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Old 08-16-2016, 10:27 AM
 
Location: Albuquerque, NM
200 posts, read 607,385 times
Reputation: 86

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Scratch that. I got Bloomington & Bloomingdale mixed up. Bloomington is way the heck out further south & Bloomingdale is just a neighborhood. We need to be w/in a 2 hr drive of O'Hare...which I know is in Des Plaines.
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Old 08-16-2016, 12:14 PM
 
4,011 posts, read 4,197,799 times
Reputation: 3118
Quote:
Originally Posted by anelizk View Post
We need to be w/in a 2 hr drive of O'Hare...which I know is in Des Plaines.
Actually, Chicago O'Hare airport is technically in the city of Chicago and not Des Plaines. Take a peek at a map of the city boundaries.

City of Chicago :: Boundaries - Community Areas

cheers
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Old 08-16-2016, 12:19 PM
 
4,011 posts, read 4,197,799 times
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Since you are starting to talk about housing numbers/value, what sort of rough budget and type of home are you looking for? That way I could start to recommend something outside of what I already mentioned as good candidates from your list

Quote:
Originally Posted by anelizk View Post
@damba
Well, yes, I think what you've said about the major suburbs closer to the lakes & ones I mentioned have good schools. With staff & admin that really care & aren't fixated on the bottom line. Also I noticed the further out one goes i.e. Elgin, Aurora, & then places like Bloomington, you get more house for the money, but the schools aren't as good.


Usually the states that have higher taxes have better schools. Not all, but that is the idea.


Also, I'm not so interested in "cookie cutter, mcmansion-ville" which is typically builder-grade newer construction way the heck out in back of beyond. Don't get me wrong, it's enormously practical, & I get why families do this. However, while I've noticed one gets more house, the schools in these communities are really lacking. Aurora, Elgin, & Bloomington, to name a few.


If you could suggest suburbs & districts, which ones would you suggest?


Best!
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Old 08-16-2016, 12:20 PM
 
4,011 posts, read 4,197,799 times
Reputation: 3118
Bloomingdale is actually a suburb

Quote:
Originally Posted by anelizk View Post
Scratch that. I got Bloomington & Bloomingdale mixed up. Bloomington is way the heck out further south & Bloomingdale is just a neighborhood. We need to be w/in a 2 hr drive of O'Hare...which I know is in Des Plaines.
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Old 08-16-2016, 01:15 PM
 
Location: IL
529 posts, read 638,852 times
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Quote:
Originally Posted by damba View Post
Bloomingdale is actually a suburb
And it is quite close to O'Hare and a pretty nice suburb also.
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Old 08-16-2016, 01:20 PM
 
Location: Albuquerque, NM
200 posts, read 607,385 times
Reputation: 86
Sorry..,"suburb" & yes, you're right. On the map it appears beneath Des Plaines. I've had people on here recommend Park Ridge, Roselle, Medinah, Bloomingdale.


Of course I was looking at Elmhurst, A. Heights, Morton Grove, Mt. Prospect, Elk Grove Village.


I've had people I've met around Albuquerque that have come from IL recommend Buffalo Grove, & Deerfield. I like the mid-century modern architecture around Highland Park...but it's spendy.


I currently have a friend in Homer Glen. My sister's in-laws lived in Tinley Park (ehh...looks cookie cutter to me) & they recommended anything "north." And if we went south, Frankfort (that looked similar to T. Park)


We have access to a website that is exclusive to active duty & retired military & I'm seeing lots of rental properties in Libertyville, Gurnee, Mundelein, Waukegan, & Lake Villa.


We plan on renting & I'm seeing the average 3 bdrm rental price at or above 2K. We could spend up to $2300, but I'd like to keep it between $1600-2000.


If we like the area...then we'll buy. Though property taxes are a killer.


Thanks!
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Old 08-16-2016, 01:36 PM
 
Location: Centennial, CO
2,247 posts, read 3,030,389 times
Reputation: 3750
Quote:
Originally Posted by anelizk View Post
Hi all,


I posted two questions re: moving to the Chicago, IL area. I've been researching maps of the area, property taxes & the area around O'Hare, as my husband will be flying w/one of the airlines there. We have a kindergartner & fourth grader. So schools are an issue. Both kids are average students & not interested in academics. I've found public schools work best for us & would like to know which school districts have good reps.


Someone on here recommended Park Ridge, as a possible place to reside. Noticing the closer to the North Shore the more expensive the properties. We also plan on renting until we know more about the area before we decide if we want to put down roots here or not.


So these are some of the areas I've been looking at:


Elk Grove Village
Arlington Heights
Park Ridge
Palatine
Elmhurst
Morton Grove
Rolling Meadows
Mt. Prospect
Morton Grove
River Grove


Thanks! Feel free to suggest others! Give me your honest opinions!
All of those are reasonably nice communities. Some are a bit more cookie-cutter than others, though (Elk Grove Village, Rolling Meadows). They are going to have good school in all of them. As far as reputation, though, the best schools of those are probably the ones in Elmhurst, Park Ridge, and Mt. Prospect or Palatine. Elmhurst elementary schools are almost all rated a 10/10 on great schools and feed into York HS, a very highly rated public high school. I personally attended middle school and high school in Elmhurst and it's a great community with a lot of high achieving students, but also a good focus on kids with special needs (my sister lives there now and has two kids in special needs programs there). Extra-curricular activities and sports programs are many and varied. Park Ridge elementary schools are excellent, as well, also mostly rated 10's. The best are probably those that feed into Maine South HS, though Maine East is decent, too, just not where the "rich kids" go and a bit more ethnically diverse. Mt. Prospect and Palatine I know a bit less about but I know a lot of people who are from there and either attended Palatine, Fremd, or Prospect HS and did very well for themselves and are very successful, upstanding people, so I'd wager the schools had at least something to do with that.
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Old 08-16-2016, 01:48 PM
 
