Culture of northern Chicago suburbs?

[Anonymous]

Super segregated, tempered with Midwest Nice.

[Anonymous]

I would say that Winnetka is snobby. Everywhere from Evanston up north through Lake Forest has snobby pockets, but 10 minutes west of there, a little bit off the lake shore is not snobby at all. The problem is that the less snobby areas have pretty low standards for academics, food, etc. If you are used to east coast life being around educated and demanding people, you might now be an educated and demanding pressure cooker person.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:I used to live in Chicago and miss it a lot. I'd love to move there, but it is too cold for my DH.

To answer your questions: If you don't like snobs and don't want your kids feeling left out because you don't do spring break in Aspen, you'll want to think about avoiding Willmette and Highland Park. If you aren't Jewish, you might not fit in well in Highland Park, if you are Jewish, then you will. If you are still concerned with controlling your COL, which you mentioned, I'd avoid both -- they are quite expensive. However, given your HHI, you will be quite well off for Chicago. I'd consider looking into neighborhoods in the city and paying for private school if necessary (Francis Parker is great, but it might be hard to get in). A friend who lives in the loop on the lakefront actually has his elementary kids in public -- their PTA does an amazing job and the school is great.

If I were moving back and in your circumstances and really wanted a suburb, I'd probably consider Oak Park, or maybe Evanston.

But yeah, I love Chicago so much. I'd move there in a heartbeat if I could. Eat a Chicago dog for me, and walk along the lake front for me, and visit the Chagalls at the Art Institute for me, and get a Lou Malnati's pizza for me.

Only move to Oak Park if you want to pay even more ridiculous taxes and never be able to sell your house.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:I would say that Winnetka is snobby. Everywhere from Evanston up north through Lake Forest has snobby pockets, but 10 minutes west of there, a little bit off the lake shore is not snobby at all. The problem is that the less snobby areas have pretty low standards for academics, food, etc. If you are used to east coast life being around educated and demanding people, you might now be an educated and demanding pressure cooker person.

Interesting. Winnetka is pretty snobby, but restaurants in the North Shore are generally pretty dumbed down and expensive. The restaurants get better, generally, as you move from the North Shore. Saying that folks west of the lake have low standards for food and other things is just nonsense.

Plenty of schools more than ten minutes west are great, including Stevenson, Deerfield, and the Glenbrooks. And there's PLENTY of country club and snobbiness west of the lake. In fact, closer to the lake, you get more old money, and with that, fewer folks who are flaunting their wealth.

I haven't spent much time around Barrington, Long Grove, and Crystal Lake, but understand they all have plenty of snobby, too. And no one's talking about them as food destinations.

I find the PP's perspective perplexing.