Should I move to Tinley Park or Oak Lawn (Chicago: real estate market, condos)

[BRU67]

Originally Posted by prairiestate

I'll admit I don't have kids, so maybe I just don't get it, but what is with all the agonizing people do about schools? I mean, I understand wanting a certain level of quality. Up to date textbooks, functioning science labs, no gang activity. Beyond that though, how much difference can there really be?

I think there's a lot of difference. Property values tend to be more stable and more likely to increase if there are good schools. And underperforming schools with high concentrations of low income folks usually correlate to gang activity. Simply put, a community with good schools is generally going to be more pleasant to live in, and more stable.

Your points are well taken though. Good schools are important, yes, but I know some pinheads who went to Andrew and some very bright and successful people who went to Morton East and Proviso West. It really boils down to what you put into it. Pay attention to your kid's education and stay on top of it, and you are much more likely to get a good result even if it is a "bad" school. If you don't, you may not -- even if he/she goes to the best school in Naperville. Unfortunately, you have a lot of people, often busy professionals, who move to places with "great schools" and assume they can wash their hands of any concern. Not the case usually.

[gahs7]

great points

[ahava]

Originally Posted by prairiestate

As I said, I certainly understand wanting a minimum level of quality in a school. But come on, do you really think Oak Lawn is using 30 year old textbooks with missing pages and they don't have any science labs? I don't know for sure, but I would be shocked if that were true.

No...did I mention Oak Lawn specifically in my post? I was answering your question and adding to what NYrules said. Also, about 15% of kids are going to do very well no matter where they went to school, and 15% are going to fail coming from even the best schools. I think we all know examples of each case. It's for the kids in the middle that school choice makes a difference.

[gahs7]

Hello, so I have been juggling oak lawn or tinley, then i thought well the school are supposed to be better in tinley then i thought well if i moved into oak lawn by ST Linus which is a very nice area i thought with the gas money my family would be saving by moving to oak lawn would about 2400 per year. My wife works in Bridgview and I work on Oak Brook but both our parents live in oak lawn and we use them as baby sitters and visit a lot. My daughter would not even start highschool for 9 years so i thought well i can save that gas money expense which would avg out to 21,600 and with gas prices rising i just averaged out to 25,000 which is money i can use to say send my daughter to marist. Right now its about 40k to go to marist and in about 10 years i suspect it would be about 10k per year so 50k to go to high school. I thought then with everybody's post about Oak Lawn being nice but changing I should probably move to Tinley in the Andrew school district and not have to pay for high school and from all your post's it appears today and for years to come Tinley Park is a very nice area to raise a family. If you have any more adice to give your more than welcome.

Thanks!!

[corinne311]

I lived in Oak Lawn for about 22 years and for the past 4 years Tinley. I have two children 6 & 4, I am a full time mom, part time nurse.
This said there are benfits to both sides. As for the above posted comments by NYrules and prairestate - you both have very strong arguments and I believe that they are well thought out...., but - I have a handful of friends that have become teachers. Four went straight to work for Andrew high school. Three had quit within the first two years. There were many issues, the main one was the parents of the kids. My friends would try to contact in regards to poor grades and not recieve a reply until there was an F or a D granted in the course. Then there would be hell to pay, and calls made, and in some instances (of strong influence) grades challenged.
This news is not to discredit Andrew - it is to make the playing field a little more level. Oak Lawn is poorly funded and the obvious adjustments to the curricula are probably made.
Half of my friends live in Oak Lawn, some with families.
Also not one of my friends, or family have had to ask someone if they want to have fries with their meal or had to wipe windows. EXCEPT of course me. I am a full time mom

[gahs7]

Hi Corinne311, so would you say Tinley park is a better option. How about if i moved to Oak Lawn and sent my duaghter to Richards. What are your thoughts or knowledge of that school. It just seem like the schools offer more in Tinley today and for years to come.

Thanks!!

