lake county (Chicago, Arlington Heights, Schaumburg: house, established neighborhood, construction)

[cubssoxfan]

Lake County- You love Lake Co. It's understandable. There are many nice areas and it's rural areas add a charm that's gone from Cook Co.
But please stop being so argumentative and attacking my posts. I am not being critical of Lake Co. I am being critical of those who choose a location before employment and then find work-then, often, they bemoan the commute and where they live. And this is not unique to Lake Co. It happens nationwide.

It sounds like you have a comfort level from having lived there before. The more rural aspect and proximity to get away weekends in WI are benefits. (See, a compliment) However, traffic is getting worse and the road capacity is not always keeping up. Property taxes can be higher than Cook Co. as well. (ARE YOU DENYING THIS?)And although there are good schools, many would still rate the So. Lake County and No/NW Cook county schools better. (What is false about this statement? The test scores I provided document this. And NO, I do not consider Libertyville Northern Lake Co. Central maybe.) ONE THING MANY OVERLOOK IS HOW FAR THEY ARE FROM EMPLOYMENT. Long commutes can be a real negative on a family's quality of life. If you live in No./NW Cook you are much closer to a greater number of employers than in Lake Co.(I did not say there were not employment opportunities in Lake Co. It's a fact that many commute into Cook Co. becasue there are a larger # of jobs there) Now if you have a solid job with a Lake Co. employer-groovy. If not, and you need to find another job, the drive from Lindenhurst to Schaumburg or Linden hurst to Chicago is a real drag. I would rather buy existing construction in an established, mature neighborhood in Arlington Heights, Buffalo Grove, Palatine for 300-350K rather than face long commutes and additional time in my car. (Just an opinion-not a fact) I do, again, really see the appeal of more space, larger lot, newer home. Sections of Lake Co. are beautiful.(again-a compliment)....then again some sections are sub-division hell.(this occurs many places nationwide where developers plow a cornfield and put up anonymous boxes. This is not as commom in Lake Co. becasue of the wooded areeas)

[cubssoxfan]

Originally Posted by lakecountylifer

Huh? I didn't state they were. Libertyville though is regarded as northern Lake county and I compared LVHS and WTHS to Hersey and Buffalo Grove. Your blanket statement including Arlington Heights, Buffalo Grove, Palatine as in the same comparison as Glenborok North/South, Deerfield, etc. is what I was laughing at. It is laughable. At least I can be honest....

I went to Deerfield and I know that it stands out compared to other schools in the area---- Hersey and Buffalo Grove being compared to Deerfield is disingenious. Same with Libertyville and Warren Township. Now you can come up with some abstract data off a pre sat test to show that Hersey is superior to Warren or Libertyville----just like I could dig up data as well to show it the other way. If you like the it in Arlington HTS, great.... I just wouldn't paint it as a place with "great schools" like DHS and GBN.... I would never say that about Gurnee, Libertyville or northern lake county. North Shore schools are in a class of there own (until education reform in Illinois at least)...... I have met a lot of people over the years that tied to "tag along" the "north shore prestige"----and sorry---its still the same---Buffalo Grove, Arlington Heights, Palatine = All not north shore. Not even close.

Re-read my original comment that the So. Lake Co schools and No/NW Cook SChools are regarded as better than No Lake Co. High Schools.The schools you mentioned-Deerfield, GBN, LIbertyville score better than Warren. I do not consider Libertyville Northern Lake County, you do so we disagree. Warren is nowhere close to Hersey or Buffalo Grove. I NEVER SAID Hersey and BG compare to Deerfield or GBN, YOU introduced that element. And Hersey and BG are closer to Deerfield and GBN rankings than they are to Warren's rankings. I added Grayslake and Lakes because I consider that getting into Northern Lake Co. I would have added Antioch, but I either missed it or it's ranked after Warren. Now, remember-I did not say they were bad schools, just not as highly regarded.

[lakecountylifer]

No text

[lakecountylifer]

Originally Posted by cubssoxfan

Re-read my original comment that the So. Lake Co schools and No/NW Cook SChools are regarded as better than No Lake Co. High Schools..

