Considering move to Chicago with 4 young children

[appleandplum]

A job opportunity has come up for my dh with is current company which would mean moving to Chicago from the UK, we are both British and it would be for finite time 2/3 years. We have 4 children ds 6, dt's 4 and ds nearly 3. I'm trying to be open to the opportunity and realise it would be great experience for us all but there are lots of details to think about, being completely isolated with no help (here we have grandparents who help lots), unsettling the children and moving school, how we actually go about moving a family of 6, being away from family/friends, settling into life in the US. Is anyone able to share any experiences and help? Thank you

Chicago is a great city. You dont mention where you live now but if it is london you will be hapily surprised about the cost of living. It is a big city but it doesnt feel crowded. There are nice suburbs with easy access downtown, for instance oak park.

Thank you, we live in a very small village in Leicestershire but my dh works in London so it would be quite different.

I have never had to move with four kids so cannot comment about that but does the relocation package include childcare for the first few weeks? If not maybe you can borrow one of the grandparents for an american adventure?
It us true that being an expat can be isolating specialy at the begining so try to socialize with neighbours, other parents etc. most of the americans i know are very friendly. Also chicago is a very multicultural place so they are used to interacting with people from other places.

You can be very bedazzled by the idea of Chicago with all the razzmatazz of it, the skyscrapers, the highways, the sheer scale of the buildings alone might make you think you were going somewhere completely different. But as Nolim says, many communities especially the older close-in suburbs have a 'village' feel to them. Certainly once you get 'in' with a school community you will find yourselves feeling very much a part of things as long as you make the effort to be sociable and get your children involved in activities. In a way, you are very lucky to be contemplating a move with children, as they will be your calling card and excuse to get out.

Older, close-in suburbs tend to have excellent public school systems too, and great amenities like pubic pools, public rinks, fab libraries (this is especially true in Oak Park). They also tend to have rail links to the city (the El system) that make it fairly easy to take children to see the great museums and attractions and to enjoy the downtown beaches without the hassle of parking. While the more pricey parts of older suburbs look fabulous, with gorgeous houses and wide lawns, the less expensive sections of those suburbs tend to be teeming with young families and also handy teen babysitters.

Most American teenagers earn money by babysitting, at least until they are 16 and can legally work elsewhere, but some keep at it longer. If you get involved in school activities you can ask other parents who they use as babysitters. Or ask a teacher if they know any family whose children babysit. Ime teens are very happy to get a regular babysitting job or a mother's helper job and they do good work. It's not the same as having grandparents and extended family calling in and enjoying family life though, and the actual care of the children involved is only half the story. Maybe the grandparents could be persuaded to come for extended visits? That way you're less likely to feel so isolated and separated.

Chicago has definite seasons, all of which are fun - especially for children. There are lots of nice, affordable places within fairly easy driving distance for getaways or holidays - Michigan and Wisconsin have nice old resort towns. Door County, Wisconsin is a very family friendly destination, and the entire Lake Michigan shore of Michigan has nice places for family fun, simmer and winter alike.

You would really need to get a car in order to fully enjoy all that Chicago has to offer, do grocery shopping, get to activities (especially when the weather turns very cold).

Many thanks for all this information Nolim & mathanxiety, still no decision made and still seems like a very big move to make away and big disruption for children (but husband is very keen). Do you both live in Chicago?

They are at perfect ages to move though, aren't they? It sounds like a fantastic opportunity.

It is a great opportunity and i think its now or never in terms of their ages, before they get to High School.

I'm a suburbanite. I think you are right to say that the elementary school years are ideal for exposure to another culture and education system and all the activities possible in a place like the Chicago area. When you return, they would still be well able to settle into the English system again before secondary starts. With good suburban schools, children wouldn't lose out at all.

