I think I need to get out of Winnetka - but where to go? (Chicago: sale, homeowners association)

[Finp06]

So don't hate me but I think we need to get out of Winnetka. We've been here 2 1/2 years.
We are considering a move next Summer either to another suburb locally or out of State.
We have made many friends and my kids are happy so this is a big decision because I'm just not getting 'enough'. Plus the D36 school district isn't great for a Brit family which will probably end up back in England eventually where there is a more rigorous system in Grade school. (Not saying better btw - but it is further ahead and I need to be mindful of that)

As a Brit, used to more people in less space I really struggle with the segregation here both of color and wealth. I find it bizarre to be surrounded by hundreds of wealthy families with the only 'poor' ones being shop, restaurant workers and trades.
My expensive home town in England had streets of incredible wealth down to streets of social housing. Of course there was separation but the town was buzzing with many bars, restaurants, coffee shops and retail shops where all 'classes' of people frequented.
I know that I can't compare my old life to my new life and I don't expect to get the same way of living and I'm excited to try new areas so I just need to know - are there other areas I should look at? And where are they? My husband has a national job so needs to be commutable to O'hare.

I'm already aware of Wilmette, Glencoe, Northfield, Kenilworth, Highland Park, Glenview and am not interested in them - so where else?

[NOLA101]

If you want to "be rich" but have poor people living in proximity, but still be in the U.S. you will have to go to a metro area with lots of social housing. Chicagoland has never had social housing in proximity to the rich, for a variety of reasons.

NYC would probably be your best bet. Manhattan alone has more social housing than all of Chicagoland, yet Manhattan has more extreme wealth than all of London. There was recently a $250 million condo sale about four blocks from a massive social housing development. Now that's a pretty enormous difference.

Personally, I don't see any relative advantage of living close to poor people, but that's me. What's the difference if they live one block away or a few km away? You aren't living a remotely similar lifestyle, and won't be sharing much except for physical space.

SF would also be a possibility, with lots of rich and poor in proximity.

[wjj]

Originally Posted by Finp06

I'm already aware of Wilmette, Glencoe, Northfield, Kenilworth, Highland Park, Glenview and am not interested in them - so where else?

These are some of the most highly sought after and desirable areas in the entire region, and perhaps even in the entire country. If these places are not acceptable, you are probably going to have a tough time. The desirable western and northwestern suburbs will be no different.

There are very significant differences in how Americans and Europeans view day to day living and what is considered to be acceptable housing. I travel all over the world for business and I think one of my colleagues in Germany put it best when we were discussing how different housing is in various countries. He told me that you would have to be a millionaire in Europe to live as well as 2 teachers in a suburban area in the US. I agree. I personally have not found any place in Europe, Asia, or South America where I would consider living for more than a very short time.

If you want density and some degree of more economic diversity, you would need to move into the city. But the schools are awful and the traffic will make you want to tear your hair out. And crime is spreading to what were considered to be safer areas.

[MayaLucy]

It sounds like you want a more urban and walkable lifestyle? It's hard to pinpoint exactly what you want, but that seems to be it. I'd suggest doing some self-reflection to what you really want your day-to-day lifestyle to be.

I'd focus on finding the right amenities for you. If suburban life isn't right for you, that's fine. After you find the right fit, focus on making friends and social connections. I am willing to bet that is more of a problem than proximity to those of lower SES.

And private school.

[Finp06]

Ok thanks. I wasn't sure if the segregated way of living was a US thing or a Chicago thing. I think a warmer climate may be the way forward. The vitamin D may make people a bit more chilled about themselves which is something that is certainly lacking where I live!

[Finp06]

Originally Posted by MayaLucy

It sounds like you want a more urban and walkable lifestyle? It's hard to pinpoint exactly what you want, but that seems to be it. I'd suggest doing some self-reflection to what you really want your day-to-day lifestyle to be.

I'd focus on finding the right amenities for you. If suburban life isn't right for you, that's fine. After you find the right fit, focus on making friends and social connections. I am willing to bet that is more of a problem than proximity to those of lower SES.

