Getting a Yard For Your Half a Million: 1738 N. Newport in Lakeview
A half a million dollars doesn’t get you much in the prime neighborhoods these days (even after the bust) but you can still get a house with a yard like this 3-bedroom cottage at 1738 W. Newport in Lakeview.
This is far west Lakeview (does North Center start at Ravenswood?) and is NOT on the El side of Newport.
Built in 1886 on a wider than standard lot of 30×125, the listing describes it as a “cottage.”
It is built on the back end of the property making for a long front yard that is fenced in for privacy.
The listing says it has a 1-car garage and central air.
The kitchen has black appliances.
There is a wood burning fireplace and an unfinished basement.
2 of the 3 bedrooms are on the second floor with the third on the main level.
Originally listed in April 2012 for $529,900, it was recently reduced $10,000.
Is this house a good townhouse or duplex down alternative?
Suzanne Gignilliat at Coldwell Banker has the listing. See the pictures here.
1738 W. Newport: 3 bedrooms, 2 baths, no square footage listed, 1 car garage
- Sold in November 1989 for $170,000
- Sold in September 1990 for $176,500
- Originally listed in April 2012 for $529,900
- Reduced
- Currently listed for $519,900
- Taxes of $7631
- Central Air
- Bedroom #1: 14×13 (second floor)
- Bedroom #2: 10×12 (second floor)
- Bedroom #3: 9×11 (main floor)
Beautiful yard, horrible architecture. This is one ugly house.
I remember that in the 90s, this W Lakeview nabe was a quiet, cheap, well-kept “blue collar” neighborhood that was beginning to morph into a “yuppie” neighborhood, which is why it’s so full of fugly SF houses.
Moral of the story is to buy into a neglected, “untrendy” neighborhood in the city while it’s dirt cheap. This neighborhood is sewn up but there are many others. Belmont Craigin. Albany Park. W Rogers Park. Humbolt Park even still has deals and so does Logan Square, here and there. Just make sure it’s close to retail/transit hubs, rail lines, major bus lines. I predict that over the next 15 years, every north side neighborhood will be very hot, and many south side nabes will be rebuilt. This house will probably sell very close to ask because it is close to everything and very nice piece of property overall, in a neighborhood now considered prime.
Now is the time to ditch your house in failing exurbs and get close to transportation, jobs, and services. We have seen this movie before- the exurbs and inner suburbs loaded with crummy one-cycle 50s and 60s housing stock are now beginning to experience the same kind of disinvestment that ravaged our cities in the 50s and 60s. Only the elite burbs like Hinsdale and parts of Oakbrook, or the fine old north shore suburbs will continue to thrive. I will be keeping an eye cocked on places like Rolling Meadows, Schaumburg, and other, similar middle-tier burbs over the next decade with a mind to buy future farmland, which is what these places will revert to being.
This is a hideous dormered two bedroom plus first floor office for $529,000. This should be a teardown if anything.
Man that’s ugly. Doesn’t seem like a bad play for the land though.
“I predict that over the next 15 years, every north side neighborhood will be very hot”
One little problem with that prediction: CPS. People are NOT going to leave suburbs with tolerable schools to relocate to city neighborhoods with bad schools, regardless of where the jobs are.
That is so 1985. People left the suburbs to come where the jobs are decades ago and it isn’t ever going to stop. This is because nobody graduating college is ever going to be happy living with mom and dad in the burbs, so they come to Chicago to live where they work and play, and often don’t think about the schools/kids etc. until years later.
There is no stopping the steady stream of such people into the City, and even if only 3-5% decide to stick around Chicago during their kids’ school years, there’s not enough living options as-is.
Demand, meet supply.
“One little problem with that prediction: CPS. People are NOT going to leave suburbs with tolerable schools to relocate to city neighborhoods with bad schools, regardless of where the jobs are.”
How much does it cost to tear down a home and build a new single family home? I really have no idea. Given the land (wide lot!) and location, and comparing it to prices of homes right around the corner, it seems like this could still be a deal. But I’d want to make sure the el and Metra noises weren’t too loud.
