Bumping this thread to solicit advice on neighborhoods for my potential move to Chicago. We are two men and a one year old who love to eat, and would prefer to move to a neighborhood with very good mid-range options within walking distance. We don't mind some grit, and would much rather be central than somewhere out in the suburbs. Close to the blue line would also be a plus. Our ideal place to live in SF has been Hayes Valley / Lower Haight if that helps at all.

Any suggestions?

Pretty much anyplace along the blue line is going to have grit, except perhaps the West Loop and the river northwest area, which are very close to downtown with a lot of lofts and new construction happening right now. Probably borderline mid-range/upscale. Another place you may want to look into is Ukrainian Village. May I ask why the Blue Line is important? Perhaps someone who has lived further northwest can be of help. I think you probably want to stay away from the west side (the other end of the Blue Line).

I just came across this. You may want to look into some of these neighborhoods:

http://www.city-data.com/forum/chica...blue-line.html

Thanks! Blue Line is not critical, just would be nice if it works out (for accessing ORD).

I understand. I've lived near Boystown and Uptown and now I live in the West Loop, 2 1/2 blocks from the Blue line. If I walk out the door at the right time (and there's a CTA app to time things), I can be in the terminal at ORD within an hour. Those other areas are expensive taxi rides or long bus or train rides to the Blue Line.

An hour? Wow. In our old neighborhood we were 25-30 minutes, door to lounge. We're going to miss that.

How would you rate your three neighborhoods in terms of food and kids? I would not mind Boystown, especially if there might be other kids with two moms or dads around. West Loop looks interesting but a bit new and non-neighborhoodish for us (though I'm only really familiar with the area around West Fulton Market). Haven't looked at Uptown.

Well, you'll pay a lot less to get there - $2.25 (and it's a longer trip).

The West Loop (Fulton and Randolph, in particular) is the hottest restaurant scene in the city. Boystown has plenty of restaurants, but little of note and is close to the lake, which is nice. I'm not sure whether you're interested in a single family home, condo or apartment. Boystown has single family homes, as well as smaller apartment buildings and two and three flat apartments and condos. Strangely enough, Boystown is far more congested. The several blocks west of Boystown are very similar, but more quiet and less congested.

The West Loop has very few single family homes, but is becoming more of a neighborhood - a great little park just a block from me. Just opened a couple of hears ago, with a huge padded, enclosed playground with lots of equipment on one side, and an enclosed doggy park on the other, outdoor cinema nights, activties in the winter, etc. It's hugely popular - on a nice day, there will be 25 - 30 little kids running around. Across the street is a new development with what they're calling supercondos - three bedrooms and lots of room, which suggests more kids on the way. :) There is still a lot of free street parking.

I didn't live in Uptown (well, the very south end), but Buena Park, which is sort of between Uptown and Boystown/Wrigleyville. It has a couple of historical districts (Hutchinson and Alta Vista Terrace - you can google them), with lots of old homes and tree lined streets. Kind of a quiet oasis in the middle of the bustling city. Very few restaurants. In Uptown itself, you'll find plenty of grit.

I presume over the next several days, you'll get lots of other comments. I'm rather biased toward the West Loop because I've been here 8 years now and love it. The only thing I miss is being close to the lake and the bike and jogging paths.

I've lived in Boystown for 21 years as of this weekend! (Just a suggestion: Don't move to Boystown on the day of the price parade.) I worked in the West Loop for 5 years, from 2000-2005.

Personally, I never would have moved to the West Loop while I was working there precisely because it didn't feel like a neighborhood. I loved the restaurants, but couldn't imagine jogging through a busy commercial area with a lot of traffic. I do think there's some more green space since then, but I'd spend a lot of time walking around before deciding if it (or any neighborhood) is right for you. Also, important to realize that certain streets in the West Loop are still heavily occupied by wholesale food-related companies and the semis descend on the area from 2-6am or so. If you're a light sleeper, you might not appreciate a semi idling outside your bedroom window.

