What's Going To Happen To Flossmoor?? (Chicago, Elmhurst: home, neighborhoods, private school tuition)

[3Series]

Originally Posted by JamieLannister

For instance, look at what La Grange has done to improve its downtown over the past 20 years and how much that has improved the village overall. Of course, La Grange already had a lot going for it, but its leaders did come together with a plan to revitalize the downtown, which has been a big success. Now, La Grange is considered one of the "cool/acceptable" suburbs for 30-somethings with kids looking to move out/back to the burbs from the city.
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The same goes for Arlington Heights. The downtown core has seen massive development and changes over the last 20yrs. I'm not sure about the "coolness" of it, but it is keeping up with the times. It also helped that it wasn't starting from a bad place.

[holl1ngsworth]

Originally Posted by JamieLannister

...look at what La Grange has done to improve its downtown over the past 20 years and how much that has improved the village overall. Of course, La Grange already had a lot going for it, but its leaders did come together with a plan to revitalize the downtown, which has been a big success. Now, La Grange is considered one of the "cool/acceptable" suburbs for 30-somethings with kids looking to move out/back to the burbs from the city.

Same goes for towns like Naperville, Arlington Heights, and even Wheaton now. I reason such development is essential for a suburb to thrive going forward. Aging early millennials emigrating from the city seem to seek out towns with developed, "walkable" cores. The common thread among the success stories of "cool/acceptable" suburbs has largely been the revitalization of pre-existing, historic downtown districts that are intersected by Metra-serviced railways. Which is what has me concerned about the longer-term prospects of boomburbs like Frankfort. Can Frankfort be the Hinsdale of anything without the stellar Metra service that Hinsdale enjoys? Four stops to choose from in the little town of Hinsdale, none in Frankfort.

[chet everett]

It is only 3 stops but for a town of just over 13k that means lots of options for easy walk-to-train...

[holl1ngsworth]

Originally Posted by chet everett

It is only 3 stops but for a town of just over 13k that means lots of options for easy walk-to-train...

It is actually a town of just over 17k, but 3 stops still means lots of options for easy walk-to-train...

[Chicago99]

Any suburb with modest house prices under 250,000 and modest incomes of under 75,000 with have there fair share of section 8 and schools with low test scores.

[urza216]

Originally Posted by JamieLannister

Now, if new construction and big box stores are your thing, and you don't mind a long-ish commute, then Frankfort certainly has a lot to offer in that regard.

Frankfort has a comic book store.

[chiil]

There are some decent homes with very affordable prices I would consider a steal (albeit... short sales). Taxes, which is another issue... is something that we'll always have to pay! Death and taxes are certain.

[drss01]

well this thread has been bumped up, and its pretty amazing how much has changed since 8/2014, when it comes to the southwest suburbs/ the southland i will again say frankfort is a flagship area, more so IMO then flossmoor. I summarized how well the village is doing in another thread, ill repost it here.

as far as your question "where to go" i think Frankfort is a very viable option. Our schools i feel are pretty under represented as a high standard school system on these boards. the high school district 210 comprises of several high schools, lincoln way north, central, and east. The high school for Frankfort is lincoln way EAST. it is a solid school, and continues to improve, showing no signs of decline or problems.

since 2001 lincoln-way test scores have improved more then any other high school district in the state of ILLINOIS (quoting Dr. R. Scott Tingley, District 210 superintendent), most recently 28 students as of this october were named as national merit scholars, including five national merit semifinalists, and several who scored a perfect 36 on the ACT this year. Our average ACT scores are identical to Lyons township. Slew of AP courses, and good AP enrollment.
academically very strong, strongest high school arguably in the southwest, comparable to some western burbs, and also a US news and world report silver medalist., only ranked school in all of will county and southwest.

athletically lincolnway east is top tier. #9th ranked HS football program in the state, state champs several times i believe most recently 2005
Lincoln-way east cheerleaders won the school first state championship 2/14
East girls track and field won second straight class 3a state champs 5/14
East boys volleyball team won state champs 6/14, and a host of other conference, regional, and sectional championships, if you care or are in athletics, its one of ILLINOIS' best.

