Homewood vs. Flossmoor (updated information) (Chicago, Naperville: crimes, buyer, high schools)

[At1WithNature]

Originally Posted by Lookout Kid

Oh, come on. It so clearly depends on the individual school or district that this comment is really off base.

Right, we're talking about H-F and the communities it services in places, such as Chicago Heights, we're not talking about New Trier here...

[Lookout Kid]

Originally Posted by At1WithNature

Right, we're talking about H-F and the communities it services in places, such as Chicago Heights, we're not talking about New Trier here...

It sounded like a blanket statement, and I'm sorry if I misunderstood you. But I'm sure Flossmoor has at least one or two good public elementary schools, if not more.

[Mamama Mia]

The area is perfectly fine, as are the majority of the public schools and H-F High School. It is considerably more diverse than it was 15 years ago, but many of the residents of both communities see that as a positive and are working very hard at their reputations for being excellent towns in which to raise families. The park district is excellent. There are some very good restaurants, excellent shops and it is a quick commute into the city from the train stations in both Homewood and Flossmoor. We attend church in Flossmoor and I hear little negative feedback from members who live there. They love their homes and the community.
Western Avenue in Flossmoor is a very nice elementary school. I don't believe Parker Jr. High is as bad as some of the posts in this thread might lead you to believe. As the community becomes more diverse, the schools are struggling to maintain the discipline that was in place before the mobility rate increased. The administrators are accustomed to having students who have come through the system since kindergarten and that is no longer the case, so they are facing and meeting new challenges.
Personally, I do not care for the structure of the schools in District 153. The grade centers in Homewood have probably accelerated the move-out rate in that town, since many families do not desire to have their children in 4 different schools prior to attending high school.
It is funny that New Trier was mentioned in this thread, at one time, H-F was considered to be the south suburban equivalent.

[Humboldt1]

New Trier is in a different league than the schools of Homewood-Flossomor. Maybe in the past, they were comparable but no longer due to the overall declines of even the best parts of the south side of Chicago.

[Lookout Kid]

New Trier is overrated. If you compare the test scores demographically--i.e. compare the scores of white or Asian upper and upper-middle class kids at New Trier to the same group at other suburban districts--it's really not deserving of all of its praise. Average test scores at a school have very little to do with how YOUR kid will perform there. What matters is their family background and the friends they associate with.

Now, of course New Trier offers advantages over a place like Proviso East. But the advantages of New Trier aren't as apparent when comparing to a good suburban high school like Naperville North or Riverside Brookfield.

[Rb111]

Like every neighborhood, there is some crime. Flossmoor is a pretty decent area, however, the taxes are a bit higher than most areas and more than people want to see. On the ther hand, the price of homes are lower as a result of this. For whatever the reason you and your wife chose these areas,...you chose them. I know individuals that live in these suburbs and from my visitations, there are some very nice homes. Again, taxes are a bit much. (something to consider). Is this the only area of consideration???

[Mooie80]

I grew up in Homewood/Flossmoor, and you're all right, it is different now. Different doesn't mean bad. I'm sorry, but I do not automatically consider the increase in diversity a negative thing. If you do, then I'm glad you don't live in my town.

I have been living in Aurora for a year, on the edge of Naperville, and I hate it here. I was in Central Illinois for 6 years before this, and also hated the rural life. Everything West & North of Chicago is commercial, sterile, and phony. Everyone's concerned with their status, and doesn't care that their house looks like every single other house in the subdivision.

I have been house-hunting in Homewood for about a month, and I have done my research. This was not a purely emotional decision. If you are looking for a great balance of good schools & reasonable housing prices, Homewood is a great bet. I am buying a 4BR house for $120K, and my sons will get a great education (the oldest will start Kg next year). Flossmoor does have even better schools, but consequently the property taxes are ASTRONOMICAL. Frankfort/New Lennox is whiter and has more expensive schools, but they have higher property prices. Crete/Steger has cheaper houses, but the schools are crap. Homewood balances well. If you haven't already, look at greatschools.net for parent ratings and test scores. Western Avenue Elementary in Flossmoor has unbelieveably amazing scores (I went there 1-6 grade), for what that's worth. Parents LOVE the Homewood schools, and they score well, too. I think the parental input is important because many schools are only teaching the kids how to pass the tests so the schools look better. They're not teaching the children to think and learn. My cousin is in 5th grade in Elmhurst and my aunt & uncle hate it for that reason. Yes, I think the Homewood grade center plan is a little strange, but my friends who have kids in the system like it. They say it creates smaller class sizes, and that's important.

