Possible move to Chicago. If you live and homeschool there, what do you think?

[tammyw]

IF he takes the job, location would be at this area:

 

Where 90 and 55 meet (by S. Halstead St)

 

It looks like there might be a train station right there? But how would we know if there would be multiple train stops from wherever we might want to live? Is there a convenient way to figure all of that out?

 

Sorry, I'm just a big ball of stress right now! We're trying to figure out how much we'd hate all of this BEFORE he decides if he's going to take the job or not :)

[dirty ethel rackham]

If that is the case, you probably want the south or southwest suburbs.  You would be taking the L as opposed to Metra.

[Just Another Jen]

I was just going to say that. Look South or west on a map. then go to either metra.com or the cta website to search schedules.

[tammyw]

If that is the case, you probably want the south or southwest suburbs.  You would be taking the L as opposed to Metra.

 

Is that bad? Aren't the north shore neighborhoods nicer?

[dirty ethel rackham]

Is that bad? Aren't the north shore neighborhoods nicer?

 

North Shore is usually pricier.  But there are some south suburbs that are nice and some that are not so nice.  I am not very well-versed in commuting from there.  You might find commuting and driving from the near West suburbs to be not so bad, but, then again, anything around there is going to be nutty during rush hour. 

 

[JFSinIL]

May need to look west towards Burr Ridge, Willow Springs.  Close to work - I don't know if south of the Loop is safe or not.  He's is either going to have to deal with bad traffic or public transportation (from Loop or near Northside - depends on exactly where the job would be, will it be a short walk from the L or not?).

 

If he takes the job, he should ask the folks there where they recommend ya'all look, and what their commutes are like.

[Harriet Vane]

IF he takes the job, location would be at this area:

 

Where 90 and 55 meet (by S. Halstead St)

 

It looks like there might be a train station right there? But how would we know if there would be multiple train stops from wherever we might want to live? Is there a convenient way to figure all of that out?

 

Sorry, I'm just a big ball of stress right now! We're trying to figure out how much we'd hate all of this BEFORE he decides if he's going to take the job or not :)

 

 

 

That would be the Burlington Northern Santa Fe Metra line or the Heritage Corridor line, or you could consider taking the el. It's also very possible to take the West line or BNSF line in and then transfer to the el.

 

Stops that are nice along BNSF include LaGrange (really lovely there), Western Springs, Hinsdale, Downers Grove, Lisle, Naperville, Rt 59, or Aurora.

 

I am less familiar with the Heritage Corridor. That line is not as nice, but I think there may be possibilities there. I have never lived that far south so am kind of clueless. Most of my life experience was west or north.

 

The very best thing you can do right now:

 

--Insist on a weekend trip with dh to check out the area before he accepts the position. You will feel better if you can see with your own eyes what you are getting into.

 

--Ask a real estate agent to give you a tour of some of the suburbs that are possibilities. I did this three times. Dh considered jobs in Iowa and Canada three years ago, and we ended up relocating to another state just this year. Having a real estate agent orient me to the area possibilities really, really helped.

 

[tammyw]

That would be the Burlington Northern Santa Fe Metra line or the Heritage Corridor line, or you could consider taking the el. It's also very possible to take the West line or BNSF line in and then transfer to the el.

 

Stops that are nice along BNSF include LaGrange (really lovely there), Western Springs, Hinsdale, Downers Grove, Lisle, Naperville, Rt 59, or Aurora.

 

I am less familiar with the Heritage Corridor. That line is not as nice, but I think there may be possibilities there. I have never lived that far south so am kind of clueless. Most of my life experience was west or north.

 

The very best thing you can do right now:

 

--Insist on a weekend trip with dh to check out the area before he accepts the position. You will feel better if you can see with your own eyes what you are getting into.

 

--Ask a real estate agent to give you a tour of some of the suburbs that are possibilities. I did this three times. Dh considered jobs in Iowa and Canada three years ago, and we ended up relocating to another state just this year. Having a real estate agent orient me to the area possibilities really, really helped.

 

 

Traveling there as a family is a good idea. Honestly, I've already decided I don't want to live there :( But I have to support my husband in getting a job that he would enjoy. I fell like a negative nelly, but I just can't even describe the angst and unhappiness I'm having over this situation. It just doesn't sound like the lifestyle I want :(

[Harriet Vane]

Traveling there as a family is a good idea. Honestly, I've already decided I don't want to live there :( But I have to support my husband in getting a job that he would enjoy. I fell like a negative nelly, but I just can't even describe the angst and unhappiness I'm having over this situation. It just doesn't sound like the lifestyle I want :(

 

:grouphug: :grouphug: Aw, it'll be okay.

