How do you like raising your kids in Lincoln Park? (Chicago: neighborhood, buyer)

[helena101]

Originally Posted by chet everett

The OP has given no indication that they have experience with the broad Chicago region. Chicago is not at all like Miami. To begin with, Miami has very limited transit -- https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Miami-...nsit#Metrorail It is extremely unlikely that the OP currently relies on that system for work or to get their children to their private schools. Secondly, unlike Chicago that operates its schools for the exclusive use of city residents, the system in Miami covers Dade County and has very different priorities -- 21 Miami-Dade County Public Magnet Schools Receive National Recognition From Magnet Schools Of America The relative degree that private schools are embraced by those of varying income in Miami is signficantly different than in Chicago, due in no small part to the tuition credit system of that state -- https://stateimpact.npr.org/florida/...t-scholarship/

Perhaps most glaringly, the kind of housing that one can find in Miami is vastly different than what is available in Chicago -- one simply will not find things like this inside the city limits of Chicago: 2710 SW 22nd Ave, Miami, FL 33133 | MLS #A2201575 | Zillow
Given the degree to which OCEAN ACCESS strongly impacts the patterns of development in Miami and the surrounding region it is not a surprise that the OP may wrongly assume that suburbs in the Chicago region are not providing the same quality of life.

Should the OP care to give more details about their priorities / experience with the greater Chicago region perhaps we can all make better suggestions.

They specifically said they looked at homes in Lincoln Park and can afford those homes. So they know that they can afford homes in Lincoln Park and they know that homes in Chicago do not look like Miami Beach homes (and I'd say everyone knows that). And they also said that they can afford private school for their kids, and asked about private schools in Chicago. They also said they do not like the suburbs. Suburbs in Chicago are not all bustling with great nightlife, shops, restaurants, and other amenities (like a free zoo!) all within walking distance of your home. They said they want to use public transportation as much as possible. Most people in the suburbs drive a lot aside from taking METRA in for work, and most people have to drive to even get to METRA. It's bizarre that we'd take it upon ourselves to be their financial counselor, tell them that they're making poor financial decisions, assume that they don't know anything about Chicago or homes here or what they can afford, and continue on and on about the difficulty of magnet schools when they expressed no interest in magnet schools, and now demand that they give us all the details of their knowledge about Chicago because you're sure they know nothing and you won't answer their questions until they give the details. For a city that BADLY needs new residents (especially residents who will be paying a lot in taxes), you sure aren't convincing anyone to move here. If I had the money, I would very likely choose to stay in the city rather than be out in the suburbs on METRA. Commute times, amenities, walkability, access to the lake, and many other reasons.

[chet everett]

Other than access to the lake the OP would find all those things west of Chicago:

https://www.czs.org/Brookfield-ZOO/Home

About - FitzGerald's

Riverside Community Web Site - Riverside, Illinois - History

Shopping Mall In Chicago | Oakbrook Center | Oakbrook Center

[helena101]

Originally Posted by chet everett

Other than access to the lake the OP would find all those things west of Chicago:

https://www.czs.org/Brookfield-ZOO/Home

About - FitzGerald's

Riverside Community Web Site - Riverside, Illinois - History

Shopping Mall In Chicago | Oakbrook Center | Oakbrook Center

A shopping mall? People who don't like suburbs usually loathe shopping malls. And a night club in Berwyn? You're really saying being in this area is comparable to living in Lincoln Park? As for the Oak Park area schools, I'm not seeing any of the high schools in the top 20 in IL on the USNews rankings, so it's not as if the schools are all that exciting either.

[chet everett]

Originally Posted by helena101

A shopping mall? People who don't like suburbs usually loathe shopping malls. And a night club in Berwyn? You're really saying being in this area is comparable to living in Lincoln Park? As for the Oak Park area schools, I'm not seeing any of the high schools in the top 20 in IL on the USNews rankings, so it's not as if the schools are all that exciting either.

The range of music performed at Fitzgeralds put it among the truly elite destinations for up and coming and established acts globally.

Similarly among affluent shoppers the shops at Oakbrook Center place it the most premier category for fashions.

Dismissing places you've likely never visited is hardly the sort of help the OP needs.

[helena101]

Originally Posted by chet everett

The range of music performed at Fitzgeralds put it among the truly elite destinations for up and coming and established acts globally.

Similarly among affluent shoppers the shops at Oakbrook Center place it the most premier category for fashions.

Dismissing places you've likely never visited is hardly the sort of help the OP needs.

Telling the OP that private school is a waste of money (when their children are already in private school) and talking about magnet schools when they don't want magnet schools, and pushing suburbs and shopping malls when they don't want suburbs and shopping malls is not helpful to the OP. It's also not helpful to suggest that living in this area is the equivalent to living in Lincoln Park when that is untrue.

[chet everett]

The fact is that there are far more high performing PUBLIC schools in both the Chicago Public System as well as the many excellent school districts outside of the city than there in very differently organized Miami-Dade system. Thus it is completely legitimate to point out that there is not a necessity to focus on private schools.

Further, the ease with which workers can commute to the Loop from the desirable towns outside of Chicago via well run regional rail service is totally different than anything available in Miami.

I am not claiming that it is the same for folks trying to raise four kids in Lincoln Park as it would be living in a desirable town outside the city limits, in fact I laid out a case that it is both financially more feasible and in many ways a better experience for those who relocate to the region with school aged children.

[helena101]

Originally Posted by chet everett

The fact is that there are far more high performing PUBLIC schools in both the Chicago Public System as well as the many excellent school districts outside of the city than there in very differently organized Miami-Dade system. Thus it is completely legitimate to point out that there is not a necessity to focus on private schools.

Further, the ease with which workers can commute to the Loop from the desirable towns outside of Chicago via well run regional rail service is totally different than anything available in Miami.

I am not claiming that it is the same for folks trying to raise four kids in Lincoln Park as it would be living in a desirable town outside the city limits, in fact I laid out a case that it is both financially more feasible and in many ways a better experience for those who relocate to the region with school aged children.

Like I said, Oak Park schools aren't even ranked that well nationally. You'll probably have to go further out to get a really good public school district. And OP did not say "The city of Chicago is too expensive, where should we look instead"? The OP said: We want to live in the city. We looked, and the city is affordable for us. Our kids are in private school, tell us about Chicago private schools. We do not like the suburbs, we don't want to live in the suburbs. It's a very, very straightforward post. The Chicago suburbs are not anything magical. If finances are tight, you should not be living anywhere around here as the suburbs are very expensive as well. Again, the OP indicates that money is no issue for them and they can comfortably afford Lincoln Park and private schools.

[chet everett]

If the OP has limitless funds they've probably retreated from the drudgery of relying on an internet forum to get answers and probably have a concierge arranging their impending move. I wish them luck.

[helena101]

Originally Posted by chet everett

If the OP has limitless funds they've probably retreated from the drudgery of relying on an internet forum to get answers and probably have a concierge arranging their impending move. I wish them luck.

Again, not sure how insulting them and their decisions in multiple posts instead of helping them out is a great idea when the Chicago area badly needs more taxpaying residents.

[chet everett]

There is no shortage of either buyers of costly real estate nor those willing to support costly private schools in Chicago.

http://www.chicagobusiness.com/artic...up-around-town

http://www.chicagobusiness.com/artic...-sales-of-2015