Arlington Heights, Elk Grove Village, Palatine (how much, schools, live in)

[nanannie]

Originally Posted by macaroni

Thanks for all the info. We're trying to keep the commute to 30 minutes or less, and work is in the south of Des Plaines (Algonquin and Mount Prospect roads). I noticed that no one mentioned Schaumburg or Prospect Heights - how do these compare for being kid-freindly, good schools, affordability, and since we're asking for everything, mild winters :-)

Cant help you with the winters, Schaumburg is stripmalls/ sub divisions, the huge Woodfield Mall complex, traffic galore, and no 'town' to speak of. There are big box stores, car dealerships.chain restaraunts, and every store you can imagine, so its a good place to shop/eat, but thats about it for a family (IMHO) I would choose Arl. hts over Prospect hts. Nicer all around-again IMHO. Someone else may disagree ?

[mendelman]

Prospect Heights is basically an incorporated rural town in form - no sidewalks, large lots, drainage ditches for stormwater management, no municipal water/sewer system (aka wells and septic tanks), and no "center". Arlington Heights is going to be more expensive for a comparable property, but the value is more stable and amenities greater. Same schools (at least high school) I believe.

Arlington Heights or Mount Prospect seem to be your best options.

But if you can afford it, look into Park Ridge also. It is just to the east of Des Plaines and comparable in costs, value, amenities, and schools to Arlington Heights.

[chet everett]

Some people actually LIKE the "rural finish" on roads -- towns like Inverness mandate it. Propect Heights also has a few newer developements too, it is good option.

I think the data Park Ridge is accurate --

Estimated median household income in 2005: $78,000 (it was $73,154 in 2000)

Park Ridge $78,000Illinois: $50,260

Estimated median house/condo value in 2005: $453,500 (it was $295,800 in 2000) Park Ridge $453,500Illinois: $183,900

Homes are more expensive than AH or Palatine, though income is between them:

Estimated median household income in 2005: $81,739 (it was $67,807 in 2000)

Arlington Heights $81,739

Estimated median house/condo value in 2005: $353,600 (it was $240,600 in 2000) Arlington Heights $353,600
Estimated median household income in 2005: $64,666 (it was $63,321 in 2000)

Palatine $64,666

Estimated median house/condo value in 2005: $293,600 (it was $199,200 in 2000) Palatine $293,600

[cubssoxfan]

Macaroni,
I live in Arlington Heights-Lake Arlington Subdivision off Palatine Rd. and Schoenbeck Rd. Mature, master planned community with association swimming pool. You are short walk from the Lake Arlington trail, which is a 1.86 mile paved trail around 50 acre lake.
Homes start at $480 for 2700SF 4-bedroom in need of updating all the way to $749 for larger home with pool and recently updated. Association dues are $360/year which includes indoor/outdoor pool and use of work-ou facility. Children attend Prospect Heights Dist. 23 schools and Wheeling H.S. We benefit from being in Arlington Heights Park District and Library District, but since kids attend Prospect Heights Schools, we get residence rates for Prospect Heights Park District and residence status with their library. Other areas in A.H nearby are Ivy Hill and Northgate which are a little cheaper and go to A.H School District 25 and Buffalo Grove H.S. Although H.S. ratings vary, all the DIST 214 H.S.'s are excellent and offer Honors and AP programs in addition to good elective courses (art, drama, vocational ed, etc.)
Buffalo Grove is nice, but be careful going into Lake County-the taxes are significantly higher. Some consider Stevenson HS the best in the area; I think it is overly large and uber competitive. Drive to husband's work is 25 minutes. If he doesn't mind 35-45 minute drive, I would consider Palatine. Good suburb where you get more house for your money vs. Arlington Heights. If you have more specific questions, feel free to PM me.

[macaroni]

That is a lot of information to absorb, thanks for being so helpful. We've got a 3 day trip coming up, and I think you've helped us narrow it down quite a bit!

[SPTLSS1]

I grew up in EGV and I work in the industrial park. There are some middle class ranch homes but near Alexian Brothers hospital there are very nice homes as well as those near 290 and Meacham Roads. EGV has a nice but small downtown plus a great library and a very good park district for the kids.

I live in Schaumburg and we have two kids ages 2 & 5. For us it's great as I work in EGV and the wife works in Schaumburg. Schaumburg has everything anyoen could want albeit being crowded but we are used to it. They have one of the best libraries in the state, unlimited shopping, restaurants, and the park district is second to none. All of our college friends live in Buffalo Grove or Arlington heights but they always comment on there are so many nmore things to do in Schaumburg so we end up meeting in our neck of the woods.

Scahaumburg may not carry the cachet of a Buffalo Grove or Libertyville but there is a reason nearly 80,000 people call it home.

[middle-aged mom]

Originally Posted by ccjarider

Palatine seemed nice but I was advised by coworkers to avoid parts of Palatine that attend Buffalo Grove schools.

I cannot vouch for reality only our opinions and observations. I wish you well in your move.

To the very best of my knowledge there are no parts of Palatine that feed into Buffalo Grove High School and I cannot imagine anyone thinking Buffalo Grove was a poor school. In Palatine there is Palatine High School and Fremd.

[middle-aged mom]

Originally Posted by macaroni

My husband is starting a new job in Des Plaines, we are moving from Louisiana and I've never been to Chicago. We've got 3 kids 6 and under, and from web research it looks like Arlington Heights, Elk Grove Village and Palatine all have great schools. We're looking for a 4 bedroom house around $425k. Any information about these three towns would be appreciated. I'm looking for somewhere kid friendly with lots of things to do outdoors, pedestrian friendly, a nice downtown, convenient shopping, great schools and an easy commute to Des Plaines. Any specific neighborhoods you can recommend?

$425 for a 4 bedroom is almost unrealistic in AH or Palatine unless you want a handyman special or a home whose value is tied to the value of the land, because one day it will be a tear down. There are many nice areas in EGV that are outside of the Ohare deal. There are fabulous parks and lots of shopping and the schools are fine. Mount Prospect is also another affordable town that should be considered.

[cubssoxfan]

Middle-Aged-Mom,
I have seen MANY more listings between $350 & $450 than I did in the last 3-4 years. My observations are based on print, what have you seen in this price point while working as an agent? Does Palatine still average about 3-5% lower listing price than A.H.?
I second your Mt. Prospect suggestion. Lovely town, big trees, good infrastructure and a good library.

[mommyjnny]

Arlington Heights is gorgeous! The downtown area there is beautiful and has so much to do. Park district is great. There are many parks and things to do. The schools are great as well! I grew up there and my parents still live there. I now live in Hampshire......near DeKalb..... I like the farmland better