North Shore, I just don't get it...please explain (Chicago: real estate, 2009)

[dcisive]

I for one always preferred to be in living situation OUT of the traffic of cars, bikes, kids and people in general. If I had a choice (and the $$) I'd likely have one of those gated properties overlooking the lake anytime. Peace and quiet is my motto. Doesn't seem to be with most folks, that prefer kids riding bikes up on their lawn and driveways, car traffic most all day and some of the night and prefer to just be in the middle of everything. Indeed "to each his own"....no thanks. My perfect world is 20 acres around me with my neighbor 1/2 mile down the road. No barking dogs, no traffic noise, no screaming kids, just that wonderful sound of the breeze at night. Oh well........I can dream......

[mendelman]

Originally Posted by dcisive

I for one always preferred to be in living situation OUT of the traffic of cars, bikes, kids and people in general.

And you obviously will never have to actually leave your little compound, right? Because the moment you leave, you get all you hate.

I hear the dark side of the Moon is pretty quiet. Maybe you can buy some land there, but the commute would be hell.

[cubssoxfan]

What's the big deal anyway? Some people like lot's of trees, some don't. Some like sidewalks and a denser, walkable neighborhood, some don't. Some like new, moonscape-like construction and some like older, established homes. It's a slice of America: we have different tastes and because of it existing homes sell and new construction sells. Well, used to.
The Glen is OK. Give it 10-15 years for the trees to grow and hope people planted some trees in their backyards. My preference is the North Shore. I choose not to afford it and am "slumming it" in Arlington Heights. Doesn't make anyone right or wrong.

[thePR]

Originally Posted by cubssoxfan

What's the big deal anyway? Some people like lot's of trees, some don't. Some like sidewalks and a denser, walkable neighborhood, some don't. Some like new, moonscape-like construction and some like older, established homes. It's a slice of America: we have different tastes and because of it existing homes sell and new construction sells. Well, used to.
The Glen is OK. Give it 10-15 years for the trees to grow and hope people planted some trees in their backyards. My preference is the North Shore. I choose not to afford it and am "slumming it" in Arlington Heights. Doesn't make anyone right or wrong.

Arlington Heights is a nice place.

[Sarah H.]

We moved to the NS 6 years ago and looked in the Glen too, as it was also in our price range. We chose the NS suburbs because we liked them better. The Glen, while nicely designed, looked too much like a movie set.

The OP described typical NS homes as having small lots, power lines, and no privacy but this was one of our issues with the Glen. (Not the power lines, however.) It's nice that the homes are back to back with an alley in the middle but there was very little yard. And it appears that fences aren't allowed or they have to be low. If not for my kitchen curtains and my neighbor's we could see into each others' kitchens so I understand small lots. I just didn't see how the Glen was any different, just less trees.

Also we felt the quality of the 70+ year old homes we saw on the NS was 100 times higher than what was built in the Glen. Personally I like older homes. We owned a new construction townhouse in the city prior to moving here and we had more problems there in 3 years than in the 6 in this house. Funny because you'd think after probably 5 owners or so our home would have taken on more wear and tear than one in which we were the first owners. Go figure.

As for the missing sidewalks on the NS, well I don't know what you're talking about. The NS towns are built on a grid with sidewalks so it's easy to get around on foot or bike. We also have grocery stores and pharmacies that still deliver, which I think adds to the small town feel.

I hope you find what you're looking for. The Glen has many attributes, like a nice park and park district, closer to 294, nearby shopping, etc. You should enjoy what you have.

[chitown85]

In my personal opinion, there are advantages to the NS, and advantages distinct to the NW burbs.

For the NS: It is very walkable, however, the roads are much narrower and the houses are closer together. It also seems that it takes longer to get to Wal Marts, Targets, supermarkets, etc.

For the NW: Much wider streets. Although not as walkable, it is just strip mall after strip mall, which in some respects is good if you need things in a hurry.

Personally, I would prefer AH to NS, but that's just me.

