Wheaton versus Geneva (Chicago, Aurora, Elgin: for sale, rent, houses)

[SJohnson]

We are moving to IL and I am torn between Wheaton and Geneva. My husband will be working in Downers Grove. I like the sounds of Geneva, but I am concerned about the commute time. Does anyone do this commute and can tell me what to expect? We have a child so good schools and safety are a must. We want a nice house with nice yard etc. for about 350K - 400K. Are there any other suburbs that I may be overlooking that are as nice as these two?

[pandabear]

your not going to get much in wheaton for 350-400, but it will be worth it in the long run. Wheaton is nicer, with better schools, and less riff raff.

[mdz]

You're not going get a 4200 sq ft megamansion but there's a ton of houses for sale in wheaton for around 400k. Wheaton definitely has the better schools.

[Steve-o]

I beg to disagree. Wheaton is not nicer than Geneva, not by a long shot. There are several old areas of Wheaton that are now home to gangbangers and illegals. Wheaton North had a gang problem for awhile (but its still strangely a great school) as did Wheaton-Warrenville South. Wheaton might have better schools, but Geneva's downtown, neighborhoods, etc, etc are nicer than Wheaton's.

As for commute times, Wheaton would be the better choice, as its 15-20 minutes closer to where your husband would work.

Your best bet would be to visit both towns, see which one you like more. Both are lovely, but I think Geneva is a bit nicer, more to do.

[pandabear]

Originally Posted by Steve-o

I beg to disagree. Wheaton is not nicer than Geneva, not by a long shot. There are several old areas of Wheaton that are now home to gangbangers and illegals. Wheaton North had a gang problem for awhile (but its still strangely a great school) as did Wheaton-Warrenville South. Wheaton might have better schools, but Geneva's downtown, neighborhoods, etc, etc are nicer than Wheaton's.

As for commute times, Wheaton would be the better choice, as its 15-20 minutes closer to where your husband would work.

Your best bet would be to visit both towns, see which one you like more. Both are lovely, but I think Geneva is a bit nicer, more to do.

You must be off your rocker if you think geneva out in kane county is nicer than wheaton.Much like any suburb wheaton has its low rent tenements where illegals tend to reside. You can find slumplexes's like these all over chicagoland, its 2007 and every suburb has one.

You make wheaton sound like elgin or streamwood or somthing, when you say the area is home to illegals and schools has gang problems. Ive never heard such a contradiction as the school had gang problems but than still preformed well.Gang problems in wheaton hahaha, the only gang problem i ever saw in wheaton ( i grew up in neighboring glen ellyn) was when the young skateboard kids stayed out after curfew and TP'd houses! You even admitt it yourself, wheaton has better schools than Geneva.

Geneva does have a wonderful downtown, as do most suburbs that touch the fox river. Thats just the luck of the draw. The neighborhoods are not nicer than wheaton by a longshot either. You just get more bang for your buck out in the boonies. Alot of pick up drivin', nascar watchin', types out that way, that live in 2000 sq ft tract home neighborhoods instead of somthing more charming further east.

[Steve-o]

I did not make Wheaton sound like Elgin, where do you get that from? Saying a school has gang problems in no way incorporates the whole town. Wheaton is lovely, I enjoy that town very much. But Geneva is nicer as a whole, thats all I was saying. And YES, there was a gang problem at Wheaton North for a long time. Ever seen that rehab center off of County Farm and Rt. 38? Yeah. 95% of the folks in there were ex-inner city Chicago folks, in town for drug rehab, and their kids got bussed to Wheaton schools, where they brought their gangs and recruited. I attended a gang-awareness conference in West Chicago, and Wheaton North was brought up numerous times, showing members from 4 different gangs in that school alone. Does the school have a problem like East Aurora or Elgin? No. But there is definitely more problems with gangs in Wheaton than Geneva, that was my point.

And if you think that Geneva has 'pickup drivin, Nascar watchin folks', youre sorely mistaken. There is more money in Geneva than in Wheaton, honey. Ive yet to find a bad neighborhood in Geneva, unlike Wheaton. Sure there is lots of money in Wheaton too, but Geneva has them beat, hands down. The nightlife, shopping, dining, neighborhoods, etc, etc are better in Geneva.

[nanannie]

Ok,maybe I'm "off my rocker" too,but I think Geneva is ALOT nicer then Wheaton.I would pick it over Wheaton in a heartbeat

[Steve-o]

Originally Posted by nanannie

Ok,maybe I'm "off my rocker" too,but I think Geneva is ALOT nicer then Wheaton.I would pick it over Wheaton in a heartbeat

It is. I dont think the other poster has even been to Geneva. If they did, they must have been sleeping when they were driving through.

To me, Wheaton is nicest in these areas: Rt. 38 and Naper south to Butterfield and east to Winfield Rd. The areas immediately surrounding downtown are beautiful too, as are some areas east of Wheaton College. The rest of the town is ho-hum. Bad areas of Wheaton are the re-hab area that I mentioned above, Rt. 38 east of Naper, all the way north to Geneva Rd (where it borders Carol Stream). Thats a big chunk of town that I wouldnt care to live in. Besides that, the housing prices in Wheaton are outrageously rediculous. A small 2BR 2BA 60 year old house going for 300K?!?!?!? Completely laughable.

Geneva? There isnt a single neighborhood that I would NOT want to live in.

[pandabear]

Give me a break... so there is a REHAB center in wheaton..big deal. you where else they have rehab scenters, buffalo grove, barrington, hoffman estates, schaumburg, I could go on. Yes drugs are a problem, especially with suburban youth.

And why you would know that 95% of the people in a rehab are "ex inner city folks"( a completely unfounded statistic) is beyond me..did you do a stint in there or somthing....



So wheaton has an area that is "hohum". The only difference between that and Geneva is that instead of living in a shack in wheaton your going to live in a tract home in geneva. Geneva just gives off the illusion that its somthing nice, homes out there are DIRT cheap for a reason. Thats kane county.

[nanannie]

Originally Posted by pandabear

Give me a break... so there is a REHAB center in wheaton..big deal. you where else they have rehab scenters, buffalo grove, barrington, hoffman estates, schaumburg, I could go on. Yes drugs are a problem, especially with suburban youth.

And why you would know that 95% of the people in a rehab are "ex inner city folks"( a completely unfounded statistic) is beyond me..did you do a stint in there or somthing....



So wheaton has an area that is "hohum". The only difference between that and Geneva is that instead of living in a shack in wheaton your going to live in a tract home in geneva. Geneva just gives off the illusion that its somthing nice, homes out there are DIRT cheap for a reason. Thats kane county.

Let me guess,Wheaton is your home.Its a fine suburb.I just believe Geneva is a better one.