Moving to Chicago
 

Hi,

I'm relocating with my family (wife, 3yr son, 3mnth daughter) to Chicago in October, date still to be confirmed. It's a company transfer and we're currently in Singapore, but I'm a Brit (Scottish) and my wife is Turkish, we're in our late thirties, early forties.

We're very excited by the move. As a Scot, I'm actually looking forward to enjoying the seasons again, and don't even mind the winter weather that awaits us! I'm sure it can't be any worse than the W.Coast of Scotland!

I have a few questions, if anyone could help I'd really appreciate it.

We're struggling to work our where to live. I'll be working downtown (60654), and would like no more than a 45 mins commute door to door (public transport). We've been told Lincoln Park is the gold standard for families looking for a safe city neighbourhood, but I'm not sure we'll get what we want for what we want to pay. We really want a large outdoor space for ourselves and the kids - it can be a big deck or yard. We'd need 4 bedrooms, or 3 with some extra space like basement family room or study. We'd like to feel we're in the city and able to walk to places like parks, restaurants, shops etc. Or a very short drive. I was also hoping to get something for under $3K per month. Has anyone any recommendations on good rental search sites? I've searched high and low and can't find many that provide good info with lots of photos.

I also heard that there are no pre-schools in the US, with Kindergarten starting at age 5. Our 3 yr old has been at pre-school for more than a year in Singapore, and really needs the daily stimulus otherwise he gets very bored.

What sort of options will we have - are there playgroups that he can attend at least every morning, or are we looking at childcare?

Many thanks in advance for any advice.

MG

Re: Moving to Chicago
 

Is this intended to be a permanent move, or temporary? Your company will probably get you a temporary visa (L-1) but you need to think about green card options if you will want to stay.

Also, even with company support, a green card may take some time - depends on the circumstances.

Permanent settlement is perhaps more important in your situation because you should be aware that if something happens to you, your wife and children can't stay in the USA (unless you have green cards first) and as it appears she isn't a British citizen, she can't go to the United Kingdom either.

Re: Moving to Chicago
 

There are all kinds of stuff....it's all private. No idea of Chicago, but Boston, you can see 3 half day a week, per kid, running you $1500 a month....heading out into the far, far burbs will see that money stretching to full time.

Can't help on areas to live, but there are plenty of threads on Chicago you could search out as a starting point. Also city-data.com is a good place for ideas too :)

Welcome to BE and good luck!

Re: Moving to Chicago
 

Thanks for the advice JAJ, I have now asked the company about helping me to apply for a green card.

Re: Moving to Chicago
 

Thanks Bob, it's looking pricey, especially in Chicago, and from what i'm learning, there are waiting lists for everywhere, taking from 9-12 months and longer. Yikes!!! What are we going to do? I have no idea.

Re: Moving to Chicago
 

Zillow has all the photos available for rentals. There may be no photos or 30 photos.

http://www.zillow.com/homes/for_rent...991_rect/8_zm/

Re: Moving to Chicago
 

Uh... Plan a February week in Florida now. Trust me.

Lincoln Park is very urban and expensive and will probably not meet the majority of your requirements, certainly not at $3K. There's tons of other worthy neighborhoods, though. Anything north side should be fine, I know lots of families in Andersonville and surrounding areas. Also, consider a nearby suburb like Evanston or Oak Park / River Forest. There's good public transportation so being a bit further out isn't really a problem. I'd recommend spending a week here and taking the time to look around, check out the neighborhoods and amenities. It's going to be really hard to get a sense for the city over the internet. I'm not sure if you've been here, but it's a lot bigger than Singapore and obviously a world away culturally.

It's all private but there's many, many options. Also, it doesn't have to be expensive: lots of churches, community centers and towns offer a wide variety of programs for very little. The programs in the burbs will generally be more low key and cheaper while the programs in the city will be crowded and expensive but still good. Of all the cities I've lived in in the states, Chicago seems best set up for raising kids.

