Anyone know about Plainfield, IL? (Chicago, Naperville: real estate, sex offender, crime rates)

[luvalee1]

My real estate agent told me that with my budget, my family and I can buy a house in Plainfield. The only problem is that I do not know anything about Plainfield, IL. Does anyone know how the people, the neighborhoods, and the schools are?

[crazylilkelly]

Hi,
My folks live in Plainfield & I used to live w/ them there for about 8 months. The area is growing enormously fast! And buying a brand new home there is more affordable than alot of other places. You can find a brand new home in the low $200,000s. Only thing is I would buy a house there soon b/c the prices are rising. My folks bought their house less than 3 yrs ago @ about $170,000 & now it's risen in value to $230,000. The house is pretty big too. As for the whole area in general, I personally think it's pretty boring but I generally think that about most suburbs. There's a mall out there & all the major stores are w/in the area. Development of buisnesses is also growing so more & more restaraunts & stores are popping up everywhere. There are quite a few parks in the area to go for nice walks/bikes rides in. There's also a dog park out there too.
Some neighborhoods are better than others. I would just check out the particular surrounding neighborhoods to see how the ppl take care of their property. My mom's neighborhood is immaculant but if you look closely @ the one across the street from her you can see that some of the ppl really don't take care of their homes very well.
Plainfeild also has a cute little downtown area so that's nice too. As far as the schools go, I'm not particulary sure. I think they're just average. From what I understand they're not ghetto by any means but they're not top-notch either. I'm sure your kids can get a decent eduaction there.Check out this website for IL's rankings of the public schools. You can elect to look @ elementary, jr. high or hs: http://www.psk12.com/rating/USindexphp/STATE_IL.html
If you really want a traditional suburban lifestyle then Plainfield is perfect for you. The good thing is if want to go to Chicago I-55 is right there. Traffic can get horrible on I-55 though so you would always have the option of going to Joliet (the next town over) & taking the metra to the city. Then,you'd save on parking downtown & you can just relax on ride up north. I'm moving back to chicagoland once i graduate from college & I REFUSE to live anywhere that is not near a metra. I plan on working in the city but there is no way anyone can get me to drive there! You have do crack to deal w/ the highways there twice a day & five times a wk!
You might want to check this website too: http://www.johnleachhomes.com/
Leach homes are being built everywhere in Plainfield. My parents bought a leach home & it's pretty nice like I said. Plus, they're affordable.
Alright, I hope my babbling helped you out. Plainfield is a very nice area to raise your family in my opinion. Go for it! Good luck w/ your search!!!
PS----I dunno where you said you're coming from but I just want to forewarn you that Plainfield/Joliet is right in tornado alley. Although, they haven't had a very destructive one there for years. As long as you have a basement I wouldn't worry about it though. I just thought I'd tell you that b/c for some ppl that's a concern of theirs (usually non-midwesterners!)no biggie though

[pfdmom]

Hi -

I moved to Plainfield two years ago from Naperville. Naperville is constantly being touted as "best place to live with kids", "best suburb", etc. I like Plainfield much better!

I have found the schools to be as challenging as Naperville's but not as constantly concerned with test scores. In Naperville there is a long Police Beat in the local paper and there are assaults, murders, and break-ins. In Plainfield we may have two listings and they are usually posession or maybe DUI.

My kids play outside after dark here. No one did that in Naperville. Two weeks ago a sex offender moved 463 feet from our local playground. The law says no sex offender can live within 500 feet of a park. We've already had a neighborhood group meet, a police officer came out, and the sheriff has served that individual with papers telling him to leave. Most subdivisions have a park that is within walking distance or, for kids who are old enough to ride their bikes, bike-riding distance. It truly is an idyllic existance. A tax referendum was just passed to build more grade, jr. high, and high schools. Houses and property values are going up quickly.

Taxes are high, too. Joliet, which borders Plainfield, is notorious for its air and water pollution. People who have a Plainfield address but Joliet water usually feel compelled to invest in a somewhat costly water filter or bottled water. Traffic through downtown is terrible because trucks use Rt. 59 as a through route. However, an extension to I - 355 was just approved and work is to begin shortly. When this is completed trucks will be able to stay on the tollway and will not clog up Rt. 59.

I really love Plainfield. Plainfield's north border is up near Naperville. Naperville is a wealth suburb. Subdivisions up there would tend to have clubhouses and easy access to all the amenities that were recently built when south Naperville shot up in terms op population. They also have a new YMCA, new boutiques, new humoungous stores, and are building a 50-seat or so movie theater there.

Plainfield's south border is still along farm country. If you decide to move here and purchase a new house, it will likely be on thatfarm country which is being snatched up by builders. The south border is closest to downtown. It is also close to the county courthouse and Metra station. Busses leave for various destinaltions from the Louis-Joliet Mall parking lot. Your are also close to three libraries - Plainfield, Shorewood, and Joliet. Joliet has another branch in their downtoown area. Joliet has a NASCAR track and has the Rialto Theater and some nice events in their downtown. Other than that, you have no reason to - nor should you - venture over to their East Side which is about as far away from Plainfield as you can get!

