Moving To Joliet/Plainfield ? (Chicago: real estate, lender, home search)

[GroveHouse]

Many medium-sized cities which have fallen into decline for a period of years have neighborhoods that have been "discovered" by those who are downsizing or are young and looking for an opportunity to buy a reasonably nice home for not a lot of money.

Joliet's Cathedral Area and Upper Bluff District are both beautiful and affordable. Need-based or merit-based private grants and scholarships may be available through the local private schools, if you take the time to look into them.

We recently purchased a home in the Cathedral Area. The neighbors are great, the neighborhood is quiet and, as homeschoolers, we appreciate having the University of St. Francis (whose library is available to members of the community) close at hand.

Cities inevitably have blighted areas; cities which have been harder hit by economic downturn are the places where you find more closely-knit community in the more well kept areas because those who live there have had more to overcome in order to build decent lives for themselves and their children.

Best wishes.

[MannheimMadman]

Originally Posted by GroveHouse

Many medium-sized cities which have fallen into decline for a period of years have neighborhoods that have been "discovered" by those who are downsizing or are young and looking for an opportunity to buy a reasonably nice home for not a lot of money.

Joliet's Cathedral Area and Upper Bluff District are both beautiful and affordable. Need-based or merit-based private grants and scholarships may be available through the local private schools, if you take the time to look into them.

We recently purchased a home in the Cathedral Area. The neighbors are great, the neighborhood is quiet and, as homeschoolers, we appreciate having the University of St. Francis (whose library is available to members of the community) close at hand.

Cities inevitably have blighted areas; cities which have been harder hit by economic downturn are the places where you find more closely-knit community in the more well kept areas because those who live there have had more to overcome in order to build decent lives for themselves and their children.

Best wishes.

Rep points for you! I am a St. Francis student, and love this little neighborhood. It reminds me of Beverly/Mt. Greenwood in Chicago with its older, historic homes. Most of the neighbors are pretty nice and will say hi to me or stop for a chat as I walk from my car to the university.

[kimmy35]

personally i dislike everything about joliet. i've lived here 35 years, which is all my life. the school system sucks. i have a daughter in high school and a son in jr high. i pray everyday that nothing bad happens to them while they are at school. the gangs here are just nuts. my neighborhood use to be a good one, when i was growing up, but it is getting bad here. im looking into getting out of this state. drug dealers everywhere around joliet.

[MannheimMadman]

Originally Posted by kimmy35

personally i dislike everything about joliet. i've lived here 35 years, which is all my life. the school system sucks. i have a daughter in high school and a son in jr high. i pray everyday that nothing bad happens to them while they are at school. the gangs here are just nuts. my neighborhood use to be a good one, when i was growing up, but it is getting bad here. im looking into getting out of this state. drug dealers everywhere around joliet.

What schools are you sending your kids to? And in which part of Joliet are you living? I student taught at Dirksen, and I'm now at JT-West, and while there is a considerable gang presence, I've never feared for my life, and I don't think my students have either.

[IlWesleyanGuy]

I've been reading through the posts on this thread; some are more recent than others. Though, what many have in common is the disdain for the Joliet schools. I attended Joliet West High School and was challenged academically and always felt safe. There are students of various cultural and racial backgrounds. West is about 50% white and 50% minority and I don't see anything wrong with that. And yes, at Joliet West High there are low income and affluent students, gangbangers, a notable Christian presence, kids from the eastside (Hill) the westside and Shorewood. There are kids from Minooka Jr High, Troy, private schools and District 86 Joliet schools. And you know what they are not just getting a decent academic education but a cultural one also. THis is a throughly heterogenous mixture of students which is a break from most of Chicagoland's high schools.

Also for those of you who say steer away from Joliet high schools including Joliet West, but instead look at the excellent Plainfield schools, well analyze the 2008 report cards of these schools. Look at the demographics of the schools, the expenditures, salaries but most importantly THE ACT Scores. Then I think many of you will agree that the Plainfield High Schools aren't so much more excellent than Joliet West High School. In fact, if you base excellence on ACT scores then you might say that Joliet West is equal if not better.

[isevilla]

Some info on the joliet 86 school district...

I now have been in Joliet for 2 years since my original posts. My oldest son goes to Dirksen and my middle son goes to Lynn Thigpen. Both of these schools have been on academic probation especially Dirksen. Both schools are now about 80% minority low income students and most get bused in from the east side of town. The average household income of these students is 38K a year according to recent letters sent home. The 20% of non-minority kids live radius of about 2 blocks around our house. My house is on the block of the border of these schools. Had I lived one block further west they wouldnt be going there. They would be in the troy/shorewood district. These two schools are the worst schools I have ever had my children attend in their whole lives and we all hate it.

I have heard that recently Joliet West has changed their boundaries and the kids who live east of larkin have to go the central hs. How true is this i dont know because I dont have a high schooler yet. My neighbor has a daughter who goes there and they say it has changed for the better because now kids from shorewood, plainfield south, and other better neighborhoods go there. I dont think we will be here long enough to find that out either.

