where to buy? Elgin/Barrington/Crystal Lake or other? (Skokie: houses, good schools)

[Blue Ribbon Events]

Alixjung - We have been in the position of trying to evaluate these communities when moving from our first home in West Rogers Park, so I can empathize with how difficult it is to evaluate and compare them without first hand knowledge. Our initial choice of location changed over time, with changes in our jobs and the ages & stages of our children: first Crystal Lake 1990 - 2000, then Elgin 2000 - 2009. Both have been wonderful choices, at different times, for different reasons.

However, even in Crystal Lake, we ended up choosing private schools, an expense we had anticipated eliminating upon leaving the city. Immanuel Lutheran in C. Lake for one child, and Marian Central High in Woodstock for the other, altho we are not Catholic or Lutheran per se, proved to be excellent choices.

Relocating to Elgin in 2000 has also been a great experience for our family. Among other things, the Gifted Academy at Elgin High School provided college prep coursework that kept our student challenged, and paved the way for admission and success at NIU.

But we didn't know everything was going to work out so well when we were first looking to move out from the city, and it was a bit stressful trying to make that choice. My point (and I do have one ) is that after gathering information and talking to other people as much as we could, in the end, both times we moved, we went with our "gut feeling" about where to buy, and where to send our kids to school, and in both cases, things worked out even better than we hoped. And point #2 which I hope is helpful is that, in our case at least, there were different answers to the question of which area at different stages of our life. In fact, with our children now grown, we are downsizing, about to embark on still another change of location, to the area just west of Elgin (which is why I came looking for info in the forums today).

But each person must feel things out as to where they fit; I really believe an intuitive approach must be used. School report cards, property taxes, crime rates, etc., are important to know about, but in the end, there are too many variables to weigh just facts alone, unless you are a human computer (and I wonder what kind of choice a computerized process would produce! ). "Home is where the heart is" refers of course to our people connections, but it also seems true that to find "home", we must follow our hearts (along with being well informed). Or in other words, chances are, you will "feel it in your bones" when you are homing in on the ideal next location that meets your individual set of needs and preferences. Best of luck! Perhaps by now you have narrowed your choice and are on your way!

* * *
a few footnotes:

I didn't see mentioned that in the Elgin area, ECC does a great job for those who want to save considerably on tuition expense for the first two years of college. U-46 schools in general, as posted earlier, vary tremendously and should be evaluated carefully on a case by case basis. And I agree with chet everett that public school systems in general are in dire need of help - is there another forum somewhere to talk/learn more on this topic?

Toolman, windycity, GoCUBs1 and knitgirl - It was great to see the pro-Elgin comments here! The Elgin community has a lot to offer and has been a place we have all enjoyed and felt at home in, and safe in, even though it is definitely not perfect. Thanks knitgirl for choosing our home as an example of real estate values in Elgin! That was a nice surprise! For any interested lookers, we recently reduced the price to $268,000. I'm sure the market will pick up again soon, so IMHO, now is a great time to buy! www teamwisdomrealestate.com/Great-Gold-Coast-Home-a96709.html

And there are two other interesting historic homes for sale just a few doors from ours - any potential buyers out there, why not schedule a tour of all 3? These are great, one-of-a-kind homes, of differing styles, in a beautiful historic district near the Fox River with old trees, quiet streets and nice neighbors!

www teamwisdomrealestate.com/Great-Gold-Coast-Location-a74734.html

www elginkanecountyhomesearch.com/listing/mlsid/153/propertyid/06969188

[knitgirl]

Blue Ribbon, your house is gorgeous! You're right about ECC. I have a degree in political science from U of C and recently took some classes at ECC. I think they do a really good job over there with offering classes that appeal not only to the fresh from high school crowd, but also older career changing types. They offer some of the basic classes in the departments I looked at online which is very helpful when you're working fulltime. I was pleasantly surprised by most of the courses I took.

[Inthesprawlpath]

Elgin city limits is now touching my backyard with all it's annexing and pushing westward.I can't wait to move.They've absolutely destroyed our quiet little neighborhood with all their growth.The mayor wants to be out west so bad he's ruining everybody else in his path.I live right "Inthesprawlpath" Honestly,when I move,I will never live in this area again.Unless you like crowds and over building,look somewhere else.

