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So my husband and I and our 4 month old daughter are talking about relocating to numerous areas.One Our top choices being Chicago. We plan to visit in February 2013. And plan to move October 2013.
He has a major in Communications and I don't have a degree. We are planning to go without jobs lined up but we will have 10,000 with us. We do plan to try and apply for jobs while still in Ohio though. So we are not sure how much we'd be bringing home when we got there. So our budget is well, cheap.
Right now we know that Chicago is a lot more expensive than Ohio. Currently we pay 600 for a 2 bedroom, with being paid a little over minimum wage which is $7.75 here.
We want to be in a family friendly area, but still near transportation (we will still be bringing our car) and the heart of the city. A little commute is fine. We commute 40 minutes away to the city right now.
We want safe of course.
So what i'm asking is, what neighborhoods should we look at? We are fine with a studio apartment, fine with a 1 bedroom/2 bedroom. And if we could get a three bedroom well, that's unlikely ha!
Any ideas or suggestions would be amazing! Thank you!
You definitely want to make sure you have at least one job before you move. The majority of (reputable) landlords will not rent to you if you do not have one verifiable source of income regardless of how much you have in savings - but savings really helps!!! "Safe" areas to live are a little subjective. I would say Bucktown, parts of Wicker Park, Lincoln Park, Lakeview, Andersonville, Ravenswood, and Lincoln Square are very safe and good bets for family activities. Parts of Edgewater and parts of Logan Square are a bit rougher around the edges but safe if you have a bit of street smarts and live in a "good" building on a "good" block. Albany park is generally safe. Ukrainian Village is generally safe.
Stay away from the South side until you know your way around better. Parts of Pilsen are artistic and fun - safe, other parts horrific war zones and it is hard to tell just by looking. Parts of Bridgeport are good too...but if I were you - at first I would stay on the Northside until you get your bearings. The west side is horrible (drugs, gangs, guns) and almost all of the south side is a third world war zone (yes yes Virginia I know there are a few exceptions but I'm sure parts of the third world are nice too).
The tricky part is balancing your budget with the safety and square footage you want combined with access to transportation. For reference, we live in a 725 square foot 2 bedroom "coach house" in Bucktown and it costs us $1,000 a month plus utilities (approx another $300 a month - gas, electric, water). Internet and cell phones on top of that. *wry grin* We have a small yard and vintage character (wood floors, molding, mop boards, tall ceilings, etc.) with modern bathroom and kitchen upgrades (but no dishwasher or garbage disposal). It is teeny tiny and we made many trips to ikea before we got it arranged and just right to live in. LOL But the area is very safe and has a lot of families as well as walking distance to several safe private schools.
Close friends rent the second floor rear apartment of a home across the alley that is approx 600 square feet (no yard access & galley kitchen that is more or less a part of the front room) with similar vintage charm/modern upgrades for $825 plus utilities. Generally trash removal is included in the rent in Chicago. The first floor of the same home across the alley is a large apartment (the entire first floor) 2 small bedrooms, living room, small dining room, separate kitchen, new bathroom, deck and half the yard for $1,500 plus utilities.
Compare the above to where we used to live in Edgewater before having a child. Edgewater is not as safe as Bucktown but it isn't a war zone - think fine during the day, occasional gun violence at night mostly in the summer. Lots of break ins/property crime but you are generally physically safe with the exception of a concentration/cluster of registered sex offenders along Granville and Thorndale. We had a 2 bedroom 1000 square foot vintage apartment (no modern upgrades) that included water, gas/heat, for $800. We only paid electric. So you may be comfortable with Edgewater. However, STAY AWAY FROM UPTOWN! It has the highest concentration of what is euphemistically termed "social services" (aka methadone clinics, mental "wellness facilities", etc.) You are not safe living there. Many people purchased new development condos there as they were told by realtors the area was "up and coming". It isn't...and now they are desperate to rent them out. So you will see an ad for a beautiful 2 bedroom condo for peanuts per month and you might get greedy. So you move in thinking, "how bad can it be?" Then outside your window from dusk till dawn the area looks like the zombie apocalypse. As an added bonus to us working folks who have to get up and earn a living when crack hooker happy hour rolls around (approx 3 a.m.) you will not be able to sleep with all the noise/screams from hell. I speak from experience, if you move to Uptown you will find yourself and your husband desperately shoving your half packed possessions into a moving truck while your brother tries to fend off drug addicts stealing things right off the moving truck. You will be praying that no one stabs your brother with a used hypodermic giving him AIDS just because you wanted to live in a cheap apartment and he agreed to help you move out. LOL! That was the only apartment I ever broke a lease and I left behind half of what I owned (couch, some shelves, basically anything I couldn't move quickly) since it really wasn't worth it to me to get my brother hurt. The condo owners who rented to me were actually pretty understanding - so that should tell you what an awful area Uptown is. Save yourself the stress and money.
