Tell me about Chicago...

[bensmom]

It definitely depends on which school you end up going to. Public transportation is going to be more difficult (although definitely possible) near U-C, unless you live near the law school. Not sure on the cost, but the U-C Lab school might have a preschool. If not, I'd call the law school and ask if they have any suggestions. For Northwestern, there's a relatively new Kindercare that's right near the law school (and I think gives priority to Northwestern University students/faculty) that might be a good option for a toddler. I recently moved from Chicago, but went to law school there and had a toddler in daycare there with one car, so feel free to email me if you want more info/suggestions.

Ilana

[denna]

No personal experience in the living situation in Chicago area, but DH is from Evanston (where NWU is) and we love it there. We are planning on moving back to the U.S this fall and this is the place we most want to go. Housing is reasonable and they have a wonderful Montessori school. And the commute is fairly easy (by train) to downtown. DH used to work at the Board of Trade and commuted from Evanston.

Best wishes,

[bensmom]

I agree - Evanston is great. But... the law school is not on the main campus. It's downtown.

[erosenst]

EDITED POST

Oops - it appears that my original post didn't come out at all as I had meant it to, so I've deleted almost all of it. Sorry that I offended people. Since my post is copied below, however, I will try to clarify one point - when I said that the Chicago public schools are terrible, unless the one in Hyde Park isn't, I was trying to make the comment others have made below - there are definitely exceptions (ie the magnets), but I *think* that most people would agree one has to at least be aware that there are problems with CPS. Perhaps I'm wrong about that, too, and/or others here have different thoughts about the quality of CPS.

To answer one of the questions below, yes, I lived in Chicago for 15+ years - from 1988 - 2003. I knew several people who made choices they later regretted about schools (both their undergrad/grad and schools for their kids), and that was impacting my comments. I didn't have children when I lived there, so don't have direct experience with that.

I'll leave it with the closing of my original post -

Sorry I couldn't be much more help - but I would urge you to try to make a trip there before deciding where you're going and living.

[C99]

It's really hard to answer these types of questions because Chicago is huge, and there are so many areas in which to live. I know more about the northside of the city, simply because I live up here. But even if your DH ends up going to UC, you don't have to live in Hyde Park or the southside. And trust me: you probably want to send your child to preschool/daycare where you live over where you work or go to school.

You could join the Northside Parents Network for resources on childcare centers and preschools on the Northside of Chicago. They also publish a book on preschools and elementary schools; you can get it directly from their website at http://www.northsideparents.org. Daycare is going to be easier to find than preschool; most preschools follow the school calendar and require kids to be potty-trained AND 3 at the time of enrollment. Plus, while Chicago's school system isn't as cutthroat as NYC's, you apply in December - february for the following September. Most places will be filled already.

Chicago's public transportation system is really good. All of the trains lead to the Loop (downtown) and most of the buses can get you either to a train or downtown.

[C99]

Do you live in Chicago?

>If you do UofC, the immediate area is fine - surrounded by a
>lot that's not. (Some of it is gentrifying, but nowhere near
>all.) Lab does have a preschool, but it doesn't start til 3
>yrs. It's also hard to get into - and expensive ($15,000+ for
>nursery school). Since law school is three years, DD will
>likely be starting K while you're there - and I'm 99% sure
>that the only option is private/parochial schools. (Chicago
>Public Schools are terrible, unless for some reason the one in
>Hyde Park isn't.)

There are more options in Hyde Park than the Lab School. I know there is a very large list-serv for Hyde Park parents and I am 98% certain there is at least one Montessori school in that area. In addition, the CPS has a magnet school program. In fact, in its ranking of elementary schools, Chicago Magazine gave Lenart Elementary Regional Gifted Center the #1 spot. Lenart is located on the southside. Not every Chicago resident has the option of sending their kids to parochial/private school.

>Unfortunately, between Hyde Park and near downtown, there's
>nowhere you would live. If you live in the South Loop (just
>south of downtown - and your husband is likely working in or
>near the loop when you say downtown), or just south of there,
>it would be a great commute for your husband, and not terrible
>for you - but same issues of private schools, and housing
>isn't inexpensive. (May not be an issue/shock depending on
>where you're from in California.) A lot of the South Loop,
>and south of there, has redeveloped very nicely, so you can
>definitely find housing.

If I weren't already on the northside, I'd check out Bronzeville: http://www.bronzevilleonline.com/

>On the other hand, Northwestern is in Evanston.

NWU's law school isn't in Evanston; it is downtown, in Streeterville.

[newmomto3kids]

(Chicago
>Public Schools are terrible, unless for some reason the one in
>Hyde Park isn't.)


Wow, that is a pretty harsh statement to make. One, because the schools are not all terrible and two, because not everyone has the option to send their kids to private school. Lucky for you that you can afford to send your kid to a private school, or live somewhere other than Chicago, not every has or wants that option.