[knitgirl]

Inthe sprawlpath, I do agree with you, I don't want Elgin getting any larger. The one good thing about the recession is the slowing of this constant westward expansion. I like being able to drive and see farms not that far away. I read someone once that Northern IL has some of the best farmland in the world. It sickens me to see fields of nearly identical vinyl-sided ugly boxes taking over. They scrape off all the good topsoil, who knows what they do with it and then put up these horrid cardboard houses.

[Blue Ribbon Events]

Thanks for the compliment! We love old houses and have always felt fortunate to be able to live in one, especially in such a beautiful neighborhood. We were also able to have exterior painting and restoration partially paid for by a 50/50 matching funds grant from the City, which really helped!

It's great to hear that ECC courses worked well for a returning postgrad! Are you in "life long learning" mode?

Comments re: sprawl remind me of the song lyric, "Pave Paradise, put up a parking lot". I have heard in the past some former City leaders admit to having a very aggressive westward expansion policy. The reasons given were that Elgin is land-locked to the east, and that more property tax revenue is needed to support schools, infrastructure maintenance, city services, etc., and that "rooftops bring retail", meaning that new residential development will attract stores, especially big ones along Randall Road, and thus more tax revenue to support the town. Of course, new residents create more demand for schools, roads and services, etc! It's some kind of balancing act, and of course among planners, there are theories, examples and equations, etc. for dealing with it.

As to how development is handled, there are strategies for so called "smart growth", which call for preserving open space in new developments, preserving farm land, creating pedestrian oriented layouts, etc. Criteria like these are covered by a city's Comprehensive Plan. Public meetings and neighborhood forums were held for Q & A and discussion of Elgin's Comprehensive Plan when it was being updated a few years ago, but I think very few people actually went or attempted to have input. It seems a shame, but people are busy, and may feel, possibly with good reason, that the "powers that be" will make whatever decisions they want to in the end. Here is a link to one example of anti-sprawl planning info:

Sprawl Guide Home Page

I didn't hear much comment during the recent City Council election, but maybe there was. It remains to be seen who the new City Manager will be, and what his or her policies will be. Possibly, much of the planning policy for west development has already been "inked". And it may be that for those who are feeling cramped by the spread, there will have to be other communities to consider.

Growth projections made around the year 2000 predicted solid development (by various towns, not just Elgin) extending all the way to Route 47 by the year 2020. I wonder if that's still the forecast or if it's been slowed by the economy. There is still lots of farmland left, however! Most of Illinois, in fact! I wish we could preserve some of the farm houses, barns, etc. showing this way of life for future generations. My family were farmers two generations back and the degree of self sufficiency of these people truly amazes me. They made/grew/preserved/and built so many things - clothing, furniture, tools, rugs, soap, etc., in addition to their crops, delicious and healthful, preserved in various ways for use throughout the year.

Thank you for the interesting and thought-provoking posts here. I feel the issues of community development are really important, affecting the lives of people. But it takes time, patience and involvement to understand, much less affect, the various aspects. Lately we've been distracted by issues of global climate change, safety from terrorists, the contest for national political leadership, and the tanking economy. Whew! With all of that stress, I think I'm going to go look for a cruise somewhere - have heard there are great discounts right now, especially for May and September!

[Inthesprawlpath]

Originally Posted by Blue Ribbon Events

As to how development is handled, there are strategies for so called "smart growth", which call for preserving open space in new developments, preserving farm land, creating pedestrian oriented layouts, etc. Criteria like these are covered by a city's Comprehensive Plan. Public meetings and neighborhood forums were held for Q & A and discussion of Elgin's Comprehensive Plan when it was being updated a few years ago, but I think very few people actually went or attempted to have input. It seems a shame, but people are busy, and may feel, possibly with good reason, that the "powers that be" will make whatever decisions they want to in the end. Here is a link to one example of anti-sprawl planning info:

