That darn CPS residency requirement - living in western Chicago (Naperville: real estate market, apartments)

[jahi3000]

I'm looking at getting a job with Chicago Public Schools and my husband works in Naperville. Where would someone suggest we look for a single family home in a decent neighborhood that would enable a simple commute to Naperville (right off I-88)?

Any suggestions would be helpful

[oakparkdude]

Do you have kids? How urban an environment do you want? There are a lot of new condos sprouting up along the Eisenhower even as far west as Kedzie. You'd have to be willing to accept the urban pioneer lifestyle to some degree. I've heard Tri-Taylor is nice but can be dicey crime-wise. Even further west you might consider Galewood. Its the neighborhood directly north of Oak Park, so about a 15 minute drive down Harlem to get to the Ike. Galewood's mostly SFH (bungalows) and, for now, its racially mixed.

Another possibility is the part of Chicago around O'hare. You'd get on the Kennedy, Tri-state, then I-88. Don't know what traffic would be like. Similarly, you could look at the area around Midway, close to the Stevenson.

[jahi3000]

We have a 4-yr old and wouldn't mind an urban environment. Are Tri-Taylor and Galewood technically within the Chicago boundaries?

[Lookout Kid]

Originally Posted by jahi3000

We have a 4-yr old and wouldn't mind an urban environment. Are Tri-Taylor and Galewood technically within the Chicago boundaries?

Yep, they're in the city. Tri-Taylor is a stone's throw from some nasty west-side projects, but most of them are being torn down and converted into mixed-income housing. There are some nice new developments closer to Halsted though, near the University of Illinois - Chicago. These are probably closer to Pilsen than Tri-Taylor.

I'd look on the Northwest Side near the expressway (Jefferson Park, Mayfair, etc.) if I were you--unless you can swing $750,000 for a house. If you have that kind of money, go for a nice kid-friendly North Side neighborhood like Lincoln Square or Roscoe Village. The commute to Naperville wouldn't be great, but the neighborhoods offer a lot more than the distant Northwest Side.

[oakparkdude]

Originally Posted by jahi3000

We have a 4-yr old and wouldn't mind an urban environment. Are Tri-Taylor and Galewood technically within the Chicago boundaries?

Yes, these neighborhoods are within the city limits.

[jahi3000]

Can anyone elaborate on the Galewood/montclare neighborhood? I'm doing some internet research but if anyone has first-hand experience, that would be great.

[oakparkdude]

Originally Posted by jahi3000

Can anyone elaborate on the Galewood/montclare neighborhood? I'm doing some internet research but if anyone has first-hand experience, that would be great.

I live in Oak Park, a few blocks south of Galewood, so I've driven around the area a bit. The housing stock is mostly older with a lot of bungalows. There is some new construction condos along Harlem Ave and around the Metra stations. Not too many apartments as far as I can tell. From the street, the housing stock looks pretty well kept up.

Galewood used to be exclusively white, but that's obviously changing. African-Americans have been moving into the neighborhood, mostly on the east side. Additionally the Grand Ave corridor has been the traditional path of migration for Hispanics who are also moving into the neighborhood. For now, the neighborhood is ethnically mixed.

Don't know about crime. My sense is that its not high, but check out Crimes | EveryBlock Chicago for crime stats. For what its worth, I haven't seen any of the blue light police department cameras in the neighborhood.

There's a nice shopping center nearby, the totally renovated Brickyard (Narrangansett and Diversey). We go there quite a bit and its got a Target, Lowes, Starbucks, Jewel, Pier1, Office Depot, and a lot of other smaller shops. It feels brand new and totally safe.

Most of the neighborhood feels very auto oriented. Harlem and North Aves feel fairly suburban in terms of their street fronts and pedestrian-friendliness. The western end of Grand Ave near Harlem has a more downtown walkable feel to it, but is also a little bit shabby and rundown. There is talk about some gentrification projects there, but who knows when or if that will happen given the turn of the real estate market.

The nice thing about Galewood is that you're only two miles or so from downtown Oak Park which is the most "urban" area in the region.

[ronaldo]

How closely does CPS monitor its employees addresses? I have heard that a lot of teachers (and firemen, police and other city workers) use false addresses.

[Avengerfire]

Originally Posted by ronaldo

How closely does CPS monitor its employees addresses? I have heard that a lot of teachers (and firemen, police and other city workers) use false addresses.

There are some that do,but not very many. They will be caught like others have in the past. The city does not mess around anymore with these things.

[ronaldo]

Originally Posted by Avengerfire

There are some that do,but not very many. They will be caught like others have in the past. The city does not mess around anymore with these things.

Thanks for the feedback. I wouldn't recommend that anyone take that risk, but I have heard that (with schools anyway) they pretty much look the other way. Kinda makes sense since the charters don't have that rule. I've also heard that there's been support for getting rid of the residency requirement in the IL House and Senate but AFAIK it has not passed. It's a pretty outdated requirement if you ask me and I don't think any other big cities have this requirement. I understand the thought process of keeping the money within the city but why limit your pool of potential candidates?