Questions about life in the Addison Burb (Chicago, Naperville: best suburbs, rental)

[F250_Lab_Taxi]

Hey everyone! I have a few questions if you have the time. The backstory is that my family moved to Addison, IL a few months back and I am thinking of possibly following in the coming year. They are building a house in a more affluent area of Addison (at least from what I can tell) and I would like to live in the same area, or at least close, but I am not sure that it will suit my needs. My husband and I are a late 20's early 30's couple who love to ride dirt bikes (have a toy hauler so a home where storage is possible would be best), have no kids but do have two dogs who are basically our kids, enjoy going out to eat, the outdoors and seeing the occasional movie. We do plan to have kids, probably shortly after we move. I was just in Addison last weekend, but didn't see any kind of an area where dirt bike trails would be. I currently live in Southern Nevada and they are everywhere! Anybody know if people out there in the burbs ride, or would be have to venture pretty far out? Also, our budget is ~$400K or less.

I'm really just curious about what people think of the Addison area. From what I can tell, it didn't look too crime ridden, but I have read that southern addison can have crime.

All responses appreciated.

PS: We don't all live in the hotels

[ToriaT]

My mom lives around there. Its okay. Not one of the "better suburbs" in Dupage County. Personally I have nothing against it but I would not live there. JMHO

[F250_Lab_Taxi]

Is it boring? Why wouldn't you want to live there? What are the better suburbs?

So many questions...

[ToriaT]

Its okay but the town center is a blink of an eye if it exists at all. Some strip malls. Some new shops on Lake street. True there are some nicer new homes that have been built there. The schools are not one of the best in the county (not that they are bad). It just does not have the amenities and appeal of some of the more upscale suburbs of Dupage. Its sort of bland suburbanish to me, with no real distinctive qualities. To compare, visit Naperville, Wheaton, Glen Ellyn, Hinsdale, and Downer's Grove. In my opinion these constitute some of the best suburbs in the county from many perspectives. I think you could get a home in your price range in some of those mentioned.

[chet everett]

Yep, fair summary from Toria. For those to whom education is important there are better choices. In the Chicago suburbs the #1 factor that differentiates towns is the perceived quality of the schools.

If you want to be close to dirt trails in this part of the country that is hard to do. The Forest Preserves have prohibitions against motorized vehicles so you are limited to private land in most cases. You may have to trailer your toys quite a distance.

$400K is pretty good starting in some towns, but I think you will be shocked as to how little that gets in other towns, generally the further you are from Chicago the more your money buys, but there are bands of expensive homes / land that may be 40 miles from the City and some bands of more urban older homes close in that are more affordable becuase of shifts in demographics.

You don't mention what sort of work you do, frankly given the economic conditions that would THE FIRST THING I would be concerned with, then I would from that to determine what sort of commute I could tolerate...

[F250_Lab_Taxi]

As far as work goes, not too worried at this point. My better half works with law enforcement (always crime, always jobs) and I will probably join the family ranks. My job would be in the vicinity of ORD and other half would probably work in the burb in which we live.

I guess dirt biking on the spur of the moment is out. Does being in a good school district effect resale quite a bit? Sounds like it would. Where I currently live, all of the school are pretty bad, so that is in no way a factor. What are some other things that might effect future resale that I should consider out that way? Thanks!

[chet everett]

Schools are a huge factor -- I can show you towns where being on the "good side" of a school attendance boundary is worth HUNDREDS OF THOUSAND of dollars. Some of the suburban schools, and even a handful of selective enrollment schools in Chicago rank among the best in the country. Many people make that a priority.

The other factors that are high on the resale list are access to commuting routes, quietness (away from airports), lack of rental properties, well developed business corridor, good tax situations, and things like Park Districts and community pools.

You might be surprised how hard it is to get a law enforcement job -- politics can factor in for the county forces, and the other towns are generally quite small and hire somewhat infrequently. Lots of people even with solid experience get discouraged and end up working for private security firms which have far lower pay / benefits. If you have connections it helps a lot, but there are no guarantees -- there are shifts in population that make it hard to say where the money to pay for government services will come from.

[F250_Lab_Taxi]

Thanks for the resale info; That's all great to know. I can't believe that hundreds of thousands play into the home market. Literally, it plays little to no part where I live. I also don't have to worry about the commute here. We drive EVERYWHERE.

Yeah, I know what you are saying about the job. I would hope that the politics involved would play out in my favor ;-) You are right though, you never do know...

Anyone else have anything to say about the area?

[mychgobears]

Yes, Addison has crime. There are gangs there, too. My BIL is an Addison police officer and has been for 27 years. Some of the things he has told us about are pretty nasty.

[chitown85]

Addison is a run of the mill west burb in DuPage County. Nearly every village has crime problems because criminals do have cars. In general, Addison is a good place to live. Nothing serious goes on and the schools are probably above average.