Raising thinking children in the Chicago burbs? (Naperville, Cicero: condo, townhomes)

[montimama]

I really appreciate your input, thank you. Wisconsin is definitely something we will consider.

[qwert1]

I'm just going to say I am 14 years old, and I was born in Evergreen Park, Ill. And lived most of my early life in Tinley Park, Il. I lived in the suburbs from 1992 to I think 1998 or 1999 and then we moved to California. (Parents were sick of cold weather)

Then we moved to Texas because it was really cheap so we could get a really big house.

But, when I think back at my life in Illinois, everything was great. There was plently to do, plenty of kids to be friends with, everything was awesome.
I have sooo many memories there and miss it sooo much and would move back any day.
Illinois was my favorite place that I've lived, and really everything there was great now that I look back at it . (But remember, that i was 7 when I moved away so of course everything was great) But what Im trying to say, is for your kids, that they would definitely enjoy it.
But I don't know if things have changed there since then. .. but if their the same.. then yea.

[CityBoi]

You say western burbs?

How about Melrose Park, Stone Park, Maywood, Bellwood, Berkley, Hillside, Berwyn, Cicero?

these are more city like than suburban, but still have many suburban amenities. if you live in ****ing dupage county or schaumburg then it is who can keep up with the joneses. Things are changing though. In the south suburbs you can still get homes for under 100k, and many more for under 200k. Wheeling, in the nw burbs, still has single family homes in the 200s...Prospect Heights as well. Shoot, even in arlington heights you can buy condos for under 100k, and many more in the 100s-200s..single families more.

[CityBoi]

don't move to wisconsin...it's a good place to visit, boring place to live.

There are many great things about chicagoland and there is still affordable housing to be found. If you can spend 300-400k then you can live almost anywhere you want to varying degrees. This isn't new york or california where shacks in compton cost 500k....

[Drover]

Originally Posted by CityBoi

You say western burbs?

How about Melrose Park, Stone Park, Maywood, Bellwood, Berkley, Hillside, Berwyn, Cicero?

Cicero? Maywood??? Are you flippin' kidding me? Are you trying to get this woman shot?? Cicero isn't awful -- yet -- but I wouldn't want to live there and I sure wouldn't want to send my kids through school there. Nor would I send them to the schools in Berywn or Melrose Park or Stone Park. Meanwhile, Maywood is an all-out war zone with approximately ZERO redeeming qualities and Bellwood isn't much better. What the hell are you thinking??

Clue time: every single place you picked out is depopulating.

[j33]

I'm with Drover. What are you thinking there CityBoi? I grew up in the south 'burbs (no not Homewood either) and quite frankly would never recommend them to anyone who has the means to live elsewhere (yes, I left). What is next on your list, Dolton, Harvey, Ford Heights, Riverdale? Puleeze.

Now, as a person with no children, I can see the merits of inner ring burbs like Berwyn, etc. but c'mon now.

[montimama]

Sounds like Maywood, Bellwood & Cicero aren't what we're looking for. We'd like a place that's a little more humble but not necessarily brutal.

Some friends have suggested Geneva, La Grange, or Riverside. They say they're small and old with good schools. (Lots of people in the Chicago suburbs say their schools are great though, no?) I know I've seen these places mentioned before here on the boards, just wondering what makes them different.

[poisongirl320]

yeah definitly stay away from towns like Wheaton, Naperville, Kenilworth, Oak Brook, Glen Ellyn, etc. these are typical "rich white" kinds of towns and you will have a hard time teaching your kids not to be materialistic. and many towns around them feel the pressure too, some even share school systems, so maybe not your best bet. Also remember, when you want the best schools, around here that often means extreme competitivness and high rates of depression. the schools are good yes, but the question is at what cost to the students. I actually know this from experience, I attended Wheaton Warrenville South high school for 2 1/2 years before i switched to a Montessori school because of depression. btw, WWS is maybe not as much so as several other schools in the towns I mentioned before. I do know some people who get through WWS perfectly fine, it just seems like neither you or your children would like that.

[KCWKEN]

Wow, this thread has kinda got me down... We're moving to the West Burbs from College-town (Columbia) Missouri and there is almos NONE of the kind of materialistic mentality you're talking about. My 6th grader has worn generic brand jeans and sneakers his whole life, doesn't have a cell phone, and only gets to play his (bought used) Gameboy on long car trips. I'm not saying this is the norm, but what is the norm is that the other kids who have the name brand/NIKE, Gucci XBOX stuff really could care less what others do or don't have. There isn't a lot of snobbery.

We're basically middle class professionals (nurse and counselor) and really just want to have good schools, safe neighborhood, and a house with a nice yard for the kids to play in, without all the Beverly Hills 90210 culture. You guys have got me nervous about my kids being pariah's in our new home. I hope you all are exaggerating a bit...

[rrah]

To the OP--one of the very reasons we left the Chicao suburbs is the very reason you are concerned about moving there. Our last home was in Batavia, just south of Geneva. While there was much we loved about the area, Geneva, St. Charles, and Batavia are definitely NOT immune from the "keep up with the Jones'" mentality. (FWI--this isn't coming from someone that couldn't keep up, but someone that said this isn't a healthy environment for our children.) Riverside and LaGrange are closer in suburbs and might work better for you. Perhaps someone can comment on them specifically.

KCWKEN--coincidentally we chose to relocate to the college town of our alma mater. It's as you describe for the most part with far less emphasis on who has what.