And private school.

My ideal day to day lifestyle can't be matched here at all - I had that in England - and so it should as I spent 42 years working on it lol.
So I have another ideal which revolves around how my neighbours treat each other. I can't put down my findings on paper without sounding like a total ***** and won't reflect the correct tone. Life here is easy for me - I'm an adult with a formed personality. Bringing up children here isn't for me a mentally healthy environment. And it is that, that I'm looking to change.

[nightlysparrow]

Originally Posted by NOLA101

SF would also be a possibility, with lots of rich and poor in proximity.

Also Santa Monica, CA

[NOLA101]

Originally Posted by nightlysparrow

Also Santa Monica, CA

True, Santa Monica is another good example. They have housing projects and Hollywood mega-celebrities.

Again, though, having lived in Manhattan, Brooklyn, and coastal CA (all areas where there are rich and poor right next to each other) I don't see it being that different than if the poor live a few km away, as is more typical in Chicagoland. People from different social strata don't interact that much, even if they live in proximity.

[4122]

Originally Posted by Finp06

So don't hate me but I think we need to get out of Winnetka. We've been here 2 1/2 years.
We are considering a move next Summer either to another suburb locally or out of State.
We have made many friends and my kids are happy so this is a big decision because I'm just not getting 'enough'. Plus the D36 school district isn't great for a Brit family which will probably end up back in England eventually where there is a more rigorous system in Grade school. (Not saying better btw - but it is further ahead and I need to be mindful of that)

As a Brit, used to more people in less space I really struggle with the segregation here both of color and wealth. I find it bizarre to be surrounded by hundreds of wealthy families with the only 'poor' ones being shop, restaurant workers and trades.
My expensive home town in England had streets of incredible wealth down to streets of social housing. Of course there was separation but the town was buzzing with many bars, restaurants, coffee shops and retail shops where all 'classes' of people frequented.
I know that I can't compare my old life to my new life and I don't expect to get the same way of living and I'm excited to try new areas so I just need to know - are there other areas I should look at? And where are they? My husband has a national job so needs to be commutable to O'hare.

I'm already aware of Wilmette, Glencoe, Northfield, Kenilworth, Highland Park, Glenview and am not interested in them - so where else?

How about Evanston? It's economically diverse and it's very urban. It has a vibrant downtown and it's very close to the city.

As for schools, you should look at private schools. In Evanston, you'll be close to the city where there's a lot of private schools. You may also consider looking into the city if you go the private school route. There's actually a British school in Chicago you should look at if you prefer the British Education system. It's not far from Lincoln Park which is a very desirable neighborhood. Being in the city, you'll have the diverse, urban setting you want

[wjj]

Originally Posted by Finp06

Ok thanks. I wasn't sure if the segregated way of living was a US thing or a Chicago thing. I think a warmer climate may be the way forward. The vitamin D may make people a bit more chilled about themselves which is something that is certainly lacking where I live!

We have a second home in SWFL and trust me when I say people are a lot less chilled down there about social and economic matters (which is why people fed up with liberal political policies in Illinois and other states are fleeing down there). It is a far more socially conservative area than Winnetka, but about the same as far as being economically conservative - which is "very".. And the schools in SWFL cannot hold a candle to places like New Trier, which is where your kids would go. A below average high school in the Chicago suburbs, like Wheeling, would be considered a super star in Naples, Fort Myers, Estero, or Bonita Springs. If education of your kids is paramount, you are already in the right place.

And.....at least in FL, most of the desirable areas are part of homeowners associations and are gated and screen new residents, and have rules that can and are enforced. These places are not dense and draw only people who can afford to live there (i.e., there is no government or subsidized housing in these communities). So while there it is economic diversity, it is not what you have in mind. There are no "poor". The diversity is between middle class, upper middle class, and upper class.

Honestly, I know what you are talking about with life in the UK or most of Europe, but you are just not going to find that in the US where personal responsibility and accomplishment and property ownership is revered and collective thinking is frowned upon in most circles (the present administration excepted).