Make a list and check it twice...need to know which neighborhoods are naughty or nice.

No matter the size of the city, location is truly everything when choosing the neck of the woods to call your hood.

Location is truly everything. It can make or break one's experience. I was fortunate to live in the city I currently reside prior to resettling into Chicago. That did not change the fact I had some very important aspects I wanted covered in my new hood.

#CityLiving #Chicago #MyHood #ViewsforDays

Here are my list of considerations and/or must-haves when trying to decide on the perfect place to call your own.

Checklist for finding the right Hood to Call yours #ChicagoParent #MomLife #SMOM #MomLife #Single

House Hunters: #SMOM Edition

Safety

As a #SMOM, Safety is absolutely priority number one. There is a saying that children thrive in a safe environment. I believe the same can be said about adults.

I never wanted to live in a place where I constantly had to look over my shoulders or the cops were too occupied with more serious crimes to have an overall presence in the community. So I knew I need to really do some top-notch investigating.

Again, this is where Google will be your best friend. Pretty much every year, there is some site that creates a list of best neighborhoods in cities all across the nation.

Here are some sites I used to research:

www.everyblock.com

www.neighborhoodscout.com

Once you choose your neighborhoods, I recommend joining their respective mom groups on Facebook. Lots of great insight about what is happening around town (good and bad) are posted in these mommy groups.

Commute

Decide what will be your method of commuting to and from work.

If it is by car, you have a little more freedom, but will have to take into consideration traffic that all fine and bustling cities across the U.S. bring.

If it is by public transit, I recommend visiting the Chicago Transit Authority site. The Chicago Transit Authority (CTA) has excellent maps and routes outlined for your to plan your commute.

https://www.transitchicago.com/maps/

I hate driving so I knew I needed to live in an area with easy access to public transit.

Schools

Education rules the nation. Like many cities across the U.S., many of the public education systems are failing. People have had to turn to private or charter schools. Nothing wrong with private or charter, BUT ya girl is public school educated and I turned out pretty darn good, excuse me, pretty darn well;-)

Let me state this clearly. I WILL NOT BE PAYING FOR GRADE SCHOOLING. I wholeheartedly believe in a good public school education.

Sloane is not anywhere close to being in grade school, but if an area has good grade schools, the preschool education will HAVE to match.

www.Niche.com is an excellent resource that contains real reviews from current and past residents.

Budget

Again...I am a #SMOM and a #millennial...I will forever be ballin' on a budget. I do urge you to have an idea of what you want to spend monthly and then have a maximum of what you would spend monthly. Whether buying or renting, this is KEY.

Zillow has a rent calculator to help you understand what is actually feasible for you.

https://www.zillow.com/rent-affordability-calculator/

"Boat Floats"

The last category is truly what matters to you. To buy or rent.

One major thing I had to decide was whether or not I wanted a one or two bedroom. #LittleLadySloane is under two and a female so I thought there would be no harm of us sharing a bedroom.

Ultimately, I decided on separate bedrooms for the both of us. I figured it could be a lesson in privacy for her and boundaries for the both of us. I do not plan on being a #SMOM forever, so it is best I set the stage for when I meet a special someone:-)

One thing my current manager pointed out, was to not live higher than what a fire truck ladder can reach. This was something I never considered, but I literally, use this thought when choosing hotel rooms.

#SMOM #RealEstate #ChoosingYourHood #ChicagoParent #MomLife #SMOMintheCity #HouseHunters