 

Having him in a job that is meaningful will mean the world. My dh worked some unhappy jobs for several years, and I hated to see how it sucked him dry.

 

Some positives--

 

Chicago has incredible cultural opportunities. It is a field trip extravaganza. Cities can really be wonderful fun. If you do end up there I will give you some ideas.

 

Homeschooling in Chicago is really easy. There is a large homeschool population. I am familiar with some great groups in Wheaton, Oak Park, and Mount Prospect, and I know of others as well.

 

It'll be okay.

 

:grouphug:

 

[oneddmanybooks]

I'm sorry you are so unhappy. Hugs.

 

Does your dh know how you feel? I doubt that my dh would really be happy in his job if he knew it meant I was miserable.

 

Traveling there as a family is a good idea. Honestly, I've already decided I don't want to live there :( But I have to support my husband in getting a job that he would enjoy. I fell like a negative nelly, but I just can't even describe the angst and unhappiness I'm having over this situation. It just doesn't sound like the lifestyle I want :(

 

[dancingmama]

Naperville, and the surrounding burbs there, definitely sounds like a possibility for you. There is a huge homeschooling community there with multiple groups and co-ops. There is a yahoo group. I believe it's called Naperville homeschoolers. I'd look them up. It's possible someone there works at the same office your hubby would be at.

 

Naperville is a nice area. Beautiful homes, yards, parks, great downtown area, good shopping and not far from an Ikea. Morton Arboretum is nearby, there's a nice Children's Museum, Aurora (nearby town) has a Science Museum, the YMCA has homeschool classes and the library is very homeschool friendly. Plenty of opportunities for activities (dance, sports, martial arts,etc) both homeschool only as well as general. And a short train or car ride into the city for Museum of Science and Industry (free for homeschoolers) , Field Museum, Shedd Aquarium and Adler Planetarium. The museums do homeschool classes as well.

 

Edited to add: there is a pre/pro ballet school not far from Naperville as well as tons of smaller dance schools in the area depending on the type of dance you are looking for. There are many martial arts schools throughout the area and I know of places that do homeschool martial arts. I believe the Y also does martial arts. I know the Y has a homeschool gym and swim. There is a place in downtown Naperville that does art classes for kids. Plenty of piano teachers in the area and there is even a homeschool orchestra nearby. The Naperville schools are also homeschool tolerant, and some are even friendly. Look for the Naperville homeschool yahoo group. People pop in all the time when they are looking at the area.

[dirty ethel rackham]

Don't write it off yet.  The homeschooling community in the area is vibrant.  There is so much to do here that the struggle is to stay home and actually get some work done.  There are some great places to live in the area and I am sure that a good real estate agent can help you find a lovely place that works for the commute.  I've lived in the Chicago 'burbs all my life and I can't imagine living elsewhere (Okay, today is -16 so I could imagine a warm sunny beach and a froo froo drink right now :coolgleamA: .)  It appears that I am not far from Dancingmama.  I have a friend in our town who works near where your husband's job would be.  Her commute is not bad at all as she has learned all the back ways to get there.  She and her husband homeschool their children.

[MBM]

How about the Bridgeport neighborhood of Chicago? It's just a little south of the area where your husband would be working. The commute would be super easy. You could find a home with a yard there. It used to be full of bungalows. Not sure if they're still there but I imagine they are. Some of the homes are quite nice.

 

Bridgeport is where five former mayors lived. I think quite a few traders live there still but not sure. The downside is that some of the neighborhoods around them have crime, but the Bridgeport police patrol very well. It is not the sort of place to make trouble with the residents.

 

http://www.chicagomag.com/Chicago-Magazine/January-2012/A-Guide-to-Bridgeport-Where-to-Eat-Shop-and-Play/index.php?cp=1&si=0#galleryanc

 

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Bridgeport,_Chicago

 

 

[tammyw]

Can anyone recommend a good realtor that I could talk to?

 

I've been very sheltered and the mention of crime nearby scares the heck out of me!!

 

Naperville sounds nice. I will do some digging.

 

This is a newer/smaller company. The executive team he met with, I think, live downtown, but they don't have kids.

