town commutable to Lake Zurich and others (Chicago, Arlington Heights: attorney, estate)

[terryellen]

looking for some relo advice...DH is considering a job in Lake Zurich but after 2 or 3 years will probably need to work at other locations, most likely Woodale or Des Plaines. We are trying to figure out which would be the best suburb for commuting to all of these locations...best case scenario would be a town that is less than 30 minutes from all of these places.
We would like great schools and would love a town with a walkable main strip and an older home or if that is not doable in our price range then we will go with a newer home with great schools and an emphasis on family (we have 3 youngish kids)...we are really down to earth and focused on family...no keeping up with the Jones...schools is our first priority...basically a district known for its quality.
Our price range is up to 900K....how is the market...slowing at all?

Thanks for your help

Theresa

[domergurl]

How about Barrington.

[terryellen]

thanks for the Barrington suggestion....I have been reading the other posts on Barrington and have a feeling that it is not for us

What are everyone's thoughts on Arlington Heights, Winnetka, or Wilmette

Thought about Evanston but the schools dont look as good as we would like

Looks like DH will start off in Des Plaines so that is the most important commute....30 minutes or less to DP....what about Hinsdale?

Thanks
Theresa

[aeh]

Originally Posted by terryellen

thanks for the Barrington suggestion....I have been reading the other posts on Barrington and have a feeling that it is not for us

What are everyone's thoughts on Arlington Heights, Winnetka, or Wilmette

Thought about Evanston but the schools dont look as good as we would like

Looks like DH will start off in Des Plaines so that is the most important commute....30 minutes or less to DP....what about Hinsdale?

Thanks
Theresa

Theresa,

Your posts are interesting to me because we are in the same boat. We are looking in the same price range, perhaps a bit higher, but don't want all the "keeping up with the Jones" stuff. We also want excellent schools, ideally an older, large home with some character and leafy streets and then a charming, quaint downtown. Sounds like we are looking for the same things....Hinsdale is something that has popped out to me, too, so I am hoping to hear some more on Hinsdale. Husband would be working in Hoffman Estates.

[domergurl]

Originally Posted by terryellen

thanks for the Barrington suggestion....I have been reading the other posts on Barrington and have a feeling that it is not for us

What are everyone's thoughts on Arlington Heights, Winnetka, or Wilmette

Thought about Evanston but the schools dont look as good as we would like

Looks like DH will start off in Des Plaines so that is the most important commute....30 minutes or less to DP....what about Hinsdale?

Thanks
Theresa

I lived in Evanston and always thought that Wilmette & Winnetka, although just gorgeous communities, were just a little too hoity toity for me. Too much competition. Evanston is great. The schools aren't bad, just more diverse than New Trier. Don't forget, a lot of Evanston folks send their kids to private schools too. I used to work with an attorney who specifically didn't choose the New Trier school district because he didn't want his kids having to compete with the spoiled rich kids (I'm telling you what he told me .. it's not my opinion, and this particular man grew up with maids and butlers himself). He and his family moved to Deerfield and loved it.

[domergurl]

Originally Posted by terryellen

thanks for the Barrington suggestion....I have been reading the other posts on Barrington and have a feeling that it is not for us

What are everyone's thoughts on Arlington Heights, Winnetka, or Wilmette

Thought about Evanston but the schools dont look as good as we would like

Looks like DH will start off in Des Plaines so that is the most important commute....30 minutes or less to DP....what about Hinsdale?

Thanks
Theresa

I lived in Evanston and always thought that Wilmette & Winnetka, although just gorgeous communities, were just a little too hoity toity for me. Too much competition. Evanston is great. The schools aren't bad, just more diverse than New Trier. Don't forget, a lot of Evanston folks send their kids to private schools too. I used to work with an attorney who specifically didn't choose the New Trier school district because he didn't want his kids having to compete with the spoiled rich kids (I'm telling you what he told me .. it's not my opinion, and this particular man grew up with maids and butlers himself). He and his family moved to Deerfield and loved it.

We also lived in Brookfield, close to Hinsdale. Again, lovely community, great schools. Very north shore on the western suburbs. You may also want to check out Burr Ridge, Clarendon Hills and LaGrange ... all close to Hinsale.

[scoop89]

Wood Dale is close to Schaumburg and Elk Grove Village. Des Plaines is just outside of Chicago/ O'Hare Airport. There is no good commute around either.

Your price range for homes gets you in about any town you want. Focus on the town that offers what you are looking for (schools, etc).

Des Plaines and Wood Dale have Metra rail stops if that helps.

[terryellen]

thanks for all the replies...looks like we would focus on a commute to Lake Zurich....I am leaning towards Barrington b/c I would like either a nice wooded lot or an older home (in the village) and great schools....and it seems like such an easy commute....still worried about the snooty people though!! Would Lake Zurich be better, what about Park Ridge or Cary...also, someone mentioned that Barrington had more of the "Christmas spirit " Since we are Jewish would we be comfortable here?
Thanks for all your help
Theresa

[CasperJ]

Theresa,
Very glad to share information about the LZ area, as I lived in and around this area on off since the early 70's. I live in NW Lake Zurich and am 4 to 10 minutes from Barrington, and 4 minutes from most places in Lake Zurich.
Barrington and LZ are one in the same pretty much, even listed together at times on the cable weather channel.
The two or three towns with the best walkable downtown "strip" (that you where interested in) around here I would say would be Barrington, Libertyville(15 minutes from LZ), or Woodstock, with Libertyville being the nicest "walkable" downtown, followed by Woodstock.
I would say a few things about Barrington. First, yes, it is overrated and thought of as "the standard". Yet, it covers a very large area and is different in these regions. There is old "downtown" Barrington, with the quaint downtown, South Barrington(Barrington Road/route 59) more well to do with very large houses, and North Barrington-more rural with larger yards, even a few horse or animal farms with land. I live near North barrington, near a horse farm, and still 4 minutes from shops.
I personally would avoid Park Ridge, we have family near there and it takes 45 minutes to 1hr 15 minutes to visit them. The roads going SE are horrible as they rarely updated the roads for growth, and plan on 12 to 18 traffic lights having to take either Rand Road(12) or NW highway(14) to get there in moderate to heavy traffic.
Lake Zurich is nice, too, going through growing pains. I would call LZ diverse, as (as many suburbs) going through transformation from Blue Collar/Middle Class toward more Middle/Upper Class. Schools are excellent now, unlike years ago. You may find more land, better downtown in Barrington, as lake Zurich built more sloppily and with smaller lots to maximize profits. Lake Zurich consists of Echo Lake, Deer Park, Hawthorn Woods, Forest Lake, and Kildeer(large lots, upscale).
Towns within 15 minutes that you may like are Barrington, Libertyville(excellent schools, IL tops), Kildeer/Lake Zurich, or even Inverness in Palatine-large lots, woods.
Cary is also changing quickly, has a rustic feel about it(I lived there), yet heavy traffic along with everyone else commuting SE to inner NW burbs and Chicago. About 15-20 minutes to LZ on a good day, 30 minutes on a bad. Hope this helps.

[CasperJ]

I just realized your post was from Dec. 2006! Oh well, maybe it can help someone else.
LZ, ILL Dec 2007