How can Chicago keep residents long-term? (Evanston, Oak Park: apartments, condos, student loan)

[Magpie1127]

So, I found this article really interesting...

I was wondering what everyone thinks Chicago needs to do in order to keep this city-interested generation staying within the city limits, or even within the immediate first-ring burbs. As a member of this generation who really appreciates city life, I can see where the article is coming from.

One of the comments mentioned that cities need to look forward and introduce more family-friendly housing options. For example, the user said that a lot of the apartment/condo boom focused on luring singles, young professional couples without kids, and older businesspeople, and therefore introduced a plethora of 1- or 2-bedroom flats and condos. The user argued that the city needs to think ahead and build semi-affordable multi-bedroom apartments, rowhouses, etc. I think the user made a great point - it can be hard to imagine where I'd raise my kids in Chicago since single-family homes are quite expensive in nice areas. The city should probably take this into account if it wants to retain my generation into our child-bearing years, so to speak.

It goes without saying that schools are the biggest problem. We all have our own ideas on what the city should be doing to fix that, but I'm not sure that its realistic to assume that the problem will be solved within the next 10 years.

Anyways, what do you guys think?

[Aleking]

Everyone is under different circumstances...we'll be staying in the city for the long run given a handful of unique circumstances...of which the desire to be in a hip cool urban environment is nowhere to be found.

But when it comes down to it, the combination of affordable housing in an area with good public schools will be the straw that broke the camel's back. I know we have a few CPS advocates who will rattle off some decent schools in quasi-affordable areas but they're few and far between and bang for your buck in the housing department is always going to trail the suburbs...not to mention the generation discussed in that article by and large cannot afford family sized units in those neighborhoods.

If and when I have kids, they'll be raised in Uptown and I'll either have to navigate the CPS gauntlet or go private...I doubt it's the decision many mid-income millenials will make.

[Aleking]

The delaying kids trend certainly is real…I'm almost 29 and don't have a single friend my age with a kid.

[Jandur]

Developing affordable neighborhoods for new families. I think plenty of parents would raise their kids in the city, but cost becomes an issue, especially cost vs space.

Schools. Duh.

[gomexico]

I think the article is irrelevant to Chicago.

[chet everett]

I think Aleking is pretty realistic on this point -- combination of budget and schools is really hard to swallow for HUGE percentage of families. The motivations for the city to try encouraging developers to build the kind of housing that can a little more affordable and still profitable is really at odds with what so many people expect when they have families -- there is huge mismatch between delivering appropiate family sized housing and meeting the developers Desiree's for max return on outlay and often that "max return" feeds right into the "academic side" of some of the zoning officials bias toward high density developments as more suited to urban areas...

If the kinds of densities that are common in western Evanston,mOak Park or Park Ridge were encouraged in redevlopments you'd have a lot more familes excited about city living especially if the affordability nut was cracked....

Schools that are a little more focused on the kinds of participation that books have been written about as turn around models would also go along a way to getting more families to raise kids in Chicago.

[mjtinmemphis]

That was a good article. I personally believe that if i had children I would skip living in Chicago all together. Cost of living, cold winters, poor schools and hyper segregation would send me running to Charlotte, Atlanta or Dallas.

[emathias]

I suggest those one-way revolving doors, like at CTA exits.

[Aleking]

Originally Posted by chet everett

I think Aleking is pretty realistic on this point -- combination of budget and schools is really hard to swallow for HUGE percentage of families. The motivations for the city to try encouraging developers to build the kind of housing that can a little more affordable and still profitable is really at odds with what so many people expect when they have families -- there is huge mismatch between delivering appropiate family sized housing and meeting the developers Desiree's for max return on outlay and often that "max return" feeds right into the "academic side" of some of the zoning officials bias toward high density developments as more suited to urban areas...

If the kinds of densities that are common in western Evanston,mOak Park or Park Ridge were encouraged in redevlopments you'd have a lot more familes excited about city living especially if the affordability nut was cracked....

Schools that are a little more focused on the kinds of participation that books have been written about as turn around models would also go along a way to getting more families to raise kids in Chicago.

Agree with all this. I do think we'll see a small percentage of millenials stick with the city and raise their (increasinly small) family in a 2-3 bdrm apartment...as opposed to their socio economic peers from a generation or two before which almost all left for 4bdrm sfh in the suburbs.

[Effie56]

Originally Posted by chet everett

I

If the kinds of densities that are common in western Evanston,mOak Park or Park Ridge were encouraged in redevlopments you'd have a lot more familes excited about city living especially if the affordability nut was cracked....

Schools that are a little more focused on the kinds of participation that books have been written about as turn around models would also go along a way to getting more families to raise kids in Chicago.

I definitely agree with the Oak Park, Park Ridge, Evanston comment. Of course, schools and affordability would have to be tackled to make the developments relevant. Honestly, though, I don't think mostt desirable burbs are any more affordable than the city. The schools are the only think that give you more "bang for your buck," because transportation, energy costs, property tax, etc are all higher in the burbs from what I can tell. Home prices are more affordable, but this generation isn't buying homes yet anyway bc of student loan debt.