Relocating family to Chicago from Pittsburgh

[williameconnors]

Jefferson park looks very affordable. Is it a nice area?

[williameconnors]

Jefferson park seems very affordable. Is it a nice area?

[chet everett]

...it is more affordable than many other Chicago neighborhoods, but it really is not particularly attractive. It is mostly safe so that is a plus, but it is not very lively at all. Even in terms of commute, for most folks, it does not compare favorably to spots closer to the core business districts of the Loop / N. Michigan Ave or the suburbs that may have speedier options via Metra expresses... The same sort of "OK but..." applies to the schools -- not nearly as awful as the worst of CPS but neither can they hold a candle to nearby suburban schools especially for older kids. Many parents that work for the City and must live inside the corporate limits that choose Jefferson Park also prefer parochial schools becuase of the shortcomings...

For the OP's situation they could do a lot worse than Jefferson Park but even though some folks consider Jefferson Parl "almost suburban" they ought to know that this is more an assement of the lack of things that many folks like about Chicago -- not many nightspots, nor interesting resturants, nor even much of a variety of residents... Lots of folks in Jefferson Park lead a pretty "car centric" life and if the OP ends up needing to drive to work they very likely would be money ahead living in an even more affordable town without the high vehicle registration and similar fees / taxes of Chicago. The time savings compared to many such towns is minimal / nonexistent if one is closer to an expressway...

[chicagobear]

Originally Posted by williameconnors

Jefferson park seems very affordable. Is it a nice area?

A drawback to Jefferson Park is that it is on the Blue Line which means you would have to walk a block underground downtown to transfer to the Red Line to get to the State Street stop near Michigan Avenue. Neighborhoods on the Red Line or Brown Line (which is an easy transfer to the Red Line at Belmont or Fullerton) would be more convenient.

[elanmorin25]

OP - Jefferson Park is a great neighborhood to live in if you want to live in a safe part of the city without spending a lot of money. The blue line will get you to the airport, downtown, and social hotspots like Wicker Park. But it's not on the brown or red lines, so for commuting to work you'd have to take the blue line to the Chicago stop and then take a bus to Michigan Avenue.

Honestly though, you really should take a weekend and explore some of these neighborhoods and suburbs yourself, try out the transit options, etc before you make a decision.

You also should think about how long you are planning to stay where you're moving to. The tips I've been giving are mostly for where would be good to live for the next few years before your kids are in school, while Hollingsworth is advising you on where you should live if you want to pick a place to stay for the long haul and raise your family.

[MSchemist80]

or take the blue line to Washington, transfer to the red line (1 block walk) and back track 3 stops. Or take the metra and then a bus. Not being on a direct connection to the N branch of the red line adds a bit of extra hastle and time to the commute.

[pvande55]

Getting from the western suburbs to N Michigan is not as bad as you think. CTA runs express buses from union station. There is an additional $55 surcharge to your monthly train ticket to ride, but it also entitles you to ride suburban buses, which may be handy if you live where train station parking is scarce.

[usagisan]

Having lived in Downtown Pittsburg though I will say, well, let me put it this way, I try and make at least one trek every couple of years to Pittsburg for vacation activities. It is one of my favorite cities. Where as I avoid Chicago at all costs and go there only out of absolute necessity.

That being said, there are many people who commute from West Aurora, Oswego, Montgomery to Chicago everyday. It is no big deal, depending on where you work on Michigan Ave. I use to go Aurora to Millennium Park area every day for over a year, it was an easy commute. The BNSF out of Aurora has express trains that get you to and from in under and hour (vs the 1:20 each way ones) and though I walked (even in the winter, once I got to Chicago) the subway is very well developed. You would see the same people day after day, get to know them and many had been making the trip for their entire working life. You develop what are affectionately called “train buddies”. The train is low stress. Many sleep, others read, others take out their laptops and work, others socialize with their train buddies. It becomes detox time for many, before they walk in the door. You can go on line and find the subway and bus maps as well as the train schedules and see if it is for you.


As far as schooling goes, Oswego and Montgomery get served by ok schools by IL public school standards. But I would mention that IL is a very home school friendly state. I would suggest every parent investigate the possibility and potential of home schooling. And by investigate I mean actually talk to someone who has done it, rather than listen to the armchair criticisms of a bunch of pontificating blowhards (there is a lot of that here at city-data, the forums are set up to encourage it). You will find that IL is an extremely home school friendly state. So while homeschooling is not for everyone, it is something I would encourage you to at least explore. It frees you from having the quality of schools dictate where you live and thus opens the door to more possibilities etc, etc (insert typical pro home school diatribe).

Good luck in your quest for you personal paradise.