Your lumping in ALL northern Cook schools with Deerfield and Glenbrook and HP...... Then you have the nerve to say you didn't write it......WOW!

[cubssoxfan]

Originally Posted by lakecountylifer

The way you write about Lake County--- "rural" (really, you used the word rural for up here?) and implying there are no jobs makes it apparent that you haven't driven north of Buffalo Grove in 20 years. Go ahead and argue that the Arlington Heights 1950's ranch slab lifestyle is great and all.....but if you start misleading people with generalizations and inaccuracies (such as I just did)----then I'll throw it back your way too. If you would have posted your "re-phrase" first---I would have said kuddos.

Laker, RELAX! I'm not attacking your area. I'm just providing a counter point.
WHERE IN BLAZES DID I SAY LAKE CO HAS NO JOBS!!!???? Stop misinterpreting and twisting my words! I've lived and traveled throughout the region for 45 years-I know Lake Co has jobs. I'm just pointing out many people commute to Cook Co. because there are even more jobs there. Don't you think most of the people that do would rather find comparable employmeny closer to home? Many do find closer work in Lake Co. but based on traffic patterns there is still a large # who do not.
The rural statement is truly a compliment-nothing deragatory about it. I hope the farms that exist on my drive up to Grayslake to visit my parents remain. I still don't see inaccuracies or generalizations in my OP. Yes there are some sections I don't drive to very often but I do get into So & Central Lake Co fairly often.

[cubssoxfan]

What's your point? Here's what I said

"And although there are good schools, many would still rate the So. Lake County and No/NW Cook county schools better."

Then I backed it up with data:

"According to Schooldigger.com using PSAE 11th grade math and reading scores you are partially correct.
Rankings:
Stevenson-5, Deerfield-6, Glenbrook N-10, Prospect(AH & Mt. Prospect)-14,
Lake Forest-15, Libertyville-16, Vernon Hill-20, Hersey-21, Highland Park-23, Glenbrook S-25, Buffalo Grove-49, Grayslake-72, Grayslake N-103, Lakes-106, Warren-129. So I stand by my statement that the high schools in NORTHERN Lake Co don't have the cachet that the high schools in NW Burbs do.
Libertyville, Vernon Hills, Lake Forest, Highland Park, Deerfield, Lincolnshire are NOT northern Lake County.

So what's your Beef???!!!!! I included Deerfield and GBN as a reference and even said you were partially correct since GBN and Deerfield are ranked higher than Hersey and BG. But if you're mad becasue I had the "audacity" to lump the NW high schools with the No Cook HS's just to make my point, I still don't get it. There is a spread of 39 rankings between BG and GBN. There is a ranking spread of 80 between BG and Warren. You said I generalized? I carefully sought empirical evidence to back up my opinion. You backed up your opinion with more non-substantiated opinion.

[lakecountylifer]

Whats your empircal evidence? One psat test? Please. My beef is that Hersey and Buffalo Grove High schools are no where near the prestige and academic achievement of Deerfield High School or Glenbrook North High School. Period.

[chitown85]

Glenbrook North High School is located in Northbrook, which is located in Cook County. Deerfield is located in southern Lake County due to its southern boundary bordering on Lake Cook Road. South of Lake Cook Road across from Deerfield is Northbrook.

Both communities are considered the North Shore.

Buffalo Grove and Arlington Heights are obviously NW burbs. Hersey is likely the least prestigious of the four schools mentioned in the post. However, there is not likely any significant difference between GBN, Deerfield, and BGHS.

The PSAT is notoriously unreliable, as are most indicators of school achievement. The most reliable are the average SAT and ACT scores, the amount of students that go onto college, and the number of AP courses taken, in addition to fully funded sports and extracurricular activities.

I think that what the other commentators are trying to get at there is a significant split between the North Shore (both Lake and Cook sides) and the NW burbs from the northern and central portions of Lake County.

The North Shore communities (including their schools) are well known throughout the United States. Portions of the NW burbs are also well known due to the large business community in the area (Arlington Park, Sears, Motorola, United, Woodfield).

