young professionals moving to elmhurst? (Naperville, Evanston: housing, condos, rent)

[jmc25]

I recently heard that a lot of young professionals (ages 23-28) are moving to Elmhurst. Is this true, has anyone else heard this?

[BRU67]

Originally Posted by jmc25

I recently heard that a lot of young professionals (ages 23-28) are moving to Elmhurst. Is this true, has anyone else heard this?

They would have to be pretty professional indeed to afford the housing prices there. You see some younger (early 30s maybe) couples there, but I think that's at the upper end of the young professional scale -- Doctors, lawyers and other high paid careers with young children. I don't think many 23 y.o. college grads are moving there, unless they're going into condos (and many of this crowd would prefer the more "collegate" life of the City).

[Windy City John]

You see a natural migration of professionals that are married and have their first child and one-on-the way moving to the burbs. Elmhurst is one of the burbs with great access to the city, good schools, great medical facilities and affordable housing. Glen Ellyn and Wheaton are also migration destinations......

[InformedConsent]

Originally Posted by Windy City John

You see a natural migration of professionals that are married and have their first child and one-on-the way moving to the burbs. Elmhurst is one of the burbs with great access to the city, good schools, great medical facilities and affordable housing. Glen Ellyn and Wheaton are also migration destinations......

Elmhurst is a great community that is very conveniently located near several major highways and O'Hare airport, has a Metra station, and has a great downtown area. The schools are not as good as those in Glen Ellyn, Wheaton, or Naperville - so there's a trade-off that has to be made.

Does a home buyer want better schools or a more convenient (to the city and O'Hare) location? Once the priorities are determined, it's easier for a home buyer to pinpoint which suburbs they target in the search for a home.

[SloopyJ]

While I would say it's true that a lot of young professionals are moving to Elmhurst (or at least putting it on their short list), the age bracket is off by 10 years.

Being in my mid-30s and living downtown, I am seeing lots of my friends/acquaintances move to the 'burbs from downtown, and I think Elmhurst's biggest draws are its downtown, good schools, and ease of commute. For the same reasons, LaGrange (and to a lesser extent, Western Springs and Hinsdale) and Evanston are popular places for the 30s migration crowd. As more and more 20-somethings have opted to live in the city, those same folks seem to want some sense of urban life in their downtown.

Naperville has a good downtown and good schools, but the commute is too long for many folks working downtown and used to a short commute. I know there are people moving there from downtown, but I personally can think of nobody I know that has moved from the city to Naperville or Glen Ellyn (I do know one couple who went to Wheaton). And I've been living downtown for 10 years now.

[gardener34]

I would think that 20 somethings would definitely find Elmhurst very boring.

[BRU67]

Originally Posted by gardener34

I would think that 20 somethings would definitely find Elmhurst very boring.

Not to mention costly. Not much bang for the buck for a 20 something given that a large chunk of what you'd be paying for would be what you're not using -- the schools and child raising environment. Elmhurst is, and has been for awhile, a destination for affluent families with young children who want them to grow up with a white, upper middle class value system. You pay handsomely for that privilege. If one is single, or doesn't have kids yet, the motivation to pay it isn't there.

[gardener34]

Right on. I also think Elmhurst is getting too expensive for what you get these days in my opinion. Lots of stockbrokers - married and move from Lincoln Park, do a teardown. That is what the demographic is there nowadays. VERY upscale - think "little hinsdale"

20 and 30 somethings, would be better off in aurora/naperville, more variety in the housing, and naperville also has a train. Or better yet, downtown.

[emmi605]

Originally Posted by BRU67

Not to mention costly. Not much bang for the buck for a 20 something given that a large chunk of what you'd be paying for would be what you're not using -- the schools and child raising environment. Elmhurst is, and has been for awhile, a destination for affluent families with young children who want them to grow up with a white, upper middle class value system. You pay handsomely for that privilege. If one is single, or doesn't have kids yet, the motivation to pay it isn't there.

This is really a huge misconception about Elmhurst. There is a significant variety of socioeconomic levels and races/cultures in Elmhurst. The school system also takes in parts of Addison, Bensenville, and Oakbrook so the school population is very diverse. There are many different languages spoken by residents and cultural appreciation is embraced, especially up on the north side. This area is incredibly diverse. Yes, there are some "chunks" of all-white areas in Elmhurst, but the above statement is exaggerated. Most of the town residents are not in the upper brackets, but middle to mid/upper class. There is a feeling of community wherever you go. As for young people, there is a college town feeling that draws some here. New housing is mainly condos and townhouses at the center of town. This makes it convenient to travel to the loop by train. There are many pubs and restaurants to choose from also. There is affordable housing if you are looking and willing to do some updating. The teardowns have really slowed down. Overall, I can see the draw for all ages.

[BRU67]

Originally Posted by emmi605

This is really a huge misconception about Elmhurst. There is a significant variety of socioeconomic levels and races/cultures in Elmhurst. The school system also takes in parts of Addison, Bensenville, and Oakbrook so the school population is very diverse. There are many different languages spoken by residents and cultural appreciation is embraced, especially up on the north side. This area is incredibly diverse. Yes, there are some "chunks" of all-white areas in Elmhurst, but the above statement is exaggerated. Most of the town residents are not in the upper brackets, but middle to mid/upper class. There is a feeling of community wherever you go. As for young people, there is a college town feeling that draws some here. New housing is mainly condos and townhouses at the center of town. This makes it convenient to travel to the loop by train. There are many pubs and restaurants to choose from also. There is affordable housing if you are looking and willing to do some updating. The teardowns have really slowed down. Overall, I can see the draw for all ages.

I'm just going on my experience based on having grown up there and what I know about it now, with no disrespect to it intended. As of the 2000 Census, it was nearly 94% white and had a household income of about $70k -- pretty upscale by comparison to most suburbs. And housing prices there have skyrocketed since then. Elmhurst is a great community in many ways, no doubt about it, but "diverse" is not a term that's generally applied to it. People define that term differently I understand and I'm sure there are some interesting people there. But for the most part, it doesn't have this kind of reputation. It's generally known and respected as an affluent, family-friendly suburb and probably isn't a big draw for young singles, at least at this point.