Relocating from NY to Chicago, best way to find a job?

[Lunamonkey]

Thank you everyone. It seems like Chicago faces a few problems similar to NYC. Housing is definitely more affordable than NYC but schools are an issue. I really thank everyone for this invaluable information.

[oak317]

Originally Posted by marothisu

[b]e careful of this - CPD isn't the greatest, though the real trouble starts when it's high schools

I was reading Freakonomics, and he has a lot to say about the CPS. First, the real trouble starts in elementary schools, when kids start falling behind. He argues that the black-white test-score gap has entirely to do with quality of schools. These kids test the same before they enter elementary school, but after only a year or two of schooling, the test gap starts to form.

If you think of it, having a good teacher, having a studious classroom, and learning in a safe environment are obvious factors that explain this test gap. Especially when you consider the rampant cheating that went on among teachers (of all people) in fudging their students' test results to improve their chances of getting raises and promotions (or of simply keeping their job).

Originally Posted by Lunamonkey

We are a young family of 3 and are very tired of the high cost of living. We live in Long Island and miss the city life very much as we previously resided in San Francisco. I work in Employee Benefits and my husband is a Construction Project Manager with a local developer. Any ideas what the job market is like in Chicago?
We have a young son and good schools are priority. What are good safe areas in the city with good public schools? How much will a 2 bedroom cost for rent? We appreciate your feedback!

Looks like you have two problems. 1) You miss the city life and 2) You're frustrated with high cost of living. But the underlying problem is that city life is associated with a high cost of living. So you'll probably have to compromise.

One idea that comes to mind is Oak Park. I have never lived there, and admittedly, never even been there. But it's a historic suburb where Frank Lloyd Wright once lived, and is dotted with a lot of Frank Lloyd Wright homes. The reason I mention it is, a 2-bedroom there might be affordable, and I believe there is convenient Green Line access from Oak Park into the city. According to Google Maps, it only takes 30 minutes on the Green Line to get from downtown to Oak Park.

So, I would look into the quality of schools in Oak Park, as well as the cost of housing. Perhaps there are some other places (suburbs or neighborhoods) with good schools and convenient access to the city. But first and foremost, you should visit Chicago sometime during the winter to see if you can tolerate the winter here. Winter is very long, and very cold.