(But other neighborhoods have similar issues. Google the story about the woman who bought an expensive condo in Trump Tower and then sued because the law firm Jenner & Block--which was in the building directly opposite her unit--kept their lights on 24 hours a day. Apparently she spent so much on the Trump name that she couldn't afford blackout curtains.)

Boystown and Andersonville (aka "New Boystown") are both neighborhoods where no one will give Dad & Dad & kid a second glance. You'll definitely befriend plenty of other same-sex parents here. And Nettlehorst Elementary, which is the local public school, truly embraces the diversity of the families that attend the school. They always march in the Pride Parade and usually get some of the biggest cheers.

The accessibility to the Blue Line is an issue with Boystown or any of the north side lakefront neighborhoods. Personally, I usually cab to the blue line ($12 from my home across from Belmont Harbor) and then jump on the El. The entire trip takes me about an hour. If I opt for one of the east-west buses to take me to the El it's 90 minutes. Driving takes me 35 minutes in light traffic.

You're right about the "certain streets." I should have been more clear - the area around Randolph/Fulton is very much like that. Monroe, Adams, Jackson west of Halsted are quite different. I live on Adams, and it's far less congested and there is far less traffic than Boystown. It is very quiet. I agree that coming to the city and walking around prospective neighborhoods is a must, however.

I'll be doing just that this weekend. Thanks to both of you!

Well, if you are in Boystown on Sunday, don't think that's typical. ;)

BTW, the little park I mentioned is at Adams and Sangamon. Check it out. It's pretty cool.

Just a note that if you're considering buying, look into schools now. Your 1 year old will be starting K before you know it!

Definitely. We're probably going to rent for the first six months to a year while we get the lay of the land. Sounds like Chicago has a neighborhood school system and not some wacky lottery like SF?

It has both! There will be a neighborhood school that you're assigned to with attendance boundaries that all you have to do is show up and you're in. Those schools range from very good to up-and-coming to oh-my-god-my-child-isn't-going-there. In addition, there are 2 "selective-enrollment" programs (ie test-in gifted), magnets (pure lottery), and open enrollment (neighborhood schools with space allow others enroll via lottery).

Unfortunately, of the neighborhoods others have suggested, you're more looking at up-and-coming and oh-crap schools with the exception of Nettlehorst, which is very good. Renting is a good idea, as it'll give you plenty of time to dig into it.

cpsobsessed.com is a blog that contains a ton of good information

I used to live in South Loop and am currently visiting friends who live in its neighbor, Printer's Row. Both neighborhoods are not gritty, have good mid-range food options in walking distance, lots of stores close by, and are close to the lake. Though they are on Red Line, there is an easy underground transfer from Red Line at Jackson. There is a Blue Line station that is also a 10-minute walk away from the Printer's Row apartment.

My friends are in a large 2-bedroom in a full amenities high rise, which sets them back a hefty $3000/month. However, there are considerably cheaper options if one forgoes things like a doorman and a fancy gym.

Oddly, a friend who lives in the South Loop recently expressed some safety concerns. I was really surprised, given how that neighborhood has changed in the last 10-15 years, but what she said was that the recent residential developments have become safe little enclaves, but once you step out of them, there's either more crime or more perceived safety issues than you might imagine. I'm not sure how much of that is tied to Chicago's normal warm-weather spike in gun violence, but she did say she feels less safe in the area than when she first moved there. Just one data point...can't vouch for the accuracy of it.

One more note: Renting sounds like a great idea. Talking to a lot of realtors and others in the know, a many people are expecting there to be a second housing correction in Chicago. I have real estate agent friends as well as several friends who have sold recently, and many homes going under contract a week to 10 days after listing and selling for over the asking price. The perception seems to be that the market is hotter than it really should be, and most seem to be anticipating a pull-back sometime this fall or winter.