We’ve discussed this before but the green zone is surprisingly small and most of the suitable family housing stock has been razed and replaced with multi-units or luxury housing. The middle ground, such as this cottage, get squeezed and the price shoots up.
this would need to be about 425 for a developer to consider doing a teardown here. This is very definitley a viable option for a family. Good school is obviously very helpful. It’s the two bedrooms up that is likely detering people more than anything.
I’d say 485 would be a good price for this.
“But I’d want to make sure the el and Metra noises weren’t too loud.”
You will barely notice the Metra–if outside, you’ll know it’s passing, but it won’t be disruptive. The el noise will carry more, but I wouldn’t expect it’s too bad–outisde–because of the distance + surrounding buildings.
“One little problem with that prediction: CPS. People are NOT going to leave suburbs with tolerable schools to relocate to city neighborhoods with bad schools, regardless of where the jobs are.”
I’m glad CPS is working for some people but I think it will become less relevant for many as alternative options become more popular. The more I read into home schooling and how it’s a growing trend among urban educated parents, the more I’m convinced it will go mainstream. Don’t know when that will happen, but I think it will play out.
Saying the city is coming back ignores long term trends. Kind of like smokers who think that quitting smoking for a few weeks at a time means they quit, when in fact, they’ve been smoking for decades and those weeks of abstention are little more than an anomaly. The long term trend of the city has been negative for decades now – fewer people live in the city today than in 1920 – and yet CPS still hasn’t figured it out for the vast majority of its citizens. And despite piss poor results, they just voted to strike because they feel they deserve more money.
“The more I read into home schooling and how it’s a growing trend among urban educated parents, the more I’m convinced it will go mainstream.”
Same with urban gardening, chickens at home, and terrace-level goat farms!!
It’s a luxury of the relatively well-educated AND relatively well-off (need a parent mostly out of the workforce). Even if it goes “mainstream” (which I don’t doubt) it’s going to involve–what? 5%?–of school-aged kids (ie, less than private school kids in Chicago). And, even if it works and is “mainstream”, a *ton* of the parents re-evaluate at HS level, which is where the real problem in CPS is–overheard a conversation about one person’s kid sitting in class next to someone with an ankle monitor–and is the level at which it becomes especially challenging for even *very* capable parents to handle all subjects. Oh, and the “co-op” model is really just an unlicensed private school, so I only give that half-credit.
“fewer people live in the city today than in 1920 ”
How does the household count compare, HD? Just a coincidence of smaller family/household size?
“CPS still hasn’t figured it out for the vast majority of its citizens. And despite piss poor results, they just voted to strike because they feel they deserve more money.”
Um, little mixed-up on the blame there (btw, *very* anti-strike, and anti-raise on CTU’s (current, apparent) terms).
http://www.fhwa.dot.gov/planning/census_issues/archives/metropolitan_planning/cps2k.cfm
Society isn’t with you there. People have spoken, they want an urban lifestyle.
And Chicago measures up pretty well IMO.
“Saying the city is coming back ignores long term trends. Kind of like smokers who think that quitting smoking for a few weeks at a time means they quit, when in fact, they’ve been smoking for decades and those weeks of abstention are little more than an anomaly. The long term trend of the city has been negative for decades now – fewer people live in the city today than in 1920 – and yet CPS still hasn’t figured it out for the vast majority of its citizens. And despite piss poor results, they just voted to strike because they feel they deserve more money.”
“And despite piss poor results, they just voted to strike because they feel they deserve more money.”
CPS teachers are forced to teach to a test to either keep their jobs (extreme), school continuing or getting more funds (very common), keep the principal from catching heat then both loose jobs principal and teacher (common for the principal to turn on the teacher).
FTR i am anti-strike on the grounds they are striking against, but believe a strike needs to happen to stop the Rahmfather steamroller from gaining too much ground. Brizzards (sp) plans for CPS if you really look at it has the non-super-excellent schools teaching to a test even more which takes the Teaching out of our teachers and demoralizes them to a “instructor” and “babysitter” not a “teacher”.
BTW charter schools are a cop-out and smokescreen, dont believe the hype.
skeptic – thanks for setting up the straw man i.e. rural vs. urban, and knocking it down! It’s city vs suburbs, not city vs. rural.
