Scared out of my wits to move to Chicago (Irving: movers, houses)

[cubssoxfan]

Originally Posted by pittsteelerfan

Boring would be a better way to put it. You are going have people on here who post "how beautiful Illinois", all I can say is ! Don't let these people who've NEVER been to where you live and try and compare! The Midwest as a whole (along with the plain states), is NOTHING to look at. Hometown pride can run amuck on here, don't be tricked it believing otherwise.

Perhaps in some areas this is true. I-80 down to I-70 has monotonous stretches. Far northern and northwest IL has nice sections of woodlands and hills to break up the farms-and horse ranches as well! IL south of I-70 is more like Kentucky, rolling land heavily forested with horse meadows and farms interspersed. If you like cycling, IL is surprisingly ranked fairly high for bicyclists.
WI is very scenic, IN has many wooded areas, MI is fantastic with the Great Lakes, especially the Lake Michigan shoreline with all the huge sand dunes. The Mississippi river and Illinois river valley are very scenic as well.
As majestic as the Pacific coast or Cascades-no. All boring farmland-NO.
As a reference I have been to 46 of the 50 states and Illinois is certainly not the most boring. As a whole, middle of the pack-but certain parts and many surrounding areas you can visit in a day or weekend are quite beautiful. Now would you like my "expert" opinions of PA.???

[nJohn]

Originally Posted by eddy2face

I DO NOT BLAME YOU FOR BEING SCARED OF CHICAGO, MY OPINION STAY AWAY, READ ACTUAL ARTICAL BELOW...

Police still seek sex offenders

Article from: Grayslake Review (IL) Article date: January 1, 1998Author: MICHAEL ULREICH MICHAEL ULREICH Copyright informationCopyright 1998, Grayslake Review, Pioneer Press. All rights reserved. REPRODUCTION PROHIBITED. (Hide copyright information)
Early in the morning, three days before Christmas, a coalition of local police forces spread out to execute arrest warrants on the 19 Lake County suspects who failed to comply with the Sex Offenders Registration Act including a Wildwood resident convicted of rape and deviant sexual assault.


Those arrested Dec. 22 and indicted for violation of the Sex Offenders Registration Act include Nathan Defensor, 39, of unincorporated Gurnee, convicted of criminal sexual assault; Douglas Lunsford, 62, of Lake Villa, convicted of aggravated criminal sexual abuse; Kimberly Mielke, 28, of unincorporated Antioch, convicted of child pornography; and Michael Scott, 42, of Gurnee, convicted of criminal sexual ...
Read all of this article with a FREE trial

What does this have to do with Chicago?

[prairiestate]

Um, it's pretty obvious. Can you think of another city with criminals? Nope? Neither can I, they're all here in Chicago.

[luauelvis]

I never never been on a board with such varied opinions. I love it. I realy feel like I am getting the guts of everything here. What about the actual city. Is it even reasonable to try and move into the city and raise a family?

[prairiestate]

Originally Posted by luauelvis

I never never been on a board with such varied opinions. I love it. I realy feel like I am getting the guts of everything here. What about the actual city. Is it even reasonable to try and move into the city and raise a family?

Absolutely not! You do realize we have specialized gangs here just to target families that try to move in!

[Avengerfire]

Originally Posted by luauelvis

...What about the actual city. Is it even reasonable to try and move into the city and raise a family?

Yes, if you make really good money,can afford a nice house in a decent neighborhood,and afford private schools.

If you cannot you must move to the far Northwest side. You still will need to send your kids to private high school unless you can get them in a magnet school.

[prairiestate]

Originally Posted by Avengerfire

Yes, if you make really good money,can afford a nice house in a decent neighborhood,and afford private schools.

If you cannot you must move to the far Northwest side. You still will need to send your kids to private high school unless you can get them in a magnet school.

Or, you can move to the far southwest side, and buy the same home in the same type of neighborhood for almost half as much.

[cubssoxfan]

Originally Posted by prairiestate

Or, you can move to the far southwest side, and buy the same home in the same type of neighborhood for almost half as much.

Well, but they won't let you be both a CUBSSOX fan down there. Ya gotta go strictly White Sox for personal safety reasons

[Avengerfire]

Originally Posted by prairiestate

Or, you can move to the far southwest side, and buy the same home in the same type of neighborhood for almost half as much.

Half as much? Doubtful.

Same type of neighborhood? No way. The Far Northwest side is greatly superior to the Far Southwest side.

Is the Far Southwest Side bad? No.

Will it become questionable in the next 10-15 years?
Very likely.

[Drover]

Yeah, that's my concern about the SW side too, places like Garfield Ridge and West Elsdon and Archer Heights. What's happened to the neighborhoods immediately to the east is not very encouraging, and the fact that it appears to have started spilling over into the aforementioned neighborhoods is also not very encouraging. These are neighborhoods I still wouldn't mind living in for the short term as a renter, but whereas I would have certainly considered buying there just a couple years ago, I wouldn't consider it today.