Are Joliet and Aurora really that bad? (Chicago, Manhattan: new house, neighborhoods)

[dherkes]

Originally Posted by AuroraRocks

"Joliet and Aurora's schools are not good whatsoever."

That's a pretty sweeping statement!

Before anyone purchases a house they should review the state report card for the school district in question. A prudent buyer would also take the initiative and interview some homeowners in the neighborhood where the property in question is located. Stand out side of a school, particularly the primary school, before the bell rings and listen, but do not speak with the students entering the building. These are, of course, value judgments. In this case they are warranted and entirely valid. School districts rarely recover rapidly from sudden demographic shifts. And there have been plenty of those shifts in the past few years. The economic makeup of neighborhood, cannot be accurately divined from its outward appearance.

[ngrome]

I looked at houses in a place called Hometown Aurora, there were some beautiful and reasonably priced single-family homes over there, 3 bdrms, 2.5 baths with basement, for as low as under $150K, the same price as a townhome or condo! But an agent was discouraging me from buying there, as she showed me the bad side of town, including trailer-park area that happened to surround it. Still, I didn't see anything wrong except the reputation of gang-infested areas in parts of the town, but isn't that everywhere except for maybe Naperville?

[RedRaiders]

We live in a brand new townhouse complex on the far east side of Aurora and really like it. The zip is 60504 and we are basically 2 miles from Rt 59 which divides Aurora and Naperville. We currently rent our townhouse, but I believe they generally sell in the low $200's, each with an oversized 2 car garage. There are still units being built, so I would imagine there are still some for sale or at least for rent. The only thing missing is a small backyard for dogs. However, the off-leash dog park is not too far away. We are within a 10-15 minute drive to anything and everything. I would either live on the far east or the far west side of Aurora, as mentioned above.

[RedRaiders]

Sorry, after I sent my message, I noticed that you said townhouses were out. Sorry!! There are some really nice single family homes just off of Eola and New York in the Oakhurst division. I'm not sure of the pricing, but the area is really nice with direct and easy access to Naperville.

[tyboo123]

Hi, The housing in Montgomery is quite good, compared to Naperville Joliet, and Aurora. You have the casinos, you pick yopur spots, and you will be ok. Everyplace has its good/bad spots. You pay for what you get...except a 200k house in Montgomery will cost 250k in Naperville, and probably more than that in Wheaton, which is nicer, but a lot more expensive .

Just do your research..but as log as you are pretty even keeled and enjoy the simple things in life, you will enjoy either place.

Good luck!!!

[SouthSideWhiteTrash]

Joliet isn't that bad, too many people give Joliet a bad rap for nothing. There's some parts of Joliet that are bad, but that doesn't mean it should overshadow people's opinions of the entire city. Downtown Joliet is very nice, so is the neighborhood by St. Francis University. I would not mind living anywhere along route 30 from downtown Joliet to the mall. I think I probably like the Plainfield Road area the best by the intersection of Ruby street. Just stay away from the bad neighborhoods located south of I-80 and you're okay. Also, I have no problem with the Mexican neighborhood near the corner where Route 30, route 6, and Cass street all comes together. I get Mexican food there all the time, no reason to not trust the people making the food. Try the delicious tacos from that taco truck located behind the El Supermercado on the corner of Cass street, they're very good! My only complaint about Joliet is that the two casinos in Joliet sucks. I don't go to a casino if their poker room doesn't have more than 12 tables. The Majestic Star Casino in Gary, Indiana and the Horseshoe Casino in Hammond, Indiana are much better.

[sdkluber]

Ok, lets try to give a helpful thing of Aurora.

-Marywood has decent housing, along with 1/4 to 1/2 acre lots usually, along with new construction, majority middle class (this is my prime area, I walk aimlessly through the streets at varying hours of the day, and hav never encountered anything negative)
-Area by Aurora University is probably out of your price range, but decent area, most of west Aurora is liveable
-Edgelawn/Randall north of Illinois Ave is pretty good
-anywhere east of Eola is decent, but Stonebridge ts too expensive
-There is a decent subdivision off New York Street, that is ok as long as you stay east of Farnsworth, by at least a half mile.
-San Souci (sic) is on the lower far west side, and is tolerable, my sister lives over there and minus a flood every 30 years, you are safe

-Avoid Liberty Street, and anything near East Aurora High School.
-Avoid the area near Simmons Middle School
-Avoid area near OLGC
-Avoid anything within 1.5 miles of downtown

Aurora is a complicated area to define; you can drive 5 minutes from any point and be in a bad area if you take the wrong roads. Crimes vary from area to area too, as you have vandalism among the richer areas, harmless drug sales (teenagers buying marijuana, among some occasions prescription meds) in the middle class areas, and a mix of violence, drugs and vandalism in the lower class areas

If you want decent drive and decent area, North Aurora, Lisle, Batavia, Downers Grove, are safe bets; North Aurora near Oak west of 31 being relatively decent, along with subdivisions off rt 56

Oh, and do not listen to anyone telling you to go to Yorkville, Plano, etc; as the Aurora Gangs are spreading that way as those are growing incredibly fast along with the expansion of the Chicagoland area

[dherkes]

Originally Posted by sdkluber

Aurora is a complicated area to define; you can drive 5 minutes from any

A school district mirrors the social problems in an area, including Aurora, Joliet and Elgin. A communities schools neatly reflect the values of the surrounding community. There are great areas in all three of these towns. There are also substantial economic problems that are longstanding and beyond the ken of a person desiring to locate there. Visit the schools and talk to the people who stand in the grocery store lines before you buy anything anywhere.

[IlWesleyanGuy]

Originally Posted by SouthSideWhiteTrash

Joliet isn't that bad, too many people give Joliet a bad rap for nothing. There's some parts of Joliet that are bad, but that doesn't mean it should overshadow people's opinions of the entire city. Downtown Joliet is very nice, so is the neighborhood by St. Francis University. I would not mind living anywhere along route 30 from downtown Joliet to the mall. I think I probably like the Plainfield Road area the best by the intersection of Ruby street. Just stay away from the bad neighborhoods located south of I-80 and you're okay. Also, I have no problem with the Mexican neighborhood near the corner where Route 30, route 6, and Cass street all comes together. I get Mexican food there all the time, no reason to not trust the people making the food. Try the delicious tacos from that taco truck located behind the El Supermercado on the corner of Cass street, they're very good! My only complaint about Joliet is that the two casinos in Joliet sucks. I don't go to a casino if their poker room doesn't have more than 12 tables. The Majestic Star Casino in Gary, Indiana and the Horseshoe Casino in Hammond, Indiana are much better.

I eat those tacos too! I like the steak tacos.

[LMNO&T]

Lisle's Four Lakes is a dog haven. You'd have business galore.

It sounds like you're not thrilled about a condo or townhome, but some units are situated on the first floor and have sliding glass doors to a patio and grass.

The area is incredibly dog-friendly, and the people are great, too. It would be easy to meet new clients.

My husband and I are looking to sell our one-bedoom unit that's on the first floor. The location with the patio and grass has been really convenient with our two doggies.

We're selling way below your price point. Send me an e-mail at gr8condo1833@yahoo.com if you're curious