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| Evanston is a good place to live; let's make it gr - 3/23/2013
I'm surprised by the negative comments below. I moved to Evanston three years ago and find it a good balance between city and suburban life. The summers are glorious: the beaches are clean, the trees are beautiful, and there are many festivals. I bike everywhere year-round and feel safe (except for when I go onto the commercial streets). I have become involved in the community and there are many of us who are trying to make Evanston more fair and inclusive. The city is responsive, and staffed with smart and hardworking people, who are doing their best in tough times. The schools look fantastic; which is why the property taxes are so high. There are racists in every city, but here I see many attempts by well-meaning people to bridge the divide. Everyone complains about parking tickets; why not bike or take public transportation instead of driving everywhere? If you must drive, use the parking garages so that you won't get ticketed.
If you live in Evanston and don't like an aspect of it, work to make the change you want to see. Organize![read more...]
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| Evanston is a good place to live- let's make it gr - 3/23/2013
I'm surprised by the negative comments below. I moved to Evanston three years ago and find it a good balance between city and suburban life. The summers are glorious: the beaches are clean, the trees are beautiful, and there are many festivals. I bike everywhere year-round and feel safe (except for when I go onto the commercial streets). I have become involved in the community and there are many of us who are trying to make Evanston more fair and inclusive. The city is responsive, and staffed with smart and hardworking people, who are doing their best in tough times. The schools look fantastic; which is why the property taxes are so high. There are racists in every city, but here I see many attempts by well-meaning people to bridge the divide. Everyone complains about parking tickets; why not bike or take public transportation instead of driving everywhere? If you must drive, use the parking garages so that you won't get ticketed.
If you live in Evanston and don't like an aspect of it, work to make the change you want to see. Organize![read more...]
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| A good place to live- let's make it great! - 3/23/2013
I'm surprised by the negative comments below. I moved to Evanston three years ago and find it a good balance between city and suburban life. The summers are glorious: the beaches are clean, the trees are beautiful, and there are many festivals. I bike everywhere year-round and feel safe (except for when I go onto the commercial streets). I have become involved in the community and there are many of us who are trying to make Evanston more fair and inclusive. The city is responsive, and staffed with smart and hardworking people, who are doing their best in tough times. The schools look fantastic; which is why the property taxes are so high. There are racists in every city, but here I see many attempts by well-meaning people to bridge the divide. Everyone complains about parking tickets; why not bike or take public transportation instead of driving everywhere? If you must drive, use the parking garages so that you won't get ticketed.
If you live in Evanston and don't like an aspect of it, work to make the change you want to see. Organize![read more...]
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| Evanston is horrible - 1/24/2013
I hate Evanston. I wish I never moved here. The residents are passive aggressive, snide assholes who can't pay attention while driving, stay in their lane, or read basic street signs. The parking police are overzealous and are a nightmare to deal with. Panhandlers are everywhere and make more money than I do. The city tries to nickel and dime you for every possible service while providing horrible service. The train stations are dilapidated and smelly. The grocery stores are disgustingly dirty and overpriced. People leave dog poop along the sidewalks. It is horrible and I dream about being able to leave.[read more...]
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| The truth about Evanston, IL - 4/18/2011
I agree with you. We moved to Evanston, IL almost 3 years ago. It's a horrible town to live in if you are an African American. And the worst place for our children. People are so racist is sicking. My child attended a private school, Roycemore in Evanston, IL. The administrators and teachers were extremely racist, rude and hostile. My son is and has always been a very nice boy. However, while attending Roycemore school, the teachers and middle school director almost drove us absolutely CRAZY. Everyday they made up lies and problems for my child. Then every quarter they gave my child F's, saying he did not submit his homework. But they "lied" because I went out of my way to personally email all his assignments directly to his teachers. As his mother, I almost lost my mind. Stay away from Roycemore school unless you want difficulties. All they want is your MONEY!!! They really don't give a dam about African American Kids, especially our boys, and they disrespect AA parents too. As far as the culture in Evanston... I will answer this truthfully, because I have been here for 3 years. It's true, people here are really mean, harsh, pushy, and nasty! Places like Jewels on Chicago Avenue and Whole Foods, which is directly across the street are nasty towards African Americans. Caucasian people make the town of Evanston a very racist place for other races to live. They people hunk their horns all the time. They are extremely pushy and appear to always be in a hurry, as if where they have to go is far more important than where you are going. They talk all over you, or walk into you as if they can't see you. Or try going to the Deli, the Caucasian people cut in front of you acting as if they don't see you waiting next in line. They act so pompous and arrogant as if their sh*t doesn't stink. They don't speak to you. If you are walking on the street passing them, they will look in the other direction to avoid speaking to you. As a professional, I am truly disappointed how the Caucasians behave as a whole. Street parking is absolutely horrible. This town is too crowded. If you aren't careful, you will get a lot of parking tickets here. The Village of Evanston and the Evanston Police Department are also racist. Just watch a police office in action... see how he/she behaves with African Americans. Evanston is a very cold town. It's not so pretty when you actually live here and see all the crap that is going on!!! The people here make everything about Evanston an ugly town to live in. I wouldn't buy any properties dam in this town! *Oh, for the past 9 years, School District #65 eliminated bus services for Middle School children... there is no bus services for our kids once they transition from Elementary School to Middle School, which was a REAL surprise, unless they are handicapped or any other dysfunction. As a current tenant, I have told you the truth about Evanston, IL.[read more...]
