously written about 15 Chicago inventions, so make sure to check out that article.

In the meantime, we’ll be roaming every neighborhood helping buyers and sellers move in and out of the city. If you’re thinking about making a move anywhere in Chicago and want to talk about which neighborhood might be the right fit, give us a shout. We’re always happy to talk.

Until next week!

The post Chicago Facts You Might Not Know appeared first on Ben Lalez.

This week, we wanted to talk about something that is increasingly important to discuss with your agent: what could potentially happen after your offer gets accepted.

We’re the Ben Lalez Team, and over the years, we’ve tracked the outcomes of hundreds of our own under-contract deals to understand exactly why some fall apart. We’re obsessed with understanding the data and what it means for our clients.

According to a recent Redfin report, about 17% of residential transactions in Chicago fall through before reaching the closing table. That’s roughly 1 in every 6, and slightly above the national average of 16%. Chicago runs a bit hotter than average, so it’s important to know how to prevent this from happening to you.

Put Thought Into The Agent You Hire

When we looked at which deals actually fell apart in the marketplace, close to 50% of them came from buyers who didn’t have a strong prior relationship with their agent before going under contract. A lot of those buyers had originally found their agent randomly through a third-party portal like Zillow or Realtor.com.

We’re not knocking the platforms, and it feels convenient to pick someone who looks good on a website, but real estate is ultimately a relationship business. When something goes sideways mid-deal (and something always comes up), buyers who don’t fully trust or know their agent will start panicking.

Some common issues we see include less-than-ideal inspection reports, sellers who won’t negotiate on repairs, and lenders requesting more documentation at the last minute. These happen often enough that our team is not only prepared for them – we’re waiting to spring into action when they do come up.

By the way, we recently wrote about some changes happening with how Chicago listings appear on Zillow. If you use it to search for homes, it’s worth a read before you get too deep into your search.

So our approach is simple. 

We put real time into talking with buyers before we write a single offer. We want to understand what you’re looking for, obviously. But more than that, we want you to understand what’s coming. For us, managing expectations and showing what could potentially pop up down the road helps you prepare.

The First Two Weeks Are Key

Most deals that fall apart will happen within the first 14 days. That’s the attorney review and inspection window in Illinois, and it’s the first stressful stage of the whole process.

Chicago is made up of a lot of old housing stock, a lot of which was built between 1900 and 1940. If you have a 100-year-old building on your hands, you can definitely expect 100-year-old issues. For example, this could mean galvanized plumbing, aging electrical panels, or masonry that needs work. None of these are automatically deal-breakers, but buyers who walk into these kinds of purchases unprepared can easily freak out.

There are two things that could kill the deal, and this is what we watch for.

The “Deep Discount” Danger

If a seller is willing to go 10% or more below asking price, there’s usually a reason. Sometimes it’s a motivated seller who just needs to move on. But sometimes it’s because the seller already knows what the inspector will find, and they’ve priced it in. When the inspection confirms the issues and the seller won’t budge on repairs, the deal dies.

Condo HOA Surprises

When you buy a condo here, you’re entitled to something called the Section 22.1 disclosure, which is essentially a financial health report on the entire building. This report can reveal a lot, such as signs of underfunded reserves, pending special assessments (which can be very expensive), or multi-million-dollar renovations or repairs. We’ve seen all-cash buyers walk away cold after reading one of these documents.

So what does the Ben Lalez Team do?

For homes, we walk through every property with our clients before the inspection and flag what an inspector is likely to find. That way, there are no surprises when the report comes back three days later.

For condos, we’ve bought and sold in every building in the city. We have a running database of which buildings are problematic and which are good buys, and we’ll share our insights with you before you fall in love with the wrong unit.

When The Appraisal Comes Up Short

With rates where they’ve been, a lot of buyers are stretched really close to the limits of what their lender will approve. And because many Chicago neighbourhoods remain competitive, buyers sometimes need to bid above the asking price to win.

Here’s where it can get complicated. 

If you offer $540,000 on a place listed at $500,000 and the bank’s appraiser says it’s worth $510,000, your lender will only loan against $510,000. If you don’t have an extra $30,000 sitting around to cover the difference (a lot of people don’t), and the seller won’t drop the price, the deal falls apart.

How do we protect you?

When we’re writing an offer above asking, we negotiate appraisal gap coverage directly into the contract, just in case.

By the way, there’s a difference between a solid pre-approval from a local Chicago lender and a five-minute online pre-qualification. We’ve seen deals fall apart in the final week because of lender issues that a good pre-approval process would have caught in week one.

That’s why we help our buyers get solid pre-approvals before putting in any offers.

The Importance Of Tight Deadlines

The average Chicago closing takes about 41 to 45 days from accepted offer to keys. Our data showed a pretty clear pattern: every day a contract stays open past that 45-day mark, the chance of it falling apart goes up.

This happens more in the higher-end suburban markets. Longer escrows mean more things can jeopardize the closing, like interest rate swings or changes in life circumstances. In areas like Barrington Hills, 90-day escrows on luxury properties gave cash buyers plenty of time to talk themselves out of deals they would have happily closed on at 30 days.

What do we do?

Our default is to negotiate 21 to 30-day closings whenever we can. A shorter timeline keeps everyone focused, forces earlier resolution of any issues, and closes the window for interest rates, job situations, or buyer remorse to show up.

Making Sure Your Closing Is Successful

Deals that close smoothly don’t just happen on their own. It starts with a buyer who goes in prepared with a fair offer on a well-maintained property, an inspection-and-negotiation focused on real issues rather than cosmetic ones, a strong local lender, and a tight timeline that gets the keys in your hand in 30 days.

That is the discipline we build into every one of our deals.

If you’re thinking about buying in Chicago and want to understand how you can have our experience and strategy on your side, contact us here or call us at (312) 766.9073 before you start looking at homes. 

We have an exact process that walks you through what to expect. Our experience in Chicagoland, along with over a decade of hard data, is here to benefit you.

We’re ready to talk anytime!

The post Why 1 in 6 Chicago Real Estate Deals Fall Through in 2026 appeared first on Ben Lalez.

When people think about Chicago in movies and shows, a few scenes usually come to mind right away. But you’d be surprised at how often Chicago inspires many scenes we see on the screen.

We’re the Ben Lalez Team, and after spending years helping people buy and sell homes across Chicago, you start to notice how often the same streets, stations, and buildings pop up in the background of things you have watched for years. For us, as soon as we see something that looks like Chicago, it jumps right out. Sometimes the scripts are written to be set in our city, while other times they pretend to be a different city altogether (even though we know it’s really Chicago).

We pulled together a short list of the best examples and grouped them into simple categories so you can spot them faster the next time you are watching. This isn’t the full list, because there are a lot of references to Chicago in film and television, but these are the most notable.

Chicago As Itself

Ferris Bueller’s Day Off
Let’s start off with a classic. This was filmed almost entirely on location in Chicago and the surrounding suburbs. The movie moves through the city during a regular weekday, passing from the Art Institute of Chicago to Wrigley Field to downtown streets. Remember the scene where Ferris leads a rousing “Twist and Shout” performance? That was filmed during an actual parade on Dearborn Street, with real spectators lining the sidewalks.

The Fugitive
Many scenes in the movie were shot in active public spaces in Chicago. Harrison Ford’s character runs through a St. Patrick’s Day parade filmed downtown and passes the Picasso sculpture in Daley Plaza. He also makes a call under the Wells Street Bridge and evades U.S. Marshals at the Chicago Hilton. Union Station appears during the film’s climax, using the real staircases and concourse rather than a recreated set.

The Untouchables
Key scenes in this film were shot in Chicago to capture the 1930’s vibe of Prohibition. The Union Station staircase sequence was shot inside the real station. Additional scenes feature the Chicago Board of Trade building and the Michigan Avenue Bridge. Even Capone’s “teamwork” monologue was shot in the historic Blackstone Hotel.

