Quote:
Originally Posted by SHOFEAR
As we got out of our 20's mindset and realized all schools aren't equal...well that changed a lot and narrowed down possible neighborhoods drastically. A huge box that we needed to check off was decent schools. While some central neighborhoods are experiencing a rejuvenation, its not exactly people with toddlers lining up to overpay for some trendy narrow lot infills. Those schools are a long way (if ever) from being fixed. What we zeroed in on was neighbourhoods that have had good schools for multiple generations, with the thinking that other young couples will continue to pay a premium to move into these neighbourhoods and keep the schools desirable.
|
Schools are certainly an important part of the location equation when you have kids. That said, a
TREMENDOUS amount of "school quality" is really just a measure of the socio-economic status of the students who happen to attend the school.
Our neighborhood city school garners a middling rating from the major school ratings agencies, but 30% of the students are from low-income families. When you control for that low-income student population, test results aren't all that radically different from a typical suburban elementary school.
My kids will also be provided with a far more realistic picture of the way the world really is than I was ever afforded growing up in Wilmette (wealthy upper middle class northshore burb). There is real value in socio-economic mixing, but that will never be quantified by a fucking Great Schools algorithm.
Quote:
Originally Posted by SHOFEAR
Even though we have an above average sized house and an above average sized lot....I see us moving into something larger, not smaller if we ever move again.
|
We all have our own drumbeat to march to.
We've got a 3 bed/3 bath 2,300 SF condo spread across two floors in a bog-standard Chicago 3-flat. It feels fairly house-like, other than the fact that we have some upstairs neighbors and shared yard spaces. It's plenty adequate for our family of four.
Considering that we have absolutely no plans to expand our family any further, I can't envision any situation where I would ever live in another home substantively larger than our current one.
Our current plan is to camp down here for the next couple decades while we raise our kids, plant some serious roots, become part of the woodwork of the neighborhood, and give our kids a strong sense of "rootedness" in their city. After that, it can only be smaller, not bigger.