Moving to Chicago from Detroit early 2015 (Skokie, Oak Park: apartment, rental, buying a home)

[chero78]

Hello I'll be moving to Chicago from Detroit at the beginning of 2015. I have a small child that will be starting kindergarten in the Fall of the same year. I've done a lot of research via reading posts here and other places but wanted to go out on a limb and start my own thread. Basically, I'm looking for a reasonably priced area that is of course safe, has good access to public transportation, good schools, parks and is family oriented. I'd LOVE to find all of these things in area where I am paying no more than $1,000 dollars a month for a 2 bedroom. Coming from Detroit will definitely be a cultural shift! I lived in the Detroit suburbs in area that was about 15 minutes from downtown, very quiet, very safe, very diverse, very walkable, and had good schools! AND I was paying $750 for a 3 bedroom (which had a attic, basement and a detached garage). I think it will be nearly impossible to find something similar to that in Chicago...but I don't know for certain.
My working location hasn't been determined yet. I'm currently a consultant that works with non-profits so theoretically I could stay anywhere (but when consulting gets slow I do need find part-time work so I think it would be ideal to not be too far from the city. Suggestions on pre-k/elementary schools would be fabulous as well! Thanks in advance for replies!

PS I've been looking at Hyde Park, Bridgeport, Logan Square, Albany Park... because I will be back in forth to MI because of family I'd prefer South if possible.

[jonnynonos]

Which burb of Motown were you in?

[chero78]

Grosse Pointe. Its a really expensive area if you are buying a home but the rental area on the edge of the city that borders Detroit is really affordable. That being said... I'm used to living close to a sketchy area (but the sketchy areas in Detroit aren't densely populated and look worse than they actually are)

[japster28]

A 3 bedroom home/apartment may be doable in Hyde Park/Kenwood for $1200-$1500. There are neighborhood's around that area that are dicey, but the community itself is safe, as it is patrolled by both CPD and University of Chicago campus police, and the neighborhood is very pleasant. I'm not overly familiar with the schools down in that area, so I'm afraid I can't help you there. I'm sure someone else can help with that?

Btw, I recall driving up to the Gross Pointes from Detroit on Jefferson Avenue, and my god, the transition from city to suburb is just happens so fast, and the differences are drastic! It was two different worlds. Regardless, I love the GP's, it reminds me of Chicago's North Shore, where I grew up, but with less snobbery and flashiness.

[marothisu]

You can find 2 or even 3 bedrooms sometimes in Bridgeport or McKinley Park for $1000/month or less. Of course, it won't be luxury, but I know for a fact they exist. I have no idea how good schools are either.

[jonnynonos]

Originally Posted by chero78

Grosse Pointe. Its a really expensive area if you are buying a home but the rental area on the edge of the city that borders Detroit is really affordable. That being said... I'm used to living close to a sketchy area (but the sketchy areas in Detroit aren't densely populated and look worse than they actually are)

I am very familiar w/ GP.

There is not really an equivalent here....I would go small and focus on a safer neighborhood.

All of those you mention are fine.

[chero78]

Thanks for the information everyone. I didn't think there was an equivalent to Grosse Pointe in Chicago... at least not one that I could afford. I'll miss it for sure. And to the person that mentioned driving along Jefferson into Grosse Pointe... I had a friend that visited me from Chicago years ago and said the exact same thing!

[It'sAutomatic]

The most similar feel you'd get is in Hyde Park or Oak Park (a suburb). There's nothing wrong with trying a new kind of place if you feel like it.

[chet everett]

Originally Posted by It'sAutomatic

The most similar feel you'd get is in Hyde Park or Oak Park (a suburb). There's nothing wrong with trying a new kind of place if you feel like it.

Some folks upthread suggested you could get a 3 bdrm apt for $1300 in a nice neighborhood like Hyde Park and I would respectfully suggest they are WAY OFF. There are probably dishonest landlords that may advertise such things but in reality the actual unit will be "near" the desirable neighborhood. It may even look OK bit it will very likely be outside the patrol of the UofC police, will have only very poorly performing neighborhood schools, have even worse access to transit than Hyde Park and generally not be a suitable location for anyone other fools that get conned by unscrupulous property owners.

Even at nearly double the amount suggested it is not likely to find a nice modern family sized place to rent in a desirable area like Hyde Park.

Given the way that Chicago has developed the OP might do better looking at a birder suburb like Oak Park, Evnaston or Skokie to have the benefits of suburban style safety / good schools with the benefits of easy access to Chicago, there are probably lower priced homes in the "rougher" parts of these towns that may remind them if the less uniformly desirable sections of Grosse Point.

[Tex?Il?]

Originally Posted by japster28

A 3 bedroom home/apartment may be doable in Hyde Park/Kenwood for $1200-$1500. There are neighborhood's around that area that are dicey, but the community itself is safe, as it is patrolled by both CPD and University of Chicago campus police, and the neighborhood is very pleasant. I'm not overly familiar with the schools down in that area, so I'm afraid I can't help you there. I'm sure someone else can help with that?

Btw, I recall driving up to the Gross Pointes from Detroit on Jefferson Avenue, and my god, the transition from city to suburb is just happens so fast, and the differences are drastic! It was two different worlds. Regardless, I love the GP's, it reminds me of Chicago's North Shore, where I grew up, but with less snobbery and flashiness.

I went to school in Michigan, and would go visit college friends so became a little familiar with the Detroit area during my college days.

A lot of people go to Metro Detroit, and seem to be familiar with Grosse Pointe as Detroit areas most affluent area, probably because its closest to the city, and its history. But metro Detroit true equivalent to Chicagos north shore suburbs would probably be closer to the Bloomfield-Birmingham area (along adjacent areas like Troy, etc.). This where the greatest concentration of wealth, shopping, flash, etc is in metro Detroit. Even though, those outside metro Detroit are less familiar with it.

The Grosse Pointes are really more of an old money enclave with historic homes surrounded by a lot of broken down city neighborhoods. Having lived in the Oak Park/River Forest area for two years, I would say that that might be a little closer approximation to Grosse Pointe (River Forest has beautiful tudor mansions, very leafy streets, but is a stone throw from Maywood, and has the West side with Austin just across Oak Park). River Forest with a lakefront, might be a closer idea.