While You Were Sleeping
This one was filmed throughout Chicago with the CTA (and Sandra Bullock as a token collector) woven directly into the story. Scenes were shot on L platforms and trains, and Daley Plaza appears during winter sequences, including the ice rink. And you’ll see neighborhood footage filmed in areas like Logan Square.

My Best Friend’s Wedding
This movie, featuring Julia Roberts, used Chicago as an active setting across the entire story. There was a memorable scene on a your boat in the Chicago River, a karaoke bar in Chinatown, and the big wedding inside Union Station’s Great Hall. There are even appearances by the Fourth Presbyterian Church and Wrigley Field.

High Fidelity
Much of this story was about an indie record store in Wicker Park. The store exterior was filmed on Milwaukee Avenue & Honore St. Scenes include the Music Box Theatre in Lakeview and the Green Mill jazz club in Uptown.

Candyman
A horror film rooted in Chicago’s urban legends. Candyman’s story is tied to the Cabrini-Green public housing project, and director Bernard Rose actually shot for three days inside Cabrini-Green to make it authentic. (The rest was on soundstages.) The plot centers on a grad student researching the supernatural in this notorious Near North Side neighborhood, highlighting real issues of segregation and housing.

Backdraft
A firefighter action-drama that follows two Chicago Fire Department brothers. You’ll see scenes at a real Chicago firehouse and dramatic fire sequences across the city. Memorable moments include an engine roaring across the Michigan Avenue Bridge and a climax set in a chemical factory. The film captures Chicago’s proud firefighting tradition.

The Blues Brothers
Another classic movie that famously showcases Chicago landmarks. Jake and Elwood race through downtown in a climactic car chase, including Lower Wacker Drive and a final dash to the Richard J. Daley Center with dozens of police in pursuit. Dan Aykroyd called Chicago “one of the stars of the movie” and a tribute to the city. Notable scenes include a shopping mall car chase (filmed at the now-closed Dixie Square Mall in Harvey, IL) and a cameo of Wrigley Field’s marquee.

The Break-Up
Vince Vaughn and Jennifer Aniston play a couple fighting over their condo. Shot entirely in Chicago, featuring Wrigley Field (Vaughn’s character works as a tour guide at Wrigley), the Art Institute (date scene), and upscale Old Town, where their apartment is located.

The Color Of Money
If you’ve ever had a passion for pool, you’ll remember this classic film with Tom Cruise and Paul Newman. In the movie, they hustled other players in Chicago pool halls. Lincoln Park’s Chris’s Billiards was the location for pool matches. The ending, a big 9-ball tournament, is set in Atlantic City but was actually filmed in Navy Pier’s ballroom.

Chicago In Disguise

The Dark Knight
As most people know, this movie was filmed extensively in Chicago, even though the story is set in Gotham City. Major sequences were shot along Lower Wacker Drive, at the Old Chicago Post Office, and throughout the Loop. We see Batman atop the Willis Tower overlooking the skyline. And Wayne Enterprises in the film is actually 330 N. Wabash (IBM Building).

Batman Begins
This film also used Chicago for several Gotham scenes. Lower Wacker Drive appears again during night chase sequences, and elevated train tracks in the Loop were used to stand in for Gotham’s transit system. Chicago’s downtown alleys and architecture set the tone for Batman’s urban playground.

Transformers: Dark of the Moon
The third Transformers film’s climax is a massive battle that wrecks downtown Chicago. Filmed on location, it shows giant robots fighting amid Chicago’s skyline. The Autobots make a stand on Michigan Avenue as the Chicago River and landmarks like the Jewelers Building are devastated. This film truly put Chicago center stage in a blockbuster action sequence.

Chicago-Based Television Shows

There are a lot of TV shows that were either set in Chicago, or set and filmed in Chicago. 

ER – Set in Chicago, with occasional location filming
This long-running medical drama is set at the fictional County General Hospital in Chicago. Though filmed mostly on L.A. soundstages, ER used Chicago for establishing shots, like the real Cook County Hospital exterior and the downtown skyline.

Chicago Hope – Set in Chicago, filmed in LA
This hospital drama was set at a high-end Chicago hospital. It wasn’t filmed on location, but characters referenced working in Chicago’s Loop and the rivalry with “County.”

Good Times – Set in Chicago
While filmed on a soundstage, the opening credits famously show Cabrini-Green’s high-rises. The Evans family’s struggles and triumphs were among the first depictions of life in a Chicago public housing community on TV.

Family Matters – Set in Chicago
Set in the city’s west side, it frequently mentions Chicago places. Exterior shots include the Winslows’ Victorian house (filmed at an actual Chicago house in Lincoln Park). And of course, Steve Urkel’s and the family’s life make many Chicago references.

Perfect Strangers – Set in Chicago
It highlighted Chicago’s landmarks in credits. The characters worked at the fictional Chicago Chronicle newspaper. While taped in L.A., it firmly established its setting with stock footage of the Chicago River, Loop, and references to Chicago life.

Married With Children – Set in Chicago
The Bundy family lives in the fictitious Chicago suburb of New Market, Illinois. The show makes many Chicago references. Al Bundy often wears a Chicago Bears jersey. It wasn’t filmed locally, but occasionally showed establishing shots of the city and Soldier Field.

The Bob Newhart Show – Set in Chicago
Set in a high-rise apartment and an office near Michigan Avenue, it used Chicago establishing shots (the John Hancock Center appears as his apartment building). Episodes reference the Chicago Cubs, commuting on the L, and Chicago’s everyday quirks.

Hill Street Blues – Filmed in Chicago
This drama never outright names its city, but it’s heavily implied to be Chicago-like. The precinct exteriors were filmed at an old Chicago police station on Maxwell Street, and squad cars had Chicago-style markings. Many establishing shots (L tracks, gritty streets) were Chicago, though production was also in L.A.

Here are some other shows with connections to Chicago that you can look up on your own to find some fun facts. We simply couldn’t fit them all in this article!

• According To Jim
• Early Edition
• Crime Story
• Shameless
• Empire
• The Good Wife
• Power Book IV: Force
• Chicago Fire
• Chicago P.D.
• Chicago Med
• Chicago Justice
• The Chi
• The Bear
• Sense8
• Parks And Recreation (The Finale)
• Orange Is The New Black (Season 2 Premiere)
• South Side
• Work In Progress
• Station 11
• Lovecraft Country
• Columbo: “Fade To Murder”

Final Thoughts

We find it pretty cool that Chicago has appeared on screen for decades, whether as itself or as a fictional city. Our city has a tremendous history that really shines through in shows and blockbuster movies.

Are you thinking about calling Chicago home, or planning on making a move between neighborhoods? We would love to be your Chicago real estate connection!  

Reach out to the Ben Lalez Team, and we’ll be happy to help!

The post Chicago In Movies And TV appeared first on Ben Lalez.

Over the past few weeks, there’s been growing news about how Zillow may handle Chicago listings in the future, and it’s raised questions for people who rely on it to search for homes. Today we want to share some insights into what’s happening and what you need to know moving forward.

By the way, we’re the Ben Lalez Team, a Chicago based real estate team that works with buyers and sellers across the city every day. Part of our job is keeping a close eye on changes that affect how people search for homes, especially when those changes create confusion or mixed information online.

Right now, there’s a real industry issue involving Zillow that could affect how Chicago listings appear on their website. So today we wanted to cover what’s happening, what could potentially change, and how to make sure you’re not missing anything if browsing for listings is important to you.

What’s happening with Zillow in Chicago?

Zillow works by relying on agreements with local MLS systems and brokerages to display listings on their website. In Chicago, there is an ongoing dispute between Zillow and the local MLS over listing access and data standards.

This has been reported by multiple real estate industry outlets. We’re still some time away from a final resolution, but the disagreement has raised the possibility that Zillow could lose automatic access to Chicago MLS listings if the situation isn’t resolved.

As of today, that hasn’t happened yet.

What this means right now

Right now, Zillow is still working in Chicago, so nothing looks out of the ordinary if you’re browsing their website.

