Neighborhood Snapshot #17 – Back to the Burbs

Author- Daniel Strama, PGY3

As you begin to decide on where you want to live during your time in residency you have many options to consider. The city has its benefits but so do the suburbs. I currently live in Willow Springs, IL which is one of the southwest Suburbs.

One of the best parts of living here is the short commute. On a night shift or an early morning shift my commute is 17 minutes. During the day it can be about 20-25 min with traffic. Even with the worst traffic during rush hour travel time rarely exceeds 30 minutes.

Additionally Willow Springs is located right by the Palos Forest Preserve which has many great hiking, running, and biking trails. There is a path directly from where I live where I frequently run.There are a lot of small lakes to go fishing or you can even rent a boat or a kayak. It is overall very quiet and peaceful.

A short walk from our apartment is Irish Legends (a local bar where Al Capone used to frequent), Imperial Oak Brewing, 750 Pizza, Ashbury Coffeehouse, and Capri (an Italian restaurant). Also there is a train station nearby that does go to Union Station downtown. So if you’re looking for more outdoorsy living or just a quieter lifestyle with a short commute definitely consider Willow Springs.