Germany, Houston, soon Chicago (Evanston, Oak Park: condos, townhouse, neighborhoods)

[miznadja]

Hello Y'All (lol learned that in my 18 yrs of living here in Texas

I'm originally from Germany and met my American husband while he was serving in the US Army.
19 years ago we left Germany, came to Texas, and raised to children boy 18 & girl 15, life has been good to us.
Now my husband has a great opportunity in Chicago and hey I like to move ,but have a few concerns.

1. I am done with Texas Suburbia and want to live in the city, but which neighborhood?
2. We are a black and white couple, and don't want to be stoned lol, again which neighborhood?
3. With two kids still in high school, which high school is the best, public or private?
4. We have 2 small dogs, Bichon Frise, they are coming!!! Which neighborhood?
5. We are easy going peeps that like Starbucks, shopping, working out, and sometimes vino with pizza which neighborhood?
6. Budget for a condo (not house!) could be up to 350,000.00 if that matters.

Thanks for any advise, good or bad

[jwaiter]

$350,000 for a family of 4? You may need to spend more on your condo.

[emathias]

Originally Posted by miznadja

...
1. I am done with Texas Suburbia and want to live in the city, but which neighborhood?

Lincoln Square, Ravenswood, South Loop, Roscoe Village, University Village, Hyde Park, McKinley Park, Wicker Park, Lakeview, Lincoln Park, Old Town, Gold Coast, Ukrainian Village, Tri-Taylor, Andersonville, Jefferson Park, Old Irving Park, Portage Park, North Center, Kenwood, Bridgeport, there might be a few others, but those cover most of the parts of the city that are reasonably safe and don't feel surburban (at least not Texas suburban).

Originally Posted by miznadja

2. We are a black and white couple, and don't want to be stoned lol, again which neighborhood?

You won't be stoned in any neighborhoods here. Some posters on here would try to steer you to the famously diverse Hyde Park or South Loop or Kenwood. And being a white guy I'm not necessarily the best person to give first-hand advice on which neighborhoods might be better or worse for black/white relationships.

I really don't think you'd experience outright hostility anywhere in Chicago; I'm sure that some areas you'd attract more attention than others but I'll let people with more direct experience chip in on that.

Originally Posted by miznadja

3. With two kids still in high school, which high school is the best, public or private?

Best private school is probably the Latin School (Gold Coast). I'm going to hazard a guess that if your housing budget is what you list below, though, that you might struggle to cover tuition there with two kids (it'd be around $60k/year for two kids together, although there are scholarship awards available - about 13% receive them). The British School (Old Town/Lincoln Park) is also good. Jones Prep (South Loop), which is being rebuilt, is good. Lane Tech (West Lakeview) is good. Lincoln Park (Lincoln Park) is mostly good. I'll let parents fill in other names for you.

Originally Posted by miznadja

4. We have 2 small dogs, Bichon Frise, they are coming!!! Which neighborhood?

Any would work. Lakefront ones would have easy access to the largest parks for walking them.

Originally Posted by miznadja

5. We are easy going peeps that like Starbucks, shopping, working out, and sometimes vino with pizza which neighborhood?

Most neighborhoods could accomodate those, but probably Lincoln Square (don't confuse Lincoln Square and Lincoln Park), Andersonville, West Lakeview/Roscoe Village, University Village, Ukranian Village, Hyde Park would be high on your list. There are other good choices, but the ones I list above are a bit safer than the areas with the lowest prices but give you more condo space for your price range than some of the other popular choices. You could also consider the South Loop including Dearborn Park and the Central Station developments.

You may also want to consider Evanston and Oak Park, as they are more urban than most suburbs, and directly adjacent to the city and served by both "L" and commuter rail lines for easy access to the city.