[prairiestate]

Originally Posted by gahs7

Hello, so I have been juggling oak lawn or tinley, then i thought well the school are supposed to be better in tinley then i thought well if i moved into oak lawn by ST Linus which is a very nice area i thought with the gas money my family would be saving by moving to oak lawn would about 2400 per year. My wife works in Bridgview and I work on Oak Brook but both our parents live in oak lawn and we use them as baby sitters and visit a lot. My daughter would not even start highschool for 9 years so i thought well i can save that gas money expense which would avg out to 21,600 and with gas prices rising i just averaged out to 25,000 which is money i can use to say send my daughter to marist. Right now its about 40k to go to marist and in about 10 years i suspect it would be about 10k per year so 50k to go to high school. I thought then with everybody's post about Oak Lawn being nice but changing I should probably move to Tinley in the Andrew school district and not have to pay for high school and from all your post's it appears today and for years to come Tinley Park is a very nice area to raise a family. If you have any more adice to give your more than welcome.

Thanks!!

Well, your 40 minute commute to Oak Brook from Oak Lawn, will be twice as long from Tinley Park. Your wife's commute will go from 5 minutes to a 1/2 hour or more. And everytime you visit family, you'll spend at least an hour in your car round trip. I suppose it worth it, though, since your kids obviously won't be able to go to college graduating from O.L.H.S or Richards.

[gahs7]

I know people from both Oak Lawn highschool and Richards and are doing just fine in there career. But I'm also looking for an area that is still very attractive today and for the next 15 years. So I guess is tinley park the pick over oak lawn, well I'm not sure.

[NYrules]

Originally Posted by gahs7

Hello, now the question is should i consider Orland Park or Tinley Park. I have pro's and cons for both but what are your opinions. How do the schools compare and park districts and overall peoples attitude.

Orland Park is def. the richer of the two towns, however Tinley has the more fun family style atmosphere. Orland has always been known for being more snooty and snobby due to it's extreme wealth both politically and residentially, but this is not to say that people in Orland are rude by any means because that is simply not the case as rude people exist everywhere. Orland, however has earned a bad rap for its excessive traffic problems and extreme housing costs over the past 10 years, though at the same time it has also earned a reputation of prestige which funny enough seems to be a destination where many Tinley residents end up living after about 5 years of living in Tinley building equity in their homes.

As for schools; both towns fall into district 230 and while Sandburg has more to offer a student just because of its sheer size alone, Andrew is no slouch either. Andrew in my opinion is a school that is perfect for a youngster as it's size is not overwhelming, whereas Sandburg's 4000 students and 1/4 mile long school can seem to be a bit much for a young person, often making one feel just like another face in the crowd. This problem was so evident at Sandburg in fact that in recent years the school's yearbook title was "another brick in the wall"

My vote between the two towns would be as follows: If you have a decent amount of money saved up and can afford a bit more of a house, Orland Park is more meant for you, that way you can just settle in and not be worried about looking for a bigger and better house in 5-7 years, however if you are just starting out and cannot afford premium priced homes or are looking for more of a family oriented atmosphere, then Tinley is the place for you.

[gahs7]

Originally Posted by corinne311

I lived in Oak Lawn for about 22 years and for the past 4 years Tinley. I have two children 6 & 4, I am a full time mom, part time nurse.
This said there are benfits to both sides. As for the above posted comments by NYrules and prairestate - you both have very strong arguments and I believe that they are well thought out...., but - I have a handful of friends that have become teachers. Four went straight to work for Andrew high school. Three had quit within the first two years. There were many issues, the main one was the parents of the kids. My friends would try to contact in regards to poor grades and not recieve a reply until there was an F or a D granted in the course. Then there would be hell to pay, and calls made, and in some instances (of strong influence) grades challenged.
This news is not to discredit Andrew - it is to make the playing field a little more level. Oak Lawn is poorly funded and the obvious adjustments to the curricula are probably made.
Half of my friends live in Oak Lawn, some with families.
Also not one of my friends, or family have had to ask someone if they want to have fries with their meal or had to wipe windows. EXCEPT of course me. I am a full time mom

So how do you like Tinley compared to Oak Lawn?