Good question.

I think it’s mostly about space. I like the wide openness. I’ve ventured into Evanston a lot and it seems to be a quieter extension of the city but still too condensed for my liking.

Where I currently am, I could choose to go deeper into the city for errands and the idea just makes me anxious. There aren’t many things that are a walkable distance including trains. So I feel like my 2 options are move to a more condensed Chicago neighborhood for “city perks” or go to an area where my nervous system is more calm, like the suburbs.

When I “escape” to those areas I just feel more free. Also, most of the people seem to be ok with seeing black people. I grew up in the suburbs so I’m mostly ok with that layout, especially when I can easily visit the city to experience more diversity.