Originally Posted by miznadja

6. Budget for a condo (not house!) could be up to 350,000.00 if that matters.

Thanks for any advise, good or bad

I assume you'd need at least 3 bedrooms? In the most popular areas, you won't have much selection at that price for 3 bedrooms. There would be some selection, but there would be trade-offs. A 3-bedroom condo sold in my association two years ago for $339,000, but the trade-off is that it was only 1,300 square feet and the living/dining room area was quite small to accommodate the bedrooms. My building also has no yard area and no ammenities. What it does have is location - 10 minute walk to Michigan Avenue, 3-7 minute walk to both the Red Line and the Brown Line, 15 minute walk to the Blue, Orange, Pink and Green Lines and the Loop. 5 minute walk from two Starbucks (I only mention that because you mentioned Starbucks - coffee aficionados here actually prefer Intelligentsia or Metropolis coffees). That's just to give you an idea of what you get in that price range. The Ukrainian Village is 2-3 miles due west from me and you can get probably 50%-75% more space for the same money, not quite as convenient to "L" lines, but still connected to downtown with several buses, has at least one Starbucks and some other shops for walking around, and quieter, tree-lined streets (and, yes, real Ukrainians do still live in the Ukrainian Village).

[Link N. Parker]

Sounds to me like one of the children is now 18; does this mean that they will be off to college somewhere and not at home? If so, then that it seems they could get a 2-bedroom condo, as the 15 yr old could live in the second bedroom.

Based on all the info provided, it sounds to me like living in the Lincoln Square neighborhood would be the right place for them.

[ToriaT]

I agree the Lincoln square neighborhood would be the best to look into. Also being from Germany, you can find social programs at the DankHaus which is a German American cultural center. This is nearby.

DANK Haus German American Cultural Center - Chicago

[marothisu]

Chicago is mostly accepting, so you aren't going to be stoned anywhere. If there's any racists out there, chances are they won't say anything (but if they're drunk, you never know). Based on your criteria, there's a ton of neighborhoods that fit your needs really. Also is being close to public transit necessary? Chicago has the 2nd largest public transit system in the US after New York City. There's 8 train lines and a ton of bus routes. Sometimes the best/fastest/cheapest way to get somewhere is by train or bus.

Based on your budget, surprisingly enough if you like the idea of a high rise, there are actually a decent number of condos available in the Gold Coast (some consider the ones I"m talking about to be downtown) that are at least 2 bedroom/2 bath, some are 3 bedroom

For example:
http://www.realtor.com/realestateand...0_M88466-71444


Other areas like the Wicker Park area or around there. This place looks nice:
http://www.realtor.com/realestateand...ex=IL555470263


There's really a lot of neighborhoods I think you could get a condo in for your price and 2+ bedrooms for sure. Others have recommended Lincoln Square, it's a good neighborhood for sure. I think it really depends on what you're looking for and what not. If you guys are more artsy or musical or what not, then I'd look in some areas of Wicker Park or Ukrainian Village to be honest with you. There's people of a number of different races who live/hang out around there too.


As far as the school thing goes, for high school the best thing is a private school. Technically the best schools are Walter Payton Prep and Northside Prep, but they are very very selective enrollment. Latin School is decent although it costs a lot of $$$$. Others have already been mentioned. I think Lincoln Park High is TECHNICALLY the top rated public, non-selective enrollment school in the city.

[miznadja]

Oh my goodness I did not expect so many responses in such short time!
I'm hugging you all!!!

I do have to clarify (my mistake) yes we will be 3 and I actually would like a townhouse vs condo.
Again, thanks everybody.

Keep the ideas coming!

[marothisu]

Originally Posted by miznadja

Oh my goodness I did not expect so many responses in such short time!
I'm hugging you all!!!

I do have to clarify (my mistake) yes we will be 3 and I actually would like a townhouse vs condo.
Again, thanks everybody.

Keep the ideas coming!

Do you know what part of town your husband would be working? If it's near public transit, then that saves a lot of hassle IMO, unless his company is going to pay for parking if he's in the Loop of something (parking in the Loop, River North, Streeterville, etc is expensive). If they aren't going to pay for his parking and it's near public transit, then I'd consider living somewhere within reach so getting to work like that is pretty easy.

Most people who work in the Loop (that's probably over 300,000 to 400,000) commute by public transit of some kind (if they don't live close enough to walk/bike to work). Some get privately driven to work, and some do drive but it's not a ton of people.

[miznadja]

Looks like my husband's office could be around Hoffman Estates. He is willing to drive, he's the Best!

[jwaiter]

Originally Posted by miznadja

Looks like my husband's office could be around Hoffman Estates. He is willing to drive, he's the Best!

Then your best bet is to search for a home in the northwestern sections of the city. I would suggest Albany Park or Jefferson park.