Chicago Heights? (Orland Park, Harvey, Homewood: sales, low crime, house)

[TheresaKopp]

Hi. My husband is considering a job in the Chicago Heights area and we don't know anything about it. Any information would be REALLY helpful!
Thank you,
Theresa

[Frank the Tank]

I grew up in Glenwood, which is the town next door, and, honestly, I wouldn't send my kids (if I had any) to the Chicago Heights public schools if that's one of your issues (many of my childhood friends attended Bloom and the number of programs that have been cut over the years is truly saddening). Marian Catholic, though, is a pretty good high school in Chicago Heights if you're willing to pay the private school tuition. Homewood (middle to upper middle class) and Flossmoor (upper middle to upper class), which are both only a few minutes from Chicago Heights, are towns that have nice housing stock, low crime rates, an excellent park district, and good public schools (speaking as a Homewood-Flossmoor High School alum).

[isjeepin]

I would not live in Chicago Heights, or even on the fringes. Stay away from Ford Heights as well. You REALLY need to visit that whole area and pound the pavement driving around before you decide where to live. Be careful. Previous poster was right. Homewood and Flossmoor are the only places I would consider in that area.

[At1WithNature]

well if you need crack, powder cocaine, blunt weed, "hydro", or prostitutes feel free to visit Wentworth and Lincoln Highway. Or you can turn south on Division and choose any of the blocks that have the dope boys on the corners for your drug/hooker of choice.

I used to work in sales and had to travel through and to the heights for business...it is straight ghetto! i'm confident the crime statistics of the Chicago Heights/Ford Heights area is much worse than many large cities across America. Murders, corrupt police forces, inept mayors and government structure...be prepared for the absolute worst. That area is littered with 4CH (4 corner hustlers) and GD's (gangster disciples). the drug areas i mentioned have buildings littered with their gang grafitti. it is usually a star with pitch forks or something like that.

if i had to live in that area...i wouldn't get attached to anything because it could be gone in a flash and i would obviously own a gun or two and just station them around the house in different rooms. The worst suburbs in all of Chicago are Gary, Chicago Heights, Harvey, and Ford Heights. Ford Heights is Chicago Heights' neighbor to the East. Their police force is so corrupt that on multiple occasions the State of Illinois shut down their police department and was forced to patrol their city with State Troopers. The dope boys own that area. Be super careful and don't start anything with anyone. Even looks because most those people in those areas aren't playing with a full deck because of one reason or another but more than likely because of a drug problem.

the only businesses that do well in Chicago Heights are Strip Clubs like Jimmy's or Liquor stores. It's both sad and pathetic. I'd be on my way to a meeting at 9am and the Liquor Stores off of Lincoln Highway would have a steady flow of people in and out...at 9am...it's a terrible town. The roads are horrible too since the government is so inept and when city/street workers do work that area it is common for them to be robbed. Litter lines the streets. There are boarded up homes. I can take some pictures if you would like...

[At1WithNature]

Originally Posted by Frank the Tank

I grew up in Glenwood, which is the town next door, and, honestly, I wouldn't send my kids (if I had any) to the Chicago Heights public schools if that's one of your issues (many of my childhood friends attended Bloom and the number of programs that have been cut over the years is truly saddening). Marian Catholic, though, is a pretty good high school in Chicago Heights if you're willing to pay the private school tuition. Homewood (middle to upper middle class) and Flossmoor (upper middle to upper class), which are both only a few minutes from Chicago Heights, are towns that have nice housing stock, low crime rates, an excellent park district, and good public schools (speaking as a Homewood-Flossmoor High School alum).

again though Homewood and Flossmoor are surrounded by absolute crap towns with high robbery and murder rates. This includes Glenwood, Country Club Hills, East Hazel Crest, Chicago Heights, ect. So you get those trash people commuting through Homewood. And the area of Homewood at 183rd and Halsted is Lower Class.

[IMOGAJAD]

Originally Posted by TheresaKopp

Hi. My husband is considering a job in the Chicago Heights area and we don't know anything about it. Any information would be REALLY helpful!
Thank you,
Theresa

I was born in East Chicago Heights (now known as Ford Heights) in 1959. I attended Cottage Grove Elementary (50 feet across the street from where I lived). We moved to rural Michigan in 1966 to escape the crime and gangs. I've been blessed not to have fallen into all the mess many did. I served 21 years in the Air Force and am a Civil Service employee. Yes, I'm a proud black man. However, I don't care WHO you are, I'd steer clear of any locale in which you'd drive down the wrong street and get "capped". BTW, I reside in Alaska. There's not a part of the city I live that I have to worry about the foolishness I've read about in this thread. I'm counting my blessings as I write this.

[Chicagoland60426]

As a person coming from Harvey, Chicago Heights have its rough spots. As someone mention before, the northside of Chicago Heights is decent. Chicago Heights don't turn ghetto until you get to like 10th St. If you have the money, you should move to Orland Park or Flossmoor. Orland Park have literally just about everything with a large shopping mall, plenty of restuarants, golf, and almost every car dealer represented on 159th St.

[deechee]

Originally Posted by At1WithNature

again though Homewood and Flossmoor are surrounded by absolute crap towns with high robbery and murder rates. This includes Glenwood, Country Club Hills, East Hazel Crest, Chicago Heights, ect. So you get those trash people commuting through Homewood. And the area of Homewood at 183rd and Halsted is Lower Class.

Please stop spreading this bullcrap. Please? Country Club Hills is no where near as bad as you like to make it seem. Just stop.

[ajolotl]

Originally Posted by deechee

Please stop spreading this bullcrap. Please? Country Club Hills is no where near as bad as you like to make it seem. Just stop.

Are you suffering buyer's remorse or something? Seriously, who the hell cares what At1 thinks of your town? The commercial strips there are pretty bleak, it's pretty far from the action, and at1 isn't overly fond of black people (my impression), so he thinks it's a cesspool. Who cares? You probably wouldn't like where he lives either.

I know tons of people who think Hyde Park is one step worse than Afghanistan. Hasn't kept it from improving big time over the years. People just like to talk. Have your take and then move on. You're taking it too hard.

[ajolotl]

And you know what many people "up the hill" think of East Beverly. It's the Beverly ghetto. They cannot fathom how on earth I could move here when I could have afforded many of the places up the hill in Whiteville.