Moving to Chicago, IL, Looking for Good Neighborhood in City

We have lived in condos in the West Loop and University Village, and just bought a house in Bridgeport. If you are going to be in a condo, I loved University Village. Lots of green space, plenty of diversity, and I loved having the UIC soccer and baseball fields right there. They were often open to the public and made a great place for a toddler to run around. There were TONS of kids. I did not think the West Loop was very child-friendly at all, though it was extremely fun as a childless couple. We are very happy with Bridgeport - you can get a single family home for the price of a condo elsewhere in the city. (You can still get new construction with a small yard for under 500k here. Older homes are in the 300-400k range.) It is safe, 2-3 el stops from downtown on either the orange or red line, and home to the Sox. They are about to open an amazing park where the old quarry was located, and there are kids everywhere.

Lakeview! One of the best public schools, great parks, close to downtown.

We have enjoyed living on the northwest side of Chicago for 17 years. You might want to look into the Jefferson Park & Portage Park areas for affordability & proximity to parks & downtown.

Old Town is a GREAT neighborhood! It is just north of downtown (one or two el stops away)(generally, the area north of Division, south of Armitage, and east of Halsted to the lake). And you are within walking distance to the lakefront, beach, Lincoln Park Zoo, nature museum, shopping, and restaurants. Lots of fun things to do with the little one. Very quaint neighborhood and family friendly. Especially if you are renting, I'm sure you will be able to find something affordable (although, houses in this area are generally not). It is a great first area to live in if you are just moving here and getting to know the city.

We lived in the Roscoe Village neighborhood (northside) for 8 years and loved it! It is very, very family oriented and just a wonderful place to live. You can walk to shops, restaurants, etc. It is accessible to the L train and highway. We had such wonderful neighbors with a ton of kids. Good luck!

I love the NW side. We live in Jefferson Park and the Blue line and Metra train are right there for commuting. The NW side is very safe and a lot of police officers and city works live in the neighborhood. We are right on the edge of the suburbs for shopping at stores like Walmart and Costco. Personally, I wouldn't want to live any further into the city. It is just too busy for me...I like how the NW side still has a suburban feel. Also check out Norwood Park and Edison Park. You can get a 3 BR house for around 275 right now in Jeff Park.

Elmwood Park is nice its about 20 mins from downtown. And you don't have to pay Chicago city tax

Hi there - I can possibly give you some ideas - but it will really depend on your budget. I am a real estate broker so I know the city well. Tell me how much you can spend each each month on rent - and that will determine where you should go -- and based on your number - I can also assess if you can in fact afford to buy here...either way - I am happy to help you out!!

If you prefer not to post this stuff publicly - e-mail me at ____@____.com.

Hi W.,

Welcome to Chicago! My husband and I have been living in the West Loop for 6yrs now and have a soon to be one year old. I will be biased to tell you we love it in this neighborhood. It is not too congested, only during business hours, we live 6 blocks from the Sears Tower and there is plenty to do with this growing community. Here are some websites to explore:
www.skinnerpark.org is a park here in the West Loop. And to see what goes on in our community, you can view here: www.westloop.org They are in the process of building an elementary school and one of the best high schools in located in the West Loop. The average price for a 2 bedroom condo is around $230-$300K.

More established communities is Lincoln Park, Lakeview, Edgewater, Bucktown but are a bit pricer too, especially River North and Gold Coast. Parking can be harder to find and it tends to be more crowded, but many people enjoy those areas and is there is always something to do. That is the nice thing being able to rent is you have an opportunity to get to know the city and where you would like to live (if you choose the city). Go through the Apartment People to look for places to rent. We go through them to rent our condos out and they are great to work with.

If you have any more questions, feel free to reply back to me. Good luck!

Welcome to Chicago! You're going to love it here. There's so much to do, especially with kids, and especially in the summer.

I've lived in Lincoln Park, Lakeview, Wrigleyville, Lincoln Square (all on the north side); worked in Lincoln Park and West Loop; and lived in South Shore and Hyde Park/Woodlawn. All the neighborhoods I've lived in and many others are so nice and have lots to offer, although different pros and cons. Chicago has great parks and playgrounds for kids, including some spray parks and small water parks for non-swimmers.

But, most of the neighborhoods close to downtown are pretty expensive, so depending on your budget and needs, look at some neighborhoods southwest and northwest in the city, as well as south Loop (or a bit further south) and West Loop. So many areas have developed even in the last five years. I highly recommend the Hyde Park / Kenwood / Woodlawn areas, particularly if diversity is important to you.

Living near a university can offer a lot of hidden benefits: sometimes lower housing costs, babysitting options, other young parents (grad students and faculty with kids, pretty good amenities, etc.

Good luck to you!