Possible Move from San Diego to Chicago for Military Family of 5

[ravivg]

I don't know if it's relevant for you, but I'd check the suburbs that are now accessible to IIT by the Rock Island metra line that stops right on campus.

This can help.

[jonnynonos]

Would look at Bridgeport, Ravenswood, Andersonville, Lincoln Square and, going northwest, the Bungalow Belt, neighborhoods like Edison Park and Jefferson Park. Those are almost like living out of the city in the burbs, but you will be able to get a house with a lawn and a driveway, etc., if that is important for the kids.

Not sure about raising 3 kids in the Gold Coast. On the one hand it could be a great adventure--I mean, it's the Gold Coast, it's essentially the most desirable neighborhood in the city. I would say renting a three bedroom there and sending the kids to public school would put you in a very, very unique category. There are probably very few people doing that. The families in that area are nearly all multi-millionaires; the assesments and property taxes on many of the condos/houses alone are more than most people pay in rent.

But if it's something you want to explore, it could be a lot of fun. Of course everything from restaurants to groceries tend to be a lot more expensive in that neighborhood, but there are work-arounds.

I don't know that much about the schools except to say that it seems most of the middle-class families I know in the city have been able to make it work, either through their kids getting in charter/magnet schools or at the ever-shrinking handful of non-exorbitantly priced Catholic schools.

Good luck!