Antioch what do you think of it? (Chicago, Waukegan: cul-de-sac, for sale)

[Pinkybrain]

My wife and I are looking into moving up to Antioch (red wing view subdivision) I was wondering if anyone had any knowledge of this subdivision or the area in general as to how it is to live there or what the Antioch community is like. How are the schools? Anyone dislike the area?

Thanks

[Spartanacus]

Hello, we moved to Antioch last May and like it very much. We live in The Woods of Antioch, Northwest of downtown. Red Wing is a nice sub, but I was hesitant to move there or the subs near it, because I wanted to be in a little more established sub.

If you haven't checked out The Woods yet, you should...there's a 'new' home (one of two homes that have never been lived in yet) two down from me, that is very nice, on a corer cul-de-sac lot, with nice woods behind it (but not directly due to the placement of the lot).

We'd love to have some new neighbors so we're not the 'new' people anymore...plus we're the youngest family in the sub, so if you are under 40 especially...by all means, check it out, and we'll drink some beers this Summer! ; )

Seriously though...you can't go wrong either way.

And as far as Antioch, it has pretty much all you need, i's not too far off 94, not too far from other shopping/attractions in Gurnee, and not too far from Kenosha, etc. to our North. It seems like the middle of nowhere, but it's a perfect location, in between Milwaukee and Chicago...so you have tons of job opportunities if you want to go that far South or North...but there's lots in between too.

Our nicely manicured tree-filled subdivision, along with the downtown area really sealed the deal for us. There is a little movie theater, several nice restaurants and bars, as well as shops. We also get a lot of use out of the library (two young kids).

The Wal-Mart is nice too (I'm usually a Target guy)! The area seems very safe, with your same minor problems as anywhere else I'm sure. The schools are good I hear. Our oldest will be starting kindergarten at Hillcrest in the Fall and the school is very nice and they seem very well organized over there.

My ONLY complaint is that our sub's residents are on the older side. Like I said...if you are under 40, it's rare. There are several nice homes around us for sale though, so take a look, make an offer, and I'll fire up the grill this Summer! And that's a deal even if you're over 40. : )

Any other questions...let me know.

[chitown85]

Nice rural/suburban town. Depends on where you work too since it is very far from Chicago. I know some will try to claim you can make it downtown in 45 minutes, but it isn't true.

[lakecountylifer]

Originally Posted by chitown85

Nice rural/suburban town. Depends on where you work too since it is very far from Chicago. I know some will try to claim you can make it downtown in 45 minutes, but it isn't true.

And some will lie and tell you it takes 2 hours to drive and you will need a space car..... And this person probably has only mapped out Antioch and Gurnee on their computer and has never actually made the drive.

[lakecountylifer]

Ok- Antioch is pretty nice. Its got the small town feel and lots of lakes...... Retail encroachment with Wal-mart and other planned development has changed Antioch only slightly. If urgent medical care is a concern, just to let you know, the Ambulance will take you to either to Waukegan or Libertyville---a pretty long distance considering where Antioch is located.

[GoCUBS1]

I like Antioch. It still has that small-town feel w/the quaint little downtown. I think they also have a Metra stop? There is one school (I think Emmons K-8(?) which doesn't serve Red Wing) that performed very well when I looked at it a few years ago. If you have a boat, access to all the nearby waterways is nice.

I know of the Red Wing subdivision. The houses are bigger and newer and back up to nice ponds/nature preserves/playgrounds. However, when I last visited, I saw lots of houses for sale in this neighborhood (some possible foreclosure?). This is a newer subdivision w/lots of younger, working families. Residents may have bought at the peak a few years ago and now, with depreciation, are upside-down on their mortgages. I'm not sure how this will affect the neighborhood, but you should be able to find a good deal there. I do have friends there who really like the people in this subdivision.

One thing I really don't like about Red Wing is how it seems there are only 2 or 3 different models/styles throughout the subdivision. I always have trouble finding my friend's house because it looks, to me, like every other house on her block. I also don't like that it's not walkable to the town. But these things may not be as important to you. And I'm not sure how the traffic on Route 173 is for your commute. There has been some new retail/residential development off 173 over the last few years...

[cubssoxfan]

Originally Posted by lakecountylifer

And some will lie and tell you it takes 2 hours to drive and you will need a space car..... And this person probably has only mapped out Antioch and Gurnee on their computer and has never actually made the drive.

WBEZ Shadow Traffic Reports Wed around 5:30 PM outbound Kennedy to O'Hare was unusually light-25 minutes downtown to O'Hare. (AND the trip from downtown to O'Hare on the Kennedy can easily be 35 to sometimes 50 minutes) IF traffic is moving add 10 minutes from I-90 junction to Willow Rd. From Willow add 20 minutes to Rte 173. Add 10? to drive from 294 to home. So that's 65 minutes.
Are my calculations off?!! It is also typical that you will run into traffic slow downs north on 294 past Lake Cook Rd which can add an extra 5-10 minutes.

So 2 hours is very unusual, probably only happens during snowstorm or due to accident. However, anything under an hour is very unusual also-especially during rush hour.
"Normal" drive time during rush hour? More like 65-80 minutes.

Bottom line- if you work downtown Chicago think long and hard about the daily grind of commuting.
Now if you have a situation where one person works in Milwaukee and one person in Chicago OR your job is in the Northern or Northwest suburbs then the location makes sense.
On another note, I think the wooded, country atmosphere is nice.

[GoCUBS1]

I once commuted from Antioch to O'hare during rush hour and I think it took close to an hour. I'd expect close to a 1 1/2 hour drive from Antioch to downtown during rush hour (173 to 294). But maybe my calculations are off? I don't know anyone who lives in Antoch and drives downtown everyday. Many seem to work in Lake County (e.g. Abbott Labs).

[chitown85]

Sometimes outbound from downtown to O'Hare takes over an hour, especially in the summer on a Friday or a snow day.

[purplesky]

My late boss used to live in Antioch. He commuted to Skokie every day. He said it only took him about 40 minutes, and that he only had 2 stoplights the whole way.