Match a northen suburb to a western suburb (Aurora, Naperville: real estate, houses)

[Tex?Il?]

OK: Here's something: How would you match/compare a northern suburb (Northern Cook and Lake County) to a western suburb (DuPage and Western Cook County) based on demographics, character, etc. all those things.

Heres mine:

Evanston = Oak Park

Wilmette = River Forest

Park Ridge = LaGrange?

Arlington Hts = Downers Grove

South Barrington = Oak Brook

Long Grove = Wayne

Waukegan/Gurnee = Aurora

Winnetka = Hinsdale

Vernon Hills/Libertyville = Narperville

Glenview = Burr Ridge

Des Plaines = Addison

Highland Park = Riverside

Skokie = Forest Park/Berwyn?

Schuamburg = Lombard?

Mt. Prospect = Elmhurst

These are just guesses. Maybe their all pretty similar. Curious to know what you think.

[Chummy Waters]

Wow....and I thought I was bored.

[sgresident]

Have you actually been to aurora? I don't think waukegan and gurnee are like aurora at all.
also, long grove and wayne? don't think so.
maybe long grove and geneva.

[Justabystander]

I think this is pretty darn good, and agree with OP=Evanston, Winnetka=Hinsdale, think that Western Springs=Wilmette and Long Grove=Geneva, and disagree with the Burr Ridge=Glenview, but generally the comparisons are just about as close as your going to get. How about Cicero=Zion, and Highwood=Forest Park?

Originally Posted by Tex?Il?

OK: Here's something: How would you match/compare a northern suburb (Northern Cook and Lake County) to a western suburb (DuPage and Western Cook County) based on demographics, character, etc. all those things.

Heres mine:

Evanston = Oak Park

Wilmette = River Forest

Park Ridge = LaGrange?

Arlington Hts = Downers Grove

South Barrington = Oak Brook

Long Grove = Wayne

Waukegan/Gurnee = Aurora

Winnetka = Hinsdale

Vernon Hills/Libertyville = Narperville

Glenview = Burr Ridge

Des Plaines = Addison

Highland Park = Riverside

Skokie = Forest Park/Berwyn?

Schuamburg = Lombard?

Mt. Prospect = Elmhurst

These are just guesses. Maybe their all pretty similar. Curious to know what you think.

[barb9292]

No, I think that Wilmette is much closer to River Forest then Western Springs. The homes in Wilmette and River Forest and very similar and both much older than those in Western Springs. River Forest's home values are more in line with Wilmette, they are both much closer to downtown than Western Springs and both are next to a much larger less expensive liberal suburb (Evanston and Oak Park). Not sure what the argument for Wilmette being more like Western Springs than River Forest would be.

[Lookout Kid]

La Grange and Park Ridge are nothing alike. La Grange has a very compact historic center with beatiful old victorian and craftsman homes--and has a street feel similar to northern Oak Park (the biggest difference is side garages instead of alley access). I don't think there's a match on the North Shore for La Grange. I guess the "newer" parts of La Grange are similar to Park Ridge in some ways, though.

[Lookout Kid]

Also, I don't see much similarity between Skokie and Berwyn/Forest Park. Skokie is much more affluent and new. I'd say Skokie is similar to the newer parts of Brookfield and La Grange. Or even Westchester, but with better schools and higher real estate prices.

[Lookout Kid]

Highland Park reminds me of Hinsdale.

[SloopyJ]

I think Wilmette is somewhat analagous to the combination of La Grange and Western Springs. East Wilmette (including downtown) has a similar feel to the historic area of La Grange, and West Wilmette has some similarities to Western Springs.

And I think I'd put Highland Park and Naperville together.

[pesco]

La Grange and Park Ridge are nothing alike. La Grange has a very compact historic center with beatiful old victorian and craftsman homes--and has a street feel similar to northern Oak Park (the biggest difference is side garages instead of alley access). I don't think there's a match on the North Shore for La Grange. I guess the "newer" parts of La Grange are similar to Park Ridge in some ways, though.

I respectfully disagree. I grew up in Park Ridge and now live in La Grange and am always struck by their similarities. Many of my family members and friends have also noticed the link. The area of Park Ridge Southeast of Uptown and the La Grange historic district have very similar housing. The "gold coast" area West of Brainard and North of 47th in LG and the houses in the PR country club area look very much alike. Both towns also have a large amount of Georgians and Colonials.

In addition, I think both towns attract people that value proximity to the city, good transportation options, and walkable neighborhoods. The sheer size of Park Ridge makes some areas in the far North and far South side of the town less walkable than most of La Grange, but (roughly) any neighborhood between Oakton & Devon enjoys a pedestrian-friendly lifestyle.

The towns aren't carbon copies of one another, but they're more alike than you may realize.