Look to Detroit for an extreme example of people leaving the city to move to the burbs; and the same for most ‘urban’ cities. suburban still has ‘urban’ in it. yet souless, but preferable to the city.
anon(tfo) – smaller household sizes? Huh?????
If Chicago can get the school situation straightened out, I think there is plenty of demand for city living. Even many of the large corporations that set up shop in the burbs have downtown offices specifically because too many young workers they are trying to attract absolutely do not want to live out in the burbs. Gas prices also aren’t favoring the burbs either.
However, the one thing many Chicago burbs do have is functioning downtown areas and metra. Of course, these burbs aren’t cheap either. The small downtowns and public transportation are kind of like greenzone markers for the burbs. In many areas of hte country, suburbs do not have functioning downtowns unless you consider a General Growth Property shopping mall a downtown much less any kind of commuter train options.
The smarter burbs are going to be looking to attract residents with strong schools, but also replicating some of the arts and dining culture that Greenzone refugees crave.
“The smarter burbs are going to be looking to attract residents with strong schools, but also replicating some of the arts and dining culture that Greenzone refugees crave.”
Sure, there will be restaurants that try to cater to greenzone refugees, however the creative class that creates these restuaratns all live in the city and don’t want to commute to the suburbs. In addition, they can’t afford to live in the neighborhoods they want to serve the same way they can in Chicago.
“anon(tfo) – smaller household sizes? Huh?????”
Is a city actually shrinking if demo in year one is:
800,000 households, average HH size = 3.5; pop = 2.8m
and in year 1+x is:
1,000,000 hh; average HH size = 2.5; pop = 2.5m
From a real estate perspective, at least, the city is “growing” as it needs 25% more housing units, even tho total population dropped over 10%.
I don’t know the answer for Chicago (yeah, I could figure it out), but think it’s part of teh consideration.
“Oh, and the “co-op” model is really just an unlicensed private school, so I only give that half-credit.”
Alright, in that case I say home schooling and unlicensed private schools will become a more relevant alternative for those that would otherwise be competing for the top slots of CPS. Sure–poor, uneducated families in the city will continue to use CPS for the free day care that it provides. My comment related to the relatively well-educated AND relatively well-off interested in city for whatever reason but can’t make CPS work for them and aren’t well-off enough to go the licensed private school route.
Anon I fear you may have opened the door for helmethoofer and his rantingz about the non green zones residents proclivity for having bastard children. Much of the south and west sides have been abandoned. In the 1920s many of these areas were just being built and back then the city stil l has more residents than it does today.
“back then the city stil l has more residents than it does today”
But did it have more households? Was that still true if you did not count each SRO unit as a separate HH?
HD, Chicago’s problems have been migrating to the burbs as long as Chicagoans have. I know you don’t agree with it, but many of us would rather be boiled in hot oil than live in in an off-the-grid suburb.
Here, you may like this:
http://www.insidehighered.com/news/2012/06/11/commencement-speech-tells-high-school-grads-they-arent-special
“a more relevant alternative ”
Agree completely. *but* we have to see if Rahm is more receptive to that than he is to food trucks. Kinda doubt it.
“live in in an off-the-grid suburb”
It is more than likely that HD lives in an “on the grid” burb. Unless he actually moved to MethTown.
Never got a response to this question, which I posed in another city/burb subthread…
Burb folks (particularly longtime city folks who move to the burbs with the kids), how often do you come back into the city on the weekend?
Uhhh – I think there actually may be fewer and fewer people staying in chicago – and more people making a mass exodus to the burbs. Honestly, if you were out in the Gold Coast this weekend (around Water Tower, oak street beach) – it felt like Englewood. Also, there were several mob beatings. If that continues, I can GUARANTEE you that these rich people will move out to the burbs.
Besides the schools issue, the fact that a huge percentage of the suburban homeowners that might consider moving into the city are underwater on their current mortgages, and will be for the forseeable future, might put a bit of a crimp on this trend.
“if you were out in the Gold Coast this weekend (around Water Tower, oak street beach) – it felt like Englewood”
You haven’t ever actually been to Englewood, have you?
Clio, tell us more about your time in Englewood.
I for one look forward to the Gold Coast housing you predict will be dumped on the market at bargain basement prices.
It seems like it’s actually the other way around, or at least that right now, there are enough stuck in the City that it’s a wash.