Location: Albuquerque, NM
200 posts, read 607,385 times
Reputation: 86
Quote:
Originally Posted by ShampooBanana View Post
All of those are reasonably nice communities. Some are a bit more cookie-cutter than others, though (Elk Grove Village, Rolling Meadows). They are going to have good school in all of them. As far as reputation, though, the best schools of those are probably the ones in Elmhurst, Park Ridge, and Mt. Prospect or Palatine. Elmhurst elementary schools are almost all rated a 10/10 on great schools and feed into York HS, a very highly rated public high school. I personally attended middle school and high school in Elmhurst and it's a great community with a lot of high achieving students, but also a good focus on kids with special needs (my sister lives there now and has two kids in special needs programs there). Extra-curricular activities and sports programs are many and varied. Park Ridge elementary schools are excellent, as well, also mostly rated 10's. The best are probably those that feed into Maine South HS, though Maine East is decent, too, just not where the "rich kids" go and a bit more ethnically diverse. Mt. Prospect and Palatine I know a bit less about but I know a lot of people who are from there and either attended Palatine, Fremd, or Prospect HS and did very well for themselves and are very successful, upstanding people, so I'd wager the schools had at least something to do with that.
Thank you ShampooBanana (love that username)! Your prospective & answer is similar to what I was looking for in an answer. I realize, everyone is different, & you should take it with a grain of salt. However, this helps! I was looking for different anectdodal perspectives.


In my experience, anectdodal had helped throughout my life!
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Old 08-16-2016, 03:24 PM
 
1,517 posts, read 2,324,925 times
Reputation: 573
Quote:
Originally Posted by anelizk View Post
Sorry..,"suburb" & yes, you're right. On the map it appears beneath Des Plaines. I've had people on here recommend Park Ridge, Roselle, Medinah, Bloomingdale.


Of course I was looking at Elmhurst, A. Heights, Morton Grove, Mt. Prospect, Elk Grove Village.


I've had people I've met around Albuquerque that have come from IL recommend Buffalo Grove, & Deerfield. I like the mid-century modern architecture around Highland Park...but it's spendy.


I currently have a friend in Homer Glen. My sister's in-laws lived in Tinley Park (ehh...looks cookie cutter to me) & they recommended anything "north." And if we went south, Frankfort (that looked similar to T. Park)


We have access to a website that is exclusive to active duty & retired military & I'm seeing lots of rental properties in Libertyville, Gurnee, Mundelein, Waukegan, & Lake Villa.


We plan on renting & I'm seeing the average 3 bdrm rental price at or above 2K. We could spend up to $2300, but I'd like to keep it between $1600-2000.


If we like the area...then we'll buy. Though property taxes are a killer.


Thanks!
Most desirable:
Arlington Heights, Elmhurst, Park Ridge, Highland Park, Deerfield, Libertyville

Desirable:
Palatine, Mt. Prospect, Frankfort, Buffalo Grove

Least desirable:
Elk Grove Village, Morton Grove, Rolling Meadows, River Grove, Des Plaines, Roselle, Medinah, Bloomingdale, Lake Villa, Waukegan, Mundelein, Tinley Park, Homer Glen

Generally speaking, based on schools, safety, public transit, amenities, walkability, downtown districts, layout, parks and recreation, home values, architecture, median income, history, etc.

I recommend adding the following highly desirable towns to your short list: Wheaton, Glen Ellyn, La Grange, Downers Grove, Naperville. Three bed rentals <$2300 (SFH or otherwise) in nice towns are going to be scarce, so cast a wide net.

Last edited by holl1ngsworth; 08-16-2016 at 04:53 PM..
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Old 08-16-2016, 04:06 PM
 
Location: Albuquerque, NM
200 posts, read 607,385 times
Reputation: 86
Quote:
Originally Posted by holl1ngsworth View Post
Most desirable:
Arlington Heights, Elmhurst, Park Ridge, Highland Park, Deerfield, Libertyville

Desirable:
Palatine, Mt. Prospect, Frankfort, Buffalo Grove

Least desirable:
Elk Grove Village, Morton Grove, Rolling Meadows, River Grove, Des Plaines, Roselle, Medinah, Bloomingdale, Lake Villa, Waukegan, Mundelein, Tinley Park, Homer Glen

Generally speaking, based on schools, safety, public transit, amenities, pedestrian access, downtown districts, layout, parks and recreation, home values, architecture, median income, history, etc.

I recommend adding the following highly desirable towns to your short list: Wheaton, Glen Ellyn, La Grange, Downers Grove, Naperville. Three bed rentals <$2300 (SFH or otherwise) in nice towns are going to be scarce, so cast a wide net.
Thank you so much!!! This helps and I will def. look into the extra places you've listed! Was very helpful & informative!
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