Relocating to Chicago with 2 small kids (Lincoln, Washington: fit in, to rent, townhomes)

[pdeangulo]

Me and my husband are relocating to Chicago with our 2 kids. One is entering Kindergarten and the other will be a 4 year-old pre-k. We have been looking for something in or close to downtown because my husband will be working in the Loop. I am thinking of a high-rise with tons of amenities, like covered parking, to help me manage the winter weather, which I am NOT accustomed to.

My biggest concern at the moment is choosing a school for my kids, and then living in a neighborhood close to the school (either within walking distance or L-train). But from what I've read on the internet and from posts on this forum, I am getting concerned about the quality of the Chicago Public Schools. And I think that it's too late in the year to get them into private school, and they look more expensive than the private school they have been attending in Florida. Please help. If you have any advice or tips for me, please write.

I have read the conversations and differing opinions about North and South, and frankly I fit in the category of married, over 30, and white. So based on most opinions I think we'll look on the North-side...but where and what school?

[Paxtonian]

Try one of the Catholic schools. They usually have space available.

[Dolly]

Or home school, it is not as difficult as you think and Illinois is one of the best states in which to home school. (Meaning, they pretty much leave you alone.) Just find a home school association in the area in which to participate and that will give you the support you need.

[dch66]

You can't go wrong in Lincoln Park. But to buy there I hope your husband is able to make upper 6 figures and be willing to use your kids as collateral

[SloopyJ]

Here's a post I made on another thread, but I think it still applies here:

While I hear good things about the public schools in the northwest side neighborhoods of Sauganash and Edgebrook, I will second the recommendation of Dearborn Park and the South Loop School as a place worth looking into (Dearborn Park is a small neighborhood within the greater South Loop area).

I can't begin to tell you how many young families are in Dearborn Park, particularly in Dearborn Park II which is outlined by Roosevelt, State, 15th, and Clark Streets. The neighborhood has two beautiful parks, one of which is on the grounds of the South Loop School located at 1212 South Plymouth. As a neighborhood, Dearborn Park benefits from limited access (it's not gated, but the only entrance/exit to the neighborhood is at 14th and State), no grid-street through traffic, the lovely parks, a mix of townhomes and single family homes ranging from $400,000 to $2,000,000, and the ability to walk to the lakefront, the Loop, the Aquarium, Field Museum, Harold Washington Library, Grant Park, etc. As for public transit, the Green, Orange, and Red Lines all stop at Roosevelt and State.

As the South Loop's population has exploded in recent years, retail is starting to boom. There's a Target within walking distance at Clark/Roosevelt; a new Home Depot just west of there; Best Buy and Whole Foods are under construction; and there are finally a bunch of places to grab casual breakfasts and dinners (in addition to several nicer dinner restaurants).

The South Loop School's history is interesting. The school has only recently - in the last 5 years - began to attract neighborhood residents. Through much of its history, its boundaries included large areas of public housing, and the test scores reflected the challenges of those environments and local parents largely stayed away. Recently, however, the school boundaries were altered to consist almost entirely of the increasingly affluent South Loop. A new principal, gifted programs, and an obvious effort on the part of the CPS and Mayor's office to keep families in the South Loop (the Mayor is a South Loop resident) has paid off handsomely at South Loop School - the school's test scores have zoomed upward dramatically from about 30% performing at grade level to about 80%.

[NSH]

also look into the Beverly neighborhood on the SW side. It features top rated public and private grammer schools, vintage architecture, walkable scale, 20-30 min commute to the loop via commuter train, and best of all the prices, homes are half as much down here than compared to similar on the north side. You can still actually by a SFH for under $300,000. and still have access to suburban shopping and lower taxes on food and gas
a few photos...

[pdeangulo]

Thank you all for the info and photos. I will look into some of those options.

We are going to rent for now, and we are looking at Streeterville, Gold Coast, River North and Lincoln Park areas for convenience.

Does anyone have opinions about Ogden Elementary School?

[Vicman]

PDEAngulo, Ogden looks good according to its Greatschools profile, which is here: Ogden Elementary School - Chicago, Illinois - IL - school overview

Why not schedule a visit to the school?

And, regarding the city of Chicago in general, School Locator Page - Department of School Demographics and Planning will help you determine your zoned schools.