The concern is about what happens if this dispute leads to a cutoff or restructuring of how listing data is shared. If that happens, Zillow could show fewer listings, delayed updates, or no listings at all.

If Zillow no longer receives MLS data directly in Chicago, listings would only appear there if individual brokerages provide their own feeds. This would mean that real estate companies would have to give Zillow permission to display their listings, and you would only see listings that chose to cooperate with Zillow.

In other words, you won’t see everything available on MLS.

Of course, it’s also possible that the issue is resolved and nothing changes for consumers. Both outcomes are still possible, and there’s no confirmed timeline either way.

If Zillow stops showing a complete picture of Chicago listings, you still have alternatives. There are other consumer platforms that may continue to show more complete results depending on how they source data, including Homes.com, Realtor.com, and Compass.

Your best option right now

If you want to know what is actually available in Chicago, working directly with a local agent is the only way to remove the guesswork and be sure all listings are available to you.

As the Ben Lalez Team, we have full MLS access. That means every active listing in the city, updated in real time, not filtered, delayed, or dependent on third-party agreements. We can set you up with a search that shows everything as soon as it hits the market.

This doesn’t mean you have to stop browsing on your own. We know most people enjoy looking at listings online (we do too). But if Zillow or any other site starts showing partial information, relying solely on public platforms puts you at a disadvantage.

If you’re doing research or you’re seriously hunting for a property today, you can’t afford to overlook listings because you can’t see them.

What is the Ben Lalez Team doing?

We want you to know that we’re paying attention to this because it affects how buyers move forward. Our job is to make sure our clients aren’t relying on incomplete information or guessing whether they’re seeing the full market.

If you want us to set you up with a full search, or if you just want to confirm whether what you’re seeing online reflects everything that’s actually available right now, reach out to the Ben Lalez Team anytime. There’s no obligation. It’s simply the most straightforward way to stay informed while this situation plays out.

We’ll update this page if anything changes. Until then, the takeaway is simple: Zillow still works today, but how listings are shared in Chicago may change.

If your timeline is sometime in the near future, you’ll need to prepare for potential changes coming soon.

The post Will Zillow Still Work In Chicago appeared first on Ben Lalez.

Okay, last week we published an article about things that people hate about Chicago according to Redditors. As it turned out, there was a lot to talk about, like traffic, politics, and of course, the winters.

But it wouldn’t be fair for us not to dive back into Reddit again to find what locals are saying they love the most about living here. And overwhelmingly, people love this city so much. So we gathered as much information as possible and sorted it into the most common reasons why Chicago is incredibly endearing.

If you’re new here, we’re the Ben Lalez Team, and we’ve helped over a thousand families buy and sell homes in the city. We’ve had hundreds of conversations with clients who have told us the reasons why they’re moving to Chicago (or the reasons they’re staying), the things they brag about to their friends who live elsewhere, and why they couldn’t imagine living anywhere else.

In this article, we celebrate Chicago and what your fellow Chicagoans have to say about home.

The Lakefront

We can’t start this article without talking about the lakefront first.

It might be the only thing that every Chicagoan agrees on, and what we’ve found is that it doesn’t matter who you are or what part of the city you live in, the lake feels like it belongs to you.

You can go there to clear your head after a long day of work, walk the dog, get some much-needed exercise, or simply sit with a coffee and reflect on your life decisions. The best thing is, the lake is big enough that you can always find your own quiet spot even on the busiest summer weekends.

One Redditor said it best:

We couldn’t agree more. You don’t have to be a photographer or a runner to appreciate it, and we think we’re truly blessed to have access to such an iconic shoreline.

Big City Energy, Small City Feel

Chicago is a relatively large city, but it doesn’t completely overwhelm you. It’s something that a lot of people really enjoy about living here.

You still get to experience all the benefits of a major city, such as concerts, food, jobs, nightlife, and festivals. But it still feels cozy enough that you always know your way around. You can get to know your local bartender, wave to your mail carrier, and run into people you know at the store. This is something that doesn’t happen in every big city.

The other thing people mention is how easy it is to move around. Chicago has real neigborhoods, not just never-ending blocks of condos. You can walk to what you need, and it’s easy to grab dinner just about anywhere in the city.

And if you don’t drive, public transit connects most of the city (not perfectly), but better than a lot of other places.

We couldn’t have said it better.

The Food

You know as well as we do that everybody in Chicago is passionate about the food.

Our food scene isn’t really about crazy trends or celebrity chefs. Instead, it’s more about the places that have been here for decades. Places like pizza joints that don’t change their menu, neighborhood bars that make the best burgers, and the bakeries that open before sunrise.

One thing we’re lucky to have is the ability to eat food from anywhere in the world without leaving the city. And people tell us all the time that it’s not just the variety of the food – it’s the quality. If you’re eating Polish, Mexican, or Thai… it’s authentic.

Redditors know we have so many incredible options to choose from. You can dress up for a fancy steak one night, and then grab tamales from a cart the next night.

Neighborhoods With Personality

One thing that truly makes Chicago unique is that it’s not just one big city, but rather a patchwork of distinct neighborhoods with character.

You can literally go from quiet residential streets to a busy corner full of live music in five minutes. Every neighborhood has its own history, pride, and crowd of regulars. And people really love having their own sense of identity.

Even people who move away still talk about where they’re from, like it’s a part of who they are. Ask anyone and they’ll tell you that Chicago can continue growing and changing, but your neighborhood never really leaves you.

Value For Your Money

Everyone knows that it’s getting more expensive to live here, but for the most part, people still see Chicago as a bargain compared to most other large cities in America.

You can buy a home (or rent a decent apartment) and raise a family without needing millionaire money. You can live near the lake, walk to restaurants and coffee shops, and still have money left over for groceries. In today’s economy, this quality of life is something to be grateful for.

And even when people complain about rising costs, they’ll still admit that Chicago is cheaper than many other places.

The People

We can’t talk about Chicago without mentioning its people.

You can have great amenities, attractions, and nature, but it’s the people of the city that ties everything together. For a city of our size, you can still find kindness everywhere. People hold doors open, shovel sidewalks for neighbors, and say “morning” even if they’ve never met you before.

Chicagoans are not fake-friendly, but we are blunt (in a good way, of course). If they like you, they like you. If they don’t, you’ll know. And we often hear that it’s hard to make friends if you’re new to the city, but once you’re in, you’re in for good.

Amen to that!

You Get What You Give

We know that Chicago isn’t always an easy city, but we truly believe it’s a fair city. In other words, you get what you give.

If you take care of your block, it takes care of you. If you support your local spots as a regular, they’ll remember you and treat you like family. Every year, we all grind it out to survive one more brutal winter, and when summer hits, it feels like a reward we earned.

This is the spirit we saw everywhere on Reddit when people raved about Chicago. We’re not perfect or polished, but we are authentic.

Here’s what one person who doesn’t live in Chicago had to say about our city.

Not going to lie, that gives us the warm and fuzzies.

What Does This All Mean?

If last week’s post was about what frustrates people the most about Chicago, this one is about why people would never want to leave.

Scrolling through Reddit can be an interesting experience because you can see the extremes of both sides of any opinion – the venting and the pride, the rants and the love letters, and the complainers and the ambassadors. In Chicago, people really tell it like it is.

And although every big city has problems, there was undeniable pride in every thread we read. People genuinely love the city and would fight to the death for it.

If you’re thinking about moving to Chicago, or you live here and want to move across town, we can help you find the right spot. We know the headaches, but we also know the heart. Give us a shout, and we’ll be happy to share all our favorite stories of Chicago.

