Arlington heights vs Highland park vs Evanston..your opinion

[exnyker]

While highland park has some charming housing, it is an insular unwelcoming community. I wouldn't move there as a newcomer. The adults have no desire to expand themselves and stick tightly with friends from hs and college or their cousins. The children are also raised to exclude and have poor social skills outside of their community where their lack of manners is the norm. You can locate a community where the people are just nicer and emotionally more secure.

[nanannie]

Posts like that do a disservice to newcomers seeking information. No entire town of people is all one way. You cant generalize like that. I must repeat my grandpas story

A man on a plane asks another 'what kind of people are in your town,I'm moving there '?
Other man returns the question 'well, what kind of people are in your previous town'?
'Oh,mean,nasty,rude, unwelcoming'.
Then thats exactly the same kind of people you will meet in your new town

[exnyker]

I understand your're perspective, while a bit defensive, however, I lived in highland park for many years and have experienced many different communities since moving, If I were seeking information I would be seeking honest feedback, not pr work. Of course there are nice and not nice people everywhere, but communites and schools do have personalities and handle newcomers and community norms differently, otherwise all places would be the same and there would be no point to a web site like this at all. Nobody has the exact same experience, but if you can't listen at all to another's xperinces than you cannot grow and learn. Also, since moving and living in other communities I have found higher standards for community welcoming,willingness to learn and expand and outright niceness. I stand by the way I answered this persons' question, as an experienced homeowner, I would not recommend highland park for newcomers.

[nanannie]

Not defensive. I have no stake in HP. I was referring to the 'generalization' of an entire town being one way.

[middle-aged mom]

With a budget of $500K +/-, you need to be very careful that you do not buy what otherwise might be considered a tear down. All of the communities mentioned have some quite livable homes in this range but future appreciation is likely to be tied to the value of the land, as opposed to the house/land.

$500K is beyond the price people will pay for a tear down in AH and so it may be a safer bet. AH has a fabulous park system and pools, terrific for families.
AH feeds into multiple school districts so pay attention to this, too.

Given the OP will work in Libertyville, I too think there are other areas that may provide a better commute and more bang for the buck.