“Besides the schools issue, the fact that a huge percentage of the suburban homeowners that might consider moving into the city are underwater on their current mortgages, and will be for the forseeable future, might put a bit of a crimp on this trend.”
“Burb folks (particularly longtime city folks who move to the burbs with the kids), how often do you come back into the city on the weekend?”
Almost every weekend; in fact, we still regularly head back to the same restaurants/bars and try to schedule around traffic so it doesn’t take us more than 20-25 minutes to get to LP. Oak Park is closer to the Loop than Lincoln Square proper, both by driving and public transit.
Speaking of Oak Park, do OP residents see something to the existing left-side exits that the rest of us don’t? This is a good thing, right?
http://www.suntimes.com/13118358-761/left-side-on-off-ramps-could-be-shifted-to-the-right-in-oak-park.html
I get into the city every weekend. Same as OP_Lurker. Of course, no kids to worry about but going into downtown Chicago from Oak Park is a breeze. I get to Bucktown/Wicker Park faster from OP than when I lived in Andersonville.
I know it’s not in the city, but when I think of burbs, I don’t really think of OP. As you both point out, it’s closer than various (desirable) hoods of the city to many of the city’s prime attractions. Evanston is more of a toss-up, but I suppose I’d also include it within a broad definition of the city. And I think it says something about those who choose OP or Evanston that (i) they’re the only ones who respond to my question and (ii) they regularly come into the city to spend a good part of their free time.
I’d imagine OP and Evanston have a pretty substantial number of people who truly enjoy urban living but just couldn’t stand CPS. I get the impression that for others staying in the City is more akin to “finishing school.”
It takes me longer than the other two but I come downtown pretty much every day including weekends. This Sat and Sun I worked a few hours and hit the lakefront to exercise and to meet up with friends for fun/beers (did I learn about Waterfront Cafe @ 6200 N on the lakefront here on CC – if so thanks much to whoever!)
“This is a good thing, right?”
As a neighbor told me when I first moved, the only Oak Park residents who don’t want to expand the Ike either work only in Oak Park or don’t work.
It would be good, but Oak Park is concerned because moving the ramps could mean losing land and homes for the right of way and construction, etc.
“Speaking of Oak Park, do OP residents see something to the existing left-side exits that the rest of us don’t? This is a good thing, right?
http://www.suntimes.com/13118358-761/left-side-on-off-ramps-could-be-shifted-to-the-right-in-oak-park.html“
“As a neighbor told me when I first moved, the only Oak Park residents who don’t want to expand the Ike either work only in Oak Park or don’t work.”
Be careful driving on the Ike when you are watching two kids and one of their friends, you may get a flat tire and be towed by a guy with a hook arm then all goes downhill from there.
Anonny – once every month or so.
“I get the impression that for others staying in the City is more akin to “finishing school.””
??
Don’t have time to read all the comments but just have to say that is one UGLY house! Wow.
“Honestly, if you were out in the Gold Coast this weekend (around Water Tower, oak street beach) – it felt like Englewood.”
http://chicago.cbslocal.com/2012/06/10/5-dead-35-wounded-in-weekend-shootings/
Number killed/wounded by ‘hood due to gun violence (but guns are illegal in Chicago???)
Back of the Yards: 4/6
Washington Park: 0/4
Grand Crossing: 1/0
Chicago Lawn: 1/0
Roseland: 1/1
Park Manor: 1/0
Not sure where the remaining 30 injuries are, but I don’t remember reading about Gold Coast.
Clio I’d love to do a reality show where we drop you off in any of the above neighborhoods after hours with no money or cell phone. I think your perspective is a little warped just because some youfs do some wildings. Losing a tooth is a hell of a lot better than losing a life. If the cameras had stuck around after NATO I’m sure Jesse would be on the scene but I think they packed up & left.
“In all, at least 40 people — mostly men — suffered non-life-threatening injuries in separate shootings on the South and West sides since Friday afternoon.”
“Be careful driving on the Ike when you are watching two kids and one of their friends, you may get a flat tire and be towed by a guy with a hook arm then all goes downhill from there.”
