South Burbs ~ Lansing or Park Forest (Chicago, Harvey: lease, condos, crime rate)

[Scarletjazz]

Mom of two here planning to buy her first home this year. I've been hearing goods and bads about both burbs... I have a daughter who will be a jr in highschool and a son starting kindergarten in the fall. I've been to both of the towns and have seen some decent homes. Can anyone give me some feedback on the two towns? Lansing is my first choice but I've heard that it is changing for the worst.. and Park Forest is the furthest away as far as distance. All info is appreciated..

Scar

[xraychick]

Well I live right next to lansing, in cal city. I agree that lansing is definately changing for the worse. I'm not sure what HS your daughter will be attending but TF North here in Cal city is terrible. There's been drive by's, kids fighting all the time, and over all just a bad school.
My parents sent me to local private school which I think was pretty good. I'm 23 years old now and was raised here in Cal city. I turned out very well for living in such a bad neiborhood. I think it depends alot in the friends your daughter will associate with.
As for the crime rate yes, its high. Thank God I have never been a victim of any crime but I'm just careful as well. Lock my doors, don't go to the gas station at night, etc......
As for Park Forest I know nothing about so sorry.

[MarquettePark]

I know a lot about lansing, but nothing about Park Forest, when I was a rookie cable guy, many years ago, lansing, south holland were my territories.

As far as your young child, schools, shouldnt be a problem, at least for two years, but a teenager, is he or she just starting high school, or is he she in jr high, 7th 8th grade, (You know honestly I have never seen or been in a Jr high school, and have to ask a stupid question? What is a Jr High,

Sad as it sounds, but most bad things you hear about lansing are true, its majority white, (even though I have said it s not, I stand corrected) and their schools arent completely bad), crime is mostly petty crime, at worst non lethal, but occasionally there is a real bad incident which makes the news.

I dont mean to be invasive or too personal, but I have to ask "How's your income and career situation, can you afford a home over 200k, even 250k, or only a home slightly less than 200k, either way, you will find a good home a very good home, from 150k and up, but the neighborhood occupants may be a problem. Does your job mandate you live in these two burbs, or can you expand your area a bit more, I live in Oak Forest which is about ten miles west of lansing, and in my opinion Lansing is better than Oak Forest, but I am single white male, and getting up there in years (37 in two weeks).

I read a lot of posts of people, single parents making the decision to move and set roots, and I really symphtize (horrible spelling) with them/you, I am a child of a single mom, youngest of seven, and how she did it I will never know, I want to help in any way, but...................

Is it a must that you live in these two areas, if so then I have to do some homework tonight and pull out some of my old Comcast invoices, and neighborhood data sheets. If you dont have to live there, then you have a lot of hope and choices, options and such...........Where do you work, what area, will your older child have access to an automobile, when he she gets a permit/license, The southsurburbs are very car dependent, public transportation exists, but is sparse, and not 24/7 like chicago, in most cases you have to drive just to get one gallon of milk.

Schools, well there are public and private, most private schools being religion based, you dont have to be catholic to attend most catholic schools, one exception being my High School Quigley North/South, they insisted on that, my grade school, in the 70's and 80's Catholic, had muslims, jews, hindi, even two Jehovaas witness. Catholic schools are very expensive, not one being under two grand a year, not including the extras they slip on parents thru the year, you can hold me too this, every Catholic School is above par, even if your kid is major screw up, he/she will receive a quality education. Lutheran private schools, I only have a small knowledge base on them, but I applaud their open/all inclusive policies/attitudes, they make the Catholics look like Natzis, I have many clients with children who attend Lutheran schools, and I am very impressed with their intelligence and behavior. Christian schools, WOW, I dont know how to begin to describe them, they're not all miniature Republican Youth Camps, but damm close, I assume they require you and your children to practice their sect of religion, I may be wrong.......one thing gets me about Christian schools, they dont recognize the existence of certain scientific facts, like Dinosaurs, computer theories, and chemistry/biology theories, "insane". BE PREPARED TO SPEND MONEY WITH ALL OF THEM

Housing, there is new construction all over, cookie cutter townhomes, but reasonably priced, lots of condos, reasonably priced, the twenty year old + homes, are large (large to me) very nice, (pain in the ass to wire for cable)and affordable, I would not rent or lease because the people who own those types of buildings, are majority jerks......and will sell the floor right out from underneath you.

