Jewish areas in Chicago. (Skokie, Buffalo Grove: 2015, neighborhoods, college)

[walkingonadream9856]

Hey there. I'm a single semi-observant Jewish guy. Grew up in NYC but immigrated to Israel after HS. I work for a start up here in Tel Aviv and I also spend time in NY.

We are expanding and want to open branches in US Jewish hubs (also to make up for the closing of our London office due to antisemitic vandalism and the uncomfortable pervasiveness of Islamic culture and Shariah law in the UK and EU). we already have NYC and LA offices, so we are opening in Chicago and Miami.

I will be in Chicago for approximately 1 year to find a branch location, set up, do hiring and training, open the branch and "get the ball rolling" as they say..

Our main target group is married observant Jewish moms with upper level incomes, where. do they live? Are there any exclusively Jewish 'hoods akin to parts of Brooklyn? An enclave where most pedestrians are in traditional Jewish attire etc...? This can be a city or suburb, not Skokie because it isn't even 60℅ Jewish and mostly secular and just generally underwhelming from Google Street View. We will be opening this branch inside of the best Jewish area, not the loop because we don't want to attract gentile customers who will scare Orthodox Jewish female shoppers..

Where in Chicago is a Jewish area? Not just for work but I only want to live in a Jewish community. Lakeview seemed a bit too worldly for me and too mixed. If there were Jews there they must be secular because I saw no Hasid's or Orrhodox at all!! Also the nightclubs there aren't something I wanna see daily. Another area I saw last time was Hyde Park which despite the college felt like the hood and no Jews!!


Basically, I need Chicago's equivalent to NYC's Boro Park! Somewhere safe and completely Jewish with not many gentiles?

[JTW2013]

West Rogers Park

[marothisu]

1) West Rogers Park area in the city (http://www.juf.org/news/neighborhood.aspx?id=9610) is about the only real Jewish area of the city left. The area has a good amount of Jewish things - not really what you'd find in a city like NYC (but then again, what other city has that much in the US?) but not terribly small.

The surrounding area has a number of other groups such as Indians, some Pakistanis (mostly Indians though), Assyrians, etc

2) The city has a semi fair number of Jews, but there are many who are not very observant or don't really care at all so you aren't going to really notice them. Again, nothing like NYC.

3) The suburbs, because you want to target affluency, are your best bet. Cities like Buffalo Grove, Highland Park, and Skokie (which may be too mixed for you) have a fair amount of stuff in it. The cities in the north shore I believe have a number of wealthy ones as well.

4) Yes, Lakeview is not mainly Jewish even if there's a big temple near Wrigley Field and a small handful of other ones. There are almost no nightclubs there (only one real one) so I have no idea what you're talking about there. Did you mean bars?


Your best bet in Chicago itself is West Rogers Park though. If you want to target more affluent people, then the suburbs for the business if you want to be right around it. Though West Rogers Park isn't too far from Skokie.

[ToriaT]

I think you got good advice. There are Jewish people sprinkled all over the north side of Chicago but you may not notice them. The concentrated areas are what's been described above. I also saw a fair amount of orthodox Jews on west Devon last year when I was driving by close to sundown.

[NOLA101]

There are no equivalents to Borough Park in Chicago. Decades ago West Rogers Park was the closest equivalent, but the Orthodox community is now almost completely in nearby suburbs. Skokie, too, is less Orthodox than in past decades, so probably not the answer.

I think Lincolnwood and Northbrook are probably the most Jewish areas in 2015. Skokie and West Rogers Park are more diverse areas that happen to have some Orthodox Jews, rather than being specifically Jewish.

If you want an observant community with affluence, you will need to go to suburbia. It's as simple as that. It's older suburbia, so not terrible. I am Jewish, BTW, though not Orthodox.

Also, you realize that Israel and NYC don't have comparables anywhere, in terms of Orthodox concentration, right? If you're opening up new branches of your organization in other cities around the world, your business model needs to take this into account.

There are probably 20 times as many Orthodox in Brooklyn alone as in all of Chicagoland. There are 200,000 children in Orthodox schuls in Brooklyn. That's an insane number. The Jewish community in Chicago is sizable but not remotely comparable, especially for Orthodox.

[marothisu]

Originally Posted by NOLA101

Also, you realize that Israel and NYC don't have comparables anywhere, in terms of Orthodox concentration, right? If you're opening up new branches of your organization in other cities around the world, your business model needs to take this into account.

Exactly. You have good populations in Montreal and Toronto too (at least more noticeable) but yeah nothing even comes close to NYC if you're speaking about outside of Israel in sheer numbers. Not even close by 10 times. Los Angeles has the most Jews in the US after NYC, but the orthodox community is not the same or even close.

Chicago has a fair number, and yes the suburbs (True about Skokie - definitely less than it used to be) have it. The most affluent Jews are definitely in the suburbs. Surprised you didn't mention Buffalo Grove too or even Highland Park. Still a lot of blood but not religious Jews in the city like myself where if you passed on the street even by looks you wouldn't right away put the label on.

[jonnynonos]

I know a lot of Jewish women; to my knowledge none have ever been "scared of gentile customers."

[PerseusVeil]

I'm going to be completely honest; I've lived in various parts of the North Side of Chicago for the last 5 years, and I have never seen an Orthodox Jewish man.

Jews in general, yes, but never an Orthodox one. At least not dressed like the ones I saw in Jerusalem anyway.

[chicagobear]

Originally Posted by PerseusVeil

I'm going to be completely honest; I've lived in various parts of the North Side of Chicago for the last 5 years, and I have never seen an Orthodox Jewish man.

Jews in general, yes, but never an Orthodox one. At least not dressed like the ones I saw in Jerusalem anyway.

There are some at the Lubavitcher place on Dearborn near Division.

[jonnynonos]

Mod cut.

I think it is pretty common knowledge that all-Jewish suburbs and urban neighborhoods are by and large a thing of the past.