Raising kids in the city rather than heading for the suburbs (Chicago: salon, crime)

[dent_arthur_dent]

OR SO YOU THINK!!!!!!!!

(Kidding)

[urbanism]

Raising two boys in Lakeview and so far so good. We're committed to the City, as most of the families in our area are. CPS Nettelhorst Elementary is great and Lakeview HS is getting better and better.

[chet everett]

Originally Posted by urbanism

Raising two boys in Lakeview and so far so good. We're committed to the City, as most of the families in our area are. CPS Nettelhorst Elementary is great and Lakeview HS is getting better and better.

Nettelhorst attendance area currently has 11 homes listed for sale, the pricest is over $4M and the most affordable is this home 1127 W Cornelia Ave, Chicago, IL 60657 | MLS# 08462882 | Redfin -- taxes are no bargain at $13,598 and there is no real greenspace for blocks though it is walking distance from Wrigley Field which is probably not super appealing to most folks with schools aged children but different strokes for different folks... Nettelhorst is well liked by the families that support it, some of whom garnered fame from the efforts to enlist other well off parents to bring up standards -- Nettelhorst Elementary School

[MichiVegas]

I would never raise my kids in Lakeview. Way, way too much hassle. Maybe if I had one kid only I would consider it, but more than one, no way.

I mean, unless you're filthy rich, how do you deal with all the issues? How do you have two-three kids and deal with the fact you don't have a yard or a basement? You have to bundle them all up and then brave the elements to trek to the nearest park whenever they go stir crazy (which is like five times a day for the under-4 set)?

How do you go grocery shopping for a family of four-five, and deal with the alley parking spots, limited storage, tiny washers/dryers, and the like? How do you deal with the 8-10 diapers per day per infant in tight quarters? Yuck!

The city is great without kids. With kids, I don't see the point. You don't have time to do "city things", and all the things you love about urban living become problems once you have kids. The homeless, late night partiers, inconsiderate neighbors and the like get old soon, and suddenly you get why people live in the burbs.

And then lets not even start with the schools. CPS or Latin? Give me a break, already. How about a neighborhood K-12 schools with great academic results? How about not depending on lotteries or bribery or 30k tuition, or living in a yuppie ghetto to get decent schools? That's why people move out.

[marothisu]

Originally Posted by MichiVegas

How do you go grocery shopping for a family of four-five, and deal with the alley parking spots, limited storage, tiny washers/dryers, and the like? How do you deal with the 8-10 diapers per day per infant in tight quarters? Yuck!

Really? LOL....You could have come up with worse things than this.

[williepotatoes]

Originally Posted by marothisu

Really? LOL....You could have come up with worse things than this.

I don't think that the poster understands that raising children is all about inconvenience. Selflessness is probably the most important ingredient for good parenting. I don't know one suburban mom who's life is not totally engulfed by their kids. Living in the burbs has some advantages for parents, but the time, stress and sacrifice is no different. And out here, when parents get leisurely time to themselves they have to spend that time at places like Applebees.

[chet everett]

There are no "Applebee's" near any if the desirable suburban areas along the BNSF or UP-W lines . Parents that I know nearby spend their time the many interesting locally owned restaurants / nightspots that often cater to those that enjoy nice wines , craft brewed beer and artisanal spirits along with things like live music.

Really those of you that get their information from sitcoms need to get out more!

[UrbanCheetah]

Originally Posted by MichiVegas

I would never raise my kids in Lakeview. Way, way too much hassle. Maybe if I had one kid only I would consider it, but more than one, no way.

I mean, unless you're filthy rich, how do you deal with all the issues? How do you have two-three kids and deal with the fact you don't have a yard or a basement? You have to bundle them all up and then brave the elements to trek to the nearest park whenever they go stir crazy (which is like five times a day for the under-4 set)?

How do you go grocery shopping for a family of four-five, and deal with the alley parking spots, limited storage, tiny washers/dryers, and the like? How do you deal with the 8-10 diapers per day per infant in tight quarters? Yuck!

The city is great without kids. With kids, I don't see the point. You don't have time to do "city things", and all the things you love about urban living become problems once you have kids. The homeless, late night partiers, inconsiderate neighbors and the like get old soon, and suddenly you get why people live in the burbs.

And then lets not even start with the schools. CPS or Latin? Give me a break, already. How about a neighborhood K-12 schools with great academic results? How about not depending on lotteries or bribery or 30k tuition, or living in a yuppie ghetto to get decent schools? That's why people move out.

WTF are you talking about? You can get yards and basements in the city. Yiu really think there are no houses in Chicago that have no yards or a basements?! All the houses I have been to in the city do.....

Alley parking spots when grocery shopping? What on Earth are you talking about?!

You really dont get it. I grew up in Roscoe Village, as a kid had a yard, a basement, grocery stores were a plenty, neighbors were friendly and all the kids played with each other. Heck we had more of a life than suburnan kids who needed to be chauffered everywhere. At age 13 couldnt drive so me and my friends would ride our bikes to the lake, to zephyrs, hangout st waveland bowl, or walk down the street to the arcade on Western. We were also able to walk to school and had diverse experiences with different etnicities at our schools. Basicslly as kids we were much more free. We had options. In the burbs you are a slave to the car. My parents and I had the freedom that you cant get in the burbs.

we never had a problem with homeless people or partiers. You are aware that homeless people are only really found in downtown and near expressway exits? This aint San Fran. You really have shown your ignorance when it comes to Chicago.

[chet everett]

The shifts in home values are really quite extreme in some neighborhoods. I already posted data the paucity of affordable single family homes in the Nettelhorst attendance area, similar challenges for folks shopping for a family sized home in Roscoe Village.

I would also state that the FACTS show that MANY desirable suburban areas in our region have been developed in a VERY VERY VERY walkable manner -- the train-centric core of many towns along the BNSF, UP-W or UP-N lines as well as some UP-NW lines really make for easy commute to the Loop AS WELL AS affording children the opportunity to walk to school, lovely parks where both scheduled athletic events and "pick-up" games of baseball / basketball / soccer are common. One absolutely NEED NOT be a slave to a car in such towns. Further the total cost of housing factoring in both acquisition costs and property taxes is extremely competitive with desirable parts of Chicago ESPECIALLY when one factors in the extremely high quality public schools which have NO convoluted "selective enrollment" policies like CPS magnet schools that require testing and a applications about a half a year before school even starts. The range of folks of various ethnic / immigrant backgrounds in the desirable suburbs is superb, with many families with school aged children specifically choosing towns with high performing schools even when on a relatively short term corporate assignments.

[Vlajos]

Originally Posted by williepotatoes

I don't think that the poster understands that raising children is all about inconvenience. Selflessness is probably the most important ingredient for good parenting. I don't know one suburban mom who's life is not totally engulfed by their kids. Living in the burbs has some advantages for parents, but the time, stress and sacrifice is no different. And out here, when parents get leisurely time to themselves they have to spend that time at places like Applebees.

Exactly.