You mentioned your child is 4 months old...so soon you will have to factor in where he/she will go to preschool or day care and that may affect where you decide to move. CPS (Chicago Public Schools) are not really an option - violent and not a good learning environment. Only the most desperate, dumbest, or least involved parents dump their children off at a CPS detention center. Even the "good" CPS schools are barely acceptable. If you are planning on sending your little one to preschool consider how far away you live from any decent private schools and if they offer before school and after school care so you can work.
The Chicago Reader has extensive apartment listings and you can't go wrong with looking on craigslist as you can search by neighborhood. Google street view will be helpful if you see a listing you like. "Walk" around the street view and see what the area looks like before you waste your time going to look at an apartment. If the listing is across from a rehab facility or public school, you can decide of the rent is low enough to offset the issues that come with living that close. Street view will show you how far from the train or bus stop you are. Most landlords charge an additional fee for parking. Use street view to see if street parking is an option. Don't bother with ads that state they accept "section 8" vouchers, you will be living in a crap apartment. Try to rent from a landlord who owns the building/apartment. Management companies have less motivation to ensure a building is safe if they are getting the rent every month. There are services like "Apartment People" and "Apartment Finders" who will drive you around looking at apartments landlords have listed with them. The sales people get a one month commission if you rent - the fee is paid by the landlord. So rents are a little inflated to cover the commission and the apartments are decidedly second tier (although not total crap) since the landlord was unable to rent them him/herself and resorted to hiring a salesperson. Also, with apartment finding services you don't get to meet the landlord until AFTER you have signed a lease and I have found you can get a better feel for the landlord if you can look them in the eye and have a bit of a chat. Your mileage may vary but your gut instincts will help you decide if that landlord will answer his cell phone when you have no heat in January. A slick sales person isn't going to be able to help you assess your landlord. The best way to find an apartment is to find the area you want to live in, then search listings or walk the streets looking for "for rent" signs. Chicago is generally pet friendly. Our landlord allows dogs, cats, whatever for no additional deposit or fee and most of my apartments have been "pet friendly" (sometimes there is an additional deposit or non refundable fee required). Grab a lead test kit from home depot and test a few areas in the place you are interested in. Lots of vintage buildings are full of lead paint that hasn't been painted over/sealed and you have a little one. The rapid results kits are like little q tips you touch to a surface and they turn pink/red if lead is present. I tested a few doors and the window sills of each place (the walls were freshly painted) just to be safe.
There are a lot of jobs above minimum wage here (because the cost of living is much higher in Chicago). Downtown hotels are always hiring for front desk people (approx $15 per hour) and server positions (approx $12 includes tips). You or your husband can always grab one of those jobs quickly to have a bit of income while you look for your "real" job.
Keep in mind your living space will be small but you will have so much to do and so many places to meet friends and socialize (there are a million moms n tots groups, story times at the library, etc.) that you are really only home to eat and sleep or zone out to a bit of tv. *smile* Go for small and safe in the best area you can afford and I think you will really enjoy living in Chicago.
Last edited by Married Mom; 12-01-2012 at 11:26 PM..
Reason: misspelled words
You definitely want to make sure you have at least one job before you move. The majority of (reputable) landlords will not rent to you if you do not have one verifiable source of income regardless of how much you have in savings - but savings really helps!!! "Safe" areas to live are a little subjective. I would say Bucktown, parts of Wicker Park, Lincoln Park, Lakeview, Andersonville, Ravenswood, and Lincoln Square are very safe and good bets for family activities. Parts of Edgewater and parts of Logan Square are a bit rougher around the edges but safe if you have a bit of street smarts and live in a "good" building on a "good" block. Albany park is generally safe. Ukrainian Village is generally safe.
