Check out my open house at 6206 N. Lakewood, corner of Granville and Lakewood, Sundays from 11:30-2:30.

Check out our neighborhood page for Edgewater at: http://dreamtown.com/neighborhoods/edgewater.html

From there you can access maps, hot-spots, demographics of all sorts, and more as well as the same type of information for all of Chicago's other neighborhoods in a friendly and comprehensive lay out which is easy to use. While you are there you can also visit http://www.dreamtown.com/agents to see profiles of our 100+ highly trained Agents with Bios, testimonials and Agent Videos. Good Luck!

Hi Urbanlovely,
It is very difficult for anyone (even a close friend for example) to give you a detailed and correct answer, as Realtors we have to stay away from recommending, suggesting advantages and disadvantages of specific areas (look at what Philip Spencer wrote about anti discrimination and steering laws and you will understand why), but on the other hand there are so many other aspects to what individuals understand when they say "nice neighborhoods" "safe neighborhoods" "GOOD Schools", because individuals and families look at these issues differently, what is nice for one of our clients may not be nice to another. When it comes to schools, I always suggest, do your research on the websites and then by all means visit the schools in person, talk to the teachers, as only then can you decide if these schools offer the programs you are interested in for YOUR children!
Furthermore I just like to mention that schools change over years and neighborhoods change as well, sometimes to the better in some people's views and sometimes to the worse..... so who is really to know!

Well established long time existing neighborhoods are potentially your safest decision!

And as far as the neighborhoods go that you are looking in, any good Realtor, will be able to provide you with the information where you may find the most 2 flats to convert into a sfh if that is the type of property you prefer, that would certainly help you narrow down the areas you want to explore.

And always always, spend time in a neighborhood, go to restaurants there, walk around during the week, evenings on the weekends to get a feel for the active life style that the area will offer you....

And yes check out some of the available websites
http://www.ChicagoMetroLiving.com
http://chicago.everyblock.com/crime/
http://schoollocator.cps.k12.il.us/viewer.htm

Hope all this helps you in making your decision...
Edith Karoline YourRealto4Life!
Working always in the very BEST interest of her clients...
EdithSellsHomes@gmail.com

Hey Urban Lovely,

I love Edgewater.

My wife and I live here with our two sons. We lived in the area before we had kids and returned to it from Old Town a few years back with two additions, our sons Jackson and Lucas. The neighborhood segments into three or so areas. The area between the lake and Broadway is pretty crowded, the area between Broadway and Clark south of Devon to Ridge is wonderfully residential, the area west of Clark starts to add a bit of time accessing public transit including the Red Line.

While walkscore.com reflects a high score for walkability, Clark Street in Andersonville (Foster to just north of Bryn Mawr) has more options. This segment of Clark, about six or so blocks south, more closely resembles Southport Corridor. But no worries, there are lots of things to walk to and what you get is a spectacularly wonderful neighborhood. I have represented buyers and sellers for more than eight years, and Edgewater, because of its proximity to the lake, its residential feel, access to public transit and housing prices is one of my favorite locations. And if your intent is to convert a two flat to a sfh, there tends to be ample inventory attractively priced.

In terms of schools, Peirce on Bryn Mawr has a growing positive reputation. Hayt on Granville has attracted a few neighbors, but I don't know its current scores. Nearby private schools include the Rogers Park Montessori on Balmoral and Ravenswood.

Feel free to get in touch with me through my profile if you want my insights or assistance. To determine if my take on things matches what you want in your real estate professional, check out my blog (referenced below).

Best of luck,

Tom McCarey
The Real Estate Lounge Chicago with @properties
Decent Person with Lots of Happy Clients

Urbanlovely,

All answers below are good ones. You should definitely spend some time in the various areas of Edgewater. Just like Lincoln Park different areas have a different feel and different amenities. I am providing below the URL to check crime and schools.

http://chicago.everyblock.com/crime/
http://schoollocator.cps.k12.il.us/viewer.htm

I hope this assists you with your questions. If I can be of further assistance, please do not hesitate to contact me.

Regards,
Sandra Matson, CRS, GRI, ABR, ADPR
Baird & Warner
Sandra@ChicagoMetroLiving.com
Direct: 312.981.2315

Go check out yelp.com. Tells you a lot about neighborhoods.

Matt Laricy
Americorp Real Estate
Brokers Associate, e-PRO
mlaricy@americorpre.com

Philip gave a really good answer. I would just add maybe spend an overnight weekend or two and walk around the area and familiarize yourself with the neighborhood.

Everyone has a somewhat different set of criteria to define 'a nice place for a family'. What I might think about it might be very different from what you think. It is not a right or wrong answer usually. R E agents are not allowed to talk about 'safety' issues or levels of crime etc as that could be construed as violating various Federal anti discrimination laws like 'steering'. Our standard answer to such questions tend to be something like.....check with the police department for crime statistics. There is a ton of information 'on line' for school statistics.
There are lots of stores etc, but are they the type of stores etc that YOU are interested in? I think you should spend some time walking/driving/biking around the neighborhood at various times of the day/evening etc to get a better feel for it. You should also talk with friends/family/coworkers to get their input. I do not think real estate agents are a good source for this.
My experience has been that most people do not move into a neighborhood for which they are not very familiar if they plan to spend a long time there. If you would like some housing statists as to what prices are like, inventory, etc let me know and I can send them to you. There are some rather pricey upscale parts of Edgewater, perhaps like the Southport Corridor, perhaps not.

philip