Dunning

Dunning occupies the city's far northwest flats, a neighborhood of tidy brick homes that spent a century living down its history as the site of the Cook County poor farm and asylum, whose grounds are now Wright College and new subdivisions. Today it reads as one of the most suburban community areas in Chicago: quiet, residential, and overwhelmingly single-family.

There's no L here. Buses along Irving Park and Belmont connect to the Blue Line, and most residents simply drive, with two-car households the norm. That transportation load is the real cost of the affordability. Dunning suits buyers who want a detached house at a price the North Side stopped offering years ago and who have already made peace with the car.

Dunning offers limited transit access: most households rely on personal vehicles. Most households here need two cars, which adds substantially to annual costs.

With a Walk Score of 58, Dunning is "Somewhat Walkable": some errands can be done on foot, but many trips need transit or a car.

At roughly $24,000/year for 2 cars, transportation is a major line item in Dunning's true cost. The neighborhood is served by the Blue line.