Considering Evanston: questions (Chicago, Sheridan, Mason: apartment, rentals, condos)

[CrazyJay]

hello,

I'm 24 years old and fresh out of grad school. Grew up in Miami, FL. I'm not ruling out going further out into the burbs, but i want to be informed about everything first. Evanston seems like a really nice place... at least from what i saw when i was up there.

I'll just list my questions

1) It seems that "south" Evanston is to be avoided. My question is, how much north from say south Blvd or oakton do you have to go, to not be on the sketchy side of Evanston.

2) is the area with in Main st, Kedzie ave, Sheridan and chicago ave ok? AS far as crime goes?

3) what is the parking situation in general? Free? Neighborhood decals? Garages? how much would one expect to pay?

4) I've heard that apparently Chicagoland in general can be quite mean to interracial couples. What are your thoughts on that statement?

5) It seems very hard to find an apartment with central AC in Evanston? I have pets. I really must be able to control the temperature of my apartment. It seems like most places in Evanston are vintage (aka no ac). what do you guys think?

Thanks

[bzmatka]

You really need to look around Evanston. Some parts of South Evanston can be fine, and some parts can be rough. It's central Evanston that is the poorest area. Northwest Evanston is the most suburban--mostly families.

There are many new apartment buildings going up in Evanston now. Depending upon your budget, they might work for you. Much of the rental housing is old and wouldn't have central air. Some condos for rent have SpacePac (retrofitted central air in older buildings, works well).

Downtown and areas around the University (Northwestern, of course) have more crime than the northern part of Evanston.

You buy a sticker from the city to park in zoned areas on the street overnight. Don't know about garages. Some rentals have garages.

[CrazyJay]

any takers on my other questions

[Calidreemer]

Hi Crazy - I'll try to answer your other questions....

You are correct that there are some areas of South Evanston that aren't safe. I would say that the area from South Blvd North to Dempster (and further North), East of Chicago Avenue to the Lake is perfectly fine. As a 24 year old you may really enjoy that area, lots of young people - singles, couples, families etc.

Parking is mixed, there are areas where you have to have a decal that shows you live in the area. In these areas you have to give your visitors a parking pass so that they wont be ticketed when they are parked in your area. Other areas have on street parking for free, but you better know when street cleaning happens or your car will be towed. If street cleaning is at 9:00 a.m. the city will go through the neighborhood with a loud speaker as a reminder to move your car if you haven't. Those tow trucks are minutes behind the announcement so you better move your car or pay the fine.

As for buildings in Evanston, most are vintage and take window units. These are a pain to install and take out as the seasons change, but do the job to keep your place cool for you and your pets. When we had window units we usually got by with one in the main living area and in the bedroom. Be sure to close the shades to help keep out the heat.

Ok - now your question about interracial couples. This is my opinion having grown up in Evanston. I always had friends from many races and religions. When I was in highschool (82-86) interracial dating was very normal and no one blinked an eye (kids, teachers). When I would go to the beach I would see all kinds of families. My best friend's son is bi-racial. In my opinion Evanston is a community where interracial couples can feel comfortable. I have another friend who is Puerto Rican and Yugoslavian and is married to a man who is Filipino and European American. They have three children and can afford to live anywhere on the Northshore and I mean anywhere, and they chose to stay in Evanston because they wanted their children to be in a community that would embrace their diversity.

I hope that helps. Good luck to you!

[LadyPleiades]

I agree with Calidreamer

stay east of Chicago Ave and you're fine.

there are some newer bldgs with central air but the majority are older with window units

there may be areas of Chicago where inter-racial couples may be looked down on but that is probably changing. Evanston, of all places, is very inter-racially friendly. I have family on the southside who live in the "white enclaves" and they are probably the most small-townish of all the Chicagoans I know.

let me say that I grew up in Evanston where we dated inter-racially in the 80s and I moved to Orlando in the 90s. That was the first time I ever saw a KKK baseball bat on the dash of someone's pickup truck. !

[Calidreemer]

Hey Lady we probably know some of the same people if you were in HS in the 80's. That's the other thing about Evanston, it's not a small city, but people do manage to know each other.

[CrazyJay]

Thanks for answering my questions. Very helpful answers.

[HockeyFan]

Are all areas west of Chicago bad in Evanston? I came across some nice new places on Church Street, west of downtown (beside Mason Park)... would that be a bad area?

[Calidreemer]

Hockey Fan not all areas West of Chicago Avenue are bad, I was just trying to give the OP some neighborhood boundaries. I can't recall where Mason Park is - is this the park that is near Hines Lumber company? On the East side of the trax? I just can't picture it. If you know the exact streets I can tell you what I think.

[HockeyFan]

Thanks -- it's six blocks west of Chicago Avenue on Church Street -- a Google Earth search confirms it is across from the Hines Lumber company at Church and Florence Avenue.