Will a middle/upper middle class family fit in to Hinsdale, Glenview, Barrington, Elmhurst, North Shore? (Chicago: property taxes)

[chet everett]

Of course getting to the North Shore from O'Hare involves some rather lengthy travel on surface street too.

In fact I think that at one time General Mitchell Field was pitching itself as an alternative to O'Hare for business travelers in Lake Co. IL....

[Paige65]

Originally Posted by chet everett

Of course getting to the North Shore from O'Hare involves some rather lengthy travel on surface street too.

In fact I think that at one time General Mitchell Field was pitching itself as an alternative to O'Hare for business travelers in Lake Co. IL....

Mitchell's a nice alternative - about an hour, but I live east of Green Bay Road and I can get to O'Hare in 30-35 minutes (unless I'm on the road between 4:00 and 6:00 p.m.) on most days.

And I agree with Anthera, traffic on the North Shore is one of the pros, not cons. Not alot of east/west traffic.

I'm also of the opinion that you can get a nice home in the $650 - $750 range in most all suburbs, including most of the North Shore, if you aren't looking for a completely modernized palace.

[Paige65]

Q: Would we fit in from an income standpoint in these areas? Are the majority attorneys, bankers, doctors and we'd be at the lower end of income level, or are there also lots of regular joes and we'd be in the sweet spot?

Because I don't know your income level, I'm not sure where you'd be. The majority ARE attorneys, bankers, doctors, consultants, business owners, etc. There are tradespeople here and there and other professions, but I think it's safe to say that many have an advanced degree of some sort. On my modest street we have mostly consultants, business owners, executives, bankers, attorneys, but we also have a few in the trades, and a handful of retirees. Many of the women on the North Shore no longer work outside the home (or work part time) having previously worked in law, banking, consulting, accounting, Fortune 500 business, teaching, architecture, etc. Our house value/size is relatively small compared to our income level, so personally, I don't take home size or price as a very good indicator of anything. Many of my children's friends have larger homes than ours, on larger properties, but they (my kids) don't seem to think much of it.

Q: Is there a website you can look up what percentage of households are in which income ranges for a given community?

I find the statistics regarding income a little misleading, a little on the low side, but to be perfectly honest, I don't have a clue what any of my neighbors make. No one really cares. However, most driveways will have a foreign luxury sedan along with their standard issue SUV or minivan, a nice home, send their kids to camp all summer, have them participate in various activities from music instruction to sports to dance, all of which seem to cost a little bit more on the North Shore than other areas.

My experience on the North Shore is that people are generally pretty friendly, not super materialistic, with a few uppity bad seeds mixed in with the good folks.

[chet everett]

$750k is 25% more than $600K...

I rarely can make the trip from 294 to Old Orchard in less than 30 minutes, so I'd love to know how you can go signficantly farther in about the same time... from: Ridge Ave @42.052570, -87.687776 to: O'hare Airport - Google Maps

[Anthera]

Originally Posted by Paige65

Q: Is there a website you can look up what percentage of households are in which income ranges for a given community?

I find the statistics regarding income a little misleading, a little on the low side, but to be perfectly honest, I don't have a clue what any of my neighbors make. No one really cares. However, most driveways will have a foreign luxury sedan along with their standard issue SUV or minivan, a nice home, send their kids to camp all summer, have them participate in various activities from music instruction to sports to dance, all of which seem to cost a little bit more on the North Shore than other areas.

My experience on the North Shore is that people are generally pretty friendly, not super materialistic, with a few uppity bad seeds mixed in with the good folks.

I suspect that income data skews lower because it includes the vast number retirees who live on the NS

I agree with your assessment of what people are like. When I hear comments about how NS people are snobby, I often wonder how many interactions is based on, and if the commenter had been looking to be offended.

[Calidreemer]

Hi - I don't know much about some of the communities you mentioned, but as far as the Northshore communities I have grown up in and lived in a few of them so I feel comfortable sharing my opinion.

I think it might be possible to find a modest house for 600K on the Northshore, but more than likely it will be a fixer. Depending on your expectations and how much work you are willing to do, that may or may not work for you. I happen to agree with some of the other people who have posted about living a lifestyle that doesn't include overextending ourselves. We live in a modest home with expenses that could be covered by one income should we lose or decide to let go of one of our incomes. It has also allowed us to be debt free (except our house of course) which is a nice place to be. So, if you are comfortable with a more modest house that may require some work, you could find a nice deal. If you are handy, so much the better.

I have had mixed experiences with the Northshore communities. They are lovely, stable communities with nice, walkable downtowns with access to wonderful amenities.

As for commuting to O'Hare, that can be a challenge no matter where you live, especially now with all the construction.

I think it is helpful to spend some time in the communities you are interested in - go shopping, walk around, have a meal and see what you think. I hope you find what you are looking for.

[Paige65]

Originally Posted by chet everett

$750k is 25% more than $600K...

I rarely can make the trip from 294 to Old Orchard in less than 30 minutes, so I'd love to know how you can go signficantly farther in about the same time... from: Ridge Ave @42.052570, -87.687776 to: O'hare Airport - Google Maps

Yes, if you are picking apart my post, $750,000 is 25% more than $600. But I offered a RANGE of $650-$750, and the poster said that he could go up to $800.

Secondly, without getting to specific about my location, I basically take Lake Cook Road (at Green Bay), to I-294 in 30 minutes. I've done it for over 15 years. Many people do.

[Paige65]

Originally Posted by Calidreemer

I think it is helpful to spend some time in the communities you are interested in - go shopping, walk around, have a meal and see what you think. I hope you find what you are looking for.

ITA, Calidreemer

[Anthera]

Originally Posted by Paige65

Yes, if you are picking apart my post, $750,000 is 25% more than $600. But I offered a RANGE of $650-$750, and the poster said that he could go up to $800.

Secondly, without getting to specific about my location, I basically take Lake Cook Road (at Green Bay), to I-294 in 30 minutes. I've done it for over 15 years. Many people do.

I take Willow to I-294 and it takes me about 30 minutes in non-rush traffic.

[thePR]

I feel like I should mention more of Park Ridge to you. It is a nice community of about 40k people right on the Northwest point of Chicago. It is a 5-15 minute commute to O'Hare and has two train stations that are in the center of the city. With a $600,000 - $800,000 budget for a house that could get you a nice sized house not needing repair. People here aren't conceited or snobby it is a nice social environment and I know there are lots of groups that people join as adults to meet others. Also, the schools that your kids would have a possibilty of attending are some of the best in Illinois.