Re: Moving to Chicago
 

For that much space I think you can forget Lincoln Park it's horrendously expensive and the places are pretty small. if you really want to live downtown then consider one of the lesser known neighbourhoods like Ukrainian Village or Logan Square

As you're willing to take Public Transport I'd seriously consider the Western Suburbs. You can get an Express Metra from there which'd have you downtown in about 40 minutes and you can rent a nice big house

If you're looking for Rental Searches the apartmentguide.com is pretty good. Also it's worth checking out apartmentratings.com to see what other people think of the place.

If you do decide to live in Chicago Another useful site is

http://gis.chicagopolice.org/clearmap/startpage.htm

Here you can see the types of crime being reported

-- Edit---

Also consider your childs future educations Chicago Public Schools can be a very mixed bunch and so you need to make sure you're in a decent school district. Niles has recently been voted one of the top towns for Families :)

Re: Moving to Chicago
 

As Hiro says, The W. Coast of Scotland has nothing on January/February in Chicago :)

Re: Moving to Chicago
 

Hi guys,

Many thanks for your excellent advice. I think you've pointed me in the right direction. Last night, my wife and I had a look at Hinsdale and Naperville, both look like I can tick all the boxes within budget and as you say the options for childcare/nursery seem more and less expensive.

40 mins is nothing for me after doing 90 minutes into London for many years.

I'll be coming out to Chicago in September for a look around before the move in October. I just wanted to ensure that I spend my time wisely looking at a couple of areas rather than start at the beginning - trying to cover too much too quickly.

Yes, I can imagine that my quote about Chicago winters v W.Scotland may have been a bit naive :) But, as I said, it doesn't phase me. (another naive statement probably), I'm looking forward to log fires, building snowmen with the kids, even if my ears do go numb and fall off.

Thanks again folks!

Re: Moving to Chicago
 

I can't say too much about Hinsdale because I've only passed by on the Interstate. Naperville is one of the best places for Schools in the US and if you live there they certainly make you pay for it through their taxes :)

On the plus point the Metra Station has an express which goes straight down town with no further stops. If you live a bit further East like Lisle or Downers Grove (both nice places) then their Metras call at every stop in between and add about another half hour to the journey

The only disadvantage is that if you try going down by Car, at midnight it's half an hour, at 7am its at least an hour and the same pain going home. You'll suffer the same woes with Hinsdale too as both have to go through the Hillside Strangler ;)

Re: Moving to Chicago
 

If you're willing to consider the burbs, there's lots and lots of options. Chicagoland (yes, that's what people call it) is huge, it takes about two hours to drive across the entire metro area. Both towns you've mentioned are in the Western suburbs which is a great place to commute from. Also look at the northside suburbs, there are many nice towns up there. To be specific about your two towns, Hinsdale is very nice, has excellent schools and nice housing but it is certainly expensive, average house price is about $1M. Naperville is a mini-city itself, close to 200K people there. Lots of good housing options and good schools. There are many other worthy towns in the western suburbs: Elmhurst, Glen Ellyn, Wheaton and Western Springs are all terrific, for example.

Re: Moving to Chicago
 

Actually Apartmentguide doesn't seem to be that good for Houses & Townhomes. www.rentals.com seems to be pretty good

Re: Moving to Chicago
 

http://www.homes.com is another one, it's geared for sales, but do have a pretty good rental coverage.

Re: Moving to Chicago
 

You will enjoy Chicago it is a great city and it works. Curious fact with Midwesterners they don't have fences in their backyards everybody is open to the next person. Naperville and Hinsdale are both excellent choices for schools, expensive homes, golf clubs,twee lifestyle and a very whitebread community.
Check out where you are going to live and make sure you have some cosmopolitan neighbours. When I lived out there years ago it was a real strain.

Re: Moving to Chicago
 

Chicago is a great city, no doubt. But to buy in to the whole "the city that works" notion is ridiculous, as is the idea that it's a fact midwesterners don't have fences in their backyards. Sorry to sound so blunt, but to say that's a fact is just naive.

Re: Moving to Chicago
 

Thanks again chaps, all food for thought. I won't really be able to decide until I come for a reccy in 2 weeks time - I'm looking forward to it.
Cheers!