[DebbieJ]

As in any major city, there are pockets of "good" and "bad" and you really have to visit to decide for yourself. Your level of comfort is different than someone else's.

I used to live AND work in Van Nuys, CA, and MANY people wouldn't step foot in that neighborhood. Now I live near Joliet, IL, (out in the Chicago burbs) and that usually gets some choice responses when I share that bit of info. :)

~ deb
DS born at home 12/03
Breastfeeding After Reduction is possible! www.bfar.org

http://www.bfar.org/members/fora/style_avatars/Ribbons/18months-bfar.jpg

[mamalia]

Thank you Ilana, I will email you!

Malia

[mamalia]

Thanks Denna! I really like Evanston, well with my limited knowledge of it. There is a great place for boba (Joy Yee) that we love to visit. My biggest fear about commuting from there is the time it will take to pick up DD from daycare. It seems that having her in care near our work/school setup would cut down on the amount of time she is in care.

Do you have an estimate on how long the commute is by train (for me), and by car (for DH) from Evanston around 7am and at 6pm? If it is doable, it might be an option for housing just not daycare.

Some of the posters mentioned this, but NW Law is on Lake Shore Drive. I'm trying to pick up the neighborhoods quickly, and I think it is considered the Gold Coast.

[C99]

Gold Coast or Streeterville. The neighborhoods just north/northwest of NW Law are called Old Town and Lincoln Park. I'd recommend PMing Sarah1 for more information on those neighborhoods, or PMing obedcocker about Streeterville, NWU Law and daycare around there.

The Chicago Reader has good info on both the city and specific neighborhoods: http://www.chicagoreader.com/features/stories/chicago101/ and http://www.chicagoreader.com/cgi-bin/sf/ziplist.cgi

[mamalia]

Thanks Emily, it is helpful to consider looking down the line at elementary. Right now though I feel like I'm sinking just trying to find daycare. ;) We do plan on taking a trip next month.

[mamalia]

Thanks Caroline. I'm trying to figure out neighborhoods, I honestly had no idea there were so many. For Northwestern we were told to consider: Lake View, Andersonville, Lincoln Park, Buck Town, Wicker Park, Lincoln Square, Logan Square. Is this considered NOrthside of Chicago? If so, do you have any recommendations?

I took a look at the website, it looked great but the $40 membership seemed steep. Will it provide me with enough information to make the fee worthwhile? Seems like we will need daycare though given the preschool requirements.

Thanks for your help!
Malia

[C99]

Those are all on the N'side. You might also want to consider Northcenter, Albany Park, Independence Park, Jefferson Park and Portage Park, all of which are further west than those neighborhoods, but a bit less expensive than all of those you mentioned (except Logan Square).

I didn't find NPN to be worth the membership fee, but they do have message boards now and once you narrow down your search to specific neighborhoods, you should get more help.

Where in California are you moving from? I grew up in this area, but we moved from San francisco in 2002.

[newmomto3kids]

I am glad to know you didn't mean it the way it sounded. The schools in Chicago certainly have their issues, but for some people they are all that is available and I hate for those people to feel bad when they are doing the best they can.

[mamalia]

We would be moving from Los Angeles. I'm originally from Hawaii, and my DH grew up in Southern Cal. It will be a BIG change weather wise. I hope I'm not overestimating our ability to make the switch.

Thank you for the additional neighborhood recommendations.

Are any of these neighborhoods closer/more convenient to the public transportation lines? I'm thinking surviving a commute will be easier if I don't have very far to walk in the cold.

Thanks,
Malia

[erosenst]

I lived in Lake View for 15 years. Feel free to PM me if you have questions about it.

This map is a little more useful than many of the El maps, as it shows the El overlaid on a "real" map. You can use this to cross-reference with neighborhood boundaries, if that makes sense. http://www.transitchicago.com/maps/maps/2006N.html. If you click on the downtown map, it will show you where the Northwestern campus is on E. Chicago.

Remember that it can be a VERY cold walk from the el, about 10 blocks away, to campus in the middle of winter, especially if you're not used to winter! Given that, if you can find somewhere where you can take a bus, rather than the el, that could be a big benefit as the busses run closer to the law school. From East Lake View, or parts of Lincoln Park (among others) for example, you can take a bus that goes down Michigan Ave, which is only two, rather than 10, cold blocks away.

Obviously, if you know where DH will be working, you can do a similar analysis for his location.