[Miss Mousie]

Traveling there as a family is a good idea. Honestly, I've already decided I don't want to live there :( But I have to support my husband in getting a job that he would enjoy. I fell like a negative nelly, but I just can't even describe the angst and unhappiness I'm having over this situation. It just doesn't sound like the lifestyle I want :(

 

I think it's too soon to judge.  You are responding to an imagined broad sketch of "the" area and "the" lifestyle.  Of course, there is vast variety in both aspects, which you will discover over time as you make it yours. 

 

I'm sure you're quite nervous.  :grouphug:   I would be, too.  Maybe you should consider a short-term lease so you can explore more thoroughly before you buy.

[jelbe5]

Just wanted to comment on Evanston since a PP brought it up. I grew up there and my parents still live there. It is close to Chicago and beautiful but housing prices and taxes are out of sight. Evanston beaches are not free to use. Everyone, including residents, must purchase a pass or pay a daily fee to use the beaches. It has been that way since I was a very little girl. Just wanted you to be aware of that.

[dirty ethel rackham]

I second the recommendation to rent short term before buying something.  It is also difficult to get a real feel for the area during the winter. 

[JFSinIL]

Naperville is lovely - wish we could afford to live there.

[MBM]

Just wanted to comment on Evanston since a PP brought it up. I grew up there and my parents still live there. It is close to Chicago and beautiful but housing prices and taxes are out of sight. Evanston beaches are not free to use. Everyone, including residents, must purchase a pass or pay a daily fee to use the beaches. It has been that way since I was a very little girl. Just wanted you to be aware of that.

 

The commute from Evanston would probably be a bugger, but the housing prices might be okay especially coming from California. Hard to say. Taxes are high everywhere around there, but even Flossmoor, which is south, has high taxes. Ours are a *measly* $5K which sadly is cheap. My son has a friend whose family pays ::drumroll:: $80K per year!!!!! It's a nice house but it's not nice enough to pay $80K per year. Ack.

 

We occasionally rented SUP (stand up paddle) boards in Evanston by the southern end of Northwestern. Beach passes are not too terribly expensive. IIRC, it's about $10 per person for a daily and about $30 per person (I think) for a summer pass if it's purchased within a certain time frame. I'm not 100% sure, though. Years ago they were probably free, I bet.

 

Here is a secret. Wilmette, which is just north of Evanston, has a free portion of beach just south of the swimming beach and north of the dog beach. You can't swim there although people do splash in the waves. It's a good-sized area but you'd have to park on Michigan Avenue and then trek down or pay the daily parking fee ($15, I think) or buy a non-resident summer parking sticker if you go there a lot. It's a really nice beach. We go there a lot in summer and will probably do our SUP boarding there this summer now that we finally bought our own. Here's a handy map:

 

http://www.wilmettepark.org/userfiles/gillsonmap_color.pdf

[MBM]

Can anyone recommend a good realtor that I could talk to?

 

I've been very sheltered and the mention of crime nearby scares the heck out of me!!

 

Naperville sounds nice. I will do some digging.

 

This is a newer/smaller company. The executive team he met with, I think, live downtown, but they don't have kids.

 

Naperville is really nice. The Riverwalk is gorgeous, the outdoor pool looks like a lot of fun, fun activities for kids, a lot of good restaurants and fun shopping. I think you'd like it. I wouldn't worry too much about crime in Naperville.

 

I don't know any real estate agents out there but maybe someone here does?

[tammyw]

The commute from Evanston would probably be a bugger, but the housing prices might be okay especially coming from California. Hard to say. Taxes are high everywhere around there, but even Flossmoor, which is south, has high taxes. Ours are a *measly* $5K which sadly is cheap. My son has a friend whose family pays ::drumroll:: $80K per year!!!!! It's a nice house but it's not nice enough to pay $80K per year. Ack.

 

We occasionally rented SUP (stand up paddle) boards in Evanston by the southern end of Northwestern. Beach passes are not too terribly expensive. IIRC, it's about $10 per person for a daily and about $30 per person (I think) for a summer pass if it's purchased within a certain time frame. I'm not 100% sure, though. Years ago they were probably free, I bet.

