Flossmoor (Chicago, Park Forest, Geneva: foreclosures, crime rates, buying a house)

[nancy davidson]

Just curious about Flossmoor. Is it the same community as it was years ago or is it changing for the worse? I know there are new subdivisions going up along the highway - but still?

[ChicagolandNascarFan]

Pardon me if I seem curt I get very defensive about my hometown. I have lived in Flossmoor since 1989. Define how many years ago and define change for the worse. The new subdivisions that you speak of are most likely along I-57 in Country Club Hills.

The changes that I have seen since I have lived in the community are that it has grown, there have been new subdivisions being built, Ballantrae and Ashley Oaks to name a few, older neighborhoods are experiencing teardowns with so-called McMansions taking the places of older smaller homes that looked out of place compared to the majority of homes in these neighborhoods anyway, the community has become more racially diverse, traffic has increased, and home prices have skyrocketed and continue to climb. My parents 3 bedroom 2 bath is now worth more than $400K.

Although traffic has increased I would say the community has stayed the same if not improved since the late 1980's. Then again I can't imagine a community like Flossmoor every becoming bad. The homes are too expensive, and the percentage of people with a Bachelors degree is far above norm (66% I believe). I hope that answered your question. I you could explain your time period and how you define changed for the worse I would appreciate it.

[garsky]

Flossmoor is an outstanding place to raise a family, but it does have a couple of things going against it.

--First, taxes are very high. Generally, tho, you get what you pay for: excellent schools, a first-rate parks system, and an outstanding library. There is no industry, and very little retail, so homeowners pay almost the entire cost of running the village. That probably won't ever change, either, since the village has very little land to attract businesses.

--Second, Flossmoor is becoming more diverse, which is a positive, but it's happening in not-so-good ways. Specifically, Flossmoor is becoming very geographically segregated along racial lines. West of Governor's Highway is overwhelmingly African-American, and the Heather Hill area is becoming so. While the vast majority of the residents of Flossmoor have no problem with diversity, the segregation is very discomfiting.

[citygals]

Hi ,
I noticed this thread as me and my partner are looking at places to move to and possibly start a family. Is there much diversity / visibility of LGBT folks there? How is the tolerance level?
I understand that this might be a tough question for people who don't usually think about these things.
Thanks for any help.

[nancy davidson]

I have another question about Flossmoor. Garsky mentioned in her post about Flossmoor that certain sections of the suburbis becoming more and more segregated; and, that might not be a good thing. Is crime increasing there and are the schools there still good?

Just wondering. Again when my husband and I have to go to Park Forest and notice the changes there for the worse (my opinion) like I have mentioned before on this list, I get curious about Flossmoor. We were in Flossmoor just once - a long time ago - and noticed that it was a charming suburb which had a Jewish population (again my husband and I are Jewish). Does the suburb still have a Jewish presence. Just one more question. Is the suburb becoming divided along racial lines because the blacks want it that way like in Park Forest and Matteson - again my opinion. Thanks

[garsky]

There is absolutely still a Jewish presence in Flossmoor, just much less so than 20 years ago. You might already know, but Flossmoor started as the Lake Geneva for Chicago Jews. Most of the older housing stock was summer homes.

Schools are still good--in fact ACT scores at the high school are on the rise.

Don't know why the segregation is happening, but it's not like there is a ghetto. Like nascarfan noted, the cost of buying a house in Flossmoor pretty much guarantees the buyer's going to be in a certain economic group, and that group generally values education & public safety.

(btw, garsky is a he, not a she)

[carguy39]

Flossmoor is still a nice suburb to live in--crime rates are low, and schools are still good. Flossmoor is diverse, but people of all races are moving in and out--people are well-educated and earn high incomes. Property values there have really escalated there over the last 2-3 years as well, but property taxes are still high.

[nancymccurdy]

My husband and I are looking at homes in Balantrae in Flossmoor - we think that area of new homes is beautiful and just what we are looking for. The taxes are high - but you get what you pay for. We are concerned that the majority of people in Balantrae are African American - if this is true, we are wondering if we would be welcomed there since we are not African American. Flossmoor is a beautiful area and one that we would like to move into. Any comments are helpful.

[garsky]

Ballantrae is almost 100% African American, which might make a person uncomfortable. It's also the epicenter of foreclosures in Flossmoor, so homes there have to be pretty cheap for what you're getting. I know quite a few people who live there, and they're all good people. As I mentioned earlier, the high cost of admission guarantees you'll find a lot of people who share your values.

[deechee]

I know quite a few people that live in Ballantrae and they enjoy living there. You will definitely be welcomed.

I live not too far from that development myself.

Have fun looking around Flossmoor!