Frankfort financially is very healthy. 2014 Frankfort made the last payment on bonds that were used to acquire prestwick utilities in the past, Frankfort is now bond and debt free. Residents whose property values remain the same or who's property values decrease, and readjusted per current market value will continue to see reductions in village portion of property tax bill, my tax bill is going down $5,000 this coming year. Frankforts excellent financial condition also indicated by the village being able to transfer 5% of its revenues to the capital fund, yearly.

Real estate value is on the uptick, and CLOSED sales of homes in the 950-1 million dollar range have gone way up, as have homes int he 500-750 k range. stalled subdivisions from the recession are now back underway FULL SWING to be completed and there are literally 30+ homes under construction from my count. My first home that i purchased in 2009, i sold at a 50,000 profit in 2013. after i bought that house the property tax was dropped by $4,000 once i submitted the HUD statement to the village.

frankfort DOES NOT have tract home builders or big corporations like you saw in PLAINFIELD, only private small, and custom home builders are allowed to build. Come drive around and you will see an amazing paucity of track homes, id say 75%+ semi custom and custom builds.

The park district is phenomenal. The frankfort park district was awarded by the National recreation and park association as a gold medal finalist for providing exceptional and innovative service, only 4 districts serving communities with populations less then 30,000 were chosen .

Downtown frankfort is a feature you won't find anywhere in the southwest. Its a small but true downtown, with streets lined with shops, cafe's, music stores, antiques, taverns, restaurants, etc., stage for music, plethora of festivals, new buildings are being constructed to add to it demonstrating vacancies are few and open spaces rent very quickly.

METRA access via mokena is available

access to i-80, 294, 355, i-57 within minutes from most parts of frankfort

its definitely worthwhile to explore and you have way more dining and shopping options. both within frankfort and your less then 10 miles away from orland square mall and all its mega retail.

chets comment about foreclosures and everyone being underwater here is pretty inaccurate. There was a firesale of foreclosures here, i know i took advantage of it in 2009, but that has DRASTICALLY evaporated. There was a shortage on housing stock, at one point when things started picking up and houses were getting multiple bids, thats when the builders took note and they are out and about full force, building to suit, not very much spec. There are about 1/2 dozen well known builders here who do probably about 80% of new home construction. They are all very reputable, i know 2 directly and a few more indirectly through neighbors and friends.

a lot of new businesses have been popping up in town, mariano's, jersey mike subs, noodles and company, urgent cares, BUONA BEEF is coming after a new 30,000 square foot retail area that has been approved is to be built, and many more.

for your purposes i would look at the western part of frankfort ( i live in north frankfort near Mariano's), around wolf road and LARAWAY, there you will find subdivisions like cobblestone walk of frankfort, and Olde stone mille, etc, very very nice.

some of the other well known subdivisions that are very noteworthy are butternut creek woods (epic), Abbey woods, lighthouse pointe, prestwick, and on the far eastern part of town there is timbers edge, frankfort meadows etc.

its not in decline. its not foreclosure heavy, the schools don't suck, its not a "south suburb" to me its very comparable to many western suburbs.
taxes are high, but as you heard chet bellyaching thats a pan ILLINOIS problem. not a certain suburb problem.

also there are very very very few low income students here, and the household incomes in frankfort are among the highest, surpassing six digits, lots of professionals in town.

its only getting better.

[Lookout Kid]

Frankfurt was a lot better before WWII. The Allies really bombed so much of the city in to oblivion that hardly anything remains from before the 1940's. But the Hauptbahnhof survived unscathed somehow, and provides excellent rail connections to Berlin and Munich.

[drss01]

Originally Posted by Lookout Kid

Frankfurt was a lot better before WWII. The Allies really bombed so much of the city in to oblivion that hardly anything remains from before the 1940's. But the Hauptbahnhof survived unscathed somehow, and provides excellent rail connections to Berlin and Munich.

That's y they built a new better one hidden in the Midwest :P