The Lake County schools in Grayslake, Libertyville, Mundelein have not yet reached this status. There is nothing wrong with that, it is just an opinion that is echoed by many.

[lakecountylifer]

Originally Posted by cubssoxfan

Laker, RELAX! I'm not attacking your area. I'm just providing a counter point.
WHERE IN BLAZES DID I SAY LAKE CO HAS NO JOBS!!!???? Stop misinterpreting and twisting my words! I've lived and traveled throughout the region for 45 years-I know Lake Co has jobs. I'm just pointing out many people commute to Cook Co. because there are even more jobs there. Don't you think most of the people that do would rather find comparable employmeny closer to home? Many do find closer work in Lake Co. but based on traffic patterns there is still a large # who do not.
The rural statement is truly a compliment-nothing deragatory about it. I hope the farms that exist on my drive up to Grayslake to visit my parents remain. I still don't see inaccuracies or generalizations in my OP. Yes there are some sections I don't drive to very often but I do get into So & Central Lake Co fairly often.

You were careful to imply it. I see right through it and its not right. You think AH is gods gift. Great. But, there are people reading these boards making judgments on where to live. The OP mentioned nothing about moving to Lake County and a concern about employment and "jobs".....You offered up that the the NW Burbs have more jobs----implying that Lake County lacks jobs to the OP and everyone else who reads the post. She only asked about lifestyle. Maybe you unknowingly discredited the area...I don't no your intentions. But do you think that won't create an controversy with a statement like that? Do you think people really move to Lake County without a job?

Are there better jobs (i.e your claim of more jobs) in NW Cook? The Pharma and healthcare industry drives Lake County. Those jobs are in demand. Abbott and Baxter drive the labor market here. The NW Subrubs are driven by Sears/Kmart?

You claim or imply and offer some raw data (your credentials on academic research is????) like a PSAT test that Hersey and Buffalo are on par with the other No. Cook/Southern Lake schools (Glenbrooks, Deerfields, New Triers)..... Any reasonable person who has lived in the suburbs longer than a year understands that thats not true (irregardless of your "research").

Then You claimed that the NW Suburbs have "more jobs" (maybe paraphrasing)....and thats just not true. Then you re-write your post and claim you were just giving advice that someone should think first about jobs before moving.

[lakecountylifer]

Originally Posted by chitown85

Glenbrook North High School is located in Northbrook, which is located in Cook County. Deerfield is located in southern Lake County due to its southern boundary bordering on Lake Cook Road. South of Lake Cook Road across from Deerfield is Northbrook.

Both communities are considered the North Shore.

Buffalo Grove and Arlington Heights are obviously NW burbs. Hersey is likely the least prestigious of the four schools mentioned in the post. However, there is not likely any significant difference between GBN, Deerfield, and BGHS.

The PSAT is notoriously unreliable, as are most indicators of school achievement. The most reliable are the average SAT and ACT scores, the amount of students that go onto college, and the number of AP courses taken, in addition to fully funded sports and extracurricular activities.

I think that what the other commentators are trying to get at there is a significant split between the North Shore (both Lake and Cook sides) and the NW burbs from the northern and central portions of Lake County.

The North Shore communities (including their schools) are well known throughout the United States. Portions of the NW burbs are also well known due to the large business community in the area (Arlington Park, Sears, Motorola, United, Woodfield).

The Lake County schools in Grayslake, Libertyville, Mundelein have not yet reached this status. There is nothing wrong with that, it is just an opinion that is echoed by many.

This is a reasonable post. I'm not an educational researcher (or claim to be) but I would say that most reasonable people would not consider Buffalo Grove HS on par with a North Shore school. People aren't moving to Buffalo Grove for the schools like they have to Deerfield, Highland Park or Northbrook.

Can there be some statistical significance between NW burb schools and Central/Northern Lake Schools? Sure (but I'm not going with schooldigger.com or whatever). But to lump in the NW burb schools as being similar to North Shore schools is not correct and that was my main beef.