Sources:

https://www.reddit.com/r/chicago/comments/1d7gz0m/what_are_the_things_you_love_about_chicago/

https://www.reddit.com/r/AskChicago/comments/1mb78x3/what_do_you_love_about_living_in_chicago/

https://www.reddit.com/r/chicago/comments/1i5r71n/whats_a_small_thing_you_love_about_chicago/

https://www.reddit.com/r/SameGrassButGreener/comments/1llex1s/if_you_live_in_chicago_and_genuinely_love_it_what/

https://www.reddit.com/r/chicago/comments/qf7bpm/tell_me_why_you_love_chicago/

https://www.reddit.com/r/chicago/comments/1cyqd2w/what_is_your_favourite_thing_about_living_in/

https://www.reddit.com/r/AskChicago/comments/1ltac0f/what_is_your_favorite_part_about_living_in_chicago/

https://www.reddit.com/r/chicago/comments/mue3oe/what_are_unique_great_things_about_chicago_that/

https://www.reddit.com/r/AskChicago/comments/1n4zgrk/what_makes_chicago_so_special_compared_to_other/

https://www.reddit.com/r/chicago/comments/uiwwb6/i_love_this_city_im_so_glad_to_live_here/

The post What People Love About Chicago (According To Reddit) appeared first on Ben Lalez.

It’s finally summer, and that means we have a small window of time to enjoy the lakefront before winter crashes the party at the end of the year. 

Chicago has 26 miles of shoreline and dozens of beaches along Lake Michigan, so there are lots of options whether you want to play volleyball, go paddling, or just sit in the sand and people watch while you work on your tan.

We’re The Ben Lalez Team, and we’ve travelled through pretty much every neighborhood in the city. Although we’re experts in real estate, we also know all the best spots to enjoy everything Chicago has to offer.

In this guide, we share the best urban beaches in the city, and we hope you find a favorite to enjoy this summer!

North Avenue Beach

1600 N. Lake Shore Drive in Lincoln Park

This is Chicago’s most famous beach. Here you’ll find the Art Deco beach house that was built in 1934. If you’re into volleyball, you’ll see everything from serious tournaments with teams that have matching jerseys to random pickup games that go all afternoon.

Features: Volleyball courts everywhere, bike rentals, kayak rentals, jet ski rentals, the Castaways Beach Bar, and the Shore Club up on the beach house roof. The Lakefront Trail runs right behind everything.

Most popular with: Active people, volleyball fans, and anyone who wants the Chicago beach experience.

Scene: There’s music blasting from the beach bars and the downtown skyline right in front of you. It gets busy on summer weekends, so if you want a decent spot, you’ll need to arrive early.

Quick facts: If you’re into volleyball, check the tournament schedule to see when events are happening.

Oak Street Beach

1000 N. Lake Shore Drive in Streeterville

This is smaller and more upscale than North Avenue, sitting right next to the Magnificent Mile. The sand area isn’t huge, but the skyline views are incredible. You’ll see lots of people taking photos of the waterfront.

Features: Beachfront cafe, chair and umbrella rentals, bicycle rentals, and volleyball courts. Don’t forget to take a photo of the famous rainbow mural.

Most popular with:  Tourists, couples, and families. This is a good beach if you’re mixing beach time with shopping or sightseeing in the area.

Scene: More relaxed than the bigger beaches. Evening visits are really nice when the downtown starts lighting up.

Quick facts: During summer, the Paris Beach Bar and Whispers Beach Club set up seaside cabanas right on the sand.

Montrose Beach

4400 N. Lake Shore Drive in Uptown

Montrose is Chicago’s biggest beach, so it feels more like a beach park than just a regular beach. There are areas that are protected bird habitats so you’ll get the experience of a regular beach as well as some nature.

Features: The Dock restaurant with outdoor seating, bike rentals, volleyball courts, launch area for kayaks and canoes, and Chicago’s only official off-leash dog beach on the north end. They also have a beach wheelchair available for accessibility.

Most popular with:  Dog owners, families looking for more space, birdwatchers, and kiteboarders. It’s the only beach in the city where kiteboarding is allowed.

Scene: Relaxed and community-focused with lots of locals who come here regularly. You’ll see families barbecuing and dogs running around in the water.

Quick facts: Montrose Point Bird Sanctuary is right next to the beach and attracts tons of migratory birds in the spring and fall. The dog beach section is completely fenced and off-leash, so your dog can actually run free and splash around.

Foster Avenue Beach

5200 N. Lake Shore Drive in Edgewater

This is a wide, clean beach with a more natural feel. The pink concrete beach house from 1934 is pretty hard to miss when you’re driving by. It has that natural, undeveloped feel while still offering all the amenities you need.

Features: Historic beach pavilion with food concessions, bike and scooter rentals, changing areas, showers, beach wheelchair for accessibility, plus there’s a playground and ball fields just behind the dunes.

Most popular with:  Nature lovers, families who want playground access for their kids, dog owners, and fitness enthusiasts.

Scene: Casual neighborhood beach with more character than some of the others. You might catch drum circles or someone playing acoustic guitar at the beach house patio on summer evenings. Tall red pines and wildflowers give it a different look from the more urban beaches.

Quick facts: Locals call the pink beach house the “Pink Palace” and it’s actually a historic landmark. The dune trails behind the beach have some rare native plants if you’re into that kind of thing.

Kathy Osterman Beach

5755 N. Lake Shore Drive in Edgewater (people also call it Hollywood Beach)

This is a wide sandy beach with calm, shallow water that’s perfect for paddleboarding and just wading around. The LEED-certified beach house from 2010 is modern and won some environmental awards. This is also Chicago’s unofficial LGBTQ+ beach.

Features: Two paddle and kayak launch areas, concessions, restrooms, a modern beach house with showers, and a splash fountain playground for the kids.

Most popular with:  The LGBTQ+ community, dog owners, paddle sports lovers, and anyone looking for a welcoming, peaceful environment where they can relax.

Scene: Open and inclusive, very laid-back. It’s normally less crowded than the more central beaches. The water is clear and shallow, and there’s usually some music from friendly groups gathering on the sand.

Quick facts: The silver LEED-certified beach pavilion has a rooftop deck and actually won design awards when it was built. This is also the northern terminus of the 18-mile Lakefront Trail, so it’s a popular starting or ending point for long bike rides.

Loyola Beach

1230 W. Greenleaf Avenue in Rogers Park

This is one of the quietest beaches on the lakefront, located next to Loyola University. Next to the beach is Loyola Park with 21.5 acres of recreation space, including fields and courts.

Features: Sand volleyball courts, tennis courts, playground, picnic areas, restrooms, and showers. The park has a historic fieldhouse from the 1920s, baseball fields, and basketball courts.

Most popular with:  Families, college students, nature lovers, and anyone looking for a peaceful spot away from the tourist crowds. Birdwatchers and joggers really like the 2/3-mile lakeside loop path.

Scene: Calm and park-like with a more relaxed atmosphere. You’ll hear the waves and birds, and casual conversation instead of loud music and crowds. It’s perfect for reading a book or just sitting and listening to the water.

Quick facts: The 1920s fieldhouse has a gym and boxing center that’s still active. This beach also runs an ABA junior lifeguard training program, so you might see teenage lifeguards practicing their skills during the summer.

Leone Beach

1222 W. Touhy Avenue in Rogers Park

This is a smaller, quieter beach just north of Loyola with about 250 feet of shoreline. The brick pavilion used to be a pumping station, which gives it some character. It’s squeezed between high-rise apartments and feels like a neighborhood secret that not many tourists discover.

Features: Playground, kayak and canoe launch ramp, restrooms, spray fountain for kids, and the old brick fieldhouse that can be rented for events.

Most popular with:  Kayakers and canoeists, families, and people interested in Chicago history. The calm waters make it especially good for beginners trying out paddle sports.

Scene: Quiet and very local with a neighborhood feel. Not many tourists go this far north, so it feels like a community gathering spot. Mornings are peaceful with walkers and joggers, while summer afternoons bring families for picnics.

Quick facts: This is home to Chicago’s Junior Lifeguard program, which was named after Sam Leone, a legendary lifeguard supervisor. The pavilion building dates back to 1900, making it one of the oldest lakeside structures in the city.