Re: Moving to Chicago
 

Wow I have never been called naive but some people just love lambasting people.
Chicago is a city that works. I have always admired not only the work ethic of the people who live there but the city workers etc. You don't find many cities that can patch a 6' wide by 3' deep hole in the expressway overnight, and have it open for business at 6 am when it is 10 below freezing. I have worked for Chicago companies for the last 30 years and have been visiting the city that log plus all the conventions I've worked,plus all the dealers and sales calls I've made. So I think I know Chicago pretty well and I like it.I loved going to meetings on W.Wacker catching a train in from O'Hare for a $1 and slipping out at lunchtime to visit a museum. Are you saying that Chicago doesn't work, I think it works in many ways.
We Brits are used to having our fences and our back yards and I was appalled when I lived in the Midwest when neither were evident.It just wasn't the done thing and nobody thought of it. Many Suburbs of Chicago I have seen the same thing and I was just trying to warn the gentleman about a possible culture shock.
So IRAY go have a nice day and try not to be condescending next time.

Re: Moving to Chicago
 

Not just the mid-west -- a fence is not the norm in the areas of NY and CT I've lived in either. In fact I joke that you can tell everywhere I've lived -- as I've left a sturdy fence, erected to keep my dogs safe, behind me!

Re: Moving to Chicago
 

Strange then that as I look out of my window, in my house in Chicago, I see five fences. Fact.

Re: Moving to Chicago
 

Many gardens are like that in NJ...unless you have a pool.

Re: Moving to Chicago
 

That may explain some of the house photos I was looking at! Couldn't believe the size of the garden, anf couldn't figure out where it started and ended! Just looked like a big field.

Yeah, you're right, that would be a culture shock! I'd need to find somewhere with a boundary. No disrepect to the neighbors or anything, we just like to have privacy, and safey for the kids. That being said, I think people generally get on better when they can interact. Take my parents times, when they used to chat and socialise over the short back yard fence. These days, they build 6ft high fences and socialise rarely, probably only face to face when they want your over protruding tree clipped or something of a complaining nature. Social media is the new back fence, which is sad in many ways.

Re: Moving to Chicago
 

We moved to the Chicago suburbs nearly four years ago... (Wow! Was it really that long?)

My priority was a good school district, so we picked Kildeer Countryside District 96 in the Long Grove/Buffalo Grove/Kildeer area. It has an excellent school system and feeds into Adlai Stevenson High School, which is nationally recognized for its academia and has a wonderful reputation. Of course, you pay for it in your property taxes - be warned, they are astronomical round here! Long Grove is quite a quaint little village (and has a cute British shop called British Accents.) Kildeer has a nice outdoor shopping area. Buffalo Grove has lots of businesses and restaurants... Cheesecake Factory - YUM!

It takes about 45 mins on the train to get downtown. If the traffic is bad, it might take over an hour to drive.

The weather is CRAP in the winter. Be prepared not to see the ground for at least three months. You forget what grass looks like... seriously! And digging out your driveway when it's 15 degrees is NOT fun.

House prices are getting better. We rented when we first moved here and I can't remember what our rent was... I think it was under $3000 a month, and we had a nice three-bed detached with a pool in the back yard and all the mod cons. We then bought, less than a year later, a 4-bed detached, 2700 sq ft house on half an acre for $550,000. We have just sold that same house for $465,000 3 years later after spending well over $100,000 on it - go figure!

Anyhoo, I would definitely recommend Lake County and the surrounding suburban area. I don't know about preschools, but I'm fairly sure there is a Montessori kindergarten-type place in Long Grove that is well thought of. I believe one of the Chicago Bears' kids goes there and his older one goes to Country Meadows Elementary. (If you're interested in that sort of thing.)

Now I've said all that, I should say that today is my final day in the fair State of Illinois. We move tomorrow to... drum roll, please... Louisville, Kentucky! I've heard the weather is better, but I'm to be wary of the toothless hillbillies that roam around sans shoes! Should be interesting...

Best of luck with your move. If I can answer anymore questions, don't hesitate to ask. I check every now and then, when I get a chance.

Best, Keira.

