# Chicago lake area



## Kehawin (Jul 4, 2013)

Normally I like to write only about areas I know well, or that are completely imaginary, as it is distracting to me to read a book and stumble across something that is obviously wrong - my suspension of disbelief is usually so badly interrupted that it doesn't come back.

So, in my novel, my MC lives about an hour by bus outside of Chicago, by necessity for the premise. Since she lives in a small town, I have no problem making it an "anytown" fictional place.  The problem is, she visits a friend in Chicago proper.  Not only would I like to have a realistic description of the friend's neighborhood, but while there she "travels" to a Pre-Columbian type scene.  In other words, the wilderness at it would have been before white settlers.  I have found several websites that describe that area's wilderness in general (mostly on the Canadian side of the Lake), but all I am finding is generalities.

Anyone in the Chicago area who is "into" nature, hopefully who can be pretty technical, want to describe what the areas far enough from the Lake that it isn't in view, but close enough that a person could walk to the Lake in a day?  An area preferrably middle class.


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## patskywriter (Jul 4, 2013)

I can think of two areas: Wooded Island and the Dan Ryan Forest Preserves. The middle-class neighborhood adjacent to Wooded Island is Hyde Park, and one of the middle-class areas near the Dan Ryan Forest Preserves is Beverly.


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## Kehawin (Jul 4, 2013)

Thanks, Patskywriter.  Perhaps I didn't explain well what I am looking for.  The neighborhoods don't need to be near undeveloped areas, I am looking for two separate things.  A neighborhood about 20 miles from the Lake (if there are any that are still considered actually Chicago - not sure?) and someone who can describe what the natural scenery in that area looks like, for the setting of an alternate reality where the area has never been developed.  In other words, she goes from a middle class house into an alternate reality where there are no man-made objects in the same exact spot.  So, for example, is it forested?  Wetlands?  Grasslands?  Savannah?  etc.  What kinds of trees would there be, what kinds of grasses, what kinds of wildflowers, berries?  etc.  What wildlife might she encounter?  What would she be able to find to eat?  

This is why my research has taken so long - I can't just make it up, people from the area wouldn't buy it.

But again, thank you, I will look into those two areas and see if they might work.


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## patskywriter (Jul 4, 2013)

Hmm, what I described wouldn't work, then. I misunderstood what you wanted. The two areas I described are on the south side, not away from the city. Wooded Island is within a stone's throw of Lake Michigan, and the Dan Ryan Forest Preserve is only six miles or so away from the lake, close to the western edge of town.


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## moderan (Jul 4, 2013)

There aren't really any small towns an hour by bus outside Chicago. What would best suit your purposes would be the western suburbs, especially Riverside, Brookfield, or Oak Park. All of those have small wooded areas and township websites where you can get such information. They're also middle class, for the most part. Further west you have La Grange, La Grange Park, Hinsdale, mostly upper-middle, and then former industrial burbs like Westmont and Downers Grove, and then tech burbs like Lisle and Naperville.
North of the city you run into upper-class lakefront communities like those depicted in Chris Columbus' movies, and bustling middle-sized towns. Northwest you have the same type of upper-middle communities. Your mc would more likely take the train to a suburban bus-Chicago rail transit is well-developed and organized. I don't have specific botanical information but can get such. I drove a cab in those areas for seventeen years-though I no longer live there, I have friends that can fill in any information needed.
Others communities to consider would be Elmhurst and River Forest-which are wooded but tend more to upper-middle and retired folks.
Let me know if you need any more information.


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## Kehawin (Jul 4, 2013)

Thanks, morderan, that's helpful.  I only spent 3 months near Chicago (Great Lakes base) and would normally avoid using a city so well-known but unknown to me - but again, the premise calls for it.  I'm familiar with the train - used to ride it to the end then get on a bus to spend the weekends with my sister in Milwaukee - but I can't put the MC's own house in Milwaukee because in my alternate world the place that we call Chicago is essentially the edge of the "frontier" and beyond that is wilderness and natives.  The "edge" doesn't go straight south, and where she lives has to also be, essentially, on that edge too.  So her own home has to be to the south east, at least 60 miles (or more).

So, I guess, it boils down to:  I need to research how big the borders of modern-day Chicago really is, and choose an area that is as far from the Lake as possible to the south or southwest without being a suburb.  Then I have to figure out how long of a walk or horse-ride it would be to the Lake from there.   There will be a "town" at the lake but where her friend's house is would still be unsettled and far enough away for a trip to "town" to be more than a couple hours.  Don't know if that makes sense - getting more and more frustrated with the logistics of this and how it just won't fall into place!

