I'm considering moving to Chicago from Charlotte (Oak Park, Albany: crime, neighborhoods)

[jdiddy]

I don't think you or your children would encounter any real problems with any of the nicer neighborhoods. Its more a question of affordability. You might be able to find a decent 2 br for $1000, but it'll take some hunting around, coupled with the fact you'll probaby want to restrict your search to the neighborhoods w/in good k-8 school attendance boundaries.

There's been a number of threads on Chicago public schools on this board with some good information about that, you should search for those and read through them to get an idea about where you should be focusing, if the city is a feasible possibility.

[Lookout Kid]

Oak Park is a good suggestion. It's one of the most racially mingled areas in all of Chicagoland. But just be aware that many of the apartments in Oak Park are on the east side of town, which is a bit more unsafe because of it's proxity to Chicago's terrible Austin neighborhoods (and Oak Park has a few mini-thugs of its own). If I were to rent an apartment in Oak Park, I'd look for a condo unit that someone is renting out.

"Affordable" in Chicago can be a bad thing because it's often associated with "dangerous" and/or "inconvenient". Be careful about where you are looking, and realize that things can change drastically from block to block in some parts of the city. It's often wise to splurge a bit on rent and cut costs elsewhere in your life (like cars, etc.)

[LovesCatsandDogs]

I moved from Charlotte to Chicago in the 1990's. I wanted out of Charlotte because I felt like mainstream culture in Charlotte was stuck in the 1950's. Chicago was much more progressive but it is a lot more expensive and can be quite dangerous if you live in really affordable areas and rely upon mass transportation exclusively. Lastly, I don't believe it is a very child-friendly city, especially if you have a small budget. As a woman, I find Chicago expensive because I have to live in safe areas that are pricey and take cabs if it is after dark etc. Chicago has some serious crime if you aren't careful.

[noid_1985]

Originally Posted by LovesCatsandDogs

I find Chicago expensive because I have to live in safe areas that are pricey and take cabs if it is after dark etc. Chicago has some serious crime if you aren't careful.

I know Batman was filmed here but this isn't Gotham City, most "bad" happens in concentrated areas and are commonly gang related.

[noid_1985]

Originally Posted by LovesCatsandDogs

I find Chicago expensive because I have to live in safe areas that are pricey and take cabs if it is after dark etc. Chicago has some serious crime if you aren't careful.

I know Batman was filmed here but this isn't Gotham City, most "bad" happens in concentrated areas and are commonly gang related.

[emathias]

Originally Posted by coldwine

Asking questions like these is a social nono. Aside from being hideously tacky, you should know better than to do this.
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The first one was a little inelegant, but curious people should be able to ask open and honest questions - it's part of getting comfortable with differences. Intent matters a lot.

The second one is completely necessary and without an answer to it makes it extremely difficult to give her good advice. If you're uncomfortable talking finances, then asking for advice on where to live when you have a budget but not describing what that budget is would be kind of silly. In case you were unaware, home sales are public data and if you know someone owns and you know where they live, you can find out what they paid. You're being ridiculously over-sensitive.

[emathias]

Originally Posted by Waukegan

Chicago is one of the most segregated cities in America because that's the free marketplace and free association at work and people like it that way. Your situation is not the norm anywhere, not even in urban Chicago, but that is your decision you made in life. You cannot expect everyone to agree with your views, just as you probably don't agree with others' too.

People in Chicago are polite however, they won't likely give you any grief outwardly. That is, unless someone acts arrogantly and tries to impose or force their views on others, which it sounds like you have the common sense and politeness not to do.

I think Waukeegan oversimplies things.

To the O.P.:

Chicago is more segregated than some other major cities, but there are racially and culturally mixed areas.

And Waukegan's "explanation" is only part of the reason. The bigger part of the reason Chicago is so segregated is that large parts of the african-american population moved here when racism was still an overt part of American life. The Great Migration from Mississippi, etc, populated neighborhoods that grew cohesive and strong and remain so today. They have been slow to change as much due to tradition as anything else.

Newer cities, or cities that have always had a mixed population that evolved over time, didn't have that same settlement pattern, so they just naturally have a more integrated population. While some may see the segregation in Chicago as a bad thing, there is also a positive to it, in that it helps create a strong base for african-americans to leverage strength with.

It is not just random chance that this "most segregated" city produced the first black President. Obama may have done a lot to bridge racial divides, but don't assume for a minute that having a strong, cohesive aftrican-american base didn't help him - especially in his early career.

[ShowYouChicago]

Thank you for all for your posts. I am finding them very interesting and helpful. Please understand, I have no problem talking finances it is just that because I am hoping to start a new career and maybe even going back to school, my budget is very much up in the air. Something of course I will have figured out before I actually start looking for apartments. I just wanted to try and get some local feedback.



One interesting side note, I was checking out "Bestplaces.net" and saw that with regard to crime, chicago was a 7 (out of 10). Then I looked at Charlotte which was an 8. I use to live in Atlanta which is a 9. I know crime happens everywhere but all your info helped.

Thanks again.

[ShowYouChicago]

Thanks again for all your repliees.

Unfortunately , I over edited my original post and left out part of my uniqueness...I am a single dad, I just said single parent. As I was reading all the replies, I wasn't sure where all the "She" and "Her" references were coming from. I thought maybe they were in response to other replies and not my original post. Sorry for the confusion. I totally understand though, single dads are not very common.

But really this post is about getting a sense of where my kids would be happy, safe and can make friends and get involved in their community. I have been to Chicago many times and think it is an amazing place. I have heard how tight knit the neighborhoods are. I can't wait to come and check it our for myself.

[emathias]

Originally Posted by ShowYouChicago

Thanks again for all your repliees.

Unfortunately , I over edited my original post and left out part of my uniqueness...I am a single dad, I just said single parent. As I was reading all the replies, I wasn't sure where all the "She" and "Her" references were coming from. I thought maybe they were in response to other replies and not my original post. Sorry for the confusion. I totally understand though, single dads are not very common.
...

Just this past Sunday, the New York Times Magazine had an article about the need of a gender-neutral pronoun in English ... until then, sorry Sir :-)