Where do tree hugging, vegetarian liberals belong in north Chicago? (Evanston: live in, suburb)

[Sunday1]

Hi Jayne,

Moving to areas that don't feel right -- or that don't seem like they will ever equate to what feels like "home" is a potentially lonely feeling, so I just wanted to say hi.

I'm in my fifties and moved in many corporate relos that we needed to do in order to further my DH's career. Originally from the west coast, I'm one of those who has never felt at home in Chicagoland. I'm looking forward to moving to one of the coasts within the next 24 months.

I used to think that if we'd chosen Evanston rather than Hinsdale, we'd have been happy here. After reading most of this thread, I'm now thinking perhaps not. Evanston, however, was the best choice of the Chicago suburbs for you. (Oak Park would have been another good one but that wasn't the right commute for your DH). My daughter couldn't even enjoy an intelligent discussion about global warming in her classrooms last year without a bunch of groaning from the majority of students who -- get this -- think that it's a myth created from whole cloth by the liberal media.

As you go through this process of transition (be it settling into Evanston or returning to Santa Cruz) know that good feelings and warm wishes are sent your way!
I'm not sure if there's a way to connect via direct IM or anything on this site -- but I'll check into it -- I'd be happy to converse via e-mail...

[jaynetarzana]

Originally Posted by Lookout Kid

Our California office is hiring--even in this economy--but they are having trouble getting people to move to the Bay Area because of housing costs. I really like the Bay Area, but just couldn't make it work financially for my family. I prefer New York City to the Bay Area (I like a city with a little bit more of an edge), but like San Francisco, that's not an option either if I want to own a home and retire some day.

I really wonder where this housing market will take us... Some are predicting a 33% overall drop in home prices from the 2006 peak, and that would mean a 2006 $300,000 home would be worth $200,000! That scares the absolute crap out of me. So, even though you lost your shirt in Santa Cruz, you may have gotten out before the real trouble.

Good luck to you!

Believe me, we are going to struggle in the Bay area, but if that is where you belong you have to find a way to make it work. We might not be able to afford to buy a home right away, but I guess that is the price we have to pay.

I think that perhaps you are correct about us getting out before the real trouble hit. I wonder the same thing about the housing market. Will it drop enough so that we can afford to buy a house? It will always be a stretch on one income, but living in California for 13 years has up used to living way beyond our means. The difference to me is that I feel like it is worth the price for paradise. No offense to anyone living here, but I cannot understand why home prices are as high as they are here.

A friend of mine who subscribes to automatic emails in the Bay area said that right after the Wall Street took the hit, she started to get hundreds of price reduction emails within 24 hours of the drop. I think that perhaps everyone is finally beginning to understand how bad things really are.

[jaynetarzana]

Originally Posted by Calidreemer

Jay I am sad to hear that you are having trouble in your building. We went through that and my sister went through that in her building over her cat!!!! I don't think I would ever do communal living again unless I was forced to. You never know what you are going to get in terms of neighbors - not that you can't have problems in a house, but at least you have more privacy and don't have to worry about people who don't understand about children. I always felt that if people had a problem with others living reasonably then they should buy a house!!!! When you live in an apartment, condo or townhome you have to expect you will hear some noise. If you don't like that then you should move to the middle of rural Wyoming where you won't hear anything!

Hang in there and don't worry - Cali will always be there when you are ready for it again. In the meantime you might as well enjoy yourself and hopefully watch the housing prices continue to dip South.

Thanks Calidreemer. I am trying to enjoy myself, but it is almost impossible to do when you know it is a temporary place. I don't want to spend any energy putting down roots. Does that make sense? I just want to get to where we want to be so that I can start building a social network again. I am bothered by the fact that my daughter is going to become attached to her schoolmates and we are going to move again. It would be so much better if there was at least a chance that she might end up in Kindergarten with some of her preschool classmates.

[Cactus Sam]

Hippies looking to buy a $700,000.00 house?
Wow, the world sure has changed since the '60s.