WTH???? no love for the adventures in babysitting reference? not even a nod from ze?
rough crowd
I generally dislike making 80’s movie references because it shows my age. I try to make current movie references, like for example, the line from Midnight in Paris: “These people don’t have any antibiotics!” And that is lost on everyone I’ve used it on. So i usually just stick to references from ancient greek tragedies – which I know no one will understand. I’m not very popular at cocktail parties to say the least…
“You haven’t ever actually been to Englewood, have you?”
He drives through englewood every time he drives the Dan Ryan.
“WTH???? no love for the adventures in babysitting reference? not even a nod from ze?”
Nope.. Reminds me of when my buddy and I, while watchin it (very high), re mixed our version of the puppy dog blues..
Ze lost one of his pups this week.. 13 1/2 yrs old and will be sorely missed. Ze not up for making jokes. Even videos of Bobbie peeeing in his own mouth aren’t working. Going to head out of Rio next week, for a few months, and go distract myself…
They arrested one person in connection with the flash mob attack on the businessman on the 500 block of North State over the weekend. They broke his jaw.
http://www.chicagotribune.com/news/local/breaking/chi-man-charged-with-attacking-tourist-in-near-north-neighborhood-20120611,0,3301643.story
Here’s the one about the man who was attacked on Sunday night on the 800 block of North Dewitt. He had lacerations.
http://www.chicagotribune.com/news/local/breaking/chi-cops-man-beaten-by-group-in-gold-coast-neighborhood-20120611,0,3063104.story
Bob- they weren’t coming up in your “stats” because neither was a shooting.
Looks like The Mayor is going to have to put a bunch of cops around the Mag Mile again all summer.
“But did it have more households? ”
As compared to 1920, abortions and illegitimate births are WAY up, but they cancel each other out, so I’d agree with anon(tfo) that family size might be smaller which gives us less overall population today.
“And I think it says something about those who choose OP or Evanston that (i) they’re the only ones who respond to my question and (ii) they regularly come into the city to spend a good part of their free time.”
What “free time”? How old are YOUR kids?
My friends in the burbs don’t come to the city because:
1. One kid has an 8 am soccer game and then tuba practice at 1.
2. The second kid has a baseball game at 10 am and a birthday party at 2:30.
3. The family has to go to the school fundraiser at 5:00.
Rinse and repeat every single Saturday. And heaven forbid they have more than 2 kids.
Why would you EVER come down to the city? To do what? There isn’t enough time in the day. Your time is spent in your local community with sports, school activities, religious obligations, barbecuing in the backyard, bike riding, or the park district water park. Your life revolves around your kids (in the city or not.) It starts early and doesn’t end until they’re 18.
“I know it’s not in the city, but when I think of burbs, I don’t really think of OP. As you both point out, it’s closer than various (desirable) hoods of the city to many of the city’s prime attractions. Evanston is more of a toss-up, but I suppose I’d also include it within a broad definition of the city.”
downtown Evanston is today very urban, quite pleasant, and it’s like Chicago without the diversity, giving us a glimpse of what a First World America is like had it been maintained elsewhere.
“downtown Evanston is today very urban, quite pleasant, and it’s like Chicago without the diversity”
Really Dan? Evanston seems pretty diverse to me (especially compared to many other suburbs).
From the 2010 census:
White: 65.6%
Black: 18.1%
Latino: 9%
Asian: 8.6%
More than 2 races: 3.8%
“Why would you EVER come down to the city? To do what?”
Sabrina, all those activities you listed are available to families in the city. A birthday party?! At 2:30?! Oh, my…I that family must have a professional manager running the show.
What you’ve described sounds much like most of our weekends, only without all the happenings/events/dining/attractions of the city.
p.s. I’m not saying that I don’t see the value of living in the burbs, depending upon one’s circumstances (e.g., a job in the burbs, a child with needs that are better met by a school in the burbs, families with more than 3 kids, families with working or even middle class household income (both currently and projected), etc.).
The ‘value’ of the suburbs is that it doesn’t cost over half a million dollars to live in an updated cottage. I’m not a schaumburg suburbs kind of guy by any stretch of the imagination but after looking at what I was willing to pay the suburbs was a no brainer. There will be a point in my life where I’m not paying for daycare, or student loans, and other child related expenses, and my income should presumably be higher, and when that day arrives, I may consider the $500,000 cottage in lakeview, but until that day arrives, i’ll live in suburubia for a fraction of the price.
