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Old 07-05-2008, 12:06 PM
 
409 posts, read 1,512,584 times
Reputation: 49

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Your map really makes me angry, this is what ruins Evanston's rep.
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Old 07-05-2008, 01:19 PM
 
346 posts, read 707,042 times
Reputation: 274
True, that area does contain many beautiful homes. However, the reason I gave it an "OK" rating was that there were sections in that area which contain cheaper, affordable apartments. It's a rather fickle area, a mix between expensive homes and more affordable apartments, so I gave it "OK", which is the 2nd highest rating actually, next to "NICE".

You shouldn't get angry. You should realize there ARE sections of Evanston that are dangerous, this is common knowledge. However, the bad rep comes from Evanston's western side, excluding the affluent NW. People are still moving to Evanston because about 70% of it is beautiful and safe and the downtown is amazing. The remaining 30% is beautiful, but may not be as safe. My friend who lives in the far southeast quadrant despises it due to the high crime and gangs he has to deal with. Another buddy of mine lived near Dempster and Fowler, and he himself didn't care for the area as well. Evanston still has a great reputation, but like all places it has positives and negatives - the positives outweigh the negatives by far though.

I should redo the map though for west of Dodge near Oakton. It should be given more credit than previously assigned.

Last edited by GreXican; 07-05-2008 at 02:02 PM..
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Old 07-05-2008, 01:34 PM
 
22 posts, read 86,322 times
Reputation: 11
Yes, I meant Simpson.

So it seems the little house I have fallen in love with is truly on the "NO" side of the border between "NICE" and "NO." Yikes....! Honestly I have not seen anything we can afford on the other side of McCormick (maybe some foreclosures...). The house I liked on the east side of the North Shore Channel seemed perfect, being close to Kingsley Elementary and the park along the channel. Since we have little kids, we usually are at home by 8pm and do not go out much at night. I guess we'll have to see that neighborhood personally to see if we feel comfortable there.

I should add that the things I have read about Evanston in this forum encouraged us to start our real estate search there (as a place where a liberally minded, tree hugging type can go LOL). It sounds a lot like Austin, a place where we lived for a while and liked a lot. We are not looking for a cookie cutter suburb by any means. We like having ethnic restaurants/groceries around. But, coming from a very calm and quiet town, having gang activity around does make me nervous. I assume in the Chicago area, that is hard to avoid, though....

Again, I really appreciate any and all feedback. Thanks!
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Old 07-05-2008, 01:45 PM
 
346 posts, read 707,042 times
Reputation: 274
True, the only way to make a decision is to see the area for yourself. If you like the home and the neighborhood doesn't bother you, then it is your choice to make.
One thing I should mention is that they are starting to fix up Emerson street very close to where you are considering buying a home. If memory serves me right they are building some very beautiful and expensive condominiums at the corner of Emerson and Green Bay. I honestly believe that the "triangle" will soon become one of the most sought after areas in Evanston, but that may take some time. After all, it's only a short walk to the Metra and CTA station, and is a 5-10 minute walk to downtown Evanston.

Evanston is beautiful and I may end up moving there someday. The downtown is vibrant and offers TONS of variety, there is a CTA and Metra station that takes you downtown, it is liberal, Northwestern University is there, many of the homes are beautiful old-style homes, and there's a plethora of amazing restaurants. (There's a great Brazilian Tapas place on Chicago Ave. I believe.)

Last edited by GreXican; 07-05-2008 at 02:06 PM..
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Old 07-06-2008, 01:12 AM
 
Location: Chicagoland
4,027 posts, read 7,260,263 times
Reputation: 1332
Have you looked at Park Ridge? It is in one of the best school districts in the state and there are no bad parts of town. It is right by Chicago, Niles, Des Plaines, Glenview and Rosemont. It is cheaper than the good part of Evanston and Glenview as a whole. I'd very much suggest taking a look at Park Ridge.
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Old 07-06-2008, 09:08 AM
 
22 posts, read 86,322 times
Reputation: 11
Thanks! We saw some listings in Park Ridge but we thought that maybe it would have a lot of noise from the airport traffic (maybe we were wrong in this assumption?). I had no idea about the schools there... I'll definitely take another look or sure! Would an "artsy" family fit there?
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Old 07-06-2008, 05:20 PM
 
409 posts, read 1,512,584 times
Reputation: 49
There is a ton of airport noise in Park Ridge. Residents complain all the time.
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Old 07-06-2008, 06:04 PM
 
1,083 posts, read 3,710,119 times
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I live on the NS, and personally don't care for Park Ridge, however I know several families hat could easily have afforded homes in Winnetka, LF, etc who chose to live in Park Ridge because they found many appealing things in that city. I would go visit and see if it appeals to you.
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Old 07-06-2008, 06:29 PM
 
22 posts, read 86,322 times
Reputation: 11
I checked the listings I had for Park Ridge and there was one house we liked. But, we did searches for businesses around the area and found mostly chains and fast food restaurants....eeek. We'll still go and check it out personally once we are in the area (we're traveling next Sunday). Park Ridge schools seem to get good ratings in greatschools.net I am sorry to hear that airport noise is also an issue.

Maybe if I tell you guys a bit more about us, you'd be able to tell me if Skokie, Evanston, Lincolnwood, or Park Ridge are for us (or if they are just WRONG for us):
We're a family of four. Both husband and I work in the arts. Our kids are 5 and 3. One dog. We love eating out, love Asian restaurants, Latin American food... We like attending gallery openings, visiting museums, and attending other cultural events (that's why we'd like to be accessible to downtown Chicago). We like doing fun things outside with the kids (parks, lake... all of that sounds good). We're also a bi-cultural and bilingual household (husband is American, but I am from South America and we like the kids to speak Spanish at home).

So far it seems like we'd be a better fit in Evanston....Skokie and Lincolnwood are worth looking into because of their location (commute to work) and elementary schools.
Am I incorrect in assuming that we'd stick out like a sore thumb in Park Ridge?
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Old 07-06-2008, 07:39 PM
 
1,083 posts, read 3,710,119 times
Reputation: 323
I think you'd fit in a just about any neighborhood in the northern suburbs. No place is whitebread anymore.
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