Any Suburbs with a downtown area near a Forest Preserve? (Chicago: 2013, house)

[brunnins]

Hi All. Looking to move out to the Chicago suburbs soon from the city. Having lived in Chicago for less than 4 years, I don't know a lot about the suburbs. Are there any suburbs with a nice downtown area that is near a forest preserve (or a large park)? I'm talking 1-2 miles away (or ideally less - walking/running distance), not a 5-10 mile drive. Preferably this downtown area would have a Metra stop too, but not required. Really open to any suburbs - north, west, or south. Am I asking the impossible here?

[MSchemist80]

Desplaines. since it is on the river and the river is surrounded by forest preserves.

[chet everett]

Gonna need a little more info.

In a general sense, many towns are near some pretty attractive Forest Preserves / parks. Off the top of my head I know that from the Metra stop in "downtown" Western Springs it is under two miles to the extensive Forest Preserve that winds along Salt Creek to Brookfield Zoo and the DesPlaines River. Similar options exist in River Forest, Riverside, Orland Park, Libertyville and other towns. Of course these are pricey areas with a lot to offer for families and nice enough places for folks who work in the burbs and want an easy commute but not the kind of place that you'd find a whole lot of 20-something singles...

Elmhurst is a bigger town that has good access to the "linear park / rails-to-trails" known as the Illinois Prairie Path that stretches from beyond the DesPlaines River in Maywood all the way to the Fox River in Kane Co...

Technically Geneva is accessible to the Loop via Metra, but that is a loooong train ride and again, not going to be the top of any single relocating to the area...

Where do you work? What is your budget? What activity are looking for in Forest Preserve / parks?

[brunnins]

Work from home most of the time, but occasionally need to head downtown (less than once/week). Hence the preference for the Metra, but my travels downtown are so infrequent, driving is an option too. The wife can easily transfer jobs around the Chicagoland area - she is a nurse and thus has lots of opportunities.

Budget is 400-500k, potentially a little more if it is a perfect fit.

There isn't a preferred activity we're looking to do, we just really like the idea of being able to "get away." I know there are lots of fantastic forest preserves throughout the Chicago suburbs, but we are curious if any are also near a downtown area to provide the best of both worlds - nature and urban/suburban life. All a walk/bike ride away.

Des Plaines is nice, but I find it tough to "get away" there - lots of road/train/airplane noise. I haven't been through Western Springs or Orland Park - how would you rate the ability to "get away?" Libertyville seems like it may be a good option. I've been to Riverside, and although I like the area, I've heard some negative things about surrounding areas.

[MPowering1]

If you aren't bothered by the property taxes, Buffalo Grove is an option you should consider along with Libertyville. The downtown isn't great but there are plans to revamp the whole thing. There's the metra train, Buffalo Creek Forest Preserve, Ryerson Conservation Area, Potawatomi Woods Forest Preserve and the Des Plaines River Trail which runs 31 miles through 12 forest preserves going north toward Wisconsin. You can either hike it or take a canoe.

Property lots in both Libertyville and Buffalo Grove are also more generous than those typically found in Cook County, which gives it less of a city feel.

I'm not well versed on the southern suburbs, but I'm sure others will weigh in.

You didn't mention kids, so I don't know if school districts are a concern for you. If it is, let us know because that's important information, although it's not a concern with Libertyville, or Buffalo Grove because the quality of the schools in both towns is quite high.

[brunnins]

Thanks for the input. Buffalo Grove is intriguing. Any web links that outline the plans to revamp the downtown area? And where exactly is the "downtown" area located? I didn't know Buffalo Grove had one.

Just beginning our marriage So no kids yet. But they are in the plans, but not likely for a few years. We are hoping to move-in to a house for the long haul, so considering schools is important. I really don't know much about Chicago area schools, having grown up in Metro Detroit. I've done some research on rankings and whatnot, and have read other threads here in which people discuss school rankings (and sometimes even debate them).

[MPowering1]

They're still discussing everything, but the proposed plans, last modified late last year, can be found here by clicking on Downtown Buffalo Grove. Their initial attempt at a downtown, many years ago, was located at Lake Cook and McHenry Roads and was a big failure. You could drive past it twenty times a day and never identify it as downtown. They are planning on moving it to the area where the Village Hall is, further west on Lake Cook Road, and across from the golf course on the northern side.

