Park Ridge 1500 SF vs Mount Prospect 2000 SF (Chicago, Arlington Heights: house, employment)

[Fighting Fungus]

For a family of 4 between me and wife driving to work would be the same amount of mileage.

I would pick the highly ranked grammar schools in mount prospect that tie in with prospect and would also do the same with park ridge Maine south.

In mount prospect I get an extra 500 square feet however in a home for same price

You could get more for your money than park ridge, but I prefer Park Ridge. What would you choose?

[chet everett]

This sort of comparison is very tricky.

OT1H 1500 sq ft is VERY modest amount of space in pretty much anyone's vision of a single family detached home and I gotta think the real target for that seller is a builder eager to do a tear down. That said if it is really prime location and you can get to all the nice spots of Park Ridge's well developed core maybe the space is not that crucial.

OTOH you are talking a THIRD more space -- that easily translates into more living space, maybe extra bath, probably much more storage.

Really going to come down to subtle differences / personal needs -- how many kids do you have now, what sorts of activities is the family into, what are the immediate neighboring properties selling for, how uniform are the selling prices...

[4122]

1500 sq ft is very tight for a family of 4. Usually, these types of homes are starter homes or a teardown/rehab, not family homes. There's a significant difference between Park Ridge and Mt Prospect schools in terms of quality. Both areas have good schools and have the same commute times to work, so I would choose Mt Prospect and get a bigger house.

[holl1ngsworth]

Nothing to do in Mount Prospect.

[JJski]

4 of us (mom, dad, brother, me) grew up in 1500 sqft house in a town no where near as good as Park Ridge. take the more desirable location over 500sqft IMO...

[wjj]

I would take the bigger house hands down. 1500 sq ft is just too small for a family of 4. I grew up in a house in the city, near Park Ridge, much smaller than that, and it was not something I would recommend to anyone. I also would be very careful about Park Ridge with the jet noise situation. Especially now that the plan may be to rotate runways so everyone can share the pain. Just because it is more or less quiet today, does not mean it will stay that way. Though parts of Mt. Prospect get jet noise, it is not as loud as Park Ridge.

[Lookout Kid]

Originally Posted by holl1ngsworth

Nothing to do in Mount Prospect.

Eh, you can just schlep over to Arlington Heights. Or Schaumburg. Or Chicago.

Mt. Prospect may actually have a BETTER high school than Park Ridge. But it's probably better to just call them comparable. I think they are both fine.

I prefer Park Ridge, but think Mt. Prospect is a decent compromise if the house is truly worth it and you're not commuting a longer distance each day.

[chet everett]

Mt. Prospect has a really nice library, fitness-club caliber park district (RecPlex | Mt. Prospect Park District), first rate municipal golf course (Mt. Prospect Golf Club | Mt. Prospect Park District), decent options for shopping / dining, very good schools and extremly easy access to the Loop via UP-NW as well as outstanding access to employment centers throughout the region from O'Hare, Schaumburg, greater 90 corridor as well 294.

It is adjacent to Arlington Heights, so the downtown aspects of fancier dining / nightspots are covered well, and it has long history of being a favorite for families that range from quite well off living in the nicest spots between the golf course and downtown, to those of more modest incomes that live closer to the fringes of town.

[pvande55]

Park Ridge has higher property costs, and it's no just Propinquity to the airport. High school supposedly better.

[twodoor2]

I recommended Mt. Prospect today to a friend, but told him to get a home with Prospect High. It's one of the last places in Cook County that is a bargain when you consider the school system. I think Park Ridge is overrated to be honest, and the HS isn't as good as Prospect High, although they're both good schools.

Taxes are also pretty high in PR. Go for the bigger house, especially if you plan to be there a long time. Park Ridge has better resale value than Mt. Prospect, but who knows what the future will bring.