South Elgin?

[Drover]

Originally Posted by arts-echick

And I think Drover should live in the "hick-ish" area he has steriotyped.

I did live in the hickish area I stereotyped. And I friends there who live up to the stereotype. I still hit Our Place tavern once in a while for their Friday fish fry. It's not exactly a cosmopolitan clientele they've got in there...

[nanannie]

Originally Posted by arts-echick

South Elgin is NOT a hick town. Yeah, the Randall road area is nice, but the River area is historic. I live right of off rt. 31, and no one around my house has mullets. (I have lived here for over 15 years) And yes, the schools are a little crowded, but the new high school is great! It is my senior year there, and it has been great. As for the other high schools, Elgin and Larkin get a bad rap from anyone who has never gone to either of the schools. No one threatens you in the middle of the hall, no one is high walking around the school. There's a lot of ethnicities there, and it makes the school that much more interesting. Plus, right where I live is a 10 minute drive to St. Charles, Elgin, Streamwood, and Bartlett. It's kind of the center of a lot of things. As for it being to far from chicago, if you were to take the Metra station on rt.31 in elgin, it's only an hour to get there. And I think Drover should live in the "hick-ish" area he has steriotyped.

Arts-echick,,good post and a school report straight from "the horses mouth".Its nice to hear from a teen that really likes their school and home town

[gardener34]

"our place" is a cop bar. That original part of town along the river there, is a little "hickish" but what is going on along randall road sure isn't. Lots of new developments there.

[Chinolala]

Just because developments are new, doesn't mean they aren't "hickish". I once very casually looked at new houses in Oswego and after touring a few, we had lunch at an area restaurant and I felt like I was in a different state. Lots of pick up trucks, flannel shirts, hunting caps and bad teeth going on. I have dear friends that live in South Elgin and they both grew up in Chicago and left 15 years ago to get more house for their money when they found themselves a new couple with a baby on the way. They're not college graduates, like 75% of South Elgin's population, but they both have decent jobs and make a good living and have a substanial house with a large lot. For the most part, they've been very happy living in South Elgin. It's not that all of South Elgin is "hickish", it seems to be a middle class suburb that is populated by tradespeople and others professionals such as secretaries, real estate agents, etc. I don't think it's an area that attracts the higher middle class income bracket. I'm not saying that's bad, it's just what I know through my friend that lives there. She's in real estate and is on the pulse as to who is moving there. As far as it being in the middle of everything, that is far from the truth. It's in the middle of Crystal Lake and North Aurora. It's way too west to be considered in the middle of Chicagoland.

[irish setter girl]

You can certainly get more house for the money in So. Elgin but for resale value/schools and taxes I'd vote for St. Charles. Although a small portion of So. Elgin goes to St. Charles schools the boundaries change enough to make parents upset. The cheaper housing sometimes isn't worth the other issues.

[arts-echick]

Originally Posted by lisak64

As far as it being in the middle of everything, that is far from the truth. It's in the middle of Crystal Lake and North Aurora. It's way too west to be considered in the middle of Chicagoland.

South Elgin? Um, try again lady. The surrounding towns are Streamwood, Elgin, Bartlett, and St. Charles. I've lived here 16 years, and those aren't major cities/towns near me... Well, maybe they are, but it's further away then some people would bother to drive. Plus, I never said that it was in the middle of everything, just the stuff I like, like some really nice parks and forest preserves, as well as 10 minutes from St. Charles' Main street, 15 minutes from downtown Elgin, An hour from Chicago and an hour from Woodfield mall, which is a bit important for a teenager. Don't forget your perspective. And don't misquote...

[nanannie]

An HOUR from Woodfield !! My daughters would have shopping withdrawls

[Inthesprawlpath]

If you want to be in South Elgin,I'd look mostly on the west side of the river.It was a major hillbilly type town 20 or 30 years ago(Vally View was the worst) but I wouldn't say that now.I would avoid U46 school district if I had a choice.Even with no kids you'll still be paying taxes there.There will be a new bridge there soon at Stearns road linking east and west better.This will give fast access to those on the east to the Randall rd. area at McDonald Rd.Like all the towns in the Fox Valley they are all growing so fast that they are really starting to blend together and lose thier individual character.In short.It doesn't matter,you'll still be able to shoot down to St.Charles or up and down Randall to have access to whatever you want.

[sbd78]

Originally Posted by lisak64

Just because developments are new, doesn't mean they aren't "hickish". I once very casually looked at new houses in Oswego and after touring a few, we had lunch at an area restaurant and I felt like I was in a different state. Lots of pick up trucks, flannel shirts, hunting caps and bad teeth going on. I have dear friends that live in South Elgin and they both grew up in Chicago and left 15 years ago to get more house for their money when they found themselves a new couple with a baby on the way. They're not college graduates, like 75% of South Elgin's population, but they both have decent jobs and make a good living and have a substanial house with a large lot. For the most part, they've been very happy living in South Elgin. It's not that all of South Elgin is "hickish", it seems to be a middle class suburb that is populated by tradespeople and others professionals such as secretaries, real estate agents, etc. I don't think it's an area that attracts the higher middle class income bracket. I'm not saying that's bad, it's just what I know through my friend that lives there. She's in real estate and is on the pulse as to who is moving there. As far as it being in the middle of everything, that is far from the truth. It's in the middle of Crystal Lake and North Aurora. It's way too west to be considered in the middle of Chicagoland.

South Elgin might have been "hickish" at one time, but I don't think it is currently. I don't know if I necassarily agree with the statement that South Elgin is populated by tradespeople. Friends of mine justs a moved there (a young couple, she is an elementary school teacher, he is a mechanical engineer, educated people with very good jobs.) A lot of areas that were previously the far out "hickish" areas are building up and young professionals and families are moving in because the more established burbs have gotten too expensive for people new to the housing market. If you look back, most of the areas that are today built up suburban sprawl were "hickish" at one time too. My grandparents moved to Medinah in the mid 1950's from the city, very close to what is now Woodfield mall. Back then it was nothing but cornfields. Woodfield mall was a cornfield. And we all know what that area looks like today. In the 1980's, my family moved to Carol Stream, off Army Trail Road. (I was 5 years old at the time, I am now 29.) Then, Carol Stream was nothing but cornfields and we had to drive quite a distance just to go to the grocery store. Same thing with my husband's family, moved to Tinley Park/Orland Park area when he was 7, nothing but cornfields then. This just seems to be the life cycles of the burbs. Things build up, get too expensive, so the young people move further out to find more affordable housing, these areas build up, and it happens all over again. And that seems to be what is happening with South Elgin.