“The ‘value’ of the suburbs is that it doesn’t cost over half a million dollars to live in an updated cottage.”
This is a big part of it. A $500,000 is NOT middle class. Not by a long shot. And a cottage is all you get?
Yes- your money goes WAY further in the interior suburbs (not Schaumburg or Plainfield.) Take a look at Flossmoor. You can get a 4-bedroom Spanish mediterranean on a big lot where you can walk to the train for the same price.
You all may find the following piece on the suburb-city migration interesting.
http://www.csmonitor.com/Books/Book-Reviews/2012/0423/The-Great-Inversion-and-the-Future-of-the-American-City
Population in 1920 vs 2012 is one comparison, but more recent population shifts are also worth considering. The US has been something of an oddball in terms of the lure of suburbs to those with means. Perhaps that is indeed changing.
Anonny:
You asked how many times those in the burbs came to the city. I answered. THEY DON’T HAVE THE TIME!!!! They don’t just hop in the car and “go dining.” They go to the Potbelly’s, the Red Robin or whatever with their kids. That is it. Their lives revolve around their neighborhood (much like it would if you live in Lakeview. If you have 2 kids aged 8 and 10- are you going to Evanston on the weekends? What about the Morton Arboretum? Or Great America? No, no, and no.)
So- if you are a parent in the suburbs and your kids are in a GAZILLION activities every single weekend- the last thing you want to do is say, “let’s get in the car and drive to Lincoln Park and get stuck in traffic on Fullerton for an hour trying to get to the zoo where we will have to circle for another half an hour to get a parking spot so we can go to that great zoo for 2 hours. Sounds like fun!”
Um…no.
Once your kids are playing sports, you aren’t out partaking in fine dining. You’re at the local pizza place. And if I live at Oak Park I can just as easily go to the Italian place on the corner as I can in Lakeview and Lincoln Park. That’s my point. Those in the burbs have LIVES. It doesn’t revolve around the stupid restaurants that are in Lincoln Park (which aren’t any different, by the way, from those in Evanston or Oak Park.)
“Ze lost one of his pups this week.”
sorry bro, it always sucks.
“I generally dislike making 80?s movie references because it shows my age.”
it doesnt show your age it shows your skills. If your able to tie in a reference to American Ninja on a thread, then you have mad skills.
“That’s my point. Those in the burbs have LIVES. It doesn’t revolve around the stupid restaurants that are in Lincoln Park (which aren’t any different, by the way, from those in Evanston or Oak Park.)”
one of the best points made on Crib Chatter for any subject.
look at annony, he live in one of the great cities in the world and he never ventures farther than a 5 mile radius from his home. It would be the same where ever he would live. but at least in LP that 5 miles has alot of stuff packed into it.
yes the burbs have an italian restaurant that is the same as one the city. and the burbs have a street fest just like in the city. burbs have a trendy boutique store just like the city.
but the city has 50 italian restarants in close distance, so if you end up getting bad service at one or just dont like it many other choices for you.
city has like 50 street fests every weekend so if timmy has a big game one weekend you able to go to another fest the next weekend
I am 20 minutes from every type of food, shopping, party, ethnicity, arts, sports, anyone can ever imagine. and i dont even live in Lincoln Park. but i do live in the city. I wouldnt be able to say the same if i lived in the armpit of everything wrong with the burbs of Shcuamburger or say St Charles.
Sabrina pushing Floosmor, I thought you already had a contract for your grandmother’s house….did it fall out???
“It doesn’t revolve around the stupid restaurants that are in Lincoln Park (which aren’t any different, by the way, from those in [the burbs].”
You certainly can’t find anything as special as mon ami gabi in the burbs or elsewhere outside of elp.
“I am 20 minutes from every type of food, shopping, party, ethnicity, arts, sports, anyone can ever imagine.”
You got korean “bbq”?
“You certainly can’t find anything as special as mon ami gabi”
If you can afford a family home in Oak Brook, you can afford a family home in the city.
And if you’re suggesting that people with kids living in Flossmoor have time to drive to Oak Brook for dinner, I don’t believe you.
“You got korean “bbq”?”