[Bongu]

It all comes down to personal preference and what you value most. With 1.5MM to spend in the NS you typically can choose between (generalizations but fairly accurate):

1) A 1 acre lot with a nice size older home (10-30 yrs)
2) A <.25 acre lot with an older home near the lake in Winnet/Kennil/Glencoe
3) A .25-.5 acre lot with a new construction home and top of the line appliances and stone but not walking distance to the lake

Which is most important? What some will call "cookie cutter" others will call "dream home", what some will call "old and worn" others will call "charming". Some would ask why pay extra for a big yard while others want space for the kids to run around in addition to a swingset or a pool.

Do you care if somebody else lived in your home before you? Do you want more than a .15 acre lot? If the answer is yes, you better have a lot of money if you want Kennilworth and walking distance to the lake (and even more with a view).

Do you like looking at older homes where all of the homes look the same? Do you cringe at the idea of shopping centers and stone and stucco exteriors? If so run as far away from the Glen as you can.

My belief is that on a message board people say they want something different and charming and bash suburban America and Wal-marts and Target. Then when they compare a 2000 sq ft. ranch from 1950 to a 4500 sq ft. McMansion with a finished basement, they will jump at the larger home with new appliances.

And to the arguments about no landscaping in the Glen, remember it is new and character will be built in the years to come. Rome wasn't built in a day. I'm sure a new home buyer that planted a tree in their backyard will love watching that tree grow over the years and will be very proud of it in 15 years when it is all grown up.

[edsg25]

Barney makes $9000 a year and just lost his job. That does little to help him pay off his $120,000 credit card debt. After he was fired, Barney bought a $1,700,000 home (obviously with a subprime mortgage) in Beyondthesticksville. His home has 250 sq ft of space on a 400 sq ft lot not hooked up to power and water lines. There is no public transportation from Beyondthesticksville to Chicago, the nearest METRA line being 30 miles away (and from there an 1.5 hr ride to Union Station by train). No highways leave Beyodthesticksville, only two lane roads. The schools stink. As does the sewage plant across from Barney's home (which, again, his house is not hooked up to). BTW, sales tax in Beyondthesticksville is a mere 35%,

Questioning why Barney or anyone wold choose to live in Beyodthesticksville makes all the sense in the world. Questioning the same about virtually any real community in Chicagoland does not. And even for someone who may not like it (and many don't), questioning why people would live on the North Shore is downright ludicrous.

Some future topics to consider here:

• I don't get it...why do gamblers like to go to Las Vegas of all places?

• Museuming at the Louvre: do people realize how overrated it really is?

• Real deep dish pizza downtown at Uno's or Due's: you've got to be kidding

• Why would anyone choose Maui over Cleveland for a vacation

[Anthera]

Originally Posted by edsg25

Barney makes $9000 a year and just lost his job. That does little to help him pay off his $120,000 credit card debt. After he was fired, Barney bought a $1,700,000 home (obviously with a subprime mortgage) in Beyondthesticksville. His home has 250 sq ft of space on a 400 sq ft lot not hooked up to power and water lines. There is no public transportation from Beyondthesticksville to Chicago, the nearest METRA line being 30 miles away (and from there an 1.5 hr ride to Union Station by train). No highways leave Beyodthesticksville, only two lane roads. The schools stink. As does the sewage plant across from Barney's home (which, again, his house is not hooked up to). BTW, sales tax in Beyondthesticksville is a mere 35%,

Questioning why Barney or anyone wold choose to live in Beyodthesticksville makes all the sense in the world. Questioning the same about virtually any real community in Chicagoland does not. And even for someone who may not like it (and many don't), questioning why people would live on the North Shore is downright ludicrous.

Some future topics to consider here:

• I don't get it...why do gamblers like to go to Las Vegas of all places?

• Museuming at the Louvre: do people realize how overrated it really is?

• Real deep dish pizza downtown at Uno's or Due's: you've got to be kidding

• Why would anyone choose Maui over Cleveland for a vacation

I have to admit you nailed it.

[Lookout Kid]

Originally Posted by Bongu

Do you care if somebody else lived in your home before you?

This attitude drives me ****ing crazy. The idea that we will just keep building new construction homes for everyone is just nuts, and is not something we can sustain forever. In fact, that era may be over right now as we speak. So all of you spoiled new-construction-don't-want-to-live-in-a-"used house" morons will have to get used to living in homes that were previously occupied. Deal with it. Buidlings are NOT disposable.