lake county (Chicago, Elgin, Arlington Heights: apartments, new home, movies)

[BlackHawksfan102]

I have been to both nyc and la plus the bay area. All of those cities have suburbs spreading almost 21/2 hours long commute and alot of ppl travel by train. my brother who lives in connecticut lives about 15 to 20 miles from new haven and uses the train to get to manhattan. His house is riight on the long island sound and it was worth $375,000 when he brought it a couple of years back. Ive been there and it reminds me of a winnetka or wilmette. they look exactly the same. plus i think lake countys gonna get expensive because soon theyll have metra going to downtown milwaukkee, so you have to assume that population is gonna spread to kenosha county.

[cubssoxfan]

Originally Posted by lakecountylifer

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.

Now I understand your beef. As Chet Everett has pointed out, school ranking is challenging and can be like climbing a slippery slope. Actually Warren may be like my Wheeling HS. A good school brought down by test scores from a non-college bound section of the student body. But still a school that will challenge and prepare those that want to focus on academics. And that's the gist of "reputations", some is backed by facts and some is pure hearsay. No doubt the North Shore schools are excellent/great-the demographics would be different if they were'nt. But from all the data and test scores I have seen, Fremd, Prospect and to an extent, Hersey will give the North Shore High Schools a run for their money academically. And therefore, people really do move into this area for the schools. This is also backed up by the elementary districts feeding into these schools. North Shore ISAP scores in low to high 90's. Dist 25, 23, 57 all have low to high 90's as well. North Shore has better reputaion but the difference between there and NW burbs can be smaller than one thinks or even non-exisitent. Probably more district and HS dependent in NW burbs where the north Shore from Wilmette all the way to Lake Forest is rock solid.

[cubssoxfan]

Originally Posted by lakecountylifer

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.

Here is the specific post I responded to and my reply is below:

Quote:
Originally Posted by miasmommy
We are looking right now in Lindenhurst. My mother's side has lived there for years ( I went to highschool in Lake County). You can get the same home with more yard for the half the price as one in Cook County.

It's becoming more busy and crowded however with the new water park added to Great America and the indoor/hotel park across the street. The summers are packed with people because of the Chain of Lakes.

I love it. Fishing, boating, swimming, more trees, less polution and the best thing of all THE PEOPLE: More down to earth and not as obsessed with material things.

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. However, traffic is getting worse and the road capacity is not always keeping up. Property taxes can be higher than Cook Co. as well. And although there are good schools, many would still rate the So. Lake County and No/NW Cook county schools better. 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. 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. I do, again, really see the appeal of more space, larger lot, newer home. Sections of Lake Co. are beautiful.....then again some sections are sub-division hell.

What the he*@ is your problem?! Back off already!

[lakecountylifer]

What the he*@ is your problem?! Back off already![/quote]


Truce I guess? We just aren't on the same page. Maybe my "revision" will help you see it from my perspective...if not thats ok. Time to move on. Assume the OP stated a considered move to Arlington Heights.

"It sounds like you have a comfort level from having lived there before. The more urban aspect and proximity to Woodfield Mall are benefits. ONE THING MANY OVERLOOK IS HOW FAR THEY ARE FROM EMPLOYMENT. Many people commute to Chicago from Arlington Heights and public transportation is your best bet if thats the case. I-90 is awful coming into Chicago in the rush hours. If you live in Lake County you are much closer to a greater number of employers that are financially sound as compared to NW Cook County (Motorola and Kmart-Sears) and you do not have to rely on commuting 40 miles + per day to/from Chicago for your job. Now if you have a solid job with a Cook Co. employer-groovy. If not, and you need to find another job, the drive from Scaumburg to Abbott Park, McGaw Park or Deerfield is a real drag.

Property taxes can be higher than Cook Co., but you aren't fleeced by the "Stroger 10% sales tax" in Lake County----which is only 6.5%. Ineffective government leadership in Cook County results in Cook County suburbs subsidizing Chicago. In fact, many NW Cook County suburbs are considering forming a new county or being annexed by Lake County. President Stroger told NW suburb residents he didn't care if they did. And although there are good schools, many would still rate the Lake County and No. Cook county schools better (closer to the lake front the better).

I would rather buy newer construction with a larger lot for 300-350K rather than face long commutes to areas losing jobs and additional time in my car. I do, again, really see the appeal of living closer to the city and all its problems, olders homes. Sections of Cook Co. are beautiful.....then again some sections are sub-division hell."

[cubssoxfan]

Truce I guess? We just aren't on the same page. Maybe my "revision" will help you see it from my perspective...if not thats ok. Time to move on. Assume the OP stated a considered move to Arlington Heights.