Margaret T. Burroughs Beach

31st Street & Lake Shore Drive in Bronzeville

This beach has some of the best skyline views of any Chicago beach. The sand area is narrow but sits next to a protected marina, with grassy areas and picnic areas above. The 31st Street Harbor marina is right there if you’re into boating or just like watching boats come and go.

Features: Small boat harbor and launch, concession stand, picnic tables, playground, fishing pier, and the Harbor Store.

Most popular with:  Water sports enthusiasts (jet ski, kayak, and paddleboard rentals are available), anglers, picnickers, and sunset watchers.

Scene: This feels more like a water activity park than a traditional sunbathing beach.

Quick facts: The harbor was part of Daniel Burnham’s original plan for Chicago and finally opened in 2012 with 300 boat slips. There’s also a large public art installation called “Windform” sculpture in the park area next to the beach.

63rd Street Beach

6300 S. Lake Shore Drive in Jackson Park/Woodlawn

This is a spacious beach with a gorgeous stone bathing pavilion that was built in 1919. The beach goes east along the lake with grass areas on the west side where families can spread out. During summer, Reggie’s sets up a stage for free weekend music shows that add a really nice community vibe.

Features: The 63rd Street Bathing Pavilion has Belly Up Jamaican concessions, showers, lockers, and meeting rooms. There are also beach chairs available, a children’s fountain and play area, a spray park, and a kayak launch.

Most popular with:  Families, culture seekers who appreciate historic architecture, and music lovers who come for the weekend shows that feature everything from reggae to blues.

Scene: Historic but community-oriented with a really friendly atmosphere. On summer days, you’ll hear great music from the stage.

Quick facts: The pavilion is a designated Chicago Landmark and was recently restored to its original beauty.

Ohio Street Beach

600 N. Lake Shore Drive in Streeterville

This is a small, hidden gem between Navy Pier and downtown Streeterville. The beach faces north, so the waters are calmer and more sheltered than most other spots along the lake. It’s small with room for maybe 50-100 people at a time.

Features: Beach chairs and umbrellas available for rent, restrooms and changing areas, lifeguard on duty during summer hours. There’s no on-site food, but Navy Pier and nearby restaurants are just a short walk away.

Most popular with:  Visitors wanting a quick, scenic stop, office workers grabbing some sun at lunch hour, swimmers who prefer calm water, and anyone looking to take some skyline photos.

Scene: Relaxed and somewhat hidden despite being right downtown.

Quick facts: This is where you want to go for the best skyline photos from beach level. The north-facing location means calm water, which is great for swimming when other beaches are choppy.

Promontory Point

55th Street & Lake Shore Drive in Hyde Park

Even though this place isn’t a traditional beach, it’s one of Chicago’s most beautiful lakefront spots. The shoreline here is rocky with smooth stone pavers, but it’s a favorite place for picnics, wading, and swimming.

Features: Benches, open lawn areas, a few BBQ grills, and basic restroom facilities. There are no concessions or formal beach rentals since this is more of a park than a beach.

Most popular with:  Couples looking for something romantic, photographers, architecture and landscape buffs, and University of Chicago students and faculty.

Scene: Calm with views of both the skyline and Lake Michigan. It’s a great place to find some peace in your day.

Quick facts: This was designed by landscape architect Alfred Caldwell in 1937 and became a designated Chicago Historic Landmark in 2020.

Making The Most Of Your Beach Day

Getting There and Parking 

Most beaches have limited and expensive parking, especially on summer weekends. The Lakefront Trail connects all the beaches and is perfect for biking if you want to avoid parking. 

CTA buses are the most convenient way to get to the beaches, and some are even walking distance from L stops. If you’re driving, arrive early in the morning or find parking in nearby neighborhoods.

Safety and Conditions 

Remember that Lake Michigan can have surprisingly strong currents and undertows, so it’s important to only stay within designated swimming areas. 

You’ll find lifeguards on duty at most beaches from Memorial Day through Labor Day, usually from 11 am to 7 pm. 

The Chicago Park District website posts daily updates on beach conditions and any closures due to high bacteria levels, so make sure to check those out before leaving for the beach.

Finding Your Beach Neighborhood

Whether you’re visiting Chicago for the summer or thinking about making this city your home, we know these lakefront neighborhoods better than anyone else.

Want to get to know the city more? Give us a shout, and we’d be happy to help you explore what each area has to offer beyond just the beautiful beaches – the restaurants, schools, transportation, and all the other factors that make a neighborhood worth calling home.

The post Best Chicago Urban Beaches To Enjoy This Summer appeared first on Ben Lalez.

School is out, and you know what that means! It’s time to make the most of our short summer months, and there’s honestly no city that does summer quite like we do.

We’re the Ben Lalez Team, and after helping over a thousand families find their perfect Chicago homes over the last decade, we’re excited to share some of our thoughts on how you can best enjoy July and August. Summer in Chicago is when the lakefront comes alive, every neighborhood has something going on, and you just want to be outside from sunrise to sunset.

Whether you’re a longtime Chicagoan looking to rediscover your city, someone thinking about making Chicago home, or just visiting for the summer, we’ve put together the ultimate bucket list for 2025. These aren’t just the obvious tourist spots (though some of those made the list because, honestly, they’re pretty great). These are the experiences that capture what makes Chicago summers special.

So grab a cold drink, settle in, and let’s talk about the 10 things you absolutely need to check out this summer in Chicago.

1. Lollapalooza (July 31 – August 3)

If you love music and big events, then Lollapalooza is a no-brainer. Grant Park transforms into music heaven for four days every summer, and it’s honestly something every Chicagoan should experience at least once.

This year’s lineup is pretty incredible. We’ve got Olivia Rodrigo and TWICE headlining the event, along with 170+ other bands across all nine stages.

If you’re thinking about going, buy tickets as quickly as possible. This thing sells out, and people come from all over the world for it. Pro tip from our years of living here – the Thursday lineup is often just as good as the weekend but way less crowded. And if you live in the South Loop or are thinking about buying there, you’ll basically be walking distance from one of the world’s biggest music festivals every summer. How incredible is that?

2. Chicago Air & Water Show (August 16-17)

The Chicago Air & Water Show is the largest free air and water exhibition in the United States, and it’s been running since 1959. Every August, fighter jets, stunt pilots, and parachute teams put on an incredible show right over the lake. There’s nothing quite like the sound of jets rumbling over the water.

North Avenue Beach is the classic viewing spot, but you can catch the action from pretty much anywhere along the lakefront. If you’re living in Lakeview, Lincoln Park, or any of the lakefront neighborhoods, this becomes your front-yard entertainment for a weekend. Just remember to bring chairs or a blanket and get there early, because this is one of those events where half the city shows up.

3. Taste of Chicago (September 5-7)

The Taste of Chicago is celebrating its 45th year in 2025, and it’s moving back to Grant Park in early September with free admission. This is Chicago’s food scene all in one place.

Expect dozens of vendors selling everything from deep dish pizza to Italian beef. There will also be incredible international cuisine that reflects all the different communities in the city. Aside from the great food, there are free concerts every evening with tons of family activities to enjoy.

This year, they’re also doing pop-up Taste events in neighborhood parks throughout the summer. Check out Pullman Park on July 19th and Albany Park on August 9th. It means you can get that Taste experience closer to home, whether you’re in Pilsen or Rogers Park or anywhere in between.

4. Chicago Jazz Festival (August 28-31)

Chicago has a long history with jazz, and the Chicago Jazz Festival over Labor Day weekend is where you can really take it all in. This free festival brings both local legends and international jazz stars to Millennium Park’s Pritzker Pavilion.

It’s the 40th annual edition this year, so you know they’re planning something special. If you’re thinking about the Loop or South Loop for your next home, events like this are basically in your backyard. Imagine being able to walk to world-class jazz performances all weekend long – it’s a jazz lover’s dream.

5. NASCAR Chicago Street Race (July 5-6)

This is NASCAR’s third year transforming downtown streets into a racetrack, and it’s still pretty wild to see stock cars racing past Chicago landmarks at crazy speeds.