Stay away from the South side until you know your way around better. Parts of Pilsen are artistic and fun - safe, other parts horrific war zones and it is hard to tell just by looking. Parts of Bridgeport are good too...but if I were you - at first I would stay on the Northside until you get your bearings. The west side is horrible (drugs, gangs, guns) and almost all of the south side is a third world war zone (yes yes Virginia I know there are a few exceptions but I'm sure parts of the third world are nice too).
The tricky part is balancing your budget with the safety and square footage you want combined with access to transportation. For reference, we live in a 725 square foot 2 bedroom "coach house" in Bucktown and it costs us $1,000 a month plus utilities (approx another $300 a month - gas, electric, water). Internet and cell phones on top of that. *wry grin* We have a small yard and vintage character (wood floors, molding, mop boards, tall ceilings, etc.) with modern bathroom and kitchen upgrades (but no dishwasher or garbage disposal). It is teeny tiny and we made many trips to ikea before we got it arranged and just right to live in. LOL But the area is very safe and has a lot of families as well as walking distance to several safe private schools.
Close friends rent the second floor rear apartment of a home across the alley that is approx 600 square feet (no yard access & galley kitchen that is more or less a part of the front room) with similar vintage charm/modern upgrades for $825 plus utilities. Generally trash removal is included in the rent in Chicago. The first floor of the same home across the alley is a large apartment (the entire first floor) 2 small bedrooms, living room, small dining room, separate kitchen, new bathroom, deck and half the yard for $1,500 plus utilities.
Compare the above to where we used to live in Edgewater before having a child. Edgewater is not as safe as Bucktown but it isn't a war zone - think fine during the day, occasional gun violence at night mostly in the summer. Lots of break ins/property crime but you are generally physically safe with the exception of a concentration/cluster of registered sex offenders along Granville and Thorndale. We had a 2 bedroom 1000 square foot vintage apartment (no modern upgrades) that included water, gas/heat, for $800. We only paid electric. So you may be comfortable with Edgewater. However, STAY AWAY FROM UPTOWN! It has the highest concentration of what is euphemistically termed "social services" (aka methadone clinics, mental "wellness facilities", etc.) You are not safe living there. Many people purchased new development condos there as they were told by realtors the area was "up and coming". It isn't...and now they are desperate to rent them out. So you will see an ad for a beautiful 2 bedroom condo for peanuts per month and you might get greedy. So you move in thinking, "how bad can it be?" Then outside your window from dusk till dawn the area looks like the zombie apocalypse. As an added bonus to us working folks who have to get up and earn a living when crack hooker happy hour rolls around (approx 3 a.m.) you will not be able to sleep with all the noise/screams from hell. I speak from experience, if you move to Uptown you will find yourself and your husband desperately shoving your half packed possessions into a moving truck while your brother tries to fend off drug addicts stealing things right off the moving truck. You will be praying that no one stabs your brother with a used hypodermic giving him AIDS just because you wanted to live in a cheap apartment and he agreed to help you move out. LOL! That was the only apartment I ever broke a lease and I left behind half of what I owned (couch, some shelves, basically anything I couldn't move quickly) since it really wasn't worth it to me to get my brother hurt. The condo owners who rented to me were actually pretty understanding - so that should tell you what an awful area Uptown is. Save yourself the stress and money.
You mentioned your child is 4 months old...so soon you will have to factor in where he/she will go to preschool or day care and that may affect where you decide to move. CPS (Chicago Public Schools) are not really an option - violent and not a good learning environment. Only the most desperate, dumbest, or least involved parents dump their children off at a CPS detention center. Even the "good" CPS schools are barely acceptable. If you are planning on sending your little one to preschool consider how far away you live from any decent private schools and if they offer before school and after school care so you can work.
