Please help me find a suburban area to live

[cubssoxfan]

Originally Posted by chisub

Agree with Chet and will add another factor since we currently live in Aurora on the Naperville border and my husband commutes into the city. Time with your family! I am a SAHM (1 and 3 y/o) and there are many families that have husbands that have long commutes or are out of town for days/weeks at a time. However, as much as we love this area, we want our kids to have two parents present more often than the long commute currently allows. It's all a trade off, so like Chet said, you need to figure out what is right for your family.

Quick story; about 8 years ago we looked at moving from Arlington Heights to Crystal Lake. We were enticed by getting the same size house for a lot less $. The ability to knock off $80,000 to $100,000 off the mortgage was enticing. Then we looked closer at the higher property taxes- that knocked off a couple hundred dollars a month in savings. Then we looked at future employment opportunities and employment for DW if she decided to re-enter the job market-many more opportunities within a 30 minute commute from AH than CL. Then I looked at commuting patterns and the extra time getting to and from clients and the extra 30-60 minutes was not a pleasant thought, nor was the extra $ in gas. So for us, being closer to O'Hare, downtown, the I-90-I355-I-88-I294/94 employment corridors was important. The only time I am facing real rush hour delays is if I travel into or out of downtown. Otherwise, if I travel north, south, directly east or west I am not mired down by the heavy rush hour traffic flow.

[chitownperson]

Originally Posted by linicx

If every school was exactly the same with the same level of teaching at the end of the year there would still be a gap between the top students and the bottom students. Not all students are created equal. Not all parents are actively involved with schools regarding their children's education, and not all parents care.

If you like Oak Park, if you and your wife are involved with the school, and if you and your wife are involved with your children at home, your children will get a good education regardless of who their classmates are, and regardless of where they go to school. There are members who live in Oak Park who will willingly answer your questions about OP and their school system. The Village of OP is not Nirvana, it is less than 1/2 the population of Naperville, and it is still a desirable address as is Naperville.

I'd like to echo this important point for the OP, as so much success is about parental involvement... and given that the parent is involved, as great education can be gained in Oak Park schools (I know that this is the case with my kids).

OP, but don't take everyone's word here for it as the final word, go check out some of these locations for yourself, talk to residents, teachers... You may have an idea for the kind of "diversity" you are interested in, and the definition of "diversity" or "integration" will differ from a place like Oak Park to a place like "Naperville"... don't judge things completely on what is on paper or data, but use it just as another piece of information in your research.

[Korica]

Thank you all for your input. I really appreciate it. I will look into Oak Park and see what it has to offer. I'm sure that we will be ok as long as the kids get into a decent school. It doesn't have to be the very best. My wife and I place a high value on education and will be involved with our children's. They have been in a private Christian school for the last few years and we are impressed with what they have learned at such an early age; so the initial foundation has been laid. Chet's input concerning crime was also helpful as I would rather deal with a longer commute than have to worry about the safety of my family and property.

[chitownperson]

I hope you enjoy your visit to Oak Park, and find what you're looking for in the region (either in Oak Park or some other town). On the topic of schools, I know of a lot of college professors from all of the most prestigious universities in Chicagoland that chose Oak Park as their home, and sent their kids to the public schools in north and south sides of the village. One could make the rational that if high level college professors and academics feel comfortable sending their kids to Oak Park institutions, those institutions probably have something of value to offer their children. But, again, see for yourself.

On crime, I recommend googling the Oak Park crime map, and look at the monthly trends. It should give you an indication as to when typical crimes are concentrated. One must also be aware that the maps don't indicate time of day, so a lot of say, robberies on Austin Blvd (the Chicago/Oak Park border) happen at night, at a time and place where most villagers wouldn't be hanging around. Crime in Oak Park is not so much of a concern, as it is to be aware of your surroundings when you are in specific places at specific times. Property crimes are largely crimes of opportunity... windows left open, GPS left in car in clear view, back pack left unattended... (if you read the specific articles, you can at times get a sense these things). One of my largest concerns when going through the search you are going through now, was crime and the safety of my family. I would not have moved here if I felt I was putting my wife and kids in danger. My kids play in the front yard with other kids, they play in the playgrounds... and I don't worry about them anymore than any other parent in some further out suburb. One thing that you will find is that the village police force are very proactive about crime, and do a great job. They work with the police forces in surrounding areas, which allow them a lot of flexibility doing their jobs, and also provides them with accurate, up to date information that may be vital to crime fighting and prevention.

The the end of the day, it's what YOU personally want out of YOUR home, so good luck with your search, and get as many informed opinions, in addition to stats, and personal visits, as you can. Good luck!

[linicx]

No city in America is crime free. A good question to ask is yourself is: if OP is not safe why does it offer as much to families, and why aren't the professionals and millionaires fleeing?

While you are in OP stop at the library and check out the programs for little kids.