If you have a chance to visit and scout around a bit I would do that. Suburbs worth looking at would include Evanston (diverse, big, great schools, home to Northwestern University, has a lakeshore and beach), Wilmette (north again, a bit more expensive than Evanston and less diverse but pretty), Skokie (west of Evanston, diverse, good road and rail links, good amenities, good schools), Oak Park (diverse, fairly densely populated so street parking for apartment dwellers is complicated, liberal, great amenities and close to Chicago, great rail - local and commuter - and road links to the city, great schools), River Forest (west of Oak Park, pricier, less diverse, great schools, home to two small universities), Riverside (southwest of the city, great schools, less diverse, a bit further out so a longer commute but served by commuter rail), and within the city you might like to consider Beverly in the south west and Hyde Park on the lake shore south of downtown. Beverly has a suburban feel to it and Hyde Park is more urban, a little MC and academic oasis anchored by the University of Chicago. Also in the city, going north from downtown, Lakeview and Edgewater are nice, as is Lincoln Park (pricey however). These neighbourhoods are definitely urban in feel.

Alas, i dont live in chicago but it is probably my favorite place among those where i have lived.

Math: great knowledge of the area. I agree that living in a suburb is better. And the commute to downtown is reasobable.

Meanwhile i am stuck in a train. Sigh.

Sounds wonderful. I'd be away like a shot.

Can I come?

Sounds fab.

Don't worry about the children - they will adjust fine, especially as they are so young. When I was 5 my parents took me and 3 siblings to live abroad for the year and it was a fantastic adventure for us kids.
No probs settling into schools there or when we came back.
My parents also really enjoyed that year abroad.

Thanks, this is brilliant. I will have a good look into all those areas later, my dh would be working Oak brook so not right in the city.
I think if i had been there it would give me a great perspective on it than just the internet.

I the states they dont say "the city". It is "downtown". And oak brook is a suburb itself!

Oak Brook is very nice small residential population and a huge and fairly upscale shopping mall plus McDs HQ and some other major offices and has some pricey suburbs immediately close by. Clarendon Hills is nice and has commuter rail links to the city -- nice for trips there with the DCs. Darien, south of Clarendon Hills, is also nice, and a bit to the south and east are LaGrange and LaGrange Park. Hinsdale is vair naice, vair pricey...

You could live in Oak Park, about half an hour/forty mins rush hour commute directly to the east, which might be smart to consider as there are more rentals available there, and it really is a very liveable community, or River Forest, and your DH would have a sort of a reverse commute. There is also Westchester, again east of Oak Brook. (The names of the streets in Westchester are 'English' -- Buckingham, Newcastle, Portsmouth, Hull, Manchester, Bristol, Kensington, Windsor ). It's a postwar suburb whereas Oak Park, River Forest and Riverside, which is also a possibility perhaps, are older. Not too many apartment rentals there, whereas they abound in Oak Park. Another place you might consider is Elmhurst, to the north of Oak Brook on Route 83. It's a nice family suburb, good schools and amenities, nice downtown area with a small cinema, and commuter rail links to Chicago.

Don't go near Villa Park, Addison, Bensenville, Franklin Park, Northlake, Maywood, Bellwood or Hillside, Melrose Park, Berkeley, Broadview too, and while Forest Park is nice for evenings out, good bars, good restaurants, etc. I wouldn't live there even though it can be affordable, mainly because of the schools. The pool there is very nice though..

I'm not really familiar with points west of Oak Brook Downer's Grove, Lombard, Woodridge, Glen Ellyn, Wheaton I have a suspicion renting would be difficult there and I also think you would both need cars out there. I could be wrong..

Staying fairly closeby is advisable as traffic is always heavy and it would be difficult for everyone if your DH had to spend too much time on the road. A suburb or location where your DCs can walk to school might be really handy for you.

I mention apartment rentals but houses can be rented too..

Hi Appleandplum-

Did you go ahead with this move? My DH has had a similar offer from his employer this week and it's a big thing to contemplate. We have one DD (aged 4) just about to start school in August.

Interested to know what happened to you!

Anna
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