Young Family Friendly Areas in Chicago? (Oak Lawn, Elmhurst: fit in, apartment complex, rentals)

[littleidaho]

My husband, 18 month old and I are moving to Chicago. We are looking for a safe decent apartment. My husband will be working downtown Chicago. We want as short of commute as possible but also can't pay more that 1200.
Are there any suggestions for young, poor families who want safety? Thanks!

[aragx6]

I'm not sure where you're moving from (Idaho, I guess) but spending $1200 on an apartment does not make you poor. At all. I would look in western Lakeview along the brown line. Should be plenty of small-ish 2 bedroom apartments there.

[chikid]

I would actually look into Irving Park or Roscoe Village, more so, Irving Park. Irving Park (esp, the western part) is affordable, safe and family oriented. Also it has the blue line, which IMO runs a lot faster than the Brown Line Roscoe Village.

[chet everett]

I agree, with only one child and $1200/mo to spend that hardly counts as "poor".

If the only concerns are affordability and speed of commute there are probably places that are safer and more affordable -- visit the discussions on Garfield Ridge.

If safety, speed of commute, affordability and quality of schools is at all a concern the scales get tipped strongly in favor of suburbs. There are rentals in top notch suburbs with nice walkable centers, outstanding parks, nice mix of resturants and other ammenities that would appeal to families with young children that will not blow your budget and will be FASTER door-to-door thanks to superior Metra rail service.

[OrangeAndBlue]

Lincoln Square is another very family friendly neighborhood that should fit in your price range and is on the brown line. I would definitely consider it as well.

[tomcho]

Odd, I wouldn't think quality of schools is a concern for a couple with an 18 month old who are just looking to rent. Lincoln Square, Roscoe Village, and Old Irving Park are all safe familiy friendly areas.

[aragx6]

^I agree with that -- though the kid will likely start pre-k in two years, so it's still worthy of some consideration.

[Vlajos]

Plenty of good schools in the City. No need for suburban monotony.

[chikid]

Originally Posted by Vlajos

Plenty of good schools in the City. No need for suburban monotony.

Exactly.

[meatpuff]

Fortunately, downtown Chicago is easy to get to from just about everywhere, so there are a lot of possibilities. For most circumstances you will want to opt for a train (either elevated train or commuter rail) for commuting to there instead of driving. There are excellent choices within the city and outside; a lot of places will work and you can just visit them and pick your favorite.

If safety is the number one consideration you have to opt for the suburbs, although most ordinary people (young families included) would accept the level of safety in the neighborhoods mentioned. Among these, Lincoln Square comes pretty close to the level of safety in a nicer suburb.

You can afford all of these neighborhoods mentioned or many decent suburbs. In the suburbs you will get more square footage most times and more "apartment complex" type amenities. In the city you will have more stuff closer by. But there is adequate shopping and commercial stuff available throughout the region.

Commute times will be pretty much a wash. The commute times on the Metra look a little longer on the schedule, but the the train leaves at the same time everyday and almost always nails the schedule. More predictable. Riding the separate train system in the city, commute times will vary more, but it certainly also works well.

I'll add some suburbs that would work and have plenty of safe rentals: Glenview, Park Ridge, Worth, Oak Lawn, Elmhurst.