Downers Grove or Orland Park? (Chicago, Schaumburg: for sale, real estate, apartment)

[qtmunchie]

I've found condos I like in Downers Grove and in Orland Park and I can't decide between the two. I can afford a bigger place in Orland Park, but the elementary schools aren't as good. It's also farther away from my family in Hinsdale and Wheaton. So help me decide...which town do you think is better for a single mom with a 3-yr-old? And which has a better commute to La Grange? Or if you think of any other towns where I can find a nice 2 bed/1.5 bath condo for under 200k (something with a private entry, NOT an apartment)...I don't care about walkability or quick access to Chicago, although those things are nice, the most important things to me are safety, good schools (not great, I can't afford great...), parks and activities for kids and a short commute (30 min during rush hour max) to La Grange.

[vester72]

My personal preference is Orland, schools are very comparable - not like choosing between New Trier and Dunbar.

But, Downers Grove is a great area as well - I have friends in both areas and have been to both many times and really neither have a downside.

Orland will get you more for your money, and has more potential upside, IMO, but nothing against the DG.

[NYrules]

Originally Posted by qtmunchie

I've found condos I like in Downers Grove and in Orland Park and I can't decide between the two. I can afford a bigger place in Orland Park, but the elementary schools aren't as good. It's also farther away from my family in Hinsdale and Wheaton. So help me decide...which town do you think is better for a single mom with a 3-yr-old? And which has a better commute to La Grange? Or if you think of any other towns where I can find a nice 2 bed/1.5 bath condo for under 200k (something with a private entry, NOT an apartment)...I don't care about walkability or quick access to Chicago, although those things are nice, the most important things to me are safety, good schools (not great, I can't afford great...), parks and activities for kids and a short commute (30 min during rush hour max) to La Grange.

Well no doubt both are great towns. I live in Orland Park and have friends that live in Downers as well as family, so I would like to give my two cents here. Downers is without a doubt more well known among everyone simply due to it's oldness and history with Chicago, whereas Orland Park just started getting it's act together in the 1980's making Orland Park a relatively new town to the whole scope of things related to Chicago.

Downers is known for it's great little downtown area and tree lined streets. At one time the town was starting to "change" but the area quickly gained back it's popularity among everyone for location and new businesses flooding into the area, so many people began buying up the older decaying properties and doing "knock downs" to put up million dollar homes thus bringing the end to the "change" for the worse in Downers. Downers is also known for having a "Norman Rockwell" style downtown and hosts a huge festival in June right in it's downtown area called "Downers Grove Heritage Fest" of which is really something to see.

Orland Park is much newer and more of the baby to the Chicago burbs and is known for being the shopping mecca of the south side and soon probably the entire Chicago area with the current mayor trying to turn Orland Park into the next Schaumburg. Orland Park is home to 2 major malls housing about every store you can think of within a one mile radius. There are also something like 50 smaller strip malls in the town to fill in the void of any stores that were left out of the two main malls.

If you like to eat this is also the town for you as La Grange Rd has become known as restaurant row featuring many well known eatteries such as Rock Bottom, Bar Louie, Texas Roadhouse, Mimis Cafe, Champs, and local places such as Harrisons, Charley Horse, Papa Joes, and many more!

Taxes in the town are stable as the town now looks to it's retail tennants for funding of the town thus allowing the town to give you (Joan Q. Taxpayer) 100% of your village paid property taxes back!!! YES, YOU GET A CHECK IN THE MAIL BACK FROM THE TOWN FOR WHATEVER YOU PAID THE VILLAGE IN TAXES!!! Here is the form on this to read www.orland-park.il.us/village/pdf/tax_rebate_application.pdf (broken link) Sound nice?

Schools in the town are also second to none the best. According to greatschools.net of which rates schools nationwide, Orland Park's main schools for the most part scored perfect 10's! Orland Park Schools

Homes in The OP (named the OP after Fox's show about a bunch of rich kids from Orange County "The OC") are built to very strict OP standards. Orland will NOT allow any new construction of sided homes to even be built in the town forcing builders to construct new buildings of brick, rock, stone, or concrete for the first floors of the newer homes thus making homes to be built more like fortresses that are able to stand up to our vigorous climate. Older homes located from 153rd Street to 143rd Street and from West Avenue to La Grange are about the only homes in town where you will see a sided house. Here are some of the homes for sale in the town. NO, they are not all $1,000,000+ Google Image Result for http://68.178.240.65/photos/06455070.jpg

Here are some condo listings in the town, there are even some single family homes in your price range that are in a nice area in the town!Real Estate at Homes.Com for ORLAND PARK, IL

The area to check out where you can find condos and townhomes like you are talking about would be off 159th Street @ Orland Brook Drive. Take Orland Brook north about a block and there is a cluster of townhomes all with private entries going for about $189,000. There is another area located off 140th Street and Catherine Drive where there are townhomes like you are talking about and also at 140th Street and 82nd Avenue again going for about $200K as well as at John Humphrey Drive and 142nd.

After IDOT's overhaul of La Grange Road last year, it is possible to make it to La Grange in 30 minutes from the northern fringe of town during rush hour if you live in the 140th Street area. There are little short cuts you can take through the neighborhood over there to avoid all the mall traffic allowing you to come out onto La Grange at 135th Street instead of back tracking to 143rd. The secret street is 91st Avenue at 140th Street which shoots north under the power lines turning into Timber Trails then winding up on Lincolnshire before stopping at 135th. The other secret streets in the neighborhood are 84th and 88th Ave. shhhhh don't want too many people knowing about them and cutting through the neighborhood. j/k

Here is some info on the town itself. Orland Park, IL - Presented by Village Profile

[Steve-o]

Both cities are equally nice. If it were up to me, Id choose Downers Grove, its more centralized.

[charlotteh]

I recently moved to Downers Grove and would recommend living here. It's so pretty, with lots of trees and it's a bit hilly for Illinois. There are tons of parks and a great rec department with inexpensive classes and a preschool program, as well as a scenic downtown. It's very safe, the local police blotter rarely has no more than traffic violations and shoplifting.

As a single mom being close to family sounds like a priority over having a bigger place. You could possibly take the Metra to work in LaGrange. Hinsdale is also on the same line. DG is also 30 minutes downtown on an express train.

Downers Grove definitely has a different vibe than Orland Park. If you prefer a small town feel with a downtown and less traffic, it may be the place for you. I hear great things about Orland Park as well, so it's all a matter of preference.

Good luck, let me know if you have any other questions!


Charlotte