Family friendly Chicago neighborhoods? (Naperville, Park Ridge: cul-de-sac, rental, condos)

[Chi-town Native]

we're not in the area, but Goethe School in Logan Square has a really energetic group of young parents who are digging in - white collar professionals, artists, etc.

[chet everett]

Originally Posted by Chi-town Native

we're not in the area, but Goethe School in Logan Square has a really energetic group of young parents who are digging in - white collar professionals, artists, etc.

Looks like they packed the kindergartens...

https://iirc.niu.edu/School.aspx?sou...252220&level=S

Wonder how that will work out over the longer term. There are certainly worse schools one could choose.

[Citybythelake]

Originally Posted by Chi-town Native

we're not in the area, but Goethe School in Logan Square has a really energetic group of young parents who are digging in - white collar professionals, artists, etc.

The problem is where do the kids go to High School after they graduate?

[chicago103]

Originally Posted by chet everett

Yes, it is flat out pointless to live in Edison Park or Garfield Ridge or Hegwisch as they distance to pretty much anything worth doing in the city is less from suburbs with better schools. The only poor bastards that put up with this are the sad sacks that are hizzoner's payroll.

Currently there are no provisions for folks relocating into Chicago to get a special shot at a selective admissions school. The abuses of some folks tsking advantage of "clout" to get their kids into schools that we ere not emoted by their test scores put end to the small allowance that was provided.

I cannot stress how foolish it is to live inside the Chicago city limitis and have no benefits from doing so.

I fail to see how there are "no benefits" of city living when you live in the outer neighborhoods. I mean with the exception of places like Berwyn or Oark Park or Evanston they are still more accessible to city attractions than the vast majority of suburbs. Is someone actually crazy enough to believe that Naperville is more accessible to downtown Chicago than Garfield Ridge? You still feel quite connected to the city in GR. Granted places like Andersonville, Lake View and Hyde Park are much better places to live if you want the urban lifestyle but if you can't afford to live in them then the outer neighborhoods are a very good alternative.

I just don't understand how so many people have this view "well it's either Lincoln Park or its Naperville", paraphrasing of course. Does all the places in-between just not exist to most people? The southwest and northwest sides still have the benefit of being able to say that you "live in the city" as opposed to just going with the flow and saying "I caved in and moved to the suburbs like all my other yuppy friends". As suburban like these neighborhoods are they are still more urban than most suburbs and they are closer to downtown than just about any suburb. Naperville is farther from downtown than Hegewisch, the most remote Chicago neighborhood.

[Citybythelake]

Originally Posted by chicago103

...I just don't understand how so many people have this view "well it's either Lincoln Park or its Naperville"...

Most of the time it is Oak Park and Evanston as if no other suburb is next to the city borders.

[chicago103]

Originally Posted by Citybythelake

Most of the time it is Oak Park and Evanston as if no other suburb is next to the city borders.

If its those two suburbs then its not so bad. However Garfield Ridge is about the same distance from downtown as Evanston and Oak Park is only slightly closer and cheaper than both. Is weird when affordability is discussed as an issue then all of a sudden the outer neighborhoods are dissed as being "slummy" or something crazy like that and when people talk about the outer neighborhoods having nice houses with yards then they are "too suburban" while at the same time talking about how so many families prefer the suburban lifestyle anyways. I mean my God why are there such double standards?

This thread is titled "family friendly CHICAGO neighborhoods, so why do so many people find it odd that I and others bring up CITY neighborhoods that are just that. This thread is not in the suburban forum, it is not titled "family friendly Chicago suburbs" so anyone talking about suburbs is thus off topic.

[chet everett]

The fact is most families need at least one wage earner with a darned good job. Sad fact is that darned few city neighborhoods have much to offer in that regard. Living in an outer neighbhorhood is very likely one's commute, via inferior CTA service, to an area with a high concentration of good paying jobs, like the Loop, would be longer than if one relied on superior Metra service which primarily serves the non-city...

[Citybythelake]

Originally Posted by chicago103

...This thread is titled "family friendly CHICAGO neighborhoods, so why do so many people find it odd that I and others bring up CITY neighborhoods that are just that. This thread is not in the suburban forum, it is not titled "family friendly Chicago suburbs" so anyone talking about suburbs is thus off topic.

I agree. The thing is there are many people that move or seek to move to the Chicagoland area that consider all suburbs and the city to be Chicago. Although the posters asking questions in this thread did not make that assertion. I don't like it anymore than you do.

[Citybythelake]

Originally Posted by chet everett

The fact is most families need at least one wage earner with a darned good job. Sad fact is that darned few city neighborhoods have much to offer in that regard. Living in an outer neighbhorhood is very likely one's commute, via inferior CTA service, to an area with a high concentration of good paying jobs, like the Loop, would be longer than if one relied on superior Metra service which primarily serves the non-city...

Heck, many families "need at least one wage earner with a darned good job" in any suburb as well. While the CTA service levels in most of the outer neighborhoods of Chicago are not as good as they were 20,15, or even 2 years ago, the fact of the matter is getting downtown from most of these neighborhoods is not really that difficult. As long as the commuter is commuting during normal commuting hours there is plenty of service that will get someone downtown in an hour or less (even with a bus ride included.)

Metra's frequency is a problem. If there is too much traffic when driving to the station or taking a Pace bus and you miss the train often times you are SOL for a hour. If your station has no bars,restaurants,or whatever nearby you are going to freeze your ass off or get soaked in crappy weather. It is a nice and easy way to get sick.

The CTA's train frequency is far superior to Metra's train frequency and it's bus frequency is far superior to much of Pace's bus service.

[chicago103]

Originally Posted by chet everett

The fact is most families need at least one wage earner with a darned good job. Sad fact is that darned few city neighborhoods have much to offer in that regard. Living in an outer neighbhorhood is very likely one's commute, via inferior CTA service, to an area with a high concentration of good paying jobs, like the Loop, would be longer than if one relied on superior Metra service which primarily serves the non-city...

Well it varies but Garfield Ridge is close to the Orange Line and has very good almost 24 hour bus service via the 62 Archer bus which terminates literally 100 feet from my house. Some outer neighborhoods have good CTA service, parts of the far northwest side are also very close to the Blue Line.

Also most people don't realize this but 1/3 of all Metra Stations are within city limits. A number of outer city neighborhoods are actually serviced better by Metra such as Beverly and parts of the far northwest sides. In addition the South Shore stop in Hegewisch is pretty much in the same league. Also the Metra Electric South Chicago line is exclusively within city limits, it might not go through family friendly neighborhoods sans maybe Hyde Park but it is a commuter rail line. So again your point is moot because I can give you a number of examples of city neighborhoods that are serviced by Metra just as the suburbs are.