There were alot of us residents west of Elgin that banded together to form a group called "WECARE" to try to get Elgin to revise it's far west planning because they were rubber stamping "approved" to just about any developer that came along.There was a very active group with alot of help from the residents trying to get Elgin to slow down.We put alot of effort into it.It only worked to stall the inevitable.We were ignored in the end.While being a part of that group,I learned not to trust or believe in Elgin city officials.Anybody in their way will not be able to stop them.They do what ever they want.Their goals go beyond route 47.I believe they are in a control race to stop small towns like Pingree Grove,Burlington.Campton,etc being able to get control of anything as far out as the proposed north-south tollway corridor that will be west of Burlington Road.Other groups have had to fight with them since.Anybody that moves west of Elgin because they think they will be living in a nice rural setting will be very disappointed as everthing urbanizes around them.We have been in our home more than 20 years now and in the area since 1972.We have seen alot of changes but I don't think any of towns in the valley are nearly as growth aggressive as Elgin.Personnally,I'm tired of fighting it.When the market picks up,I want to go.Alot of our old neighbors have already left.Those street lights in that new subdivision behind our house aren't turned on yet but I dread having to look at that all that crap coming our way.Elgin is packing them in like sardines.

[jlawrence01]

One of the problem in living in places like Crystal Lake and Woodstock is that newcomers will encounter an attitude of resentment of new people moving into the area. Those people are generally people who had no problems moving from Wheeling or Mt Prospect 20 years ago and want to keep the place the same way it was twenty years ago. (Of course, they don't mind benefiting from the new schools and all the other benefits of a growing area.)

Realize that when you move into these communities that it will take longer to get accepted in a church or even a service organization.

[Blue Ribbon Events]

Originally Posted by Inthesprawlpath

There were alot of us residents west of Elgin that banded together to form a group called "WECARE" to try to get Elgin to revise it's far west planning because they were rubber stamping "approved" to just about any developer that came along.There was a very active group with alot of help from the residents trying to get Elgin to slow down.We put alot of effort into it.It only worked to stall the inevitable.We were ignored in the end.While being a part of that group,I learned not to trust or believe in Elgin city officials.Anybody in their way will not be able to stop them.They do what ever they want.Their goals go beyond route 47.I believe they are in a control race to stop small towns like Pingree Grove,Burlington.Campton,etc being able to get control of anything as far out as the proposed north-south tollway corridor that will be west of Burlington Road.Other groups have had to fight with them since.Anybody that moves west of Elgin because they think they will be living in a nice rural setting will be very disappointed as everthing urbanizes around them.We have been in our home more than 20 years now and in the area since 1972.We have seen alot of changes but I don't think any of towns in the valley are nearly as growth aggressive as Elgin.Personnally,I'm tired of fighting it.When the market picks up,I want to go.Alot of our old neighbors have already left.Those street lights in that new subdivision behind our house aren't turned on yet but I dread having to look at that all that crap coming our way.Elgin is packing them in like sardines.

Inthesprawlpath - Who could blame you for feeling a little bitter after trying to have some say about changes to your neighborhood and being allowed to have input! The economic forces in play no doubt would have swept all opposition aside despite the best efforts. I hope that your 20+ years in Elgin will provide you with a lot of good memories, and a nice return on your investment when the time comes to sell. It's amazing to think of the kind of development beyond route 47 you describe. Where do you think you would like to live next?

[nanannie]

Originally Posted by jlawrence01

One of the problem in living in places like Crystal Lake and Woodstock is that newcomers will encounter an attitude of resentment of new people moving into the area. Those people are generally people who had no problems moving from Wheeling or Mt Prospect 20 years ago and want to keep the place the same way it was twenty years ago. (Of course, they don't mind benefiting from the new schools and all the other benefits of a growing area.)

Realize that when you move into these communities that it will take longer to get accepted in a church or even a service organization.

Sorry, with respect, I dont buy this one bit. Crystal Lake and Woodstock have huge and I mean HUGE groups of newcomers and always have the past 15-20 years. These towns have had tremendous growth.This statement does a disservice to the communities.

[kmkord]

Originally Posted by jlawrence01

One of the problem in living in places like Crystal Lake and Woodstock is that newcomers will encounter an attitude of resentment of new people moving into the area. Those people are generally people who had no problems moving from Wheeling or Mt Prospect 20 years ago and want to keep the place the same way it was twenty years ago. (Of course, they don't mind benefiting from the new schools and all the other benefits of a growing area.)

Realize that when you move into these communities that it will take longer to get accepted in a church or even a service organization.

I haven't found this to be the case at all!!