Moving to Chicago - Need advice on location

There are definitely some great areas north of downtown, and some great suburbs even further north than that. For kids, I don't really recommend the Near North Side. It's super expensive and not where I'd raise kids (bear in mind I'm originally from the suburbs, so I think of green grass when I think of raising kids), but if you go a bit further north to Lincoln Park, Uptown, and Lake View, you have some nice opportunities. If you're possibly considering a suburb, check out Evanston. A lot of people, including your's truly, think of it as a mini version of Chicago. It's close to downtown and not a terrible drive from O'Hare. Trains will get you downtown in no time, and it's really friendly and great for kids. Super safe too.