While talking with Sheridan, a member of the elite AIS BO'Connor team, a topic of constant discussion came up: The North Shore. We are all very privileged to live in a community that is known across the country having the best neighborhoods, schooling, and security This is all, of course, on top of living on one of the largest and most beautiful fresh water lakes on the continent. How can a location so close to the big city of Chicago (a place supposedly full of ruffians and hooligans) be so successful as a society? The answer: money. Seven of the North Shore communities are in the top quintile of of U.S. Household income, and four of those are in the top ten (Thanks Wikipedia)! Real estate prices here are out of control, reaching millions of dollars for a two story house, not necessarily even on the lake or next to the schools! The educators of the community are paid top dollar, receiving unlimited support by parents and members of the towns. Taxes are also rather pricy (understandably so), funding law enforcement to be active around the community.This sounds like practically a dream, doesn't it? A perfect education, unlimited resources, and a practically guaranteed safe environment. Who WOULDN'T want to live here? Surprisingly, a lot of people (even myself at times) will complain about growing up in a place like this. I have heard many statements, such as "There's no diversity in a place like this" and "The North Shore is a bubble, it's not the real world."
Sheridan got me thinking, don't we WANT these things? The American dream can be defined as the "perfect" lifestyle, living in a perfect place full of perfect people doing perfect things with their lives. Isn't displaying wealth and living in a nearly surreal neighborhood what all Americans are working towards on a daily basis? Are we, the students of New Trier and members of the North Shore, living the American Dream?
Donna, I agree that living in the North Shore is quite a privilege. But, I wouldn't say the North Shore is the perfect place to be raised. The North Shore has its pros and cons just as any other American neighborhood has. The pros being, as you said, a perfect education system, unlimited resources, and a safe environment. One the other hand, there's the simple fact that a child must grow up. One cannot live with their parents forever, they must provide for themselves. And even once they begin providing for themselves, their earnings will most likely not cover the expenses of the North Shore considering that only 1% of the world lives like us. Therefore the cons of the North Shore are: too much cushioning, not enough real world experience, and an altered sense of reality.
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