Need input on north Chicago burbs...(ETHS?) (Evanston, Park Ridge: fit in, to rent)

[Chicago-Newbie]

Hello everyone,

My family has lived in Chicago for a little over a year and we are considering relocating to the burbs.

We currently live in West Rogers Park and like the look of our neighborhood...however, after living here for a year I only know one of our neighbors. I very, very rarely see people on my block hanging out in their front yards. We're on a block with mostly multi-family housing and it doesn't seem like there's much of a sense of community here; and the blocks near here with more single-family homes seem to have either mostly Orthodox Jewish families or retirees. (The Orthodox families make great neighbors, but so far, their kids don't seem to want to mix a whole lot with mine). Also, we're currently sending our kids to a private school, because the neighborhood school is very crowded and in general considered not to be a great school. We would have preferred to live where there is a true neighborhood school that area kids actually GO to (as opposed to what I see here--which is parents driving their kids all over town to get into the "good" magnets, something I'm not willing to do if I can help it) but for a family of our size, it's hard to find affordable and big enough housing in more "desirable" city neighborhoods. We did consider Lincoln Square, which I LOVE, but the commute for my husband would be just enough to be a pain in the butt. Just as a reference, we also love the feel of smaller cities with cute downtowns, like Woodstock, but that's wayyy too far out. So that's got us looking toward the closer north burbs.

We're looking for someplace that's:

*Close to Evanston--my husband works there, and I am interested in simplifying our lives as much as possible by driving as little as possible.
*Walkable -- to grocery stores, coffee shops, etc -- would be great
*Someplace where it would not be unheard of to find a few other parents & kids home during the day.
*Safe, friendly schools, but without a pressure cooker environment. We are a pretty laid back family and while I'm involved in my kids' education, I'm definitely not the Type A sort. For example, most of what I've heard about New Trier leads me to believe it would not be a good fit for us, even though I'm sure it's a great school for some kids/families.
*Someplace where kids actually PLAY OUTSIDE...in their front yards even. I'd love to see a few kids riding their bikes or just walking around the neighborhood!
*We are neither crunchy tree-huggers nor conservatives...we can get along with pretty much anyone of any political idealogy, as long as they are not idiots.
*We are not wealthy and I don't see that changing any time soon...and I don't want my kids to be the "have nots" in a city full of "haves". So, any place that's too overwhelmingly affluent is probably out.

At first it seemed like Evanston was the natural fit, but I've gotten such a mixed review of ETHS that I'm not sure what to think. I've heard that it's so racially/economically divided that there is a real sense of have/have not there and a lot of tension between the kids. But then I'll hear from somebody else that it's a fantastic school and that the negative reviews are overblown. Opinions? My oldest child won't be high school aged for another four years, and we are planning to rent at first, so I suppose that will give us time to really get a feel for it...on the other hand, I'd love to find a community where we can really settle! We will have kids in elementary school for many years to come.

Our financial situation: right now we're looking to rent in the $2000-$2500/mo range. When we are ready to buy in a year or two, I imagine we'll be looking at around $400,000. This can be somewhat flexible, since I work part-time from home and can ratchet it up if needed. I realize that's not a huge budget in the north burbs and may in fact be unrealistic...still adjusting to housing prices around here. We are willing to rent for a while if we have to.

I know Evanston fairly well (love the Central street area) but am not really that familiar with other north burbs, so I'd appreciate input! Thanks in advance.

[nanannie]

Hmm, your posting style/wording is very familiar. Very detailed.Have you tried "Search" and looked at the north shore burbs? Alot of information on here, you will have pages and pages. Or try a search on poster NYSEE. She has some very detailed posts about the area in question. Good luck.

[Chicago-Newbie]

I've never posted here before--just stumbled across the forum today after doing a search on ETHS, which was mentioned on a few recent threads...

I have done quite a few searches on the north shore, but haven't really found much specific info about ETHS. I'll take a look at NYSEE's posts...thanks!

edited to add: I also have seen a lot of the same communities brought up again and again: Wilmette, Evanston, Winnetka, Highland Park,...and I am curious if there are hidden gems up here that would be a good fit for us even if they aren't as well-known.

[TTTenor]

We lived in Evanston while my two daughters were growing up, and both attended ETHS.