Bottom line the schools are horrible along with the eastern part of joliet (east of Larkin).

My oldest was jumped less than a month ago while walking home from Dirksen school by two kids who were trying to steal his silver chain and gym shoes. My husband works hard and makes very good money to buy our kids what they have, how about those kids parents do the same! Maybe then these kids can have their own nice things and dont have to lay their hands on other kids for it. My sons have never needed street smarts or had to fight a day in their short lives before coming to this area. They came here to these schools and they go day to day wondering if someone will steal their lunch money from their book bag and they hide all their stuff when their "friends" come over to hang out. Theyre finding it so hard to fit in and I know they never will because they come from a totally different world than these kids around here.

Its so sad and we just take it one day at a time till we move out!

[IlWesleyanGuy]

Originally Posted by isevilla

Some info on the joliet 86 school district...

I have heard that recently Joliet West has changed their boundaries and the kids who live east of larkin have to go the central hs. How true is this i dont know because I dont have a high schooler yet. My neighbor has a daughter who goes there and they say it has changed for the better because now kids from shorewood, plainfield south, and other better neighborhoods go there. I dont think we will be here long enough to find that out either.

This does not make any sense. Yes, Joliet West's test scores have been going up. Kids from Shorewood have been attending Joliet West for decades and no Plainfield South kids do not attend Joliet West. They are in a totally different district. Even if some did that would not necessarily make Joliet West better. Did you read my previous post. Joliet West actually has a higher ACT average than Plainfield South. Yeah, these 'terrible' Joliet kids that you talk about are improving their test scores. It has nothing to do with new school or district boundaries but everything to do with Joliet Township teachers finding innovative ways to teach and students working a little harder.

[isevilla]

Originally Posted by IlWesleyanGuy

This does not make any sense. Yes, Joliet West's test scores have been going up. Kids from Shorewood have been attending Joliet West for decades and no Plainfield South kids do not attend Joliet West. They are in a totally different district. Even if some did that would not necessarily make Joliet West better. Did you read my previous post. Joliet West actually has a higher ACT average than Plainfield South. Yeah, these 'terrible' Joliet kids that you talk about are improving their test scores. It has nothing to do with new school or district boundaries but everything to do with Joliet Township teachers finding innovative ways to teach and students working a little harder.

Like I said in my post thats what I was told and as far as I am concerned I took it as rumors. I dont keep up with the stats of the HS since I dont have HS kids yet.

Thanks for the info.

[law1013]

Originally Posted by isevilla

Some info on the joliet 86 school district...

I now have been in Joliet for 2 years since my original posts. My oldest son goes to Dirksen and my middle son goes to Lynn Thigpen. Both of these schools have been on academic probation especially Dirksen. Both schools are now about 80% minority low income students and most get bused in from the east side of town. The average household income of these students is 38K a year according to recent letters sent home. The 20% of non-minority kids live radius of about 2 blocks around our house. My house is on the block of the border of these schools. Had I lived one block further west they wouldnt be going there. They would be in the troy/shorewood district. These two schools are the worst schools I have ever had my children attend in their whole lives and we all hate it.

I have heard that recently Joliet West has changed their boundaries and the kids who live east of larkin have to go the central hs. How true is this i dont know because I dont have a high schooler yet. My neighbor has a daughter who goes there and they say it has changed for the better because now kids from shorewood, plainfield south, and other better neighborhoods go there. I dont think we will be here long enough to find that out either.

Bottom line the schools are horrible along with the eastern part of joliet (east of Larkin).

My oldest was jumped less than a month ago while walking home from Dirksen school by two kids who were trying to steal his silver chain and gym shoes. My husband works hard and makes very good money to buy our kids what they have, how about those kids parents do the same! Maybe then these kids can have their own nice things and dont have to lay their hands on other kids for it. My sons have never needed street smarts or had to fight a day in their short lives before coming to this area. They came here to these schools and they go day to day wondering if someone will steal their lunch money from their book bag and they hide all their stuff when their "friends" come over to hang out. Theyre finding it so hard to fit in and I know they never will because they come from a totally different world than these kids around here.

Its so sad and we just take it one day at a time till we move out!

That is just awful isevilla. I started this thread a couple of years ago. I had so hoped that things had gotten better for you and your family by now. I would guess that because of the way the market is, it would be hard to sell and move at this time. So all I can say is that I'll keep you guys in my prayers. No child should have to go through all of that just to get an education. Hang in there.

[isevilla]

Originally Posted by law1013

That is just awful isevilla. I started this thread a couple of years ago. I had so hoped that things had gotten better for you and your family by now. I would guess that because of the way the market is, it would be hard to sell and move at this time. So all I can say is that I'll keep you guys in my prayers. No child should have to go through all of that just to get an education. Hang in there.

Thank you for your kind words and I am hanging in here for the time being. Only time will tell and were taking things one day at a time here.