Possible Relocating to Chicago... (schools, restaurants, buses)

[jebagley]

Are there some areas/school zones that have not been mentioned for what I am looking for?

So far for neighborhoods, I have:
Lincoln Park
Roscoe Park
Lincoln Square/Ravenswood
Near North Side

For Elem school zones, I have:
Lincoln
Ogden
Bell
Audobon

How about Nettlehorst (sp?)? Saw that school on another website and the parents were giving it reviews. Thanks again to everyone for your insight and please keep the local knowledge coming!

[tonythetuna]

Originally Posted by jebagley

Are there some areas/school zones that have not been mentioned for what I am looking for?

So far for neighborhoods, I have:
Lincoln Park
Roscoe Park
Lincoln Square/Ravenswood
Near North Side

For Elem school zones, I have:
Lincoln
Ogden
Bell
Audobon

How about Nettlehorst (sp?)? Saw that school on another website and the parents were giving it reviews. Thanks again to everyone for your insight and please keep the local knowledge coming!

Add Lake View and North Center.

And it is Roscoe Village, not Roscoe Park.

[chicagojlo]

If you google Audubon the map shows Roscoe Park as the area. But yes nobody uses that name.

OP you have to put school before neighborhood, at this point you are only going to be able to get into a neighborhood school so you don't have the options most do to get out of a dodgy neighborhood school.

Nettelhorst is a recent addition to the list of good schools. It is now considered a desirable school but has not historically been. Add Alcott to your list if you are adding Nettelhorst.

And if you find a place you really love but the school just doesn't work, you can always consider private kindergarten for the year and go through the magnet/selective process for 1st grade. It's not $35k here for kindergarten!

[tonythetuna]

Originally Posted by chicagojlo

If you google Audubon the map shows Roscoe Park as the area. But yes nobody uses that name.

That is one reason why Google maps suck and should not be trusted for neighborhood names or boundaries.

[tomcho]

Originally Posted by jebagley

Are there some areas/school zones that have not been mentioned for what I am looking for?

So far for neighborhoods, I have:
Lincoln Park
Roscoe Park
Lincoln Square/Ravenswood
Near North Side

For Elem school zones, I have:
Lincoln
Ogden
Bell
Audobon

How about Nettlehorst (sp?)? Saw that school on another website and the parents were giving it reviews. Thanks again to everyone for your insight and please keep the local knowledge coming!

This list should help, a ranking from Chicago Mag 2010
Best Elementary Schools: Chicago (Schools Ranked 1-250) - Chicago magazine - October 2010 - Chicago

This is a good quick guide on the selective admissions process
Best Elementary Schools: A Guide to the New Admissions Process - Chicago magazine - October 2010 - Chicago

You'll note only 2 schools (Edgebrook and Bell) in the top 10 are neighborhood schools.

[emathias]

Originally Posted by chikid

...
THe Brown line Chicago stop to Chicago and the River is a good 15-20 minute walk as well.
...

Unless you are an old woman, the walk from the Chicago Brown Line stop to the office buildings on the east bank of the River, is 10 minutes. It's a 1/2 mile, with no major cross streets to make you wait, so if you walk 3 mph, you're there in 10 minutes. Most non-elderly city residents probably walk 3 1/2 mph, so it'd actually be less than 10 minutes of walking for most people.

[LordNoobington]

"-Need good schools for my kids as I dont want to spend money for private school"

Well, that say's it all doesn't it. What kind of father does not want to spend money on their children's education. Sell the wife's precious "SUV" for heaven's sake, lord knows she could use the exercise. Seems you have no sense of what the real world entails. You obviously do not care for these children. I see curtails and triage in the near future, oxi-MORON to say the least.

Heaven knows I tried.

[jebagley]

Thanks to all that have given some insight. After looking more into Lakeview and Roscoe Village, it looks like you can get more for your buck in those nieghborhoods than Lincoln Park.

And thank you Lord Noob for your words of wisdom as well. You are correct. I have no idea about the "real world" that you speak of. I hate both of my dumb kids and my obviously obese wife.

To all, please keep the thoughts coming as I keep discovering more areas that are a possibility. Thanks.

Originally Posted by LordNoobington

"-Need good schools for my kids as I dont want to spend money for private school"

Well, that say's it all doesn't it. What kind of father does not want to spend money on their children's education. Sell the wife's precious "SUV" for heaven's sake, lord knows she could use the exercise. Seems you have no sense of what the real world entails. You obviously do not care for these children. I see curtails and triage in the near future, oxi-MORON to say the least.

Heaven knows I tried.

[LordNoobington]

Originally Posted by jebagley

And thank you Lord Noob for your words of wisdom as well. You are correct. I have no idea about the "real world" that you speak of. I hate both of my dumb kids and my obviously obese wife.

Thanks.

No worries dear friend. I hope you learn from this. There are various agencies that will place your children with a loving adoptive couple. Like I said let the old bovine shed some of those pounds, maybe you can learn to appreciate her then.

Regards

[Cindy1971]

Your commute to downtown will be a bit more but I live on the northwest side, in Norwood Park. We have lawns and cheap(er) houses and some very good schools. Norwood Park, Onahan and John Garvy are the schools in NP. Garvy is in the middle of an expansion, doubling its size, and will be done in the time for Sept. Onahan is slated for an addition, as well, to start next year. Not much of a night life here, but one neighborhood over is Edison Park (Edison Park Elemenatary--not to be confused with Edison Park Regional Gifted School which moved to Albany Park--and Ebinger) are the schools there. Less lawn and slightly higher prices but a great family-friendly area. No L in Edison Park but the Metra is right there and Norwood Park has access to both the blue line and the Metra. (It's about 20 minutes to the Loop from the Harlem blue line stop.)

There is also Oriole Park, great school again and the L is nearby (blue line Harlem stop). All places above are within 15 minutes to the airport by L or car.

You can also try Saugansh and Edgebrook--more great schools. No L again but there is a Metra and some small restaurants and a good library. It will be more expensive, though. The schools are Wildwood, Edgebrook and Saugnash and I think one other I am forgetting. O'Hare is not accessible by public transport from here, I don't think, but it's a $20 or so cab ride.

PS In Norwood Park, we have only one car and we've only been occasionally fussed about it. In Edison Park you'd have no issue with one car at all.