Suburbs with a small-town feel near Elmhurst? (Glen Ellyn, Villa Park: for sale, houses)

[nanannie]

Originally Posted by lisak64

It's subjective. If a small town feel is deciding to work on the farm, on Main Street or Walmart, have maybe 1 post office and a tavern and being able to drive 50 miles per hours everywhere down county roads, yea, you won't find that anywhere remotely close to Chicago. If a small town feel is living in a smaller suburb with a tight community and perhaps having a town square or small downtown business area, you can find that. Anyone from rural America would not consider any of our suburbs to have a small town feel. Someone from a large urban city would. If you're looking for a Norman Rockwell type of experience, you won't find it in the metro Chicago area.

Yep--agree.

[tristnkair]

Originally Posted by lisak64

If a small town feel is living in a smaller suburb with a tight community and perhaps having a town square or small downtown business area, you can find that.

Yes, that is what I'm looking for, thank you. I'm actually looking forward to not having to drive half an hour just to go shopping, I'm just worried about getting lost in the crowd, so to speak. Thanks for your suggestions everyone, keep them coming.

[tcs1366]

if that small town feel is what you are looking for, Itasca would nicely fit the bill.
We are a pretty small town, population is under 9,000; so they say.

We have good schools, good Catholic school, Metra station, right off the highway, 15-20 to Elmhurst, a very good park district, the public pool has all been re-done [though i have not been there yet to check it out... but i'm sure it's great.

Housing can be on the high side... but what isn't in the metro Chicago area ... but i also think since the market has all but died here, you may be able to get the home owners to lower their price, as there is A LOT on the market right now.

you should be able to find anything you are looking for [shopping-wise] within 5-10 min in any direction, since we are centrally located. Close to both Woodfield and Stratford Malls.... etc.

Good luck and Happy hunting

[nanannie]

Originally Posted by tcs1366

if that small town feel is what you are looking for, Itasca would nicely fit the bill.
We are a pretty small town, population is under 9,000; so they say.

We have good schools, good Catholic school, Metra station, right off the highway, 15-20 to Elmhurst, a very good park district, the public pool has all been re-done [though i have not been there yet to check it out... but i'm sure it's great.

Housing can be on the high side... but what isn't in the metro Chicago area ... but i also think since the market has all but died here, you may be able to get the home owners to lower their price, as there is A LOT on the market right now.

you should be able to find anything you are looking for [shopping-wise] within 5-10 min in any direction, since we are centrally located. Close to both Woodfield and Stratford Malls.... etc.

Good luck and Happy hunting

Just curious, does Itasca have a walkable town (downtown) like Glen Ellyn, Wheaton, St Charles etc. ? If it has a downtown area,, I have never been.

[Chinolala]

Itasca has a really small downtown area by the Metra station. If I recall, there's a Starbuck's, pizza place and a few other businesses along Irving Park Road. Not much to speak of, but it's really, really quaint. Itasca is a nice town. A friend of mine lives there, raised her son there and just loves it. Not too far from downtown on Metra, a short commute to Elmhurst down Route 83 and close to Schaumburg for shopping. May be a good option for you.

[ahava]

I think if you're used to a more rural atmosphere, you might want to live near a forest preserve. It won't be rural but at least you won't be surrounded by streets and houses on all four sides. Anything along the river in Riverside/Brookfield/North Riverside/La Grange Park/Westchester is really nice, and those are all smaller suburbs.

[cmoscinski]

I read your post and feel you would fit perfectly in La Grange great homes from low to upper $300's.

It's got an old fashioned feel yet very hip, loads of restaurants a theater, churches, METRA train (20 minutes to LOOP) you have it all here!

If you drive to Elmhurst for work, it would only be a 15 drive one way.

Also, La Grange Park, is another great community right next door (and on avg.about $40K less expensive for a home than La Grange).

A couple of great suggestions for the neighborhood you are looking for.

You may want to consider Westchester as well, reasonable taxes and great small town (not as hip as La Grange though).

[gardener34]

Just a note: I recommended Glen Ellyn, but if your husband is working in elmhurst, why not Elmhurst. And Elmhurst is very catholic with schools listed above (attended both). Both are pretty expensive real estate. I don't know how PA prices are - but you may be in for sticker shock as some who move here from other states are.

Yeah - you won't get any Mayberry RFD atmospheres around here in the burbs. But there are some areas with real nice downtowns so you can avoid shopping at the big boxes as much as possible.

[tcs1366]

Originally Posted by nanannie

Just curious, does Itasca have a walkable town (downtown) like Glen Ellyn, Wheaton, St Charles etc. ? If it has a downtown area,, I have never been.

It is quite small, so yes you can walk it.

there is the 7-11, bakery [which has been trying to see due to retirement for over a year] the barber [who has been there since the dawn of time], locksmith, podiatrist, Casale's [carry out and sit down Italian restaurant] Hair salons [2 i think] a brand new building including condos being built, a Tax guy [i think... but it was the old pharmacy building] -- this is all on Walnut, 1 block north of the tracks/Irving Pk Road

going to the West, across from the Metra station, you have a DR office [Scheck, the GP in town] I think the other Full Service Salon is there too, but can't recall.

On the south side of the tracks, that is where you have Starbucks and Tree Guys Pizza plus a tavern.

that's our downtown. granted, it's very small, but with our village being so small, you can literally walk to anything -- well, except if you live in unincorporated Nordic Park or Ranchettes... then you just have to drive, or it's a much farther walk.

BUT -- our nature center is great, as is the library and pool .... all which you can walk to also.

It really is a great place to raise kids.

[sbd78]

Originally Posted by tcs1366

It is quite small, so yes you can walk it.

there is the 7-11, bakery [which has been trying to see due to retirement for over a year] the barber [who has been there since the dawn of time], locksmith, podiatrist, Casale's [carry out and sit down Italian restaurant] Hair salons [2 i think] a brand new building including condos being built, a Tax guy [i think... but it was the old pharmacy building] -- this is all on Walnut, 1 block north of the tracks/Irving Pk Road

going to the West, across from the Metra station, you have a DR office [Scheck, the GP in town] I think the other Full Service Salon is there too, but can't recall.

On the south side of the tracks, that is where you have Starbucks and Tree Guys Pizza plus a tavern.

that's our downtown. granted, it's very small, but with our village being so small, you can literally walk to anything -- well, except if you live in unincorporated Nordic Park or Ranchettes... then you just have to drive, or it's a much farther walk.

BUT -- our nature center is great, as is the library and pool .... all which you can walk to also.

It really is a great place to raise kids.

My Mom is from Medinah (right next to Itasca), my grandparents still live there. I agree, Itasca is a cute, quaint little town with a small town feel. I actually got married in the Bethany Methodist Church right there near the downtown area, that is where my parents married as well.