We originally chose Joliet for its diversity, affordability (in comparison to other suburbs in Chicago), its proximity to the surrounding cities of Chicago and Aurora-Naperville (jobs!), and its size. It is a small city, but large enough to have its own shopping and plenty of local events. We'd read that Joliet is the fastest growing city of its size, but also knew of its purported problems with crime, gangs, and general poor school ratings. We were warned to stay away from East Joliet....but with 2 days (yes, 2 days!!!) to find an affordable rental house w/ a yard that would accept multiple pets was in Ingalls Park - a working class neighborhood with small modest homes in East Joliet. We were really trying to stay away from paying the equivalent of a mortgage for a rental (ie. over $1k per mo.) since we wanted to get acquainted with the area and save $$ before buying.
We've been here since Mid-May and have had mixed experiences. Ingalls Park is part of Joliet Township--so we don't get city services or city representation. We have a well (a first for us, but we've been told the quality is better) and nobody knows who is responsible for picking up the garbage at a vacant house down the street (I've called everyone-the county, city, township). We can't get a library card in either Joliet or New Lenox since we don't pay city taxes. This area is part of a small enclave of unincorporated land - in my opinion, unwanted and neglected by the city of Joliet, and it's pretty sad that some of the poorest working-class families have been deemed ineligible for a basic library card.
3 sex offenders live on our street (also a first for us), two in the same house. I keep my eye on their houses and watch my 3 yr. old outside closely. We've had no problems with petty crime (yet) and live next door to a retired couple who have lived in the neighborhood for 30+ yrs. and who have told us horror stories about the neighborhood. There was a double murder across the street and a break-in in our very house about a decade ago. The guy who broke in is a substance abuser who was just released from jail and lives diagonally from us (how creepy is that). What's more, the week we were moving in, the husband of the family on the other side of us was arrested for domestic violence. The family is in the process of a divorce and the house is now vacant. Whew! Evidently, the police were out here plenty before we moved in. The Will Co. Sheriff's dept. constantly patrols the neighborhood, which I have found comforting, but oddly alarming at the same time. Installing an alarm system was a must for us and I felt relieved plopping that alarm sign in the front yard.
Ingalls Park, depending on the street and house is a huge mix of personalities (deed restrictions are lax--which can be good and bad--there is a bright purple house around the corner and another neighbor has a large metal tinman-like structure decorating his front yard). There are lots of trees and you always hear birds chirping, children playing...people know their neighbors around here, which I like!!!! With our budget and time constraints and as a temporary situation, we couldn't have done better (or at least, that's what we tell ourselves).
Living here is also extremely inconvenient for shopping. We find ourselves either driving to New Lenox or West Joliet for everything. New Lenox is a nice community and it offers many of the major dept. stores such as Lowe's, Target, some restaurants, etc., but EVERYTHING is in W. Joliet-the malls, the grocery stores, restaurants, etc. On a map, West Joliet is not far, but driving is a different story. It probably takes a good 20-30 minutes to get to the mall. I guess I'm spoiled, but that's too far for me.
As far as driving to the city for work---after moving, we decided that the traffic was just too much of a nightmare for us. It can take 2 hrs. or more to commute to the city in heavy traffic and we just didn't want to spend so many hours of our day sitting in a car. Many take the train, but still--that can take over an hour or more depending on your destination. It's a good option if you find a job in Chicago that you can't pass up, but still want to stay in Joliet. If you have children, though, finding childcare for that many hours may be an obstacle. Some of the daycares close at 6pm and I think I found one that stays open until 6:30pm...you may want to look into a home daycare, nanny, or babysitter with more flexible hours or willing to keep your child longer. Look up the Childcare Resource and Referral in the area--they can help.
This is just a rental and my son is only 3 yrs. old so we haven't had to worry about enrolling him in school, but I'd have serious reservations about that, too.
My conclusion is that all the members on these forums who warned against living in East Joliet were right. I really appreciate the honesty and straight-forward advice we received before ever relocating here.
However, with our limited time frame and adherence to a strict budget, we had limited options----this house will do for now, but we aren't staying and we'd never buy here. If we were to stay in the Joliet area with the intent to enroll our kiddo in the schools--we'd buy or build in West Joliet, maybe Shorewood, Plainfield, New Lenox, or Lockport.
Hope this review helps and good luck in your city search!
Diana
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Living on the "Eastside" in Joliet: A Review
I've read a lot of your posts in the past, found them very helpful, and sent some positive vibes your way. 
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