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Old 05-19-2013, 07:13 PM
 
Location: Not where you ever lived
11,535 posts, read 30,101,930 times
Reputation: 6422

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You can find grocery stores the size of a village where you can find the butcher and freshly baked goods. Depending on where you live you may, or may not, find an independent bakery and a butcher.

I joke and say Chicago has 1000 neighborhoods. What it does have is many, many, many 'hoods including and UK ex-pat community. You may, or may not, find a small grocer or other stores where you might buy familiar products. There is the British School in Chicago, too, as well as Christian schools throughout Cook County -- an area of 1000 square miles (Chicago is its seat of government).

Rush hour traffic is crowded, fast, and sometimes on 8 lane one-way toll roads. Surface streets are just as crowded. If you can drive in London you can drive in Chicago with little trouble.

The biggest difference UK mums find is the kitchen oven, small appliances, and food names. Mince, for instance, is hamburger/ground beef here. It is also a sweet canned pie filling, too. US/US use different power grids. If you bring a hair dryer or electric razor, or a charger for the laptop, you will need a UK to US (AC/DC) converter. US ovens are numbered by degree. Mark 3 in Europe, I think, is 350 degrees which is great for cakes, pies, casseroles and roasts. If you like natural products you will probably like Trader Joe's, a very popular store. There are currently 10 in the Chicago area with more planned. Krogers and Aldi's are two other popular grocers throughout the state.

Itasca seems to be a smaller community in DuPage County. The cost of living should be bit lower. I found a bakery, Jewel grocery store, Walgreen's, a drug store, plus public, Catholic and Lutheran schools. The best time to find a rental is between June 1 and August 1. School is out the end of May. This is when rentals are most likely to be available. Your children will need physicals, eye exams, and their vaccinations brought up to date before school starts. Depending upon where you live, you child must be 5 by September ? to start public school. Also US kids need a social security number to start school. I am not sure how that is handled in your situation. Your Ambassador can find out. Schools will most likely officially close for the summer by the end of June. The 1013/2013 school year begins about mid-August.
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Old 05-19-2013, 07:40 PM
 
Location: Winnetka, IL & Rolling Hills, CA
1,273 posts, read 4,402,467 times
Reputation: 605
Are you concerned about the continuity of your child's education? If you plan to move back to the United Kingdom, I suggest you research the differences between British and U.S. curricula if you haven't already. There are considerable differences, especially as you get towards high school/secondary school.

If continuity is a concern the British School of Chicago has a good reputation. It is located in the family-friendly Lincoln Park neighborhood. If your husband plans to drive he would face a 40-60 minute commute from Lincoln Park and the north side. He could also ride the Metra train from the Loop to Itasca if desired.
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Old 05-19-2013, 09:46 PM
 
28,455 posts, read 84,921,999 times
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The OP originally posted in the Chicago forums.

Based on the fact that her husband will be working in Itasca and their desire to rent a for their family for about $4k/month the concensus on the Chicago threads was that the options are likey better closer to where the job is and without going to the considerable expense of private school.
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Old 05-20-2013, 10:01 AM
 
Location: Lake Arlington Heights, IL
5,479 posts, read 12,189,313 times
Reputation: 2847
I would look also at Buffalo Grove (Lake County section) or nearby suburb that attends Stevenson High School. The elementary districts are outstanding. I would also consider Arlington Heights focusing on homes that attend Elementary District 25 or 23 and are in the Prospect and Hersey high school attendance areas. The suggestion of Glen Ellyn is also a good one.

From Arlington Heights to Itasca is about 30 minutes give or take 5-10 minutes. There is wonderful commuter rail service to downtown Chicago via Metra. Downtown Arlington Heights is also quite vibrant for a suburb. The local theater and performance camps and classes offered at Metropolis are quite a bonus. The local library is outstanding and the park district offers a broad range of activities and recreation.

