Naperville or Wheaton??? (Chicago, Aurora, Peoria: how much, new home, neighborhoods)

[dgs92]

Pros and cons of both? Which would you choose and why. I have 3 kids: 7th grade, 3rd grade and preschool. Schools are obviously important. Commuting into the cityis not. Thanks for any feedback!

[Steve-o]

You win with either city. Wheaton is smaller and quieter, but Naperville offers more and is a great city for kids. Schools are great in both cities, both have Metra access. Both have nice downtowns with alot of shops and dining, but Naperville's is better IMO. Your best bet is to visit both towns and see what you think.

[BUalumni]

I would say that Wheaton would be your best choice. Smaller, less sprawled, and far less congested being the biggest reasons. Naperville is a nice city for the most part, but the zoning for the city is horrid! There are just a few roads in and out that EVERYONE has to go through. I believe that Naperville schools are better, statisically speaking. But Wheatons are smaller and just as good IMO. Remember that Naperville is about the third largest city in the state beating out Peoria and Springfield. Their prosperity has been abundant, but as time goes along, they are going to have the same problems that other big cities have. Wheaton, which is land locked, will more than likely never have these. Both are good choices in the end, and more than likely, if you choose Wheaton, you will spend a good amount of time in Naperville.

[Windy City John]

Naperville is 3 x times the population of Wheaton-- It all depends on whether you want a new home or not. Something less than 5 years old for a 4 bedroom home will run $500K-650K in Naperville while it will cost you $650K-850K in Wheaton.

[acdevane]

I'm with Steve-o, you win with both. They are both great communities, it all depends on what you are looking for.

You stated you have three children, so schools are important. Something to consider then is how much your children want to be involved? Naperville is larger and offers 4 high schools with plans for a fifth. So, while there may be more opportunities for children to become involved at Naperville schools, it is extremely competitive in nature with regards to sports and academics. (Naperville 203 has dropped class rank beginning this year because students with above a 4.0 GPA out of a 4.0 were not making it into the top 10%) There are numerous clubs and activities that would boggle your mind available in the Naperville schools. Wheaton, on the other hand is served by two schools, Wheaton North & Wheaton Warrenville South. If you're looking for more of a small town feel, then Wheaton would probably be they way to go.

Regarding traffic in Naperville, most of those issues lie with being south of 75th Street. If you're willing to live in older housing (with character I might add) on the North side of town, you can eliminate the traffic issue almost entirely. Neighborhoods like Cress Creek, Century Farm, Saybrook, Century Hill, Huntington Commons, Pembroke Commons & Pembroke Greens are all easy to navigate from a traffic perspective.

You would probably be looking for a 4 bedroom home with three children. You could find homes in both communties realistically starting around $450, and they both go way up from there.

You really need to get out and walk the downtown and get a feel for them. You will quickly get a feel for the difference between the two. If you're looking for quaint - Wheaton, if you're looking for cosmopolitan - Naperville. They both have a lot to offer and are great communities.

Good Luck to you.

[Steve-o]

Originally Posted by acdevane

Regarding traffic in Naperville, most of those issues lie with being south of 75th Street.

I agree with all you said minus your traffic perspective. If you ask me, the bad traffic starts at I-88 and Rt. 59 during rush hour. Normal traffic is still pretty bad from North Aurora Rd and south at any time of the day too. Same goes for Ogden Avenue.

[acdevane]

The subdivisions I mentioned are primarily east Naperville, not as much of an issue. Once you know the roads, you can navigate quite easily - promise. I have to agree to the south and the west there are issues with traffic. To avoid it, stay to the north and east.

[Steve-o]

Originally Posted by acdevane

The subdivisions I mentioned are primarily east Naperville, not as much of an issue. Once you know the roads, you can navigate quite easily - promise. I have to agree to the south and the west there are issues with traffic. To avoid it, stay to the north and east.

Yeah, sorta, kinda. Ive been snarled in horrible traffic along Ogden, Naperville Rd, etc, too.

[M TYPE X]

Ogden Avenue and Roosevelt Road are ugly, ugly, ugly. Chicago suburbia has a lot of ugly throughfares.

[ahava]

Originally Posted by M TYPE X

Ogden Avenue and Roosevelt Road are ugly, ugly, ugly. Chicago suburbia has a lot of ugly throughfares.

What about the Ferrari dealership on Ogden in Hinsdale? Is that part of Ogden Ave ugly too?