Is Joliet In Any Way Desirable? (Chicago, Elgin: sex offenders, unemployed, public schools)

[knitgirl]

I grew up in Roselle. My brother and parents still live there. On the whole they are satisfied with the schools. I think the house that was linked to is in a neighborhood called Town Acres. It was considered the nicest part of town when I lived there. Medinah and Itasca might also be options if you can find a house there.

[holl1ngsworth]

RE: Mid-Century Modern Homes

Landmarks Illinois 2015 Most Endangered Historic Places

Midcentury modern masterpieces can be a tough sell | Chicago Tribune | March 16, 2015

[Bardot]

Originally Posted by holl1ngsworth

RE: Mid-Century Modern Homes

Landmarks Illinois 2015 Most Endangered Historic Places

Midcentury modern masterpieces can be a tough sell | Chicago Tribune | March 16, 2015

THANKS FOR THIS! It really makes me sad because once these homes are gone they can't come back; they're inimitable. Architecture isn't even considered in today's homes, they're just cookie cutter (and structurally are inferior quality).

The cheap ones are too far away

[chet everett]

Originally Posted by holl1ngsworth

RE: Mid-Century Modern Homes

Landmarks Illinois 2015 Most Endangered Historic Places

Midcentury modern masterpieces can be a tough sell | Chicago Tribune | March 16, 2015

If you head into Morton Grove or parts of Niles there are huge tracts of MCMs that were not too different from the nice home in Joliet this thread started with. Over the years most of them have been "remuddled" in ways that largely did make them a bit more livable, but did not respect the aesthetics that they had when new. The relative value of those homes compared to the land was in the "normal" range and thus not too many were torn down.

In contrast, the more custom homes in the affluent suburbs in some ways were even MORE specific to the era in which they were built. The built-ins that once housed a 25" color tv or entertainment center with phonograph probably got ripped out by a frustrated homeowner that wanted to a rear projection TV and CD player who in turn sold to a new buyer that may have decided it would more cost effective to raze the place than incorporate multiple flat panel TVs and whole house audio driven off an iPod...

The Farnsworth is a reverse exception, where the structure itself was so iconic a suitably wealthy collector would have loved to relocate it to their "compound" in the Hamptons as yet another "object d'art". as even folks that live in Plano are not especially enamoured of the flood prone / mosquito thick stretch of the Fox River as winds through the farms out that way...

All in all, for every unique / charming / distinctive home out there is probably some buyer that can be persuaded to pay a bit of premium for it SO LONG AS the economics of the deal make sense on some level -- that means that folks that would love to have a FLW can get one if they don't mind that fact that is kinda bland -- Frank Lloyd Wright's Millard House Returns With New Photos, Same $799K Ask - Wright Stuff - Curbed Chicago

[airlarr]

Bardot, here is a 3 bedroom townhouse for sale in eastern Joliet. My step-son has it for sale. They have family of five and need a bigger place.
They have lived there for 10 years and never had a problem, lovely area, big forest preserve and parks nearby. The townhouse is fully updated and ready for move in.
Asking $ 165,000. In my opinion a very good value!
Larry H

[airlarr]

Bardot, here is a 3 bedroom townhouse for sale in eastern Joliet. My step-son has it for sale. They have family of five and need a bigger place.
They have lived there for 10 years and never had a problem, lovely area, big forest preserve and parks nearby. We walk the grandchildren frequently to the nearby park and, I assure you, this community is just like Orland Park, where my wife and I live. The townhouse is fully updated and ready for move in.
Asking $ 165,000. In my opinion a very good value!
2419 Brush Hill Circle, Joliet, IL 60432
Larry H

[Teenietinytila88]

How is the river bluffs neighborhood i joliet? Is it safe?

[chet everett]

Originally Posted by Teenietinytila88

How is the river bluffs neighborhood i joliet? Is it safe?

The "River Bluff" area is just across from the Harrah's casino site; is probably of "average" overall safety for Joliet, but it is not really a desirable part of town. There are currently several multi-family buildings in the area and unfortunately gross rent for two bedrooms is under $600/mo. That is not a high quality tenant situation...

[ChiAreaGuy]

Originally Posted by Teenietinytila88

How is the river bluffs neighborhood i joliet? Is it safe?

I would choose almost everything over that hole of a town. Crime, HORRENDOUS schools, commute, poor, uneducated, lazy people there.

[chet everett]

Originally Posted by ChiAreaGuy

I would choose almost everything over that hole of a town. Crime, HORRENDOUS schools, commute, poor, uneducated, lazy people there.

There are almost certainly worse areas. The thing too is that there are some parts of Joliet that are much better. The section around the Cathedral has homes that would fit right into Park Ridge or another upscale community. For kids going to the parish school there parents, even with tuition and kind of unused taxes for public schools, might be money ahead if they were considering buying in a more upscale town. Similarly parts of the more modern west side of Joliet look like Plainfield or other newer suburbs. If one earns a living at one of the industrial areas closer to the area why wouldn't you get a nice affordably priced home? There are decent people living in those areas...

The problem with the core of Joliet, and other similar towns like Waukegan and Elgin, is that even in their heyday they had an over reliance on the kinds of industry that was so tough and dangerous that it attracting a kind "desperation class" worker that had few options. Frankly that same pattern of devastating loss of low-skill jobs is exactly the same factor that has seen areas like Chicago's south side and the belt of suburbs west of Oak Park / south of O'Hare collapse. I don't think it is fair to call folks that really are stuck in these areas as uniformly "lazy" -- some were willing to work hard when there was work available. Unfortunately the lack of foresight on the part of both the executives that ran those firms and some of the labor organizers that foolishly assumed that holding a hard line would be a smart move has been proven to be an unwinnable situation. The many products that were once manufactured in this region are now made in places where labor is cheaper AND the local policies for things like taxation are much less onerous...