The Chicago Reader has extensive apartment listings and you can't go wrong with looking on craigslist as you can search by neighborhood. Google street view will be helpful if you see a listing you like. "Walk" around the street view and see what the area looks like before you waste your time going to look at an apartment. If the listing is across from a rehab facility or public school, you can decide of the rent is low enough to offset the issues that come with living that close. Street view will show you how far from the train or bus stop you are. Most landlords charge an additional fee for parking. Use street view to see if street parking is an option. Don't bother with ads that state they accept "section 8" vouchers, you will be living in a crap apartment. Try to rent from a landlord who owns the building/apartment. Management companies have less motivation to ensure a building is safe if they are getting the rent every month. There are services like "Apartment People" and "Apartment Finders" who will drive you around looking at apartments landlords have listed with them. The sales people get a one month commission if you rent - the fee is paid by the landlord. So rents are a little inflated to cover the commission and the apartments are decidedly second tier (although not total crap) since the landlord was unable to rent them him/herself and resorted to hiring a salesperson. Also, with apartment finding services you don't get to meet the landlord until AFTER you have signed a lease and I have found you can get a better feel for the landlord if you can look them in the eye and have a bit of a chat. Your mileage may vary but your gut instincts will help you decide if that landlord will answer his cell phone when you have no heat in January. A slick sales person isn't going to be able to help you assess your landlord. The best way to find an apartment is to find the area you want to live in, then search listings or walk the streets looking for "for rent" signs. Chicago is generally pet friendly. Our landlord allows dogs, cats, whatever for no additional deposit or fee and most of my apartments have been "pet friendly" (sometimes there is an additional deposit or non refundable fee required). Grab a lead test kit from home depot and test a few areas in the place you are interested in. Lots of vintage buildings are full of lead paint that hasn't been painted over/sealed and you have a little one. The rapid results kits are like little q tips you touch to a surface and they turn pink/red if lead is present. I tested a few doors and the window sills of each place (the walls were freshly painted) just to be safe.
There are a lot of jobs above minimum wage here (because the cost of living is much higher in Chicago). Downtown hotels are always hiring for front desk people (approx $15 per hour) and server positions (approx $12 includes tips). You or your husband can always grab one of those jobs quickly to have a bit of income while you look for your "real" job.
Keep in mind your living space will be small but you will have so much to do and so many places to meet friends and socialize (there are a million moms n tots groups, story times at the library, etc.) that you are really only home to eat and sleep or zone out to a bit of tv. *smile* Go for small and safe in the best area you can afford and I think you will really enjoy living in Chicago.
So my husband and I and our 4 month old daughter are talking about relocating to numerous areas.One Our top choices being Chicago. We plan to visit in February 2013. And plan to move October 2013.
He has a major in Communications and I don't have a degree. We are planning to go without jobs lined up but we will have 10,000 with us. We do plan to try and apply for jobs while still in Ohio though. So we are not sure how much we'd be bringing home when we got there. So our budget is well, cheap.
Right now we know that Chicago is a lot more expensive than Ohio. Currently we pay 600 for a 2 bedroom, with being paid a little over minimum wage which is $7.75 here.
We want to be in a family friendly area, but still near transportation (we will still be bringing our car) and the heart of the city. A little commute is fine. We commute 40 minutes away to the city right now.
We want safe of course.
So what i'm asking is, what neighborhoods should we look at? We are fine with a studio apartment, fine with a 1 bedroom/2 bedroom. And if we could get a three bedroom well, that's unlikely ha!
Any ideas or suggestions would be amazing! Thank you!
I don't want to discourage you but I do want to caution you.... The job market here SUCKS for anyone without a specific field. Your husband might do well but the odds of you finding a job will be very slim.
Also $10000 will not last long here. Most 2bd rm apartments in the Burbs are will over $1000 a month plus utilities. Gas is stupid high, Insurance is outrageous and the cost of everyday goods is obnoxious. Its really hard to live here on anything less than about $60K a year.
Some other things to consider. This state is dead broke so taxes on everything are outrageous from food to property. Getting anywhere on the tolls ways will cost you a fortune as well. Just getting from Chicago to the WI boarder is almost $4 in tolls. Crime is also something you need to consider with a small family. We just passed the 500 mark for murders THIS YEAR.....
I know Ohio very well as I have family scattered all over the state. Like I said. I'm not trying to discourage you but I'm not going to blow smoke up you butt about how nice Chicago is because it isn't...
I know a lot of people here are going to argue with me or disagree. If you want to chat feel free to send me a private message. I'm not doom and gloom but things are not pretty here right now.
You definitely want to make sure you have at least one job before you move. The majority of (reputable) landlords will not rent to you if you do not have one verifiable source of income regardless of how much you have in savings - but savings really helps!!! "Safe" areas to live are a little subjective. I would say Bucktown, parts of Wicker Park, Lincoln Park, Lakeview, Andersonville, Ravenswood, and Lincoln Square are very safe and good bets for family activities. Parts of Edgewater and parts of Logan Square are a bit rougher around the edges but safe if you have a bit of street smarts and live in a "good" building on a "good" block. Albany park is generally safe. Ukrainian Village is generally safe.
