Moving my family from NYC to Chicago (Oak Park, Homewood: for rent, townhomes)

[Headinwest]

and I wanted some information on the best family friendly, diverse neighborhoods. We have 2 kids- a preteen and a toddler. Can you recommend neighborhoods that are family friendly and diverse (a sizeable black middle class)?

[Lookout Kid]

Hyde Park, home of Barack Obama, is quite family friendly and has a large black middle class. Sadly, most of the "diverse" neighborhoods, with a large black middle class as well as non-black residents, are in the suburbs (like Oak Park or Homewood). There are several diverse neighborhoods in the city, but most do not have a sizable black middle class. And there are several black middle class neighborhoods in the city that have no diversity whatsoever. Unfortunately, residential segregation between African-Americans and other groups is more severe than residential segregation between Latinos and Caucasians, for instance.

But Chicago is known for having one of the largest middle class African-American populations in the country, so you can find whatever you're looking for here.

[cdc3217]

I know some posters think the Beverly neighborhood is still land o' the Irish, but the Beverly area does have a substantial middle class black population. The majority of students at the private school my son attends have back professional parents. So I'd recommend Beverly. Its also full of parks and lots of programming for families. (Beverly Arts Center, Old World School of Folk Music, Chicago Park District offerings...)

And its not JUST black, as I mentioned, it has a strong history as an Irish enclave.

[SloopyJ]

Hyde Park is a good option, as is the South Loop. I believe, and others have echoed, that those two neighborhoods are the two most truly integrated (black/white, anyway) neighborhoods in the city. I've posted on these boards about Dearborn Park (especially Dearborn Park II, bounded by Roosevelt, State, 15th, and Clark), which is the specific area I'd focus on in the South Loop with kids. The neighborhood has tons of kids, including a very healthy racial mix, a grade school, and two nice parks within its boundaries (note that DPII is not a gated community, but is limited in access; lousy urban planning but nice for families with kids). I would probably describe the area as more upper-middle class than true middle class, though. Homes in Dearborn Park II start in the $400K range and go up to $2M, though most are in the $450-$900K range. I think there are currently a couple townhomes for rent in the area between $2000 and $2500.

[Lookout Kid]

I'll add that places like Uptown, Rogers Park, and Albany Park are some of the most diverse integrated neighborhoods in the entire nation with literally dozens of ethnic groups represented, but none of these areas have a sizeable black middle class. Most African-Americans in Rogers Park and Uptown are somewhere between lower-middle class and poverty stricken. There are SOME members of the black middle class in these neighborhoods, but not in sizeable numbers.

[kev331]

Hyde Park/Kenwood is probably one of your better bets. Also Beverly. South Shore is mostly African-American, but nomimally integrated...varies by mini community from high-end to not so hot. On the north side, the far north communities of Uptown, Edgewater and Rogers Park are the most diverse.