New relo strategy: Best public elementary schools - which neighborhoods to look in? (Chicago: best neighborhood)

[dallamsorgan]

Hello you helpful City-data'ers,

My wife, two children under seven, and myself are relocating to Chicago for a job located Downtown. Our ideal situation is finding a 3+ bedroom, 2+ bath single family home/townhouse/whatever to rent with an exclusive garage (I need a creative space away from our living space). It needs to be walkable to good restaurants, galleries. pubs, libraries, shops, et cetera and an easy few block jog to the El. The only suburb my wife wants to consider is Oak Park, other than that we'd like to live in a city neighborhood. One other parameter is that we'd like to keep the rent under $2,000 a month.

All that said, our biggest deciding factor on where we live is the community and elementary school our kids will be involved in. So, I have this new strategy I wanna use while perusing Craigslist for an address... I am studying elementary school report cards to use as a guide to find the best neighborhood to call home. I know these school "report cards" are fallible and they do not always paint the complete picture, but I am hoping that you fine people could help me through this jungle. Also, I should note that ideally we'd wanna find a PUBLIC school that has a strong arts program, be it theater, music, fine art, or whatever.

I am asking you for your personal experience with your community & schools, as well as pointing me to what community areas the following Sun-Times "top rated" schools are found in:

RANK PERCENTILE SCHOOL
1 0.8485 Edgebrook Elem
2 0.8360 Oriole Park Elem
3 0.7769 Bell Elem
4 0.7373 Lincoln Elem
5 0.7168 Norwood Park Elem
6 0.6950 Blaine Elem
7 0.6838 Beaubien Elem
8 0.6730 Burley Elem
9 0.6718 Solomon Elem
10 0.6640 Sauganash Elem
11 0.6628 Ebinger Elem
12 0.6343 Earhart Elem Opt For Knowl
13 0.6306 Wildwood Elem
14 0.6160 Orozco Elem Fine Arts & Sciences
15 0.6122 Canty Elem
16 0.6115 Courtenay Elem Language Arts Ctr
17 0.6051 Washington G Elem
18 0.5922 Rogers Elem
19 0.5897 Garvy J Elem
20 0.5884 Chicago Academy Elem

For the above list, I am trying to find an easy way to figure out, for example, what community area/neighborhood should I search for in Craigslist for something like Ebinger Elementary? Or Edgebrook Elementary? Or whatever? I am finding this info hard to come by... any help would be much appreciated!

I am familiar with greatschools.com and they seem to be somewhat in agreement with the Sun-Times for school grades. Is there a better source for finding this info?

Thanks, thanks, and triple thanks!

[Avengerfire]

You are not going to find a place with the criteria you mentioned anywhere (single family home/townhouse,3+ br,2+ ba, in a good neighborhood, with good schools,garage parking, and walkable distance to a bunch of nightlife in Chicago or a close burb for $2000 a month. You are going to have to sacrifice some of your wants to get a place for $2000 a month.

[Avengerfire]

Although some places like these might be the best and closest you can find but are all apartments...
Lincoln Square 3 bedroom (http://chicago.craigslist.org/chc/apa/771105022.html - broken link)
http://chicago.craigslist.org/nch/apa/772143677.html (broken link)
http://chicago.craigslist.org/chc/apa/771928338.html (broken link)

[dallamsorgan]

Oh, I know... that is why I made the word "ideal" bold & then underlined it. That is what we are shooting for---anything close would be wonderful.

I guess, what I need most is info on what community areas/neighborhoods those top rated schools are located in and then I can take it from there...

thx!

[nessatar]

You and I are looking for the same thing!

One thing I have found helpful is the Chicago Public Schools school locator. You can search the school you are looking for and the map will show you the boundaries of the school. (You can also have the map show neighborhood boundaries, which was helpful for me since I am not from Chicago.)

School Locator Page - Department of School Demographics and Planning

I found a few schools that we are interested in {pretty much using the same criteria as you) and drew the boundaries on a paper map of Chicago and I refer to it when I am looking up apartments.

[Avengerfire]

Originally Posted by nessatar

... (You can also have the map show neighborhood boundaries, which was helpful for me since I am not from Chicago.)

School Locator Page - Department of School Demographics and Planning
...

The site is very useful for many things. Just keep in mind it only shows you community boundaries which are different than neighborhood boundaries.

[Lookout Kid]

See what you can rent in the Bell School district in North Center. There are some nice greystone two-flats in that area that are quite large, and the school is one of the best CPS has to offer. Sorry, but you won't find a SF home in a fun North Side neighborhood for that money. Nettelhorst Elementary and Blaine Elementary are other good CPS schools that are close to the action, but apartments are quite a bit more money around there (Lakeview). You could probalby find a three-bedroom apartment for around $2000, however.

[dallamsorgan]

Thanks for the comments thusfar... I'd appreciate any other suggestions for good public elementary schools/Chicago neighborhoods combos!


thx

[gtrgrl74]

we are in the same situation - i agree with your wife on oak park too. i would love to be kept posted on all of your findings and i will do the same........thanks

[gtrgrl74]

i have found though that it isn't the elementary schools that are an issue - the issue is when you start looking at the middle and high schools.