However, the younger graduated from ETHS over ten years ago, so I am not certain about the current atmosphere there. While my daughters attended, I was aware of a great level of diversity in the student body. Nevertheless, this was not necessarily a bad thing, since I believe that social isolation is not realistic training for the real world.

I know there were students whose families were much wealthier than we were, but there were also students whose families had little money. Both my girls had many friends, and seldom complained about their school experiences. I believe they received a good education there--some of their teachers were outstanding.

There were few a issues involving have/have-nots, but these were most evident in social activities and events that were not school related.

As far as Evanston the communty, I will say that it is a great place for someone who doesn't want to drive. I walked, or took public transportation nearly everywhere I needed to go, including work. My daughters also walked, or took the bus or el everywhere. However, at least in the neighborhood where we lived--next to Northwestern University--children did not play in the front yard or ride bicycles in the street.

Still, other areas of Evanston may be very different from the area where we lived.

[Costa Rica Chica]

I graduated from ETHS and one of the benefits of such a large and diverse school is that everyone finds a place to fit in. Yes, there are cliques ad popular kids, but there are so many students that it doesn't matter as much as in other schools. I had some amazing teachers there as well as some horrible ones. I think I got a very good education there, in general. Evanston is a great place to live as well, and it is very family-friendly. I have a three-year old son and since moving back here 3 weeks ago, I have gone to the beach, activities at the library, a bicycle race, and 2 festivals. I walk my dog alone at night along dark streets and feel very safe. People are friendly too.

[thePR]

The North Shore is usually expensive. Park Ridge has everything you mentioned that you wanted in a city.

-It's about 20< minutes away from Evanston.
-Uptown has everything you need, shopping, library, Metra and a movie theater.
-There are a lot of parents that stay home with their kids and we have a lot of parks and open space to play in.
-The public schools that your kids would go to are very good and do not have the same type of atmosphere that you hear of with New Trier.
-Kids can play in the yard and not have to worry about anything and like I said there are many parks.
-Politics isn't a big deal here but it is more liberal, like most of the suburbs.
-Park Ridge is not a place where you see all the kids in Mercedes and Armani Exchange clothing.

[lakecountylifer]

Originally Posted by nanannie

Hmm, your posting style/wording is very familiar. Very detailed.Have you tried "Search" and looked at the north shore burbs? Alot of information on here, you will have pages and pages. Or try a search on poster NYSEE. She has some very detailed posts about the area in question. Good luck.

LOL are you insinuating what I am thinking here.?... If true thats hilarious. And all answers should be New Trier!

[Chicago-Newbie]

Originally Posted by thePR

The North Shore is usually expensive. Park Ridge has everything you mentioned that you wanted in a city.

-It's about 20< minutes away from Evanston.
-Uptown has everything you need, shopping, library, Metra and a movie theater.
-There are a lot of parents that stay home with their kids and we have a lot of parks and open space to play in.
-The public schools that your kids would go to are very good and do not have the same type of atmosphere that you hear of with New Trier.
-Kids can play in the yard and not have to worry about anything and like I said there are many parks.
-Politics isn't a big deal here but it is more liberal, like most of the suburbs.
-Park Ridge is not a place where you see all the kids in Mercedes and Armani Exchange clothing.

Thanks! I have driven through Park Ridge a few times and really liked the look of the downtown area--I will give it a closer look.

[Chicago-Newbie]

Originally Posted by lakecountylifer

LOL are you insinuating what I am thinking here.?... If true thats hilarious. And all answers should be New Trier!

Well, I really have no idea what either of you are getting at--do I sound like a regular here? Be assured, I never knew this place existed until yesterday--but, have fun assuming otherwise if it entertains you!

[Lookout Kid]

I don't think there are any "hidden gems" on the North Shore. That's the most hyped area in Chicagoland. You may be able to find something around $400K, but it will be probably be a fixer-upper and small.

Park Ridge might not be a bad fit for you if you don't mind a suburban lifestyle. It's not nearly as walkable as Evanston, but it does have a nice downtown-type area. Park Ridge ain't cheap either, though!

What kind of environment are you interesed in? Do you want older homes with front porches on small lots, or a more automobile-centered suburban experience?

I agree with your assessment of West Rogers Park, by the way. The bungalows are quite nice, but it's hard to become part of the community there if you don't have some pre-existing group you can automatically assimlate into (like the large orthodox Jewish community there, for instance).