South Elgin? (Bartlett, Streamwood, St. Charles: house, school districts, property tax)

[lpa2006]

I'm moving to Batavia and my parents are thinking of moving to South Elgin or St. Charles. I've been to St. Charles and it is nice. What about South Elgin?

Thanks in advance

[Steve-o]

Originally Posted by lpa2006

I'm moving to Batavia and my parents are thinking of moving to South Elgin or St. Charles. I've been to St. Charles and it is nice. What about South Elgin?

Thanks in advance

South Elgin is quite nice in most areas, especially along Randall Rd. Older parts in town along the river are ok at best, but Id recommend looking elsewhere in town. If you have children make sure they go to St. Charles schools rather than Elgin's. Larkin and Elgin HS have long been notorious for gangs and drugs.

[nanannie]

St Charles is nicer IMHO,but South ELgin is probably more house for the money and it is right next to St CHarles,which has the restartaunts,nice downtown,and all that goes with it

[gardener34]

Both are nice, it is best to make sure you get a house whose schools are district 303 if they are interested in either of those areas.

Some Schools in U46 are good but the district is so large (largest in the state - encompasses elgin, streamwood, bartlett, part of wayne, south elgin and carol stream and maybe even more) that they have had funding problems in the past. South Elgin has built a new high school on the far east side of that town though, I believe which is in U46 district.

[WLUTZ]

What nanannie said.......

[doublesuited77]

i grew up in St. Charles and while the schools are better than Elgin, Batavia and especially Geneva are tons better. St. Charles with its sprawl has grown to big for its existing facilities and residents have finally started to say no to the yearly requests for property tax hikes.

[gardener34]

Yeah agree - good schools we have had good results from - my kids attend them. But that school board has issues.

That elementary school redistricting truly stunk - my daughters, 6 new friends she made from kindergarten are not with her this year. It is like starting over, she is very sad her new little friends are not in her class this year.

She will make new ones, but to a kindergartener, that is a big deal.

[Drover]

Well, since you and your parents are moving separately, I'm going to guess that you're an adult and therefore your parents are probably old enough that they don't need to worry much about the school districts. In that case, South Elgin should be just fine. It's a little hick-ish in the areas near the river, but the newer stuff up along the Randall Road corridor has a much lower mullet quotient. Still, I think I'd rather live among the mullets if I got a decent house with a good river view. Plus, because the school district doesn't have the reputation that the St. Charles school district has, comparable housing is cheaper in South Elgin than in St. Charles.

If I'm wrong and schools are a concern, your parents can get close to the affordability of South Elgin with the benefit of St. Charles schools by looking in a little hamlet just south of South Elgin called Valley View. But again, beware of mullets and summer-teeth.

[Chinolala]

Drover's response cracked me up....I love the comment about the mullets! I think South Elgin is okay. Too far from the city for me - I could never live there. It's not as nice as St. Charles, but close enough to take advantage of SC's amenities.

[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.