Wilmette/Winnetka/North Shore is beautiful area. I don't think it is worth the extra $$ or much longer commute. And if you compare schools with those I recommended, it is like comparing an A+ school situation with an A++ situation. If it were comparing an A++ with a b or C school situation, then I mioght spend the extra $$ and the extra 1+ hour in the car; but it's not.
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Old 05-23-2013, 09:40 PM
 
Location: North Shore, Chicago
56 posts, read 101,919 times
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Thanks all - I am now speaking with a real estate agent who was passed on to me by a contact i met on holiday. It looks like the housing is going to be a bit of a challenge - to be renting in the right street for the right schools. She is going to send me everything she has (which won't be much apparently) so that I am able to have a better understanding of the costs involved. I was looking at trying to pick a couple of schools that suit but I that looks to be limiting myself somewhat. I need to get a check list of all the good schools in a 25 mile radius and then see what housing is available. I am guessing we will go to at least $5000 a month for the right place if we aren't having to go private with the education.
Itasca is far too small for us to live in according to my husband.

linicx - thanks for the practical info - I found that my hairdryer was a lot less powerful when I brought it to the states with an adapter. I buy natural and organic as much as I can and go to a local farm for their meat that is grazed on their meadow farm land - I am well and truly spoilt - both that we have the flexibility to spend a bit more but also that this is on my doorstep. I think I am going to find the food the biggest challenge of all.
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Old 05-24-2013, 08:08 AM
wjj
 
950 posts, read 1,343,060 times
Reputation: 1294
[quote=Finp06;29703535]
Itasca is far too small for us to live in according to my husband.

Something that you need to realize is that the suburbs abut one another and so "too small" really does not mean anything when you can drive through a suburban area of millions of people without even knowing you left one suburb and entered another, except for the sign telling you so.

I live in the Lake County side of Buffalo Grove and within 5-6 minutes, depending on which direction I drive, I can be in Riverwoods, Lincolnshire, Long Grove, Vernon Hills, Arlington Heights, Palatine, Wheeling, Kildeer, and Prairie View.

So any particular suburb's population number is really meaningless when it is in the middle of a huge metropolitan area.

In your case, it seems to me that the school district boundaries are more important, and those boundaries can reach into many different suburbs and are not at all rational. Be very careful with that and assume nothing. Real estate agents might not really know where the boundaries are. Schools in this area are largely funded locally through real estate taxes and school boundaries often reflect population patterns from many years ago. But no district is about to give up any property that contributes to its funding, so the boundaries may make little sense based on today's population patterns.
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Old 09-12-2013, 02:10 PM
 
Location: North Shore, Chicago
56 posts, read 101,919 times
Reputation: 24
Default things moving forward

So the offer letter is coming through. I really really like the look of Wilmette having seen videos on you tube and pictures on the internet. Am now looking up to $7,000. The schools look excellent. we have friends in Glenview who commute to Itasca and I understand Wilmette is just out of Glenview so our commute to Itasca isn't going to be horrific. It also has excellent links to the City as husband also want to work Downtown a couple of days a week.
So now schooling - we can go private - I don't think it's worth it with the excellent state schools on offer, however the Montessori looks fab. Anyone got any views on that?

thanks
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Old 09-12-2013, 03:17 PM
 
28,455 posts, read 84,921,999 times
Reputation: 18723
In desirable affluent areas the decision to ultilize private schools vs excellent public schools is largely driven by social desires of the parents more so than any clear advantage in curriculuar offerings.

Spending $7000/mo and being able to consider spending more on private education is a very rarefied situation.

Best of luck.
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Old 09-14-2013, 05:46 AM
 
4,152 posts, read 7,870,212 times
Reputation: 2727
The commute to and from a place like Winnetka will be a nightmare. There are good schools and premium communities in Dupage county that offer excellent amenities such as Glen Ellyn, Hinsdale, and Wheaton. They are not on the North Shore by the lake but I would encourage you to explore them. They are much closer. Likely the people your husband works with will live somewhat in the neighboring suburban area and it will be quite a haul to drive for social activities if you live on the North Shore.
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