Commute from Geneva to Manhattan, IL? (Naperville, Arlington Heights: environment, relocating, trip)

[klkp]

Hello,
We will be relocating from CA and I fell in love with Geneva when we were there last. My husbands job will be in Manhattan, IL. I know this is far distance from Geneva but with the new 355 extension, does anyone know about how long that will take? Thank you

[aragx6]

That's probably almost 1 1/2 hours with no traffic. I can't imagine what it would be with.

[sbd78]

Have you looked into Frankfort? Frankfort has a charming downtown area and great schools and is MUCH closer to Manhattan than Geneva.

[klkp]

We drove around Frankfort a little bit. It seemed like there were a TON of new houses going in, but alot of them seemed empty?? I think we would need to revisit it to see if we would like it. Schools are good there though? Thanks

[sbd78]

I don't know about the empty homes, but Frankfort is a great community, and yes, the schools (Lincoln-Way district) are great. I thought you might like Frankfort because it has a charming little downtown area, I thought that might be important to you since you loved Geneva. What exactly are you looking for in a community? maybe that can help us give you other suggestions. I'm guessing the drive from Manhattan to Geneva would be rough at best.

[vester72]

I'm building in Frankfort - off 80th Ave between Laraway and Stegar Roads. There are some emtpy houses, not not a lot though - and if you want a great deal, now is the time to buy - builders are selling below cost so you can get a TON for your money. Schools are excellent, police force is great and I love the town.

[klkp]

sbd78 - you are right, we like the quaint downtown areas. that is what appeals to us most. all of the new building in frankfort was a turn-off for me, but like i said we only drove through a small area and for a short period of time. we would need to make a trip out there again.


We have a daughter who is 17 months so I really would like a family friendly community, where she and I can meet new people/toddlers. Where we live in CA they have a lot going on for families – concerts in the park, farmers markets, festivals/fairs, etc – just a very supporting environment for families. All of this stuff we absolutely love and will miss


Vester72 – can you tell me why you love the town, besides the schools and police force? Do you feel like there is too much building going on/too many cookie-cutters?

Thank you!

[NYrules]

If you want something more quaint then check out old town Tinley Park. Its located off Oak Park Avenue and 175th Street. There are plenty of older homes, there is a very nice little "Norman Rockwell" type downtown, schools are top notch as long as you are in Andrew HS's District 230, homes are similar to those of Frankfort, the area is still fairly close to Manhattan Via I-80 to Rte 45 from the Harlem Avenue entrance, and taxes are stable thanks to being in Cook Cty. Here is the village's website. Village of Tinley Park I would strongly recommend this town to anyone with a family or a young couple just starting out. The town is known to be very geared for families and is also known to be a very tight knit community "where everybody knows your name..." Hope this helps.

[nanannie]

Originally Posted by klkp

sbd78 - you are right, we like the quaint downtown areas. that is what appeals to us most. all of the new building in frankfort was a turn-off for me, but like i said we only drove through a small area and for a short period of time. we would need to make a trip out there again.


We have a daughter who is 17 months so I really would like a family friendly community, where she and I can meet new people/toddlers. Where we live in CA they have a lot going on for families – concerts in the park, farmers markets, festivals/fairs, etc – just a very supporting environment for families. All of this stuff we absolutely love and will miss


Vester72 – can you tell me why you love the town, besides the schools and police force? Do you feel like there is too much building going on/too many cookie-cutters?

Thank you!

I think your choice of Geneva was spot on. Its a very desirable area for many reasons and an excellent investment for your housing dollars. Also for the 'quaint' requirment, Glen Ellyn and St Charles are very nice. The problam is your husbands commute, really would be tough if he must go every day. In my PERSONAL opinion, I do not favor the south burbs near as much. Not much immedietly around Manhatten. I dont know that you will have a choice besides a south burb. Frankfort might be worthy of another check for you.

[vester72]

I love the town for a few reasons - while there is lots of new construction, there are strict rules on lot sizes and housing materials so there are very large lots and brick/stone homes - the minimum size for a first floor of a ranch is 3,000 sq ft and for a multi-level home 2,200 sq ft for the first floor (somewhere in that ballpark). It's close to Orland Park for a TON of retail (Tinley Park too, as well as right next to New Lenox where an incredible amount of retail is going in due to the 355 extension), but not too close to get all the traffic.

Another great point (for me at least) are the bike trails (meaning bike/running/walking paths) - there are building a new trail in the spring as well to connect the whole village - you can get to downtown from all the subdivisions - the main trail is the Old Plank Road Trail. The biggest plus is the downtown (Historic Frankfort). It is an old, restored area with parks, restaurants, bike rentals, beer gardens, etc. Great for festivals, fireworks and just spending family time. No, I did not grow up here and I do not work for the village in any way

While it is growing fast, it still is easy to get around and there is a lot to do with the village doing a great job planning and not filling the area with cookie-cutter stores or homes. Also, there are very few rentals (no offense meant to renters). It's right off the 355 extension for a quick drive to Oak Brook and that area for more shopping. My thing is I have lived in the city for 13 years and wanted a nice, bustling suburb with a nice downtown area/parks BUT without the traffic and crowds of a Naperville/Downers Grove/Arlington Heights, etc - and new, big homes for a great value (compared to an Oak Brook/Downers/Hinsdale/Barrington, etc).

But, there are a lot of beautiful towns like this and Geneva is great as well, I am biased toward Frankfort, but love Geneva too.