Stay away from the South side until you know your way around better. Parts of Pilsen are artistic and fun - safe, other parts horrific war zones and it is hard to tell just by looking. Parts of Bridgeport are good too...but if I were you - at first I would stay on the Northside until you get your bearings. The west side is horrible (drugs, gangs, guns) and almost all of the south side is a third world war zone (yes yes Virginia I know there are a few exceptions but I'm sure parts of the third world are nice too).
The tricky part is balancing your budget with the safety and square footage you want combined with access to transportation. For reference, we live in a 725 square foot 2 bedroom "coach house" in Bucktown and it costs us $1,000 a month plus utilities (approx another $300 a month - gas, electric, water). Internet and cell phones on top of that. *wry grin* We have a small yard and vintage character (wood floors, molding, mop boards, tall ceilings, etc.) with modern bathroom and kitchen upgrades (but no dishwasher or garbage disposal). It is teeny tiny and we made many trips to ikea before we got it arranged and just right to live in. LOL But the area is very safe and has a lot of families as well as walking distance to several safe private schools.
Close friends rent the second floor rear apartment of a home across the alley that is approx 600 square feet (no yard access & galley kitchen that is more or less a part of the front room) with similar vintage charm/modern upgrades for $825 plus utilities. Generally trash removal is included in the rent in Chicago. The first floor of the same home across the alley is a large apartment (the entire first floor) 2 small bedrooms, living room, small dining room, separate kitchen, new bathroom, deck and half the yard for $1,500 plus utilities.
Compare the above to where we used to live in Edgewater before having a child. Edgewater is not as safe as Bucktown but it isn't a war zone - think fine during the day, occasional gun violence at night mostly in the summer. Lots of break ins/property crime but you are generally physically safe with the exception of a concentration/cluster of registered sex offenders along Granville and Thorndale. We had a 2 bedroom 1000 square foot vintage apartment (no modern upgrades) that included water, gas/heat, for $800. We only paid electric. So you may be comfortable with Edgewater. However, STAY AWAY FROM UPTOWN! It has the highest concentration of what is euphemistically termed "social services" (aka methadone clinics, mental "wellness facilities", etc.) You are not safe living there. Many people purchased new development condos there as they were told by realtors the area was "up and coming". It isn't...and now they are desperate to rent them out. So you will see an ad for a beautiful 2 bedroom condo for peanuts per month and you might get greedy. So you move in thinking, "how bad can it be?" Then outside your window from dusk till dawn the area looks like the zombie apocalypse. As an added bonus to us working folks who have to get up and earn a living when crack hooker happy hour rolls around (approx 3 a.m.) you will not be able to sleep with all the noise/screams from hell. I speak from experience, if you move to Uptown you will find yourself and your husband desperately shoving your half packed possessions into a moving truck while your brother tries to fend off drug addicts stealing things right off the moving truck. You will be praying that no one stabs your brother with a used hypodermic giving him AIDS just because you wanted to live in a cheap apartment and he agreed to help you move out. LOL! That was the only apartment I ever broke a lease and I left behind half of what I owned (couch, some shelves, basically anything I couldn't move quickly) since it really wasn't worth it to me to get my brother hurt. The condo owners who rented to me were actually pretty understanding - so that should tell you what an awful area Uptown is. Save yourself the stress and money.
You mentioned your child is 4 months old...so soon you will have to factor in where he/she will go to preschool or day care and that may affect where you decide to move. CPS (Chicago Public Schools) are not really an option - violent and not a good learning environment. Only the most desperate, dumbest, or least involved parents dump their children off at a CPS detention center. Even the "good" CPS schools are barely acceptable. If you are planning on sending your little one to preschool consider how far away you live from any decent private schools and if they offer before school and after school care so you can work.