Good luck -

[C99]

All of those neighborhoods (except Portage Park) have a CTA train line running through them - it just depends on how close you are to the stop/line within the neighborhood. Your real estate agent or apartment finders can help you with that. I live a 5-minute walk from the Blue Line, which on the N'side, runs SE from O'Hare to the Loop. If you lived in Logan Square, Jefferson Park, or Bucktown/Wicker Park, you'd likely take the Blue Line downtown, and then transfer to the Red Line or a bus to get to the NW Law campus. If you lived in Lincoln Square, you could take the Brown Line downtown. Lincoln Park has access to both the Red and Brown Lines, depending on where you live. I think Andersonville is on the Red/Purple Line Here is the CTA's train system map http://www.transitchicago.com/maps/systemmaps.html

from some neighborhoods, you could also take the Metra downtown. Here is the system map for Metra: http://metrarail.com/System_map/index.html

[tiapam]

Are you planning to buy a place or rent? And do have any idea of a price range? Are you thinking of staying on after law school? That could help decide where you want to live.

-Pam

DD - Two years old!

[Jen841]

We lived in Buena Park area (Irving Park and Broadway) and loved it! Parks, the lake, public transportation (bus and train close)... and a great loving daycare. In addition, great restaurants etc. Access to all the city offers!

The daycare is run down and not pretty, but full of wonderful staff. We moved 2+ years ago, but and the name is escaping me! It is a Broadway and Buena, Regina is the owner. If you go there, tell them Jude's Mom sent you. I warn you, they are not business woman, but they are loving and caring with children, and you child will be in a diverse setting. Jude heard many languages daily which I loved.

Easy commute into the city!

[Fairy]

Be careful with Evanston. It is a WONDERFUL place to live. I'd love to live there myself. It's diverse, it's beautiful, it's the best of both worlds of the city and suburbia, and you have both the L and the metra.

However.

Evanston is very rich and very poor at the same time. If you live in the nicer part of Evanston, then you are likely paying a crapload to do it. We're talking $600k homes and up. Now, not all of them are this pricey, but ALOT of them are, and finding the diamonds in the rough is hard. These homes are zoned for the better schools, etc. Now, if you live in the poorer side of Evanston, you're in a tough neighborhood, and that's not great. Also, if you plan on staying very very long term, then you need to think about high school. Evanston HS is not academically bad, but it has a gang problem. Drug presence is everywhere, but not all HS's have gangs, and Evanston does.

Now, there are also condos and townhomes, and those may be options for you, too. Central and Lincoln avenues are very student-heavy, but it's very diverse in every way, so there are also young families and older retirees, it's really a wonderful, wonderful melting pot of culture and people.

We looked for homes in Evanston, but at the time, we could not afford any of the homes we actually wanted to live in that were zoned for the other high school (which is New Trier). Do not think that I"m saying Evanston is not a good choice, cuz it's a great one. But it's more like a little city than a suburb, so just be thorough.

[mamalia]

Any advice on where to live and more importantly WHERE OH WHERE to find daycare/preschool for my then two and a half year old DD?

Potentially relocating from California with my husband for law school, either at Northwestern or University of Chicago. He would be working in the downtown area. I would like to take public transportation to campus or walk (if it is a short distance) because we want to sell one of our cars. The law schools have resources that have helped, but I feel like I'm blindly calling childcare centers. Any advice appreciated.

Malia

[Fairy]

I'd look for something in the northern suburbs. Metra is excellent throughout Chicagoland, but depending on which campus you need, your best northern suburb bet might be Evanston, regardless of the campus. If you can be more flexible and not need to walk to the campus, most of the best schools (not all, please no flames) are in the northern suburbs, including Glenview, Deerfield, Wilmette. Other really good Northwestern suburbs are Arlington Heights and Long Grove, but the latter has somewhat crappy metra service, as the closest line has a terrible schedule.

If you want to live in the city, I have to tell you, I love Hyde Park, which is the south side. But as a PP said -- and I completely understand what she was trying to say -- it's a wonderful, amazing, culturally rich and diverse neighborhood surrounded by a bunch of drek. Now, that's a large area of good, but if surrounding areas are important to you, that may be a deal-breaker for you. Other very good neighborhoods are Sauganash and Forrest Glenn, both of which are going to be bucks.

Finally, about the Chicago Public Schools, the truth is that they're not stellar. Some are far worse than others, and some are straight-up fantastic. But on the average, not so great, I'm sorry. This is just the way it is in the big city, and being the #3 market in the country, we qualify as the big city. Yes, the magnet schools are, of course, best, but you have to apply to get into them, and even the best of the best ain't what they were (Lane Tech, for instance). We looked in the Chicago area, and no matter what, it was going to have to include Private School for any DCs we would have. So, we ended up in the on the cusp of the northern/northwestern suburbs. Not my first choice, but we're very happy.

There's no place like Chicago, I couldn't live anywhere else. Ever. Ok, maybe Boston. Or Connecticut. But that's it. Well, perhaps San Diego. Ok, that's it now! Chicago!

Good luck, keep us informed what you do!!!