The race weekend is July 5-6 this year. What makes this special isn’t just the racing – it’s seeing cars flying around Grant Park with Lake Michigan and the skyline right there. Plus, there’s live music (the Zac Brown Band is doing a post-race concert on Saturday) and family activities throughout the park.

If you’ve never seen a NASCAR race, especially one in an urban setting like this, it’s 100% worth checking out. The sensory overload in person is incredible, and it’s one of those Chicago experiences you have to cross off your bucket list.

6. Premier League Soccer at Soldier Field (July 30)

Okay, this one will be exciting for soccer fans because, for the first time ever, Chicago is hosting Premier League teams for competitive matches. On July 30, Soldier Field will have a doubleheader: Manchester United vs. AFC Bournemouth, and West Ham United vs. Everton.

We think the atmosphere is going to be electric, with passionate fans from all over the Midwest descending on Soldier Field. You don’t want to miss this.

If you’re living in the South Loop or Near South Side, you’re walking distance from what could be a historic sports event for the city.

7. Architecture River Cruise

This one might sound touristy, but it’s worth talking about. Architecture boat tours are one of those things that even longtime Chicagoans should do regularly, especially in summer.

Chicago basically invented the modern skyscraper, and seeing our architectural history from the water gives you a completely different perspective on the city. Multiple companies run these tours, from the Chicago Architecture Center’s 90-minute cruises to more casual sunset trips.

The guides on these tours know their stuff, and you’ll learn things about buildings you pass every day that you never knew. Plus, there’s something special about seeing the city from the water that makes you appreciate living here even more. We highly recommend you try this if you haven’t experienced it yet.

8. Cubs Game at Wrigley Field

Nothing says Chicago summer quite like an afternoon at Wrigley Field watching the Chicago Cubs play baseball. What makes Wrigley special isn’t just the ivy-covered walls or the hand-turned scoreboard – it’s the whole experience. The energy in Wrigleyville on game day, the tradition of singing “Take Me Out to the Ballgame” during the seventh-inning stretch, and… if the Cubs win, sticking around for “Go, Cubs, Go.” This is classic Chicago!

Even if you’re not a huge baseball fan, there’s something about spending a summer afternoon at Wrigley. And if you’re thinking about Lakeview for your next home, you’d be living in one of Chicago’s most iconic neighborhoods, walking distance from one of baseball’s most historic ballparks.

9. Navy Pier’s Summer Fireworks

From Memorial Day through Labor Day, Navy Pier puts on fireworks shows every Wednesday at 9 pm and Saturday at 10 pm. 

You don’t have to fight the crowds at Navy Pier to see them, because you can catch the show from the Riverwalk, from rooftop bars downtown, or from beaches and harbors all along the lakefront.

It’s free and it happens twice a week all summer long, so you have plenty of opportunities to make it out one night.

10. Lakefront Trail and Beaches

The 18-mile Lakefront Trail might be Chicago’s biggest source of pride. In the summer, this trail is alive with cyclists, runners, families with strollers, and people just enjoying being outside. You can rent a bike if you don’t have one. 

Along the trail, you’ll find beaches like Oak Street Beach and North Avenue Beach where you can swim, play volleyball, or just relax on the sand.

Some of the beaches even have cafes and bars – Castaways at North Avenue Beach is perfect for grabbing a drink with a view. Whether you’re exercising, relaxing, or just soaking up the sun, the lakefront is where Chicago’s summer lifestyle can be most enjoyed.

Making the Most of Summer in Chicago

Here’s what we’ve learned after years of living here and helping families find their perfect Chicago neighborhoods: summer is when this city really shows off. The festivals, the lakefront, the outdoor dining, the energy – it all reminds us why people fall in love with Chicago.

Whether you’re already living here or thinking about it, make sure you get out and experience what makes Chicago summers so special. After all, we spend enough time indoors during our winters. Summer is when we make up for it and let loose!

Ready to explore these neighborhoods and maybe find your perfect Chicago home? Give us a shout, we’d love to show you around and help you discover which part of this amazing city could be your home base for all these incredible summer experiences!

The post 10 Must-Do Summer Things In Chicago (2025 Bucket List) appeared first on Ben Lalez.

Let’s talk about something that makes everyone nod knowingly during real estate conversations, even though half of us are secretly thinking, “What the heck is escrow anyway?”

You know that moment. You’re talking to someone about real estate and they mention escrow and you’re like, “Oh yeah, totally!” Meanwhile,  you’re wondering to yourself if it’s some kind of fancy savings account or maybe a type of insurance. Don’t worry, we’ve all been there.

We’re the Ben Lalez Team, and after helping over a thousand families buy and sell Chicago real estate, we’ve heard every possible escrow question. Today we’re breaking it down in plain English, because honestly, it’s not nearly as complicated as people make it sound.

But here’s the thing. Chicago does escrow differently than most places. So if you’ve been watching those house-flipping shows or reading about real estate in other cities, some of what you “know” about escrow probably doesn’t apply here.

First Things First – What Are We Actually Talking About?

When people say “escrow” in real estate, they’re usually talking about one of two completely different things:

1. Transaction escrow – the money you put down during the buying process (this is what we’re covering today)
2. Mortgage escrow – the ongoing account for property taxes and insurance after you own the home

Most people mix these up, which is totally understandable since they both use the same word. But for today, we’re talking about transaction escrow – that chunk of money you hand over when you’re buying a house to prove you’re serious.

Think of it like this: when you put earnest money into escrow, you’re basically telling the seller, “I’m not just window shopping here. I’ve got skin in the game.”

How Chicago’s Escrow Process Is Unique

Here’s where Chicago gets interesting. Most cities have you write one check for earnest money when you make an offer. Done.

Not us. We like to keep things… complicated.

Chicago uses what’s called a two-tier earnest money system. Basically, you’ll write two separate checks at two different times. Why? Because we’re thorough like that.

First payment: Within one business day of your offer being accepted, you’ll need to put down either roughly $1,000 (for homes under $1 million) or $10,000 (for homes over $1 million). This is just to get things started. Context matters, and the numbers above can change. Talk to your agent.

Second payment: About two weeks later, after all the attorney and inspection stuff happens, you’ll put down the rest to bring your total earnest money to 5-10% of the purchase price (again, typically).

So if you’re buying a $400,000 home in Lincoln Park, here’s how it works:

• Day 1 (when contract is accepted): You put down $1,000
• Day 14: You put down another $19,000
• Total earnest money: $20,000 (5% of purchase price)

That $20,000 doesn’t disappear – it gets applied to your down payment and closing costs. But you need to have it available upfront, which catches some buyers off guard.

Who’s Actually Holding Your Money?

Another thing that surprises people: your earnest money usually goes to the listing agent’s real estate brokerage, not some mysterious “escrow company.”

Think of the brokerage as a neutral babysitter for your money. They can’t just hand it over to the seller when they feel like it. They need written permission from both you and the seller, or a court order if there’s a dispute.

Sometimes attorneys hold the money instead, especially for larger amounts. This is pretty common in Chicago since we love our real estate attorneys here. About 85% of Chicago transactions involve attorneys, compared to just 30% in most other cities.

Title companies can also hold escrow, particularly for the final closing. But during the main transaction period, it’s usually sitting in the listing brokerage’s escrow account.

The Timeline That Actually Matters

Let’s walk through what really happens, because timing is everything in Chicago real estate:

Days 1-3: First payment deadline – You’ve got to get that initial earnest money in within one business day, but if there are hiccups, you usually have until the third business day. Miss this deadline? The seller can walk away from the deal. No joke.

Days 1-5: Attorney review period – Here’s something cool about Illinois – you get five business days where your attorney can review the contract and suggest changes (except to the purchase price). Either party can also cancel during this time and get all earnest money back, no questions asked.

Days 1-7: Inspection period – While the attorney stuff is happening, you’re also getting the home inspected. This usually runs about 5-7 business days, and you can negotiate repairs or walk away if you find deal-breakers.