The Chicago Reader has extensive apartment listings and you can't go wrong with looking on craigslist as you can search by neighborhood. Google street view will be helpful if you see a listing you like. "Walk" around the street view and see what the area looks like before you waste your time going to look at an apartment. If the listing is across from a rehab facility or public school, you can decide of the rent is low enough to offset the issues that come with living that close. Street view will show you how far from the train or bus stop you are. Most landlords charge an additional fee for parking. Use street view to see if street parking is an option. Don't bother with ads that state they accept "section 8" vouchers, you will be living in a crap apartment. Try to rent from a landlord who owns the building/apartment. Management companies have less motivation to ensure a building is safe if they are getting the rent every month. There are services like "Apartment People" and "Apartment Finders" who will drive you around looking at apartments landlords have listed with them. The sales people get a one month commission if you rent - the fee is paid by the landlord. So rents are a little inflated to cover the commission and the apartments are decidedly second tier (although not total crap) since the landlord was unable to rent them him/herself and resorted to hiring a salesperson. Also, with apartment finding services you don't get to meet the landlord until AFTER you have signed a lease and I have found you can get a better feel for the landlord if you can look them in the eye and have a bit of a chat. Your mileage may vary but your gut instincts will help you decide if that landlord will answer his cell phone when you have no heat in January. A slick sales person isn't going to be able to help you assess your landlord. The best way to find an apartment is to find the area you want to live in, then search listings or walk the streets looking for "for rent" signs. Chicago is generally pet friendly. Our landlord allows dogs, cats, whatever for no additional deposit or fee and most of my apartments have been "pet friendly" (sometimes there is an additional deposit or non refundable fee required). Grab a lead test kit from home depot and test a few areas in the place you are interested in. Lots of vintage buildings are full of lead paint that hasn't been painted over/sealed and you have a little one. The rapid results kits are like little q tips you touch to a surface and they turn pink/red if lead is present. I tested a few doors and the window sills of each place (the walls were freshly painted) just to be safe.
There are a lot of jobs above minimum wage here (because the cost of living is much higher in Chicago). Downtown hotels are always hiring for front desk people (approx $15 per hour) and server positions (approx $12 includes tips). You or your husband can always grab one of those jobs quickly to have a bit of income while you look for your "real" job.
Keep in mind your living space will be small but you will have so much to do and so many places to meet friends and socialize (there are a million moms n tots groups, story times at the library, etc.) that you are really only home to eat and sleep or zone out to a bit of tv. *smile* Go for small and safe in the best area you can afford and I think you will really enjoy living in Chicago.
Your posting is very informative, especially for the newcomers to Chicago area. Now, how about West Ridge or Rogers Park area? I used to live in West Ridge many years back. Thanks
Your posting is very informative, especially for the newcomers to Chicago area. Now, how about West Ridge or Rogers Park area? I used to live in West Ridge many years back. Thanks
Rogers Park as a whole is improving quite a bit. The area around Howard is still not the safest, but even up there things are improving. Morse Av by the CTA stop is in great shape with some rehabbed apartment rentals and condos. Also, some new bars and coffee shops........as well as theater and other types of creative folks. Housing is still cheap so the residents are a mixed bag, but the number of young professionals and yuppie types has dramatically increased. It is gentrifying, but it doesn't have the gentrification feel of places like Lake View.
West Ridge.....I don't feel has been doing that well. I think one of the keys to the Rogers Park resurgence has been the proximity to the Red Line. West Ridge is isolated.
Also, Marriedmom's critique of Edgewater and Uptown are a little over the top. Uptown has its share of issues concerning the mentally ill, drug addicts etc., but that is usually east of the Red Line. In fact according to the Trib's neighborhood crime data base it was the 8th safest neighborhood in the city last month (out of 77). It is possible to find nice housing and a safe street between Truman College and Ravenswood. Edgewater is safe and......I guess I would say up and coming. it is certainly safer than Bucktown (which is technically part of Logan Square if you want to check the crime numbers yourself). There are property crimes, but those happen everywhere in our fair city. Marriedmom's assessment of CPS is definitely closer to accurate. Unless you can manipulate things so that your child can go to magnet schools for everything, you will need to consider the suburbs or private school
I don't recommend moving to Chicago unless you have jobs lined up or family/friends here to help you. As other posters have pointed out, prices here are high (10% sales tax, $50-$100/month for a reserved parking spot, expensive rent, etc.) and I know people who have lived here unemployed for over a year without finding anything. If you want to move someplace urban, there are plenty of cheaper cities in the US: Minneapolis, Pittsburgh, Charlotte, just to name a few places where my friends have migrated.
If you do decide to move, I'd recommend the neighborhoods around the brown line: Lincoln Square, North Center, Irving Park, Ravenswood, etc. These neighborhoods are family-friendly, with low crime and lots of green space, but they also have plenty of cool independent businesses, plus the brown line can get you downtown quickly.
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How about a few other areas?