Groove would certainly claim to be within 20 minutes of Cho Sun Ok, and prob San Soo, too.
I think he probably drives like a demented cab driver.
Can someone please explain to me the value of including a photo of a flower (the very last photo, or even the flowers in the second-to-last photo) in a listing??
“You got korean “bbq”?”
I love me some korean bbq! 🙂
“yes the burbs have an italian restaurant that is the same as one the city. ”
There are no Olive Gardens in the city, at least that I am aware of.
“I think he probably drives like a demented cab driver.”
So he’s the one cutting me off when I take fullerton back into the city. I think we gotta go with google incl traffic drive times.
“There are no Olive Gardens in the city, at least that I am aware of.”
Francesca’s is both in the city and burbs though and one pretty decent italian restaurant….
“So he’s the one cutting me off when I take fullerton back into the city. I think we gotta go with google incl traffic drive times.”
From the ballpark of Groove’s house, google sez:
18 minutes, 32 w/current traffic to Cho,
20, 28 / current to San.
Those sorts of delays, a *very* aggressive Chicago driver, in that general part of town, can prob get down close enough to the “20” (which I take to mean under 23, really) to “count”.
“Groove would certainly claim to be within 20 minutes of Cho Sun Ok, and prob San Soo, too.
I think he probably drives like a demented cab driver”
“So he’s the one cutting me off when I take fullerton back into the city.”
I can get ANYWHERE in the city from my house in 20-25 minutes on any day at anytime. following exceptions being fulerton/damen/milwaukee by car, Blemont/ashland/lincoln 12pm on saturday, Wrigley field after a game ends.
But oddly, we seem to have quite a few Pizza Huts and Little Caesar’s. Who the heck eats at these places, anyhoo? The real Italian joints (hint: they must serve RC cola) are comparably priced.
“There are no Olive Gardens in the city, at least that I am aware of.”
“Once your kids are playing sports, you aren’t out partaking in fine dining. You’re at the local pizza place. And if I live at Oak Park I can just as easily go to the Italian place on the corner as I can in Lakeview and Lincoln Park. That’s my point. Those in the burbs have LIVES. It doesn’t revolve around the stupid restaurants that are in Lincoln Park (which aren’t any different, by the way, from those in Evanston or Oak Park.)”
This is pure bullshit.
VJ I feel for your fellow dining patrons if you’re bring children to fancy restaurants. tsk tsk.
BTW I have a two year old, I lived in the city, and I can count the number of times on one hand i’ve been to fine dining since my child was born. and Sabitino’s counts as fine dining too to arrive at my figure. and I used to go out to nice places all the time.
ON the other hand, I”ve been to chief o’neils and other various casual dining places at least a couple of times a month. if they don’t have a children’s menu, then I’m probably not eating there.
Maybe I’m the weirdo, who knows.
“The real Italian joints (hint: they must serve RC cola) are comparably priced.”
$5 14″ pizzas? Or comparably priced, as adjusted for quality?
” if they don’t have a children’s menu”
Is that the test? If so, we do it quite a bit.
“if they don’t have a children’s menu, then I’m probably not eating there”
any non kids menu “fine dining” or respectable food establishment will hook your kid up with something.
out of anonymity details will be ommited:
there is a place that we go the the chef made something for my kid that i took a bit and almost passed out it was so good. now when we go there i ask for the “adult version” of it. we have gone back 15 times just this year. I get the same thing thats not on the menu and my kids has a 4 thing rotation that isnt on the menu.
having kids does not mean red robin, and mcdonalds. (given red robin is dang good)
“Is that the test? If so, we do it quite a bit.”
It’s not quite ‘kids menu’ but more like ‘kids menu’ or ‘can i share it with child’ – panera/JJ doesn’t have a kids menu but a bit of my turkey sammich is just fine for kiddo.
”if they don’t have a children’s menu”
“Is that the test? If so, we do it quite a bit.”
Who needs a children’s menu when you have $5 14″ pizzas?
We go out to eat with kid a lot and the only time I can remember ordering from a children’s menu this year was in a pricey hotel where the kids menu was a bargain. Well, other than revbrew where my son knows the menu and likes to order himself, and where the $5 fish/chips/drink is a bargain too.