Days 7-9: Second payment time – Once attorney review and inspections are done, you’ll need to pony up the rest of your earnest money. This brings you to that 5-10% total we talked about.

Days 15-45: Mortgage stuff happens – You’ve got to apply for your loan within five business days of the contract, and typically need your mortgage commitment within 30-45 days.

Closing day: Money gets applied – All that earnest money you’ve been paying? It gets applied toward your down payment and closing costs.

Let’s Talk Real Numbers

Since we’re being honest here, let’s look at what this actually costs for different price points in Chicago:

$400,000 home (typical one-bed Lincoln Park condo):

• Initial earnest money: $1,000
• Second payment: $19,000
• Total earnest money: $20,000
• Plus title fees, attorney fees, etc.: about $4,000-$5,000 more

$600,000 home (nice two-bed, two-bath in Lakeview):

• Total earnest money: $30,000 (5%)
• Additional title and attorney costs: $6,000-$7,000

$800,000 home (three-bed, two-bath in Lincoln Park):

• Total earnest money: $80,000 (10% for higher-end properties)
• Additional costs: $8,000-$10,000

Yeah, that’s a lot of cash to have sitting around. This is why we always tell our clients to make sure they’ve got liquid funds available, not just money tied up in retirement accounts or other investments.

Common Myths That Trip People Up

Myth #1: “Earnest money is the same as my down payment” 

Nope! Your earnest money gets applied toward your down payment, but it’s not the whole thing. If you’re putting 20% down on a $400,000 home, you’ll need $80,000 total at closing. The $20,000 earnest money is part of that, but you’ll still need another $60,000 plus about 1.5-2.5% in additional closing costs.

Myth #2: “If something goes wrong, I automatically get my money back” 

Not necessarily. It depends on why the deal fell through and what your contract says. During attorney review? You’re probably fine. Backing out three days before closing because you changed your mind? That’s a different story.

Myth #3: “The escrow company works for me” 

Actually, they’re neutral. They can’t take sides or give you advice. They’re just holding your money until both parties agree on what happens to it.

Myth #4: “This is just a Chicago thing” 

The two-payment system? Yeah, that’s pretty much just us. But other cities have their own quirks. New York has really long closing periods. California uses different title companies. Every market has its own personality.

The Wire Fraud Thing We Need To Talk About

Here’s something that’s become a real problem – wire fraud during real estate transactions. Criminals hack into email systems and send fake wiring instructions that look totally legit.

We’re talking serious money here. The FBI says real estate wire fraud cost people almost $1 billion nationally in just one year. And Chicago’s not immune. We’ve had local cases where buyers lost hundreds of thousands of dollars.

How to protect yourself:

• Never trust wiring instructions that come only by email
• Always call your title company or attorney using a phone number you got independently (not from the email)
• If something seems weird, stop and double-check
• Use the same verification steps even if you’ve been emailing back and forth for weeks

Why Chicago Does It This Way

You might be wondering why we make things more complicated than other cities. There are actually some good reasons:

More protection: That attorney review period gives you a real safety net. In most states, once you sign, you’re pretty much committed unless something major goes wrong.

Better legal representation: Having attorneys involved means someone’s actually reading the fine print and looking out for your interests.

Stronger contracts: Chicago real estate contracts tend to be more detailed and protective than the simpler forms used in other markets.

Quality control: The two-tier payment system weeds out buyers who aren’t really serious or financially ready.

The downside? It costs more upfront and takes longer. But most of our clients feel the extra protection is worth it.

When Things Go Sideways

Sometimes deals fall apart. It happens. Here’s what usually occurs with your earnest money:

During attorney review: You can walk away for any reason and get your money back.

Failed inspection: If you can’t agree on repairs and you have an inspection contingency, you get your money back.

Mortgage problems: If your lender falls through and you applied in good faith, you get your money back if you are within your contingency period.

Seller can’t deliver clear title: You get your money back.

You just change your mind: This is where it gets tricky. You might lose some or all of your earnest money, depending on the circumstances and how far along you are.

Seller backs out: You get your earnest money back, plus you might be able to sue for damages.

The key is understanding what your contract says and working with professionals who know how to protect your interests.

How This Compares To Other Cities

Since we work with a lot of people moving to Chicago from other places, here’s how we stack up:

California: Usually just one earnest money payment (1-3%), title companies handle everything, faster closings but less legal protection.

New York: Also attorney-heavy like us, but different contract structures and really long closing periods (60-90 days).

Texas: Title company-driven, simpler contracts, faster process but fewer buyer protections.

Florida: Similar to Texas, but with more investor activity and different disclosure requirements.

Chicago sits somewhere in the middle on cost but tends to offer more protection than most markets. Whether that’s worth it depends on how much you value having experienced legal professionals involved.

What This Means For Your House Hunt

If you’re planning to buy in Chicago, here’s what you need to know:

Budget for it: Make sure you’ve got 5-10% of your target purchase price in liquid funds for earnest money, plus another 2-3% for other closing costs.

Time it right: Don’t make an offer unless you can get that first payment in within a day or two.

Use the attorney review period: Even if you love the house, have an attorney review the contract. That’s what the period is for.

Stay organized: With two payments and multiple deadlines, you’ll need to stay on top of things. A good real estate agent will help track all this.

Plan for delays: Chicago transactions typically take 30-60 days from contract to closing. Don’t book your moving truck for next week.

Working With The Right Team

Here’s the thing about Chicago real estate – it’s more complicated than most places, but that complexity exists for good reasons. Having the right team makes all the difference.

You’ll want a real estate agent who knows Chicago’s specific processes, an attorney who does this all day long, and a lender who understands our market timing. Trying to navigate this stuff alone is like trying to assemble IKEA furniture without the instructions – technically possible, but why put yourself through that?

We’ve seen buyers try to save money by skipping attorney review or working with agents who don’t know Chicago’s quirks. It almost never ends well.

The Bottom Line

Escrow in Chicago isn’t rocket science, but it’s definitely not as simple as some other markets. The two-payment system, attorney review period, and higher upfront costs can feel overwhelming at first.

But here’s what we tell all our clients: once you understand the process, it’s actually pretty logical. Every step exists to protect both buyers and sellers. The extra complexity means fewer deals fall apart at the last minute, fewer legal disputes, and more confidence that everyone’s getting a fair shake.

Is it perfect? No. Is it more expensive upfront than simpler markets? Yes. But is it worth it for the extra protection and peace of mind? Most of our clients think so.

Does Chicago’s escrow process still scare you? Give us a shout, and we’ll walk you through the numbers and timeline so there are no surprises along the way.

After all, buying a home is exciting enough without worrying about escrow mysteries!

The post A Beginner’s Guide To Escrow In Chicago appeared first on Ben Lalez.

Last year, we wrote an article on the top 10 suburbs in Chicago, and this year we’re back with our updated list for 2026. Have things changed on the list?

In case this is the first time you’re reading one of our articles, we’re the Ben Lalez Team, and we’ve helped over a thousand families find homes in and around Chicago over the past decade. Every year around this time, our team looks ahead to see where buyers should be looking.

The biggest change from a year ago is mortgage rates. The 30-year fixed was around 6.76% at the start of 2025. By late February 2026, it was at 5.98%. On a $450,000 home with 20% down, that works out to roughly $170-$200 less per month.

Without further delay, let’s get into the list!

1. Naperville

Naperville is the largest suburb on this list, with a population of around 150,000. The downtown has restaurants, shops, and the Riverwalk, which runs about 1.75 miles along the DuPage River through the center of town.

Median prices are around $600,000, essentially flat from last year. There are typically 270+ homes on the market at any given time, with roughly 60-65 new listings coming in per month. Homes are averaging about 71 days on market.

ACS data puts the average monthly owner costs with a mortgage in Naperville at around $3,150 (this includes taxes and insurance). If you’re thinking about Naperville, make sure to run the math before you set your price ceiling.