[jaynetarzana]

Who said anything about buying a $700K house? We certainly can't afford that. But if you've read the entire thread you'd know that we are hippies with regards to our ideals and values.

[jaynetarzana]

Originally Posted by Sunday1

Hi Jayne,

Moving to areas that don't feel right -- or that don't seem like they will ever equate to what feels like "home" is a potentially lonely feeling, so I just wanted to say hi.

I'm in my fifties and moved in many corporate relos that we needed to do in order to further my DH's career. Originally from the west coast, I'm one of those who has never felt at home in Chicagoland. I'm looking forward to moving to one of the coasts within the next 24 months.

I used to think that if we'd chosen Evanston rather than Hinsdale, we'd have been happy here. After reading most of this thread, I'm now thinking perhaps not. Evanston, however, was the best choice of the Chicago suburbs for you. (Oak Park would have been another good one but that wasn't the right commute for your DH). My daughter couldn't even enjoy an intelligent discussion about global warming in her classrooms last year without a bunch of groaning from the majority of students who -- get this -- think that it's a myth created from whole cloth by the liberal media.

As you go through this process of transition (be it settling into Evanston or returning to Santa Cruz) know that good feelings and warm wishes are sent your way!
I'm not sure if there's a way to connect via direct IM or anything on this site -- but I'll check into it -- I'd be happy to converse via e-mail...

Thank you SO much for this post. I can't begin to tell you how much better it made me feel to know I am not alone in my feelings. For us, Evanston is certainly better than other places here by a very large margin. I try to be thankful that we moved here instead of someplace else, but it still isn't "home". I keep trying to be positive about living here and tell myself that it isn't so bad, but it feels inauthentic.

[Sunday1]

Originally Posted by jaynetarzana

Thank you SO much for this post. I can't begin to tell you how much better it made me feel to know I am not alone in my feelings. For us, Evanston is certainly better than other places here by a very large margin. I try to be thankful that we moved here instead of someplace else, but it still isn't "home". I keep trying to be positive about living here and tell myself that it isn't so bad, but it feels inauthentic.

Jayne,

We moved our daughter when she was 4 (six months before kindergarten) and I was worried until her pre-school teacher e-mailed me that no-one in her class had landed in the same kindergarten class and only a few were in the same school.

Now she's filling out college applications and has used her relocation experience to her advantage in the admissions interviews.

I still wouldn't do it the same if I had it to over again. I think figuring out a place to lay down some roots while your daugther is young is the right thing to do. Now is the perfect time to figure it out -- and that's exactly what you're doing.

I don't think anyone should judge people according to their likes and dislikes about a geographic area. We are all different -- as are the areas in which we reside -- which is what makes life interesting. I also think that moving helps us to realize that our country is not quite as homogenous as we tend to think if we stay in one place.

Maybe that's one of the great things about this country. The regional and micro-regional differences are vast and distinct. It's truly NOT a melting pot....it's a tapestry.

If you're here through the winter -- have some fun with it. Snow is fun when you're in pre-school!

[Paige65]

Originally Posted by Sunday1

My daughter couldn't even enjoy an intelligent discussion about global warming in her classrooms last year without a bunch of groaning from the majority of students who -- get this -- think that it's a myth created from whole cloth by the liberal media.

I've no reason to doubt this, but it genuinely surprises me! Global warming is pretty much accepted theory where I am on the North Shore (not Evanston), and most certainly among the younger generation.

[Lookout Kid]

Originally Posted by Paige65

I've no reason to doubt this, but it genuinely surprises me! Global warming is pretty much accepted theory where I am on the North Shore (not Evanston), and most certainly among the younger generation.

Yeah, that sounded like B.S. to me. Though maybe Hinsdale is more full of crazy right wing fascists than I thought....

As a North Side city dweller, I don't run into many global warming deniers. Like none.

[nanannie]

I dont buy it either. I do not beleive it is any 'majority'. I wish this post would end so we could stop beating a dead horse.