She visits a friend in Chicago, is transported to an alternate reality from the friend's house, finds herself in the wilderness, is taken in by natives, eventually ends up in "town" which is the edge of a "white" nation.  The native village has to be far enough away to not be a threat to the town.  Her own home has to be three days horse ride from the town (or a little more, if necessary) which equates to at least 60 miles, to the southeast.

I am terrible - TERRIBLE - at maps.  In fact, it is part of a relatively unknown learning disability called dyscalculia (as an aside), so there really is not much help for me when it comes to maps.

Thanks again, if what I said makes sense and you have any more suggestions, I appreciate it.


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## Sandy (Jul 6, 2013)

Before settlement, Chicago would have been kind of swampy and, except for along rivers, mostly prairie.  I don't recall bus service going outside of Chicago (but certainly many commuter trains do).  If 20 miles from the lake is really crucial, it might be best to work with a map and a compass to see where that kind of oblong circle goes.  Most of the area near the city are suburban sprawl (all kinds, from rich to poor).  What are common are forest preserves -- nice little woodland parks -- especially along streams and rivers.  Some of the more unusual parks within that line would be the Brookfield (west suburbs) and Lincoln Park (north) zoos and the Morton Arboretum near Lisle/Naperville.  Hope that helps!


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## Kehawin (Jul 6, 2013)

Thanks Sandy.

If interested, here is _exactly_ what I am looking for in almost riddle form:

4 cities.


City A must be a large city west of Lake Michigan, at least 40 miles outside Chicago but no further south 
City B must be a college town on a route between city A and at least one of the others (further out)
City C must be a town small enough to have only one High School, but must not be a farm town and must be east of Chicago and no further north, at least 40 miles but not more than 120 miles outside of Chicago
City D may be any size town, but must be south of Chicago and further away from Chicago than any of the others, and must not be further west than Lake Michigan


Cities B & D may be the same city, but do not have to be


I thought I had this figured out, with city A being Arlington Heights, City B being Rockland Park, City C being Orland Park, and City D being Kanakakee, but I am still not sure if it works!  I am now considering moving all of this to Duluth/Lake Superior instead of Chicago/Lake Michigan, as the area seems to fit the bill much better... but the coldness of the area may not work!


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## Sandy (Jul 6, 2013)

Kehawin said:


> I thought I had this figured out, with city A being Arlington Heights, City B being Rockland Park, City C being Orland Park, and City D being Kanakakee, but I am still not sure if it works!  I am now considering moving all of this to Duluth/Lake Superior instead of Chicago/Lake Michigan, as the area seems to fit the bill much better... but the coldness of the area may not work!



Well, Arlington Heights is big (technically a village) and northwest of Chicago.  I've never heard of Rockland Park (Rockford?).  Orland Park is I think southwest and Kankakee is well south.  None of the suburbs are what I'd call a "college town" - though most of them  have some sort of of small private or community colleges.  East of Chicago is tough -- I mean, it's Lake Michigan! -- but you can kinda get east if you go around the bottom of Lake Michigan, but then you are in Indiana.

Most of the old time towns were once distinct communities with a business district, etc., and were separated by miles and miles of cornfields, but today it is just one giant blend of suburbia with big-box-type shopping centers along the major roads.  The last time I visited, I'd say the "open" space between towns was maybe 50 miles outside of Chicago.   A college town of sorts is Evanston (Northwestern University), which is on the north shore.   Charleston (Eastern Illinois University) and DeKalb (Northern Illinois University are kinda far south and far northwest.  There are a bunch of well-known universities in Chicago itself.

Sorry I couldn't solve your riddle!


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## Kehawin (Jul 6, 2013)

Thank you, yes, I did mean Rockford... just finished my first cup of coffee, maybe I will make more sense now.  I do appreciate the help, if it matters I think I have figured out what to do to make it work.  Rather than make Chicago the furthest west this character's people are, I will change it to Duluth, but still keep Chicago as a large stronghold.  That way I have a little more leeway as to the "borders" of the nation.  This is an alternate reality sort of setting, so I need to only remain historically accurate up to European contact in our reality.  But geographically, it has to make sense.
So, if I expand the nation to Lake Superior, and expand the travel time to 100 miles instead of 60, I can have city A = Arlington Heights (this one still must be near Chicago), City B = Rockford, City C = Dubuque, and City D = Waterloo
I am much more comfortable with this choice because although I didn't live there, my father lived in Waterloo for many years, and Cedar Rapids for several decades, and I still have family on both sides all over Iowa - easier to get descriptions and maybe even visit when there's family there   Thanks again for everyone's help, I realize since this isn't your project it would be very easy to shrug and say good luck, I do appreciate you taking time to think on it and help!


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## Sandy (Jul 6, 2013)

Yes, that would definitely help... and probably be much easier for you, too!   Best wishes for success with your project!


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