Empty nesters moving to Chicago (Evanston, Industry: to rent, home, neighborhoods)

[yarnlover]

We are moving to Chicago in the spring. We would like to rent in Hyde Park but would look at other neighborhoods. We don't know much about other neighborhoods in the city, but would prefer to be close to the University of Chicago. Are there other neighborhoods in that vicinity that are relatively safe, good public transportation, amenities, etc.? Our kids live in Andersonville, which is great, but too far from the university.

[Drover]

Originally Posted by yarnlover

We are moving to Chicago in the spring. We would like to rent in Hyde Park but would look at other neighborhoods. We don't know much about other neighborhoods in the city, but would prefer to be close to the University of Chicago. Are there other neighborhoods in that vicinity that are relatively safe, good public transportation, amenities, etc.? Our kids live in Andersonville, which is great, but too far from the university.

Not really, no. Hyde Park and Kenwood, sometimes conflated together as simply Hyde Park, is an island of relative calm in a sea of urban chaos.

[oak317]

Hyde Park is a beautiful neighborhood... It is really very charming. There's a lot to do in Hyde Park if you're not the typical 23-year-old frat boy looking for bars. For example, there are at least THREE wonderful museums: the Museum of Science & Industry, the SMART museum, and the Oriental Institute. There's a very popular and historic diner that was frequented by Obama: Valois diner. There are some very nice cafes, quiet cafes where intellectuals go. The neighborhood has one of the best libraries in America -- the UofC library -- and some of the best bookstores in the country too.

With all those positives, the downsides are that the neighborhood is relatively quiet, so it feels a bit suburban. Sometimes it feels like there isn't a lot of life in the neighborhood. It can also be a bit dangerous to walk alone late at night. You'll be walking back from the grocery store, say, at 9pm and you might be one of the few people on Hyde Park Blvd. This takes away from your sense of safety... but really, the reality is that there are break-ins and robberies in every part of Chicago. Even in the most affluent parts of the city. Hyde Park is relatively safe compared to the rest of the city.

Drover is correct in saying that Hyde Park is an island of calm on the south side. But really, to be more accurate, Hyde Park is an island of extreme wealth in the otherwise blighted south side of Chicago. People forget this... Hyde Park is very wealthy. The neighborhood is home to some multi-million dollar mansions, for example, the Heller House, a Frank Lloyd Wright mansion that listed at $2.5 million.

[Gemini1963]

I am a fan of Hyde Park but I have had to do the drive a lot between there and Andersonville, and it's far enough that you really start to think twice about it. (During non-rush hour, it's pretty, though, along the Lake.)

What is it about the University of Chicago that draws you - any particular connection, or just wanting to be near a University for the events and intellectual stimulation? If it is the latter, you might take a look at Evanston instead, using Northwestern as your focus. That would put you a lot closer to Andersonville.

Just a thought.

[chet everett]

If work is associated with UofC I would think the OP would not need to turn to this board for advice about Hyde Park / Kenwood -- there are plenty of professionals that work / live near the campus well past regular retirement ages.

My hunch is OP is thinking more for their own healthcare needs and I gotta say that is crummy reason to think about living near UofC -- any specialists there are in offices very easily reached with a short drive from much more vibrant neighborhoods in the SOUTH LOOP or even the greater WEST LOOP. The costs of living in Hyde Park / Kenwood is significantly higher than in other areas and the range of everything from shopping to dining to entertainment is far more constrained.

If the OP does want to be near kids in Andersonville it makes much more sense to be in Evanston and even if some medical condition requires monthly / weekly drives to UofC the non-rush hour drive along the lakefront is gnerally not too bad...

Of course if my hunch is not at all why the OP is thinking about Hyde Park it still makes sense to just step back and realize that it is one thing to "age in place" in a community where one may have worked for many decades and has a whole network of neighbors / colleagues / students that will help in little ways or even step up when more serious matter arise and quite another to move into a rather insular part of the city that is surrounded by some of the most inhospitable neighborhoods in the region. More than a few professors and adminstrators have retired to their "second home" in places a whole lot less stressful, be that the shore of SW Michigan or a nice spot in an area with good weather year 'round in a place like New Mexico ...