Naperville / Hawthorn Woods / Bolingbrook / North Aurora (Chicago, Downers Grove: real estate, houses, school districts)

[MAPABISON]

As you can tell from the post title, my family is considering a number of areas in the Chicago metro region for potential relocation.

I went to Naperville last week and really liked the town although the housing prices were a bit high. I didn't like the Friday afternoon traffic (on 59) either; however, I am going back in a few weeks to explore the community and homes in more detail w/ my wife and daughter.

While on my trip I went to North Aurora as well and while the community I looked at was very nice, the overall area seems a a bit out there from Chicago and I have read the schools are not as good (West Aurora High School district).

When we head out in a few weeks we are also going to look at a community in Hawthorn Woods (split between Lake Zurich / Mundelein School districts) and a community I found in Bolingbrook (Neuqua School district) close to the Naperbrook golf course.

Aside from being generally scattered and clueless about the overall area, I'm interested in people's thoughts on all of the above areas I've mentioned as well as any suggestions I should also consider.

My family is looking for:

- Strong sense of community w/ town center (a la Naperville)
- Modest housing prices (400 - 600K range)
- Good schools (elementary and middle)
- Great place to raise a growing family

The commute is not an issue for me although I do wish to be relatively close to the airports.

I've heard on the Northside Libertyville and Lake Forest are nice but the traffic is worse there than out West.

Thanks in advance for any info./opinion.

[AthmaGirl]

All the areas you mentioned are nice, but they are expensive. Especially Hawthorn Woods. Million dollar homes are in that area.

If you want cheaper, try farther north like, Vernon Hills, or Libertyville. Lake Zurich is a very nice area as well. Long Grove is nice but again, VERY expensive.

The nice thing about Illinois, is that all the surrounding counties around Chicago have Metra. You can take the train every day into the city and the Metra lines go quite far out into the suburbs.

Buffalo Grove, Deerfield, Barrington, North Barrington, etc are all nice areas as well. Just remember, the closer you get to the city, the more expensive.

I've lived in Lake County, Illinois since 1993, and it's a great area to live. Lots to due and good jobs everywhere. Lots of corporate parks.

[rrah]

You are right in that Naperville traffic can be a bear--59 is like that all the time--not just Friday afternoons. The schools are good, it's always one of the top communities in national polls, etc. Some people love it. Personally I found it too "white bread" and "keep up with the Joneses" for my taste. I've had friends leave because it can be a pretty snobbish place to live.

Bolingbrook is kind of like the younger, poorer sister of Naperville--Before I get slammed for that comment, I know Bolingbrook has some expensive houses, etc., but take a look at the history of the area. 20 years ago Bolingbrook was still a small town surrounded by farms. The expansion of Naperville/Fox Valley and increasing prices there lead families and developers into Bolingbrook. Necqua HS is very solid.

I previously lived in towns north and south of North Aurora so know it well. There's not much of a town center there. Many families look to Aurora or Batavia for children's activities, etc.

If you're out that way you might consider the Tri-Cities areas (Batavia, Geneva, St. Charles) All have fine school districts, nice downtown areas, especially Geneva, and are family oriented places to live. I lived in Batavia, and still have friends that live in all three places.

[Brutus1]

MAPABISON,

Naperville is rated as one of the best communities to live in, but traffic can be difficult. I built my first home on Bolingbrook, a diverse community, and lived there for 12 years. I now live in Batavia, part of the "tri-cities" along the Fox river. This includes, Batavia, Geneva, and St. Charles, all of which meet your criterea. North Aurora is growing fast, and should give you value for your money. My need was relatively quick access to expressways, and an established community. One of the nice things about the tri-cities area is the bicycle path on both sides of the fox river, very scenic, and great family fun. Good luck!

[Bartlettgal]

Just a quick note: If you have children please stay away from school district u-46 its very bad...

[mgabbard]

You might want to take a look at Downers Grove area as well. The housing is very affordable, the schools are great, it has a quaint downtown, Metra service, and more. I-88 and I-355 are right there so easy access for driving commuters. Taxes are low and so is the crime. It's right in the middle of the west burbs so it's easy to get pretty much anywhere with a decent commute.

Hope this helps.

[cavewoman]

Bolingbrook is not the poorer Naperville.... and I am not slamming your comments, but look at how the area was developed. Your info is inaccurate about the development....if anything your comments are in REVERSE. Bolingbrook developers helped build Naperville. The HS in Naper is not that "solid" and Bolingbrook has an awesome new HS.
The question was middle school and grammar anyway. Also....
look at any community 20 years ago. In fact Naper was better 20 years ago...even 10 years ago. Development was done poorly...with old and new and no parking, old codes.... do more research.

[cavewoman]

communities need to work together and stop beating one another up. They grow from one another...it's that simple!

[rgb123]

I'm all for the northern and northwestern suburbs, lived there on and off my whole life. I can't stand the traffic in naperville and those areas. I vote for barrington or hawthorn woods. barrington is better in that it has a central downtown and community feel.

[reppin_the_847]

There is great real estate to be found in all those parts of Chicagoland that you mentioned. I think what you really need to figure out is where your job is going to be located and also determine the ideal school district for your kids. I'd probably base some of your moving decision based on those two factors.

Originally Posted by MAPABISON

As you can tell from the post title, my family is considering a number of areas in the Chicago metro region for potential relocation.

I went to Naperville last week and really liked the town although the housing prices were a bit high. I didn't like the Friday afternoon traffic (on 59) either; however, I am going back in a few weeks to explore the community and homes in more detail w/ my wife and daughter.

While on my trip I went to North Aurora as well and while the community I looked at was very nice, the overall area seems a a bit out there from Chicago and I have read the schools are not as good (West Aurora High School district).

When we head out in a few weeks we are also going to look at a community in Hawthorn Woods (split between Lake Zurich / Mundelein School districts) and a community I found in Bolingbrook (Neuqua School district) close to the Naperbrook golf course.

Aside from being generally scattered and clueless about the overall area, I'm interested in people's thoughts on all of the above areas I've mentioned as well as any suggestions I should also consider.

My family is looking for:

- Strong sense of community w/ town center (a la Naperville)
- Modest housing prices (400 - 600K range)
- Good schools (elementary and middle)
- Great place to raise a growing family

The commute is not an issue for me although I do wish to be relatively close to the airports.

I've heard on the Northside Libertyville and Lake Forest are nice but the traffic is worse there than out West.

Thanks in advance for any info./opinion.