Schools in both Buffalo Grove (Lake County side) or Libertyville are great. Buffalo Grove (the Lake County side) feeds into Adlai E. Stevenson High School, one of the top ranked in the country and they do a great job of preparing students for college.

And not the first time this has happened, but in 2013 BG was named as one of the 50 best places to live in the country.

It has more of a city feel, and has smaller lots, but if that's okay with you, I would also consider Deerfield. And if you don't mind going too far west, I would take a look at Barrington. Both have very good school districts, as well.

[brunnins]

Interesting. Looks like there is much debate about the BG plan... I wonder if it will actually come to fruition. Good to know the schools there are fantastic, as well as Libertyville. Any estimation of how long the Metra ride downtown is from both of those locales? And for comparison, the drives?

I've been in Deerfield a bit, and don't prefer the feel of it. Definitely a nice area though, just not for us. Never been to Barrington - seems a ways out there, but if it fits my requirements then it is worth considering. And I know that the further out there you get, the easier it is to find nature. How is Barrington's downtown area?

[chet everett]

Actually, the changes in D214 now rank BG high school below either Hersey or Prospect. It is still a desirable area, and the areas that find into Stevenson remain quite well regarded though taxes are increasingly depressing prices.

With a budget that tops out $500k it is still a really good option but depending upon how important it is to have a truely walkable downtown with viable businesses and such you may want to consider areas that have a more traditonal layout already in place.

The list of towns in your budget with "nature areas" within a two mile radius of a walkable downtown would include Libertyville, the aforementioned River Forest, Western Springs,Elmhurst near Prairie Path, maybe Hinsdale (see thread that started out asking about Norridge), Orland Park (downtown is not really as well developed as those along other raillines, but there are some pretty plans that have been realized and more work is still progress as opposed to merely a proposal), parts of Downers Grove (Denburn Woods is kind of unique but pricing is likely out of budget), a few neighborhoods surprisingly close to the core of Naperville and within easy access of the DuPage River, portions of Wheaton, Lombard, Glen Ellyn near Prarie Path, Geneva and even places like Highland Park and Barrington where there are still some well priced homes that are both with a walk of the core and the nature areas. If schools are not a big factor you could add spots like Lockport and Lemont as well as a handful of similar towns like Willow Springs...

I'd recommend scouting out areas based on even the "satellite maps" that google and sites serve-up online. At the right scale the amount of open field / tree lined path is really pretty impressive. Considering how easy it is to get into the Loop from most areas we are rather fortunate to have these amenities. The relative upkeep that the various counties endeavor and the resultant costs of labor are of course reflected in propert taxes but for folks that appreciate these things it is a worthwhile expenditure.

[MPowering1]

Originally Posted by brunnins

Interesting. Looks like there is much debate about the BG plan... I wonder if it will actually come to fruition. Good to know the schools there are fantastic, as well as Libertyville. Any estimation of how long the Metra ride downtown is from both of those locales? And for comparison, the drives?

I've been in Deerfield a bit, and don't prefer the feel of it. Definitely a nice area though, just not for us. Never been to Barrington - seems a ways out there, but if it fits my requirements then it is worth considering. And I know that the further out there you get, the easier it is to find nature. How is Barrington's downtown area?

Something will be done about the downtown because it has to be at this point because the revenue isn't there when it could be. What they decide to do, I don't know. This is the proposal they are pushing for, and while there has been some backlash, I'm not sure it's gained enough steam to prevent the plan from proceeding.

BG train station parking lot is huge, so there is never any problem with parking as there is in some locations. The 7:18.am. train gets you to Union Station at 8:11.

It used to take me about 50 minutes to get to Michigan and Ohio if I beat the rush and the express lanes were open. Of course, if it's raining it can be 75 - 90 minutes and if it's snowing it can be 90 plus.

I'm unfamiliar with what is considered to be Barrington's downtown area although I've been to Barrington many times. If you take their 7:11 train into Ogilvey Transportation Center, you'll arrive at 8:01.

NO metra train service from BG's station on weekends. Barrington does have weekend service.