 

Here is a secret. Wilmette, which is just north of Evanston, has a free portion of beach just south of the swimming beach and north of the dog beach. You can't swim there although people do splash in the waves. It's a good-sized area but you'd have to park on Michigan Avenue and then trek down or pay the daily parking fee ($15, I think) or buy a non-resident summer parking sticker if you go there a lot. It's a really nice beach. We go there a lot in summer and will probably do our SUP boarding there this summer now that we finally bought our own. Here's a handy map:

 

http://www.wilmettepark.org/userfiles/gillsonmap_color.pdf

 

$80K per year in taxes????? That is INSANE! That's $6666/month. That's substantially more than I could pay in a combined mortgage/tax/insurance payment. Wow.

[MBM]

$80K per year in taxes????? That is INSANE! That's $6666/month. That's substantially more than I could pay in a combined mortgage/tax/insurance payment. Wow.

 

The father does something in insurance and supposedly not everyone likes him. LOL.

 

Here are some links for Naperville. I had no idea it has about 140,000 people. The downtown has a very nice feel to it, but I've heard that traffic can be slow in some parts during rush hour, so that would be something to ask the realtor about.

 

http://www.chicagomag.com/Chicago-Magazine/March-2006/Why-Everybody-Loves-Naperville/

http://www.visitnaperville.com

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Naperville,_Illinois

[catz]

What!? You were supposed to move to Minneapolis! ;)

[Tangerine]

We live in Naperville, and we are NOT wealthy.  At all.  Naperville is definitely pricey, but super awesome.  Amazing parks, park district programs, downtown area.  We live in an unincorporated Naperville, which is much cheaper.

[tammyw]

What!? You were supposed to move to Minneapolis! ;)

 

Well at this point nothing is set in stone, so who knows. It's been a long and crazy road, and we're still not at our final destination. I'm going a bit crazy. Seriously!

[dirty ethel rackham]

I'm looking into the RE agent for you.  I have a friend who is in the biz, but she may just be a local expert. 

 

[Wabi Sabi]

Try to keep an open mind! Chicago is pretty awesome, and think of how exciting it will be to have the resources of a large city nearby as a homeschooler: a world-class, amazing art museum! Free zoo! Museum of Science and Industry! Field Museum! Children's Museum! Planetarium! Aquarium! Plenty of homeschool groups! Opportunities for professional sporting events, arts, culture, music, etc. It'll be such an adventure for you and the children.

[Just Another Jen]

Try to keep an open mind! Chicago is pretty awesome, and think of how exciting it will be to have the resources of a large city nearby as a homeschooler: a world-class, amazing art museum! Free zoo! Museum of Science and Industry! Field Museum! Children's Museum! Planetarium! Aquarium! Plenty of homeschool groups! Opportunities for professional sporting events, arts, culture, music, etc. It'll be such an adventure for you and the children.

 

 

 

Yes this.

[catz]

Well at this point nothing is set in stone, so who knows. It's been a long and crazy road, and we're still not at our final destination. I'm going a bit crazy. Seriously!

I hope you are settled very soon. :)

[tammyw]

Okay, we got a realtor recommendation and these were the areas recommended to us:

 

Western Springs, Hinsdale, Clarendon Hills, Downers Grove, and Naperville

 

If DH is seriously wanting to take it, we will fly there first to check things out, and probably rent first. Exhausting is this process!

[Maplecat]

 

We live in the Western Springs, Hinsdale, and Clarendon Hills area. The Hinsdale schools are excellent, but you pay a premium to be in their district. If we knew we were going to be homeschooling, we would have seriously considered living somewhere else. We pay around 10k a year in property tax.

 

My kids are relatively young, but we are traveling north and further west for homeschooling groups. It is normal to spend an hour in the car round-trip. Naperville has an active homeschooling group and we've recently started going up to Schaumberg as well.

 

The Chicago suburbs are very much made up of smaller communities. Proximity to the train and the quality of local schools determine property values. School districting can mean a substantial difference in real estate prices even within a general area.

[JFJ in IL]

We live in the far NW suburbs (Crystal Lake) and while we love the community the actual commute is torturous.

My husband typically spends 3 hours a day commuting IF the train is running on time!!!

We would move closer if we could afford taking the loss on our house!

Winter can be challenging but not impossible or unbearable.

We have only been homeschooling for 2 years but so far it has been a wonderful experience and there are A LOT of homeschooling families in and around Chicago!

Best wishes on the job hunt!

 

 

I responded without reading everything :) I saw the list of cities your realtor recommended and I can say that Naperville is wonderful! We have many friends that live there.