Re: Moving to Chicago
 

I used to go to British Accents quite frequently when I first got here, but these days World Market and (even) Jewel have fresher ;) & Cheaper produce :)

I was so happy that the Feb 1st Snowfall was the last of the season I don't think I could have survived another. Still since then I've moved and now got a home with a very long driveway so I guess it's time to buy a Snow Blower
:(

Re: Moving to Chicago
 

Yeah, British Accents is a bit pricey. I feel really sorry for the poor bloke who runs it. He barely makes any money out of it anymore. He keeps thinking each season is going to be his last. And if the rest of the stores that are in that area are anything to go by, it won't be long before he does. That village is becoming a bit of a ghost town. It's a shame. Hopefully the economy will pick and businesses will be able to thrive again.

And Feb 1st... that wasn't the last snowfall, was it? Wasn't it like the 8th or 14th or something that we had that record snowstorm that left us pinned behind 8 feet of snow inside our house??? And then it just kept snowing and snowing and snowing the whole month? I swear it was still snowing in May this year... it was a crummy winter... blah!

I'll be pleased to see what a Kentucky winter has to offer as compensation for 4 years of Chicago winter hell. :D

Re: Moving to Chicago
 

I am really getting quite worried about the Winters. We are moving in Jan, and my wife suffers from SAD...

Better fit the light box into her case I think.

Re: Moving to Chicago
 

The Dark isn't a problem :) Often the Winter's are very bright and sunny. Unfortunately those bright and sunny days are also the coldest :rofl:

If you're used to British Winters than a Chicago Winter is much more sunny, because we're further South we don't get quite as short days (It think the Sun rises at about 7am and sets around 5pm)

Funnily it tends to be cloudier in March/April/May when it can't decide whether Winter has ended or not

Re: Moving to Chicago
 

Yeah, it's a little unsettling to be out in the sun, yet have the snot in your nose freeze solid while your fumbling around trying to get your car keys out of your pocket :lol:

Then again, once it warms up to freezing, it's all about the t-shirts and shorts because it's so much warmer than usual...very surreal :D

Re: Moving to Chicago
 

St Valentine's Day was the day we got blasted with a Major Blizzard. Even my 4-wheel drive got stuck in the drift, in the alley. I had parked it at the back of the house, to make room for the snow plow to go down the street.

Jim.

Re: Moving to Chicago
 

You're absolutely right about the sun on the coldest days. You can look out your window and think that it's summer. Then you step outside and quite literally can't inhale because the air is so frigid.

Re: Moving to Chicago
 

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6nfDeo_vXoI&NR=1

Here's a look at the last Blizzard to hit Chicago.


Jim.

Re: Moving to Chicago
 

Im moving to Chicago on Thursday!! Finally get to be with my husband! Not overly excited about the prospect of winter though! Ive been in Chicago every month of the year except jan/feb/march with good reason!
Got our tickets for a few blackhawk games this year, cant wait to actually see a whole season this year! :thumbsup:

Re: Moving to Chicago
 

You'll be fine. Just wrap up warm and don't spend too much unnecessary time outdoors.. not like us. We went to see the Bears against the Patriots at Soldierfield on one of the most bitterly cold, snowy days in December. We quite literally lost all feelings in our hands and feet. I just couldn't wait for the game to end. Sad, really.

Never actually made it to see the hawks. I did see the Bulls a few times and they were excellent.

Ah, i shall miss those teams. Not sure there is all that much to route for here in Louisville. The Cardinals, I believe. Don't even know what sport they play, but it's probably baseball... and I HATE baseball. :thumbdown:

Re: Moving to Chicago
 

It's all basketball here. College basketball. You either support UK (University of Kentucky) or U of L (University of Louisville) UK is blue and U of L is red (Cardinals).

There's a minor league baseball team as well. Closest Pro sports are Indy or Cinci. Maybe Nashville.

Re: Moving to Chicago
 

If you have some property to take care of, sidewalks or driveways etc., buy a decent snowblower when they go on sale. Otherwise, they sell out rather quickly when the defacation hits the rotary oscillator, weatherwise.

Jim

Re: Moving to Chicago
 

My husband has two snowblowers! He usually does the whole blocks driveways for some extra cash! So all sorted on that front!;)