Not to end on a bad note! Chicago is a beautiful City. I love going there and living nearby. But I feel like Plainfield is the place I've always been looking for to raise my family.

Good luck with your decision.

[jlc267]

Plainfield schools are the best. The people depending on the area are not bad. It is a pricy area so the people can be snobish. The houses are very nice.

[Red_Skies]

I've lived in Plainfield since 1995. Right now I am a junior in high school. The area is pretty nice. Quite honestly... all it is is houses. It is expanding like crazy... since I've been living here I've seen over 20 news schools be built, and nearly all the farm land that was once here is gone. The people are great though, and the crime rates are very low. It's a great place for kids to grow up. It really just depends on the area you are looking at. It's not really too exciting... it's just your typical suburban town. There's not a whole lot to do, but the schools and neighborhoods are very nice.

[no user name]

Just one small little detail about Plainfield...IT'S IN THE MIDDLE OF TORNADO ALLEY!!! THERE WERE 29 PEOPLE KILLED THERE IN A 1990 TORNADO AND THE TOWN WAS DESTROYED IN WHAT STILL STANDS AS THE WORST TORNADO IN ILLINOIS HISTORY! NEIGHBORING JOLIET WAS HIT A COUPLE TIMES IN THE LAST COUPLE YEARS AS WAS THE SURROUNDING AREA!
But other than that little detail, it's ok....IF YOU LIKE TORNADOES! AND TORNADO SIRENS! NO THANK YOU!

[CBox]

"No User" is right about Plainfield.There seems to be a Magnet for
Severe Weather in Northwestern Will County.I remember the Plainfield tornado like it was yesterday and watching the TV stations helicopters
all in a row headed for Plainfield after the twister Hit.I grew up in the
Chicago area and Im no longer there thank goodness,Plainfield hasnt
been Hit by any twisters in a while and a lot of the posters here are
correct about Plainfield Growing with new Homes popping up everywhere.
Its a Big Commute for you if you work anywhere near Chicago and
Metra from Joliet nearby would be your best bet.I remember going to
visit friends in Plainfield when I was 1O years old,and it was an open
field then,Times have definately changed for the better since then

[jojobeans64]

I have lived in Plainfield my entire life, and if you are into getting ripped off dreadfully, plainfield is the place for you! The new residents of Plainfield continue to vote in favor of referndums, that have increased our tax base at an idiotic rate! We currently have no infrastructure to assist the tax payers in this area, so basically, we are *****ed every single day!!! Like to get in the car and go for a drive? Well drive you will, after you sit in traffic for hours on end, you will get to know Plainfield quite well in this manner! Do you hate your spouse? Then Plainfield is the place for you! We have a population of over 400000, and no hospital! And hey, lets not forget the ambulances have to sit in the same traffic as you! So your chances of surviving a trauma are quite reduced!! Looking for quality education for your kids? Well, Plainfield schools are touted as some of the best, but if you talk to some of the residents, I am sure you will hear a chorus of people who will disagree with that notion emphatically! While the price of homes are not as high as other places, the taxes are soaring at rates that have increased the number of reposessed homes in great numbers! So, in closing, I will tell you this much...you need a different realtor, cause that guy is trying to put you in a position that you never want to be in....

[donnellprobst]

Plainfield is NOT a bad area. You can get a good house for your money (not sure who said it was pricey, but maybe they lived outside of the Chicago area?). It is a new area, no town to speak of, and I think it is all mass-produced neighborhoods. There are some bigger, nicer homes in Plainfield, but most are not great quality. Good, but not great. Typical tract home. Like I said, it is NOT a bad area, but it really is in the middle of nowhere. Not sure where the nearest train station is to get downtown. I would say it is 15 min from any other chicago suburb, and there is pretty much just houses (and yes, it is tornado alley). I think it was built on what used to be farmland, so I'm sure they've planted some trees in the neighborhoods, but there aren't any tree-lined streets to speak of.

Anyhow, it is a good place for a family who wants more for their money. If you don't mind being in the middle of nowhere, it is safe, good schools, great place for a starter home.

Good luck!

[DianaC]

Plainfield is nice and the schools are nice (I worked in several as a substitute teacher and the children were respectful). I don't know so much about affordability, though. I guess it depends on where you're coming from. There are many very nice neighborhoods with houses that actually look different from each other but those tend to be pretty pricey. There's also many neighborhoods that are safe and very family (and wallet) friendly but the houses all look the same! And the taxes are very high and just seem to be going up...there are so many houses but not enough industry, although there have been new businesses popping up lately. It's a safe town and it's close to everything and anything you'd need. But whoever said you'll have to sit forever in traffic is absolutely correct.