-- Fairy

[Fairy]

True, no L in Portage Park, but if you end up liking a home there, don't feel stuck with transportation. You could just hop on one of the CTA busses, and that would take you to the L line at either Irving Park or Addison or Montrose if you're going DT. It's no more than a couple miles to the Blue Line from Portage. An add'l hop, yes, but not too bad.

[SAHMIL]

One other neighborhood to look into in the Northwest side of Chicago is Edison Park. This is the part of Chicago that borders Park Ridge, IL and Niles, IL, which are also very nice suburbs. Anyway, Edison Park is mostly a cop and firefighter type of neighborhood and it's very nice. Another neighborhood to look at on the South side is Beverly and another good one is Morgan Park. Edison Park doesn't have the el by it, but if you're dying to take the el you can drive to the el train at Higgins and Cumberland and grab the blue line. However, since there will be construction goin on wiht north side el trains, the one thing that Edison Park does have going right through it is the Metra Train, and the ride is only 20 minutes in versus taking the el for 45 minutes or longer.

On the south side, Beverly and Morgan Park are also very nice neighborhoods. Metra trains are also accessible from there as well.

Don't forget western suburbs as well. Oak Park is very nice, but very expensive. However, a number of people are looking at Berwyn now, south of Roosevelt down by MacNeil Hospital and the train tracks. Berwyn has the Metra line going through it. Train ride would only be about 20 minutes going in to downtown.

[C99]

True - but if you are worried about the cold, standing out on a street corner waiting for a bus really stinks! The reason everyone wants to live on a train line is because they are much more convenient and regular (and not nearly as affected by surface street traffic, as during Cubs season) than the bus system.

[C99]

So, we
>ended up in the on the cusp of the northern/northwestern
>suburbs. Not my first choice, but we're very happy.

Which one?

[gordo]

I loved the roscoe village area!!! Great restaurants, shopping but a ton of families with kids in the area. The blue line is nearby as well as plenty to walk to and bus lines.

[JenniferMC1971]

I live in Evanston and love it! Our DD goes to a home daycare right now, but there are lots of good preschools here. If you are seriously considering Evanston, this link will help you research preschools.

http://www.childcarenetworkofevanston.org/

I have to comment on calling the area outside of Hyde Park "drek." I work in social services in the city, an agency that works with kids, and whenever I hear someone call a neighborhood "bad" I think of the kids and families who live there. I think I know what you meant by "drek": low income, high crime, etc. - but (IMO) saying "drek" can be read as judgmental (not just on the place, but on the people who live there) even though you didn't mean it that way.

-Jenn

[Hallie_D]

Hi, I'm a parent who actually lives in the "drek" around Hyde Park--the neighborhood due south, known as Woodlawn. (and no, I'm not taking the term as an insult!) We moved here almost 8 years ago when we came to Chicago from Portland, OR for DH to do a Masters at U of C. We didn't know anything much about the city, and wanted to be near the University but didn't know where I'd be working (turned out to be downtown). We, too, only have one car. For several years we rented an apartment here, and then when we wanted to buy, we bought in the neighborhood because it is so affordable and we both work for nonprofits and don't have a lot of money to spend. We are only a few blocks south of Hyde Park proper. Our two kids are in an excellent daycare downtown, near where we both work.

Hyde Park itself is a wonderfully diverse neighborhood with several very good public schools and a number of good choices for preschool, including an excellent Montessori. There is fast and easy public transportation to downtown (Metra Electric line--about 22 mins from HP to downtown). Until DS#1 was born, we commuted by Metra every day.

I will say this: from what I understand, the two law schools are very different. I would not necessarily let their neighborhoods make your decision for you--I would pick the best law school for you, and then find an area of the city to live in that you love. I've known people who lived in Evanston and commuted to Hyde Park for U of C classes. If you are not traveling during rush hour, it is about a 40 minute drive. Since NW's law school campus is downtown, you could live in many different neighborhoods and still get there fairly easily. I know you wanted to walk to school or take public transportation, but it may be that your DH can do that and leave you the car if where you want to go to school is not where you want to live.

If you have questions about HP or Woodlawn, the U of C, or our downtown daycare, feel free to PM me.

[Fairy]

One in the north. I'd rather not say where I live, I'm sorry.

[sadie427]

Lived in Hyde Park for five years, till DS was about 18 months, we've been away for about a year and a half now. I was in med school at the U of C. Loved Hyde Park, very pleasant, right near the lake, and a quick bus or Metra train ride to downtown (we were in East Hyde Park which IMO is more convenient to downtown and is where more working people and young families live than closer to the campus. BTW, Barack Obama and his family lived in a condo complex near us before he got elected.)

Anyway, I've heard good things about The Parent Co-op for Early Learning in Hyde Park on S. Shore Drive. DS was too young to go there when we were there, we were in a different daycare which I don't think exists anymore.

Good luck!