new job in Winnetka, can't afford to live there! (budget, teacher)

[chet everett]

Originally Posted by Nysee53

... You and your kids really won't fit in and it will not be happy for you. ...typical upper-class suburb and you will not be accepted. ...

I have to think you've never been to any of the towns you assume the OP "won't fit it in". One of my best friends is a teacher and coach at New Trier, he did not make a lot of money to start with and with twins they quickly had more kids than they thought they would with less income than they would've liked. They fit in PERFECTLY well! There A LOT of people with bigger families in those districts. There are more than few single moms and single dads too. No one knows or cares if you are stretched a little on your budget -- after all, do you think that no one in those towns has to worry about the size of a mortgage payments? Get real -- with the slow down in real estate and the turmoil in financial circles MANY people deal with the reality that their budget is shrinking...

Are some kinds spoiled in those towns? You bet. But there a just as large a percentage of spoiled snobby kids in pretty much every town in America!

LOTS of teachers live in the district -- just like the parents the VAST majority do it FOR THE QUALITY OF EDUCATION.

What is this nonsense about "not being accepted"? No matter where the OP lives she is going to be a working mom -- it is not like she is planning on hanging out with Eva Longoria & Teri Hatcher. With four kids I'm sure she knows exactly what sort of challenges will face her anywhere -- by living in the district she teaches in she'll have the benefit of a short commute, same holidays as the kids and be as involved as one could hope in their education. Further, most teachers are pretty sympathetic to their colleagues -- I'm sure that they'll be more than willing to look out for her and the kids as much as is possible...

[crbcrbrgv]

Originally Posted by Nysee53

You can find 1 bedroom rentals in Winnetka for around $850 and 2 bedrooms begin to press $1200. I would not recommend living in New Trier Township with your income. You and your kids really won't fit in and it will not be happy for you. I would recommend you to live in Highwood, so that you get Highland Park schools. Highland Park schools are also more accepting of families with lower incomes than New Trier. Highland Park also has some affordable housing developments, which require you to buy and it would be at less than $200,000. Northbrook is very nice and is just west of Glencoe. You might find something there, but again Northbrook is a typical upper-class suburb and you will not be accepted. Rogers Park would be a very good fit. A lot of teachers from Evanston, New Trier, Northfield, and Niles Townships live there. You would be closer to the average income in Rogers Park. Living near New Trier is not bad it is just noisy from 6AM until around 7PM. Evanston is the most expensive rental market on the North Shore so I would not even think about it.

Sorry had to comment about this one. Whenever someone not from the North Shore (like myself) says that New Trier area residents are too snooty for "poor" people, we get lambasted on here. When someone from there says it, quite alright.

[butterfly76]

In any case, I do thank everyone for their honest opinions about things. My youngest two are twins, and my older ones are in elementary and middle school respectively, and I had only half my BS completed when my husband left me. The northern suburbs should have been the last place I was looking for employment, but positions for elementary teachers are tight; I subbed for a year and a half first so I grabbed the first job offer made to me.

The option of tutoring is something I hadn't considered, so that is something to think about.

I don't want my children to be made fun of, but on the other hand, no matter what the income, I'd encourage them to live a non-materialistic lifestyle with an eye for conservation and green living. KIds will tease everywhere, unfortunately.

Thank you for sharing thoughts, everyone.

[chet everett]

Originally Posted by butterfly76

In any case, I do thank everyone for their honest opinions about things. My youngest two are twins, and my older ones are in elementary and middle school respectively, and I had only half my BS completed when my husband left me. The northern suburbs should have been the last place I was looking for employment, but positions for elementary teachers are tight; I subbed for a year and a half first so I grabbed the first job offer made to me.

The option of tutoring is something I hadn't considered, so that is something to think about.

I don't want my children to be made fun of, but on the other hand, no matter what the income, I'd encourage them to live a non-materialistic lifestyle with an eye for conservation and green living. KIds will tease everywhere, unfortunately.

Thank you for sharing thoughts, everyone.

Seriously, 99% of kids don't give a DAMN about who has pennies and who has money bags. There are kids that are nice to one another and those that are bullies and set up cliques -- I'd venture to say some of that is even MORE likely in schools with a "downmarket" socio-economic mix. I mean seriously, when you see a giant LV or Coach logo is it on somebody that looks like they are going to the Ivy League or to a hip-hop rave?

The non-materialistic world view is not something that you'll be alone with -- plenty of people are much more into "green" in the eco sense than are into 'green' in the "spend more money" sense. Trust me. There is no North Shore middle school that thinks Paris Hilton is a better role model than Al Gore!

Kids can do yoga in RAGS and be totally hip, people who work out in "Juicy Couture" look like they don't even know the Sopranos are not on HBO anymore.

Got any Members Only jackets?

[outsider1]

Originally Posted by butterfly76

I don't want my children to be made fun of, but on the other hand, no matter what the income, I'd encourage them to live a non-materialistic lifestyle with an eye for conservation and green living. KIds will tease everywhere, unfortunately.

Thank you for sharing thoughts, everyone.

Take a serious look at Skokie. It's an all-around good place to live and will likely be a good environment for your children. There are privetly owned 3bdr rentals that should fit your budget near Oakton community college and also along Skokie Blvd and Gross Point Rd between Church St and Dempster St.
It's about 20 minutes from anywhere in Winnetka via 94, or about 30-35 minutes via streets.

[Nysee53]

Actually I live in New Trier Township and I have my only child in Central Middle School. I know the area having lived here for over 20 years.

[chet everett]

Originally Posted by Nysee53

Actually I live in New Trier Township and I have my only child in Central Middle School. I know the area having lived here for over 20 years.

I almost cannot help but personally attack you. Here is a actual resident, with a child in a school that may have this person as a teacher, and they are suggesting "you are not to move to my little enclave, you mere teacher"...

WTF?

Do you stand by the rental properties with you son or daughter and say "Look down upon THOSE people my child. Shun them. For they have not purchased a home."?

I am flabbergasted...

[Anthera]

Yeah I thought it was a strange post too. I can only say I haven't seen that sort of behavior in Kenilworth/Winnetka. I have seen many people go out of their way to make low income families feel welcome in these towns, especially when the parents work at the schools. Maybe its a Wilmette thing.

[LBSer]

well Nysee53 is without a doubt a white middle aged woman, who has been sheltered all her spoiled life. that she has no idea what REAL life is. she has put herself in her snooty life bubble all her life that i wanna burst that bubble and personally slap her in the face. do you know the USA is in recession now, may i ask? so practically all of us who live in the REAL world is doing all we can to stretch our measly budget to live the good life.

[gwilson67]

Hello Butterfly76,

I did some searches for rentals in the surrounding suburbs. The areas around Wheeling include Buffalo Grove, Arlington Heights, Prospect Heights, Mt Prospect, Northbrook. The prices of studios in those areas range from $650 - $800. 1 -2 Bedroom range from $700 on up to $3000. Mt Prospect and Des Plains have some of the lower rents.