Family moving to North Chicago area from Singapore...need help with everything! (Wheaton: 2015, rental)

[anjiyer]

Hello All

I have been scouting this forum since last week when we heard that my husband's job is moving to North Chicago. We are a family of four, actually 5, including our Chocolate Labrador. Kids will be 10 and 4 when we eventually move (around April-May 2015). Just in time for a fresh new school year!

To give a bit of background:

We are essentially a family that has been on the move. We have moved between India, Stamford (CT), India, Irvine (CA), Scotland, Mumbai and Singapore in the last 15 years. This stint in Singapore has been our longest (4 years). So, quite used to packing up and moving, but totally blank on navigating the US school systems. Kids currently attend the American School in Singapore.

To start with, can anyone guide me on the following:

1. What suburb? We have been recommended areas like Lake Forest, Libertyville, Vernon Hills, Wheaton etc. I do not understand what rankings to follow to get an idea of schools. Open to private schools as well.

2. Our rental budget is around 5000 dollars and will be looking at a single family home, with reasonable drive time to my husband's place of work in North Chicago.

I am sure I will have tons of questions in the days ahead, so hoping that u guys can give me some suggestions. So nice to be in a forum that provides such a lot of information. Look forward, to times on this forum, as well as our move.

Thanks in advance!

[chet everett]

Need to clarify -- the suburb of North Chicago is an awful place which is dominated by the Navy's training station and a few crummy manufacturing sites.

In contrast Chicago's north side is a vibrant part of the city.

Wheaton is too far from North Chicago to consider.


Libertyville is a good option, as are other towns in Lake Co. or the north shore of Cook Co.

[anjiyer]

Hi Chet

Tks! North chicago is on the address where my husbands workplace will be. Hence the reference. Some of his colleagues have recommended places like Lake Forest, Libertyville, Wheaton etc, and some of the families live in these places. I have looked up Lake Forest and Libertyville, but can't figure which school district is better?

[chet everett]

Honestly there are lots of good elementary schools to choose from in the towns a reasonable commuting distance from North Chicago. The most desirable high school district in that part of the region is New Trier. Close behind would be Deerfield and Highland Park . Lake Forest is very close in desirabilty to Libertyville. Should also include some towns served by same schools -- for Lake Forest than would include Lake Bluff, for Libertyville include Green Oaks. For New Trier that is mostly Wilmette, Glencoe, Kenilworth, WInnetka...

[anjiyer]

Oh good, that definitely expands our area for searching! Good to know! Tks!

Libertyville means District 70 for schools?

[reggie_04]

Do your kids attend SAS in Singapore?

[rocky12345]

You can also look into Glenview and Northbrook. Good schools and your money will go further than Lake Forest.

[wjj]

Originally Posted by chet everett

Need to clarify -- the suburb of North Chicago is an awful place which is dominated by the Navy's training station and a few crummy manufacturing sites.

In contrast Chicago's north side is a vibrant part of the city.

Wheaton is too far from North Chicago to consider.


Libertyville is a good option, as are other towns in Lake Co. or the north shore of Cook Co.

I suspect the work location is either Abbott or Abbvie - both of which are in a big campus on the outskirts of North Chicago.

There are a lot of excellent school districts within a half hour drive. I would stay in Lake County and then, not too far west. The best high school districts would be Stevenson, Deerfield, Libertyville, Highland Park, and Vernon Hills. Stevenson and Deerfield are consistently ranked 1 or 2 in test results among all suburban high school school districts. Libertyville is close behind. These are among the very top in the entire Chicago area. If you do look a little further south into Cook County, I would suggest staying east of I 294 and then add New Trier and the Glenbrooks to the mix. But all of these schools have a very different environment from the sprawling campus and the near 4000 student body at Stevenson to the much smaller and less imposing Deerfield or Vernon Hills. Stevenson and Vernon Hills are only a mile apart, but the environment is entirely different, so you really need to spend some time and take a look at all of the options if schools are a priority. And do look at the boundaries of each district. They make absolutely no sense at all and people living on different sides of the street could be in different districts. Stevenson is so big because its boundaries snake all over the place and include parts of about a dozen towns including Buffalo Grove, Long Grove, Hawthorn Woods, Lincolnshire, Riverwoods, Vernon Hills, Kildeer, Lake Zurich, Mundelein, Mettawa, Lake Forest, and surrounding unincorporated areas.

With your budget, there are plenty of areas to choose from. You just need to take a week and look around (though that will take some effort coming from SGP).

Places like Libertyville, Buffalo Grove, Lake Forest, Highland Park, Vernon Hills, Wilmette, Northbrook are all outstanding places to live, but are much different from one another as far as lifestyle is concerned (not quality of life, all offer excellent quality of life, but do it in a different way). For example, if you are looking for a suburban area with a lot of parks and open space, but no core downtown area, Buffalo Grove would fit the bill. If you are looking for a retail mecca, then it would be Vernon Hills. If looking for a traditional walkable cool downtown, then Libertyville, Highland Park, or even Lake Forest would be a good fit. There really is something for every taste in the north and northwest suburbs, and most with excellent schools as well.

[gelert]

These are all great areas. One factor you may have noticed, assuming you are of Asian heritage, is that the Asian population varies considerably across schools (Deerfield/Highland Park HS are <3% Asian vs. New Trier @ 8%, Stevenson @ 19%, Half Day @ 32%). This may not matter to you given your travels, but I do believe a low-diversity school may (despite no ill intent) feel slightly less welcoming than a more diverse one.

[anjiyer]

Hi All

Thanks for all the info! Right now, tending towards either Libertyville or Lake Forest...haven't yet looked at Glenview or Northbrook, that's my homework for the day!

@ reggie_04 - yes, they are at SAS. U are familiar with it?

Any input on how to decide which school district? That is possibly THE one thing that will set the tone...