Moving to Chicago with kids?? (O'Fallon, Lincoln: house, neighborhoods, buy)

[JAS311]

My husband and I are contemplating moving to Chicago from St. Louis ... we are also trying to get pregnant. Just wanted to get everyone's take on living in the City and raising kids!!! We are looking in the Gold Coast, North Side, Lincoln Park area . . .

Thanks!!!

[Avengerfire]

I do not have any children ( that I know about ) ,but I would search the forum first.

[cotyan]

There is TONS of info here about living in the city with kids, I know because Ifound it when I was also looking for info to see if we could swing it. If you search in the stickied posts at the top by neighborhoods or just do general search, you'll find a lot of previous posts about it. It's very doable and it's being done by many.

Good luck! We're moving to Chicago with our four kids next summer!

[nessatar]

Here's a good one:

https://www.city-data.com/forum/chica...-possible.html

We live in Lincoln Square and really like it so far. Can't speak for any other neighborhoods, though.

[JAS311]

Thanks for the responses guys! Pretty much think we are heading to Chicago within the next year. Crossing our fingers our house in STL sells quickly!

[aragx6]

Good luck. As another St. Louisan transplanted to Chicago I wish you all the luck. I'm still not sure I'll stay here with kids. I'm not sure I'll be able to afford private schools here, and it's much harder to get your kids into the top-tier magnet and charter CPS schools than the St. Louis city ones.

Where are you living in St. Louis now?

[Matthew C. Sheffer]

move to the suburbs. There's nothing more annoying than trying to enjoy a night out with other adults after a hellish week of work and having to deal with people inappopriately taking their kids to places that were CLEARLY designed for adults. Not that I am saying that you would do that--it's just a perception issue with many Chicagoans. Why not buy a house out in the 'burbs and bring the little kiddies in to the city when there is something age appropriate for them to do?

[nessatar]

Originally Posted by Matthew C. Sheffer

move to the suburbs. There's nothing more annoying than trying to enjoy a night out with other adults after a hellish week of work and having to deal with people inappopriately taking their kids to places that were CLEARLY designed for adults. Not that I am saying that you would do that--it's just a perception issue with many Chicagoans. Why not buy a house out in the 'burbs and bring the little kiddies in to the city when there is something age appropriate for them to do?

That's interesting. The other day I took my kids down the street and all 6 of the swings were occupied by young adults. At a playground CLEARLY designed for children! Should they move to the burbs, as well?

To the OP, our neighborhood is full of families. The majority of the people I see walking around here are pushing strollers. I am sure that varies by neighborhood, but you can certainly live in the city with kids without getting the hairy eyebrow everywhere you go.

[JAS311]

Thanks for the comment nessatar!!!!

Well Matthew - like my original post stated, we don't have kids "YET", I was just wanted to get peoples opinions on raising kids in the city, not how singles are annoyed with kids being in "adult" places. Trust me, my husband and I feel the same way, especially at nice restaurants where we want to relax. So you would not have to worry about us doing that .... "WHEN" we have kids. Until that time, we can't wait to move to Chicago and experience everything it has to offer ... now if only our house in STL would sell!!!

[JAS311]

Oh aragx6 - - we are in the O'Fallon, MO area . . . great area, we just want the "city" life for a couple years. The "city" in STL is not the same!