Skokie info

[cubssoxfan]

Originally Posted by Lookout Kid

This is just ridiculous. Crime is increasing from what? From two robberies a year to four?

Skokie isn't a dump at all. It's a nice, post-war suburb with good retail options. The housing stock is aging (mostly post-war ranch houses), but there isn't really any poverty to speak of.

Sorry to disagree with you Lookout but.........per a recent conversation with a friend whose husband is a Skokie cop. The section 8's have noticeably increased crime and it's not just retail theft. Now we are not talking ghetto, "hood" here but a definite need to really investigate your neighborhood and what neighborhoods surround it. It's perhaps, a situation like Evanston or Wheeling. Generally nice towns with some bad pockets you really need to avoid. Stay clear of areas with large concentration of multi-family housing.
NOw it's not just the Section 8's. It's also family's wanting a better life for their kids so they migrate north from Albany Park and Humboldt Park to get into the safer burbs and better schools. Now the younger kids acclimate and make new friends, but the older kids who can drive still keep friendships with their friends in the old hood. Most are alright, but there are some who were gang-bangers or have buddies who are and some of the activity migrates into Skokie. Back 18 years ago, my friend who went to school with me in Skokie responded this way when I told him I was thinking of buying a home/townhome in Skokie: "I wouldn't. This is not the Skokie we grew up in. Crime has increased, you should see what I see during some of my traffic stops. I moved my family to (suburb farther north-specific toen not mentione dto protect his anonimity).
Now before one thinks I'm completely anti-Skokie let me counter-balance this statement. I have friends who bought homes in the "old neighborhood". I don't htnik they would stay if the education were not good and the crime rate was too high. My buddy's parent's still have their home. He would have moved them inaflash if he felt it was un-safe. Now we were in an area with almost no multi-family units. JUST RESEARCH CAREFULLY & THOROUGHLY TO PICK THE RIGHT SECTION OF TOWN.

[edsg25]

Originally Posted by mike3512

i

i meant GOOD schools lol!

cheer up. With both Seabury Western and Garret, both tucked away in the NU campus, Evanston definitely has "god" schools.

[edsg25]

Skokie is easily one of the most diverse suburbs. Yes, it has a very large Asian population. I hate to generalize, but as for Jewish Skokie:

• it tends to be older, with lots of people in condos

• extremely orthodox/hassaic Skoke centers around Crawford and Dempster and the Crawford-to-McCormick retail stretch of Dempster caters to this community. Timber Ridge may be the classic example of such a religiously oriented neighborhood in this area and temples and stores are easily in walking distance.These folks rarely send their kids to the Evanston elem schools or ETHS, choosing Jewish schools instead of the publics

• not much left of the old Jewish home neighborhoods in Skokie. I would say one that is closest to times past would be Devonshire.

• Sam and Hy's is long gone. Barum and Bagel is short gone (and not missed). The Bagel does as well as a deli could do in a major mall like OO. And Kaufman's still stands proud as the institution it is.