“‘kids menu’ or ‘can i share it with child’ ”
“share w/o pissing off the resto”–okay, fair enough.
Yes, when we go to the non-“kid firendly” places, we might do the Groove way or might just order off the regular menu–maybe an appetizer, or an entree (fish often successful) without the sauce. Anyone upset about a well-behaved child eating the same as a light-eating adult is simply churlish and should be banned from polite company. And, no, we don’t take the kids to Spiaggia or Alinea or the like, as we are not insane.
Yes, ill-behaved children piss me off too, which is a big reason we try to avoid the more “kid friendly” establishments, since too many parents adopt the “kid friendly = I don’t need to care” approach.
Homedelete, we do fine dining about once a month. We don’t bring the kiddo’s. But we go out almost every Friday to local non-chain restos with them (kid friendly places).
“having kids does not mean red robin, and mcdonalds. (given red robin is dang good)”
It does for suburban idiots.
Sorry, meant lemmings.
“downtown Evanston is today very urban, quite pleasant, and it’s like Chicago without the diversity”
“Really? Evanston seems pretty diverse to me (especially compared to many other suburbs).”
Sabrina, you should visit the Loop sometime soon. Street-wise vendors, homeless, unemployed southside young males wandering aimlessly, ambiguously diverse chain-smoking-student-loan-consuming college rats from Robert Morris, Roosevelt U. Columbia, it’s like Heathrow airport in all the diversity. NU and Evanston downtown are just much, much different.
PS Go see the NWC of State and Van Buren at lunch time, there’s an open plaza with some grass and benches……slobs and homeless sprawled out everywhere, a few are sound asleep at midday snoring,etc. It’s like a scene out of Durban or Johannesburg’s downtown. You just don’t see that in Evanston.
“since too many parents adopt the “kid friendly = I don’t need to care” approach.”
sad to say i have been guilty of that once or twice. when the kid was one my fork slipped off the plate onto the table and i said spaghettio’s. he laughed hilariously, so i repeated the fork/spaghettio’s thing about 8 times in a row. Could have cared less about the people in the restaurant, i couldnt get enough of my kid laughing like that.
wife did have a side bar with me on friday about manners. kid and i were doing a puzzle while waiting for the food, i decided to play a game of shoot the puzzle piece with a spoon to my kid and he puts it in place. he was laughing i was laughing, spoon was clanking, wife was giving the death look and from what i recall most patrons of the establishment were enjoying my son laughing and having fun. Wife stopped us, whispered in my ear some words then we stopped. got a lecture on the drive home about etiquette.
i replied etiquette? half the folk in there were in sandals and shorts. and 3 out 10 guy had a ball cap on. three tables over were dropping the f-bomb. i didnt think it was that uppity of a place where i needed to be on best behavior. she in turn gave me the wife stare.
“Burb folks (particularly longtime city folks who move to the burbs with the kids), how often do you come back into the city on the weekend?”
Former long time city folk and we hardly ever come back to the city, as in maybe never despite both of us working down here. People have different reasons for moving to the burbs, some of them don’t involve kids. I know we are the anomaly on the gay scale, but we are a gay male couple, no kids, who have a house in the burbs. Reasons for that is that we have a huge yard, great neighbors, great libraries, city amenities (also huge taxes.) Big reason, and this is why we don’t live in the city, we love to entertain at home (suburban eateries basically are bad chain ones so they aren’t work it ) and have room for it, partner’s a great cook, no need to go out for it, etc. I like being at home and enjoy being away from the city (okay, guess I just got old!)
When I look at this site and others, and see what people are asking for such small spaces it makes me cringe. But like my old hillbilly self, I love looking at the listing for the “big city.”!
“Sabrina pushing Floosmor, I thought you already had a contract for your grandmother’s house….did it fall out???”
Homedelete- I expect more from you.
Granny’s house sold over 2 years ago! (and it was Olympia Fields, not Flossmoor.) But semi-good memory just the same. I just have a love of Flossmoor architecture – which is fantastic- and is completely on sale in this housing bust.
Check out this mediterranean built in 1915 and now listed at just $425,000.
http://www.redfin.com/IL/Flossmoor/1-Butterfield-Cir-60422/home/12873671