Districts 203 and 204 are among the best school districts in Illinois. We’ve previously written about the best school districts in Chicago. District 203 covers most of central and north Naperville and feeds into Naperville Central. District 204 covers the south and west portions and feeds into Naperville North. Both are good, but they’re different attendance zones and different neighborhoods, so know which one you’re buying into.

The BNSF Metra line has two Naperville stations: Naperville and Route 59, with both running into Union Station. Express trips take about 35-45 minutes, depending on your stop and time of day.

2. Downers Grove

The Tivoli Theater has been running since 1928. You’ll find Saturday morning farmers market running from spring through fall. There are restaurants with outdoor seating in warm weather, and it’s a small-city downtown feel built around the Metra station. There are two BNSF stations here (Main Street and Fairview Avenue), and express trains to Chicago take about 30 minutes.

Median prices in Downers Grove are around $580,000, with homes selling in about 59 days, faster than last year. Current home inventory runs 90-100 active listings with around 30 new listings coming on per month.

District 58 covers K-8, and District 99 covers the high schools (Downers Grove North and Downers Grove South), with both having solid programs. Downers Grove also sits at the intersection of I-88 and I-355, which is convenient if your commute is by car to the East-West corporate corridor rather than by train into the city.

3. Oak Park

Oak Park is directly west of Chicago’s Austin neighborhood, about 10 miles from the Loop. The Metra UP-W has two stations here, Oak Park and Ridgeland, with trips to Ogilvie running 16 to 23 minutes. The CTA Green and Blue lines are also there. Just note that parking at the L stops is pretty limited.

Frank Lloyd Wright’s home and studio are here, along with about 25 homes he designed within walking distance. Marion Street and Lake Street downtown have restaurants, coffee shops, and independent retail. There are Thursday farmers market, summer arts festivals, and a fairly active community event calendar throughout the year.

Median prices are around $380,000. Homes are selling in about 52 days. Inventory typically runs 50-55 active listings.

4. Evanston

Evanston sits on the lakefront directly north of Chicago. Northwestern University has been here since 1855. There are beaches, parks, a real downtown, and a food scene that covers everything from casual to special-occasion.

The Metra UP-N line runs from Davis Street station to Ogilvie in about 26 minutes. The CTA Purple Line is also there with stops throughout the city.

Median prices are around $476,000, up about 6% from last year. About 85 active listings at any given time, with roughly 33 new listings per month. Homes are currently selling in about 56 days.

Evanston’s housing mix is fairly wide. Lakefront blocks have historic single-family homes, and downtown you’ll see condos above restaurants. There are quiet residential streets and dense apartment corridors. The experience varies significantly by neighborhood, so it’s worth exploring a few different areas before you narrow down a price range.

5. Arlington Heights

Median prices in Arlington Heights are around $495,000, down slightly from last year. Homes are selling in about 51 days, which is down from 72 days last year, and inventory stands at 62 active listings with 26 new listings per month.

The downtown around the Metra station has been adding restaurants and activity over the past several years. The old Arlington Park racecourse site is in active redevelopment. The village approved a mixed-use plan that includes housing, retail, and public space. That project will take years to build out, but it’s approved and in motion.

The UP-NW Metra line serves Arlington Heights, with travel time to Ogilvie running about 45-55 minutes.

District 214 serves the high schools in this area, including Buffalo Grove HS, Rolling Meadows HS, and Hersey HS, which is consistently among the top-performing districts in Illinois. Median household income in Arlington Heights is around $116,700. The park system here is extensive, with over 50 parks and facilities.

6. Buffalo Grove

FBI data shows 9 reported violent crimes in Buffalo Grove in 2024. That’s the total count, not a rate. It’s one of the lowest figures in the entire Chicago metro area.

Median prices are around $425,000, up significantly from last year. Inventory is thin, with about 34 active listings and 16 new listings per month. When well-priced homes come on the market, they tend to move quickly. For the rest of home in this area, they’re averaging about 65 days on market.

Buffalo Grove has a notably diverse population, with a large South Asian and Eastern European community that has grown here over the past few decades. That shows up in the restaurants, school programs, and community events.

Parts of Buffalo Grove feed into Stevenson High School in Lincolnshire, which consistently ranks among the top public high schools in Illinois. The rest of the village belongs to  Buffalo Grove High School. The median household income here is around $129,400.

Transit is the NCS Metra line, North Central Service, with two stations in town. Travel time to Union Station runs about 58 minutes. The NCS runs less frequently than the BNSF or UP lines, so check the full schedule to get an idea of your commute times.

7. La Grange

La Grange has two BNSF stations, LaGrange Road and Stone Avenue, with scheduled travel times to Union Station in the 20-30 minute range. A lot of homes in La Grange are within a short walk of the downtown and the train.

What’s it like living here? The Pet Parade has been running annually since 1946. You’ll find summer arts festivals, holiday events, independent shops and restaurants around the train station. It’s a small town that’s stayed a small town despite being 15 miles from the Loop.

Looking at pricing, the January data in La Grange was distorted this year. There wasn’t a lot of inventory, and that means a handful of transactions can skew a single month’s median in either direction. ACS data puts median owner-occupied home values around $594,300, which is more in line with what actually trades in the village. La Grange is considered a premium market.

Inventory is low right now, with around 22 active listings and 11 new listings per month. LTHS holds a Commendable designation on the Illinois School Report Card. The median household income in La Grange is around $159,900, the highest on this list.

8. Park Ridge

Park Ridge sits on Chicago’s northwest border. The Metra UP-NW line runs from Park Ridge station to Ogilvie in about 32 minutes, and O’Hare Airport is about 5 miles away.

The downtown area is called Uptown. Park Ridge is made up of local restaurants, shops, and well-maintained residential streets that are mostly single-family homes, a mix of older construction and renovated properties.

Median prices are around $577,000, up modestly from last year. We’ve seen some movement in this area, with homes selling in about 32 days right now, down from 62 days last year. Current inventory is around 48 active listings with 18 new listings per month.

9. Orland Park

Orland Park is a southwest suburb, about 25 miles from the Loop. Getting into downtown Chicago by car takes 45 minutes to over an hour, depending on traffic and time of day. The Metra Rock Island and SWS lines serve parts of the area.

Median prices are around $372,500, up about 6% from last year, and homes are selling in about 53 days. There are about 117 active listings at the moment, more than any suburb on this list (except Naperville), with roughly 27 new listings per month.

Carl Sandburg High School is in Orland Park and regularly ranks among Illinois’ top public high schools. The village has over 60 parks and miles of bike trails. The median household income in Orland Park is around $98,900.

10. Wheaton

Wheaton is in DuPage County, about 25 miles west of the Loop. The UP-W Metra line runs from Wheaton Station to Ogilvie in about 53 minutes.

Downtown Wheaton has coffee shops, restaurants, and the French Market on Saturdays. The Illinois Prairie Path runs through the area: it’s a converted rail corridor with miles of paved trails connecting across DuPage County. You can cover a lot of ground without crossing a major road.

Median prices are around $410,000, up about 21% from last year, though some of that reflects month-to-month variation. Homes are selling in about 59 days, and the current inventory is around 46 active listings.

The median household income is around $120,000. Community Unit School District 200 covers pre-K through 12 and includes Wheaton North and Wheaton Warrenville South high schools, both well-regarded.

There You Go!

So there you have it, our take on the top 10 Chicago suburbs for buyers heading into 2026.

Each one made this list for different reasons, and if you’re seriously considering which one is the right fit for you, you’ll have to think about what you’re prioritizing: commute time, budget, schools, walkability, and space. We spend a lot of time in these neighborhoods, and we’re happy to talk through any of this in more detail.

Please note that the data we’ve provided in this article is a reflection of the market at the time of writing this article. If you want updated data on any of these areas, let us know and we’ll be happy to provide you with detailed reports. Give us a shout anytime. 

And if you’re buying for the first time, don’t forget to grab our Chicago Home Buying Guide. It covers everything from making an offer to what happens at the closing table!

Until then, see you next week for our next article.

The post Top 10 Chicago Suburbs For Buyers In 2026 appeared first on Ben Lalez.