"Best Cities for Families 2017" CHICAGO gets a B- Not so terrible as some accuse? MPLS, DC, SEA, ATL, PHIL, MIA get a D. (Naperville: sales, apartment)

[DavePa]

https://www.apartmentlist.com/renton...-for-families/

* Naperville is a TOP 5 city in the List. Some cities get a F score like Miami, Baltimore and Detroit.

The criteria used; Methodology

Calculated based on a weighting of 4 factors that are of particular importance to families:

Safety - (35%): Use FBI data to rank cities by the total number of violent crimes and property crimes per 100,000 residents.

Housing Affordability - (30%): Use Census data on median gross rent as a percentage of household income as an indicator of housing affordability in each city. Takes into account not only how expensive rents are, but how well they are balanced with requirements. Use data on high school graduation rates, as a proxy for overall school quality. Cities were ranked by the graduation rates of their respective public school districts.

Child Friendliness - (10%): Communities with a greater percentage of children tend to be more family friendly, so we used Census data to score cities based on the percentage of the population under age 18.

***** PLEASE Don't make the thread a POLITICAL blame game and no one is saying Chicago Public schools don't have major issues. But this sight sees OTHER Cities much worst then Chicago for a family overall. 👌

[BRU67]

Chicago is an excellent city if you have money. I don't think anybody disputes that.

[william_jefferson]

Exactly this...money makes all the difference. The cost of being able to have what you want in Chicago is ridiculous compared to a lot of other cities. Private grade schools are $16,000 - $20,000 per child per year. And CPS is horrible. Want to try to get your kid in the few good CPS schools, the homes/condos or rent in those neighborhoods is through the roof, so you're going to pay one way or the other. Sales tax is 10.75%, property taxes are high and continually going up (have to pay for all that corruption somehow). On top of that a bill is going around now that will add more entertainment taxes and increase income taxes.

Chicago is going to become more and more polarized in the future between the haves and have-nots. IF you're a have-not there is no way it's a B-.

[NealIRC]

Originally Posted by william_jefferson

Chicago is going to become more and more polarized in the future between the haves and have-nots. IF you're a have-not there is no way it's a B-.

Huh? What does polarize mean?

How so.

[chet everett]

Originally Posted by NealIRC

Huh? What does polarize mean?

How so.

One might think a guy that claims to live in abandoned buildings understands first hand that if one is unfortunate in their lack of resources or even limited income their ability to raise a family in Chicago is at the extreme polar opposite compared to someone with sufficient income to have access to private schools.

The continued pressure on private schools means tuitions are high; the alternatives to CPS in many area that once included many parochial schools are shrinking. The whole arguement of policies that reallocate funding from traditional public schools that admit everyone toward charter schools that can choose who they serve or toward vouchers that create a "marketplace" out of education for kids is that such things inherent worsen the performance gap -- that sort of polarization is destructive.

The funny thing is nearly every really costly suburb of the type that I tend to recommend has at least some affordable rentals. Many of these rentals are snatched by hard working parents who understand the value of a good education for their kids. In some ways that type of forethought helps more than anything else ...

[NealIRC]

I actually think Chicago is great for rich and poor.

Chicago got rich neighborhoods where grocery stores and rent is double the prices.

And poor neighborhoods where grocery stores and rent is half prices.

And everybody gets along fine with that.

Well I guess I should say, rich Whites and poor Hispanics and Blacks.

Rich Hispanics and rich Blacks certainly choose to live in their own hood, where they argue they can more help the community.

I guess poor Whites are the ones that are the most screwed. Heh.

[damba]

Originally Posted by NealIRC

I actually think Chicago is great for rich and poor.

Chicago got rich neighborhoods where grocery stores and rent is double the prices.

And poor neighborhoods where grocery stores and rent is half prices.

And everybody gets along fine with that.

Well I guess I should say, rich Whites and poor Hispanics and Blacks.

Rich Hispanics and rich Blacks certainly choose to live in their own hood, where they argue they can more help the community.

I guess poor Whites are the ones that are the most screwed. Heh.

You are delusional.

[beaniemac]

Originally Posted by NealIRC

I actually think Chicago is great for rich and poor.

Chicago got rich neighborhoods where grocery stores and rent is double the prices.

And poor neighborhoods where grocery stores and rent is half prices.

And everybody gets along fine with that.

Well I guess I should say, rich Whites and poor Hispanics and Blacks.

Rich Hispanics and rich Blacks certainly choose to live in their own hood, where they argue they can more help the community.

I guess poor Whites are the ones that are the most screwed. Heh.

name a poor white neighborhood in chicago.

[NealIRC]

Originally Posted by beaniemac

name a poor white neighborhood in chicago.

That's kind of what I mean by poor Whites in Chicago are the most screwed, if there aren't any poor White neighborhoods.

But I would suggest the ones way out west like Portage Park, take Irving Park towards the HIP mall. Which are the Eastern European neighborhoods. And going north to by O'hare.

Some of these neighborhoods have old Polish geezers walking around drunk and can't speak English.

[DavePa]

Originally Posted by chet everett

One might think a guy that claims to live in abandoned buildings understands first hand that if one is unfortunate in their lack of resources or even limited income their ability to raise a family in Chicago is at the extreme polar opposite compared to someone with sufficient income to have access to private schools and
The continued pressure on private schools means tuitions are high; the alternatives to CPS in many area that once included many parochial schools are shrinking. The whole arguement of policies that reallocate funding from traditional public schools that admit everyone toward charter schools that can choose who they serve or toward vouchers that create a "marketplace" out of education for kids is that such things inherent worsen the performance gap -- that sort of polarization is destructive.

The funny thing is nearly every really costly suburb of the type that I tend to recommend has at least some affordable rentals. Many of these rentals are snatched by hard working parents who understand the value of a good education for their kids. In some ways that type of forethought helps more than anything else ...

I believe I left out one of the criteria of the sight. That have Chicago a B- for Families that is

- Education Quality (25%): Comparing schools across different states can be challenging due to differing education requirements. We have chosen to use data on high school graduation rates, collected by the Department of Education, as a proxy for overall school quality. Cities were ranked by the graduation rates of their respective public school districts.

It clearly says PUBLIC schools in graduation rates. Apparently, other cities have even lower graduation rates and lower in the other criteria. So it had nothing to do with Charter schools.

Parochial schools have been closed NATIONWIDE especially elementary schools. None exist by me for 60 miles though a Regional High School still does. Philly lost much as Catholic as Chicago though less Latinos and across the state. Not to mention 30% of the Catholic Churches even closed statewide. I'm sure not merely PA.

I know you see Illinois and the City of Chicago in particular. Cleveland has cheaper rents and housing. Yet faired worse. Philly schools CLEARLY gain lower Public school grades then Chicago. This in virtually all studies. Even PA I live, can't even pass a budget.

PA is closing a huge Pittsburgh Prison instead of a couple smaller more rural prisons by me and dancing with drastic cuts to the 4 or 5 State Colleges and CLOSURES.

It is far from Illinois and Chicago today sadly. Since I know you always push them as worst in most things. Philly just added a Soda tax and has a tax to work in the city.

PA just added a 8-cent per gallon gas tax Jan. 1. List goes on.