Dont rule out Indiana, Hammond, Dyer, and that area, lots of good choices, and cheaper cost of living, Markham, Richton Park, Country Club Hills, Midlothian, Posen, they are surbubs west and north of lansing, are good choices as well.

Good thing, its a buyer's market, I have a friend who owns a seven bed, double lot, new pool, new garage, all brick home, for 232k, its worth twice that and would have sold for that three years ago, now after being three months on the market not one hit, my neighbor's home three bed, all new everything, price 149k, was on the market for a year, finally sold last month, for 119k.

Feel free to post more info, questions, or private message me, good luck......

[Scarletjazz]

Thank you Xray chick... the info is appreciated...

Scar

[Scarletjazz]

Marquette Park

Thanks for the info.. my daughter will be a jr in highschool. No my price range
runs from about 130k or less... no these aren't the only two suburbs I'm interested in they are just first on the list.. I'm also interested in Richton Park, Glenwood, Thornton, South Holland and maybe C.C.Hills... Safety and security are the number one thing for me, I have to feel comfortable coming and going day and/or night. I'm finding that I may have to take a house that is not updated just to stay in a specific area so that may wind up being the case. I've gotten many thumbs up for Oak Forest, Frankfort, Homewood and some of the other SW burbs along with parts of IN. Most of these towns with the exception of IN are not in my price range. All of the info you gave is appreciated, thank you very much.

Scar

[prairiestate]

I would go with Park Forest. Thornton Township high schools are horrendous. I'm not sure if Park Forest is in the Bloom or Rich Township HS district, but either way you'll be a lot better off. The education won't be the absolute best, especially Bloom, but at least there's much less chance of being a crime statistic. And you're farther away from Cal City, which trades places with Harvey every year for the honor of being the most dangerous city in the Southland.

[Drover]

Originally Posted by MarquettePark

Dont rule out Indiana, Hammond, Dyer, and that area, lots of good choices, and cheaper cost of living, Markham, Richton Park, Country Club Hills, Midlothian, Posen, they are surbubs west and north of lansing, are good choices as well.

I got real skeptical when you mentioned Markham. So I checked out the crime stats here on city-data. I have to confess, I simply do not believe the data there. The place went from Hell with the Lid Off -- it made Gary look safe and stable by comparison -- to relatively normal levels of crime, literally within the span of one year. I realize that some places have been cleaning up and seeing crime rates drop, but Markham's crime stats drop is so drastic and instantaneous that I am extremely loath to believe it. Any idea what's up with those crime stats? Are they for real or was there some sort of data error either before or after the alleged transformation?

[NSH]

I would go with Park Forest. it is on the brink of national acclaim since it was the first modern chicago suburb. It was the model for all other suburbs in the midwest. Books are being written about it, historians are lecturing on it, and university classes are studying it. Beautiful homes on winding streets sell for 30% less than they would in oak forest and 50% less than they would sell for in Orland or Tinley. No downside to Park Forest!

here is a book about the history of Park Forest
http://www.amazon.com/Americas-Origi.../dp/0801877520

[Scarletjazz]

Prairie State and NSH

Thanks much for your input.. it is greatly appreciated.. I'm gettin good vibes from Park Forest currently and will look more into it.. I didn't mention anything about Markham I don't know where that came from.. lol NO WAY!
Coming from the city and the south side of Chicago I've never even been in one of those houses on one level - not sure what the correct name of them are called out there in PForest, but I'm open to something new. I appreciated your comments and will follow up with this and let you know what happens..

Thanks again
Scar

[Paula Lynn]

I grew up in Park Forest and CCH (when it was just getting developed). Park Forest was a great place to be raised. I heard CCH has gone downhill. Markham was not a good place 30 years ago, so I'm sure it hasn't improved.