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| Great Place - 1/1/2010
Love everything about Evanston. Time to retire to a warmer place.[read more...]
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| Chicagoland area - 12/20/2009
Overpriced and taxes are outrageous[read more...]
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| Politically arrogant, secretive and corrupt - 10/13/2008
Well where do I start...
There is absolutely no oversight of the tax and spend political elitists here on the north shore just north of Chicago. A 200k grant to renovate a building given to a community group to honor those that have been of consequence to the development of Evanston. The overall concept was questionable. There obviously wasn't a plan and review process at work here.
Just a handout and theft of the cash which was a $200k handout from the federal government to Evanston. And now no investigation just a call for higher taxes and because as noted in the Pioneer press article they don't want to lay off any of their friends and relatives feeding off the public trough. The city services are bad and lacking, schools are mediocre at best and the police haven't soved any of the murders that have occured over the past 5 years. What a joke of a government...or more appropriatley lack there of. The Suburbs are supposed to be haven from the cesspool of Chicago corruption and crime. Evanston is merely an exstension of these problems.
The mayor is arrogant and stupid to complimnent her arrogance. As soon as the economy improves I will defintely be selling and very happily moving on.[read more...]
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| Evanston Housing - 10/4/2008
Evanston is a divided community. Towards the Lake Michigan the houses can sell in the millions of dollars. To the west housing prices decline but are still very substantial. There are condominium communities in the are many conversion; some are newly built. Prices appear to be about $400,000. Many young professional families and faculty members live in these areas. No one knows what's going to happen to the prices of those condos as the market settles over the next 2 years. There is a substantial amount of student mostly in older apartment buildings on an off campus. In the middle of all this is downtown Evanston which is a large commercial area adjacent to the university which services the surrounding suburbs and part of Chicago. In this area there are high rise condominiums/ commercial buildings. The city, to improve its tax base, has permitted condominium buildings to be built between 20 and 30 stories high.[read more...]
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| Evanston Housing - 10/4/2008
Evanston is a divided community. Towards the Lake Michigan the houses can sell in the millions of dollars. To the west housing prices decline but are still very substantial. There are condominium communities in the are many conversion; some are newly built. Prices appear to be about $400,000. Many young professional families and faculty members live in these areas. No one knows what's going to happen to the prices of those condos as the market settles over the next 2 years. There is a substantial amount of student mostly in older apartment buildings on an off campus. In the middle of all this is downtown Evanston which is a large commercial area adjacent to the university which services the surrounding suburbs and part of Chicago. In this area there are high rise condominiums/ commercial buildings. The city, to improve its tax base, has permitted condominium buildings to be built between 20 and 30 stories high.[read more...]
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| Wide range of housing - 7/9/2008
Evanston has a range of housing that includes ranch style homes on the western border and elegant mansions along Sheridan Road by the lake. Home prices are high since Evanston is the first suburb north of Chicago. The most expensive aspect of home ownership is the steep property tax. Evanston's taxes are much higher than surrounding suburbs, and make a substantial impact on expenses. Recently, Evanston has seen a boom in condo construction. This has slowed down due to the economy.[read more...]
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| Summers near the beach - 12/13/2007
Evanston has wonderful summers. We are so near the beach that walking around at all t imes of day is enjoyable. There are tons of people out with their dogs/kids.[read more...]
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| Jack Mc - 1/28/2007
Evanston is a remarkable place to live, with diversity, culture, education, and shopping all easy and accessible.[read more...]
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| Corrupt, rude city - 1/7/2007
Evanston is a city that has a deceptive facade. Although you see all these towering condos and yuppie restaurants and stores, Evanston is actually a horrible place to live if you're not a said yuppie or if you're African American. Like most of NorthSide Chicago, Evanston is full of jerks, which is fine by me unless this jerkishness extends to the city officials itself. Evanston PD in particular is full of huge a-holes who rather than taming down violence in the bad areas of Evanston are content to issue parking tickets 24/7. You will not find a city of Evanston's size so rabidly devoted to issuing parking tickets; it's their number one hobby. Lastly, EPD is notoriously racist towards blacks; I'm not even black and I've noticed this. In additon, homelessness gets worse every year and if you're a university student (Northwestern is to the north next to lake) expect to be hounded by rude city denizens. Because the university charter says Evanston cannot collect property taxes from NU, Evanstonians have decided to use this as a reason to be rude jerks and take out their frustrations on students. Oh yeah, living is costly here too because Evanston by the lake is very very yuppie (whole Foods, LA Fitness, Cereality, Pier 1 Imports abound). The weather here is typical Midwest, very cold in winter and very hot during summer. The lake is beautiful during spring and summer but the bane of your existence otherwise thanks to the lake effect. All in all, there's no reason to live in evanston, the school system is lagging for NorthSide Chicagoland, it's costly, no place to park, and the city routinely ignores the poorer, black neighborhoods. It's best to live further north if you have the money or live in Chicago where you atleast have cultural options, etc.[read more...]
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| Bessie Rhodes Magnet School - 1/4/2007
Evanston's school district 65 is very poorly administrated. It is not serving the children well. The School Board is inept and wrapped up in red tape. Many families, (including our's) are moving away in search of better schools and lower taxes. If you really care about a high quality education for your child, don't move here![read more...]
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