What you will not find out from surfing the internet is that people in the Western & Northern suburbs look down on the South suburbs (as I think is evident by the previous posts). People in the South suburbs do not generally do the same in return. Growing up, I never spared a thought much for what was West & North of the city. I married a man from the Western subs, and when we first got together he used to say all the time that he can't believe he ACTUALLY hooked up with a South suburbanite, and that his friends would tease him about it. If that's the kind of environment you want to raise your kids in, great. Personally, I'd rather raise my kids in a friendly, homey, down-to-earth town where people appreciate each other.

They're right about the water in the basement. 75% of the houses I look at have water issues, but that's not the end of the world. It's fixable.

Also, someone mentioned the H-F park district: Homewood has a great "hometown" feel, an adorable downtown, and LOTS of family-friendly activities all summer long. I don't know that Flossmoor offers those same kinds of things, but at least they're nearby.

And, if you want to live off of an expressway that is congested in both directions 24-7, by all means, move near the Eisenhower (I-290) which feeds the Western subs. The Dan Ryan (I-94) that runs into the city from the south does have its rush hour, but is usually fine during the off-hours.

Homewood is made up of many different neighborhoods with their own advantages & disadvantages, and if there are things that you would like and not like about your particular neighborhood, you need to explain that to your realtor & he/she will steer you in the right direction, if they're worth their salt. I would definitely suggest you use a realtor from the area, for all these reasons.

[Mooie80]

Sorry about my rant, but I can answer your specific original questions.

My friend's little girl goes to Hello Montessori and they absolutely love it. I also hear good things about a place called Bobby Noonan's, but I don't know where that is.

I think Homewood is more diverse, but I guess it depends. Homewood has more African Americans and Latinos, I think Flossmoor has more Indian or Middle Eastern families.

Areas to avoid, again your realtor can help with that, but I have a good friend whose mother worked for the Village of Homewood, and she steered me away from the east end of 187th. She said it looks fine, but they are often having criminal issues with that specific area for whatever reason. The older parts of town, like off of Ridge Road, will cost you more to live there, but they are wonderful neighborhoods. Also, near Isaak Walton Park.

All areas of both towns are prone to basement water, unfortunately. Find yourself a house that has already addressed that issue.

The park district is WONDERFUL, and you should visit their website to see all the things that are offered, especially in the summer.

Flossmoor has a better rep, Homewood is a better value, in my opinion. It reminds me of how I could go to Marshalls or TJ Maxx and get the exact same awesome shoes that some idiot spent full price for at the department store.

The worst thing that happened anywhere near the area in recent memory is the shootings at the Lane Bryant in Tinley (or Orland?) over a year ago. The local law enforcement (including many different areas nearby) is still pursuing that case full force, even without any leads. It is a sad story, but it also shows me that the police have not had anything else as heinous more recently to move on to.

Hope this helps more than my previous fly-off-the-handle defense of my hometown!

[Lookout Kid]

Originally Posted by Mooie80

Everything West & North of Chicago is commercial, sterile, and phony. Everyone's concerned with their status, and doesn't care that their house looks like every single other house in the subdivision.

Well, I'm happy that you stood up for Homewood, but this statement is pure bull****. There are many suburbs north and west of the city that have character. Places like Oak Park, River Forest, Berwyn, Cicero, La Grange, Evanston--and most of the North Shore, for that matter, do not fit your characterization at all. Some may call the North Shore sterile and phony, but there are some really beautiful older homes that are quite unique. Heck, even Wheaton has a nice downtown and some variation in housing stock in the older part of town.

[Mamama Mia]

You can get an amazing home for a steal in Homewood.
As for home prices, we were just out with a group of friends a few weeks ago, we all attend church in Flossmoor. Real estate was a topic of conversation. Two couples bought at the same time (one in Nov., the other in Dec.) in 1986. The couple in Homewood paid $119,000. and sold that same home last fall for $149,900. The friends in Crete paid $125,000. and are going to closing next week with a sale price of $335,000. They had done similar improvements.
So while Mooie80 has negative things to say about Crete schools, apparently that has not negatively affected home prices.