Reasons you would or would not move to Tinley Park (Chicago: real estate, apartment complexes)

[amac7983]

I posted not too long ago about moving closer to the city to be near our jobs. We currently live in the far northwest burbs and need to lessen our commute. I work in the loop and my husband works in the southside by the Sox stadium. I take the metra and my husband drives. We were originally looking at La Grange due to its great schools (we have 3 kids) and proximity to Chicago, however we are being drawn to Tinley Park since we can get a lot more for our money there even though it's a little bit further out. With 3 kids we are looking for some decent square footage and given that we just remodeled our current home we just want a move-in ready home so we don't have to do that again. Our budget is up to 400k but we'd prefer to spend less. In Tinley Park specifically, we were primarily looking at the area that goes to Lincoln-Way North High School.

We are planning to explore Tinley this coming weekend to get a better feel for the area, but I'd love to hear your true opinions of it. From the research I've done it sounds like a safe and nice southern suburb of the city but I'd like to know specifically why you would or would not move there? What you do and do not like about it?

Even when we go to explore this weekend having never "lived" there or anywhere near the area it will still be hard for us to get a true feel so I'd love to hear from people that have spent some time there.

This is completely opinion based so any responses are welcome!

[chet everett]

Tinley Park is significantly longer commute from the Loop via Metra becuase BNSF service is super fast AND a drive from Tinley Park to any job near the site of old Comisky Park will also be significantly longer in travel time and total distance -- that alone would be a deal killer for me.

The other factors that would also impact upon my decision include the singficanrly higher ranking of the schools, nicer local developments / downtown, proximity to wider range of employers, higher overall property values, relative property tax burden,moong term price stability...

While I agre that Tinkey Park is mostly safe the negatives for a family that has dual incomes neither of which comes from an employer near Tinley Park offset any plus of having a larger home. Of course if you have a particularly large family you may find that homes in Brookfield or Contryside may be an option worth considering.

Emotionally you may not want to go through a remodel again but financially it probably makes sense to consider getting a home that is not "magazine perfect" as such homes typically command too dollar especially if you are shopping in the busy spring season. If you put aside the emotions the fact is in 10 or more years when you want to downsize the odds of a home that is "move in ready" today looking anything other than dated is all but impossible. If you buy a home in an area with charm and historic price stability you will likely be financially ahead of the game compared to an area that is not so endowed...

[amac7983]

So are you saying that Tinley Park "not so endowed"?

[chet everett]

Ther are lots of nicer subdivisions in Tinley Park with good sized homes but even the folks that do love 'me for their size and generally high quality construction (as mandated by a very 'union friendly' building code...) would have to agree that there are lots more charming homes / streets in towns along the BNSF like Riverside, Lagrange, Western Springs, etc...

The tricky thing is trying to judge whether towns with less of the obvious charm / character of having a nice central "downtown" are really a better long term value that place further out. If one puts a magnifying glass up against Tinely Parl and compares what the trade-offs are vs Brookfield, Countryside, Lagrange Park,Indianhead Park and similar towns it may just be that the homes in Tinely Park are just a bit newer and looking ten years out or so when that newness is considers "dated" then the advantage shrinks to nothing and even the slightly worse Metra service is offset by the need to drive to most of the spots in the other towns too...

Even real estate decision involves some trade offs and uncertainty. Buying at a good price in a location that has no glaring negatives is not the hardest thing in the world but picking the "perfect spot" is very very personal...

[BRU67]

Tinley is nice but very car centric and actually pretty far from downtown Chicago, and you usually even have to drive to the commuter train, where parking is competitive. It's one of the more distant "bedroom" communities you're going to find. But, if you don't mind driving everywhere and a longish commute to the Loop, it isn't bad. Just check the school situation of where you choose. One part is served by Andrews HS. The other by Tinley Park High. The former is considered more desirable.

[Lookout Kid]

Originally Posted by chet everett

Tinley Park is significantly longer commute from the Loop via Metra becuase BNSF service is super fast AND a drive from Tinley Park to any job near the site of old Comisky Park will also be significantly longer in travel time and total distance -- that alone would be a deal killer for me.

This is truly the key. And much of La Grange is walkable to the two Metra stations there (though not ALL of La Grange as you get further south). In Tinley Park you will likely be driving to the Metra station, and much earlier than you would like to get a parking spot. And the driving commute will be awful.

Things like charm and home style are subjective tastes, though I also tend to share Chet's sensibilities on these matters, and think La Grange wins that battle hands down. But the draw of a large, new house is something I can relate to after living through many home improvement projects.

I also like to be close to Metra. I feel like a location walkable to a Metra station will always hold some value, regardless of what happens economically to the region.

[pvande55]

Actually Tinley Park is only about 30 miles from the loop but the Rock Island trains are not as fast. On the other hand it is the only line with a station right by Sox park, or US Cellular. So the advantage is you could both ride the train, perhaps saving thousands in gas and wear and tear. Another possible advantage is the music theatre is right there.

[amac7983]

So, I thought I'd update you on our weekend travels to both Tinley Park and La Grange. We went to Tinley first and took a look at some houses in the newer subdivisions. I will say, the homes are exactly what we want. 3,000 square feet, completely updated, etc. The subdivision we looked at was literally 5 minutes from the grocery store and big box stores, which is a plus for us. We also liked the Lincoln Way North High School. The downside is that's about it. We didn't really like downtown Tinley Park and as you've mentioned, you can't walk anywhere unless it's within the subdivision itself.

We drove through La Grange and immediately fell in love. I love the downtown and the homes really do have a lot of character. The tree lined streets are beautiful and it is very walkable. I found the schools interesting as they are literally immersed into the town itself. And Lyons Twnship HS really looks like a mini University campus. Very beautiful buildings. Generally I loved the area and would truly prefer La Grange over Tinley as far as the "area".

Of course, our budget doesn't get far in La Grange and we are already in tight quarters and hoping to get a bigger space for our family.

Are there any less expensive parts of La Grange that are still walk-able to the downtown area?

I suppose we will see what happens but thought I'd let you know of our little trip over the weekend.

[Lookout Kid]

Originally Posted by amac7983

Are there any less expensive parts of La Grange that are still walk-able to the downtown area?

I suppose we will see what happens but thought I'd let you know of our little trip over the weekend.

There's a bit of a discount for being east of La Grange Road, but only the first few blocks in that direction are nice. La Grange has a little bit of a rough spot the closer you get to the Indiana Harbor Belt railroad tracks, and the area east of the tracks is not considered desirable. There are also some apartment complexes east of La Grange Road that seem to be lower income.

Also, many parts of La Grange Park are walkable to the Metra station, and are a bit more affordable than La Grange proper. The parts of La Grange Park that feed in to District 102 schools are more expensive, but the schools in that district are top notch.

South of 47th street is mostly in District 105, and isn't always priced at a bargain for being further from the train stations. The Spring Avenue and Seventh Avenue elementary schools are quite good, and will get you through sixth grade. But Gurrie Middle School has lower test scores, mainly because it also draws from lower-performing schools in Hodgkins and Countryside. But that's only 7th and 8th grade, and then you are back in Lyons Township High School.

[chet everett]

Sounds like LK has been shopping the same areas! There are some notable numeric differnces in performance of the schools and I hope that anyone shopping in the area does not just check out the visual appeal of the schools, long term value is likely to remain signficantly better in LT... The biggest trade off right now is the cost per square foot is considerably lower in Tinely Park.