"It sounds like you have a comfort level from having lived there before. The more urban aspect and proximity to Woodfield Mall are benefits. ONE THING MANY OVERLOOK IS HOW FAR THEY ARE FROM EMPLOYMENT. Many people commute to Chicago from Arlington Heights and public transportation is your best bet if thats the case. I-90 is awful coming into Chicago in the rush hours. If you live in Lake County you are much closer to a greater number of employers that are financially sound as compared to NW Cook County (Motorola and Kmart-Sears) and you do not have to rely on commuting 40 miles + per day to/from Chicago for your job. Now if you have a solid job with a Cook Co. employer-groovy. If not, and you need to find another job, the drive from Scaumburg to Abbott Park, McGaw Park or Deerfield is a real drag.

Property taxes can be higher than Cook Co., but you aren't fleeced by the "Stroger 10% sales tax" in Lake County----which is only 6.5%. Ineffective government leadership in Cook County results in Cook County suburbs subsidizing Chicago. In fact, many NW Cook County suburbs are considering forming a new county or being annexed by Lake County. President Stroger told NW suburb residents he didn't care if they did. And although there are good schools, many would still rate the Lake County and No. Cook county schools better (closer to the lake front the better).

I would rather buy newer construction with a larger lot for 300-350K rather than face long commutes to areas losing jobs and additional time in my car. I do, again, really see the appeal of living closer to the city and all its problems, olders homes. Sections of Cook Co. are beautiful.....then again some sections are sub-division hell."

[/quote]

Good post. And the way I would respond is: I would rather buy existing construction in an established neighborhood, with high performing schools, good libraries, good park districts, good pedestrian and bicycle infrastructure in an area close to work and preferably not too far out from the city. I'm not a huge go to Chicago fan, I just feel (opinion here, not fact) that I am closer to more future job opportunities in AH than I am in Lindenhurst, thus the preference for closer to city. So it's all preferences and different perspectives. And based on home prices, I think many people agree. The stronger, more widely desired communities will have prices that reflect the desirability. And I see Libertyville has appreciated tremendously the last 15 years. Perhaps Lindenhurst will too.
Now ironically you can find all the criteria I mentioned in my neighborhood preferences in many Lake Co. communities. Certainly the proximity to Chicago decreases the farther north you go. So it's not "Lake County Bad/AH-NW suburbs GOOD", it's "You sure you want to live that far out, and have you thought through all the negatives associated with that?"
Again, there are many good attributes and being far, far away from Chicago is one of the positives for some. Hey, I'm no fan of Crook Co. government.

[chitown85]

Originally Posted by lakecountylifer

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.

My point is that I don't think someone who goes to Buffalo Grove, Palatine, or Fremd (all Cook County) or Stevenson (Lake County) is necessarily less educated than one who attends Deerfield, Highland Park (both Lake County), or GBN or GBS (both Cook County).

I do think that there MAY (and I'm not sure but this is the perception) be a disparity/contrast between the schools I mentioned above on the whole with the schools in northern or central Lake County (Warren Township, Grayslake, Round Lake).

[lakecountylifer]

Originally Posted by chitown85

My point is that I don't think someone who goes to Buffalo Grove, Palatine, or Fremd (all Cook County) or Stevenson (Lake County) is necessarily less educated than one who attends Deerfield, Highland Park (both Lake County), or GBN or GBS (both Cook County).

I do think that there MAY (and I'm not sure but this is the perception) be a disparity/contrast between the schools I mentioned above on the whole with the schools in northern or central Lake County (Warren Township, Grayslake, Round Lake).

Steveson is an elite school in the league with New Trier, GBN, GBS and DHS. I wouldnt consider Fremd, Buffalo Grove or Palatine in comparison to Stevenson.

[lakecountylifer]

Here are some interesting tidbits from Citydata.com:

2007 Median Income:

Palatine- $66,689
Arlington Heights- $81,527
Schaumburg- $61,818
Rolling Meadows- $68,140
Hoffman Estates- $75,474

Gurnee- $88,025
Grayslake- $85,005
Wadsworth- $100,954
Lindenhurst- $86,978
Libertyville- $103,233

And even shocking to me- Round Lake Beach had a higher median income than Palatine and Schaumburg!- $67,465. That is a shocker and a mythbuster! 10 years ago RLB was a pit. But people making...ummm... $67,465 are now moving there. Why?

With the disparity between the median income levels between Central/Northern Lake County and the Northwest Suburbs I referenced, wouldn't the notion that being further from Chicago in Northern or Central Lake county has potential disadvantages economically be false? Wouldn't it say that more, better paying jobs are moving north? I'm not a rocket scientist....but the income data doesn't lie: "Who is paying this type of money to those crazies in northern lake county"? LOL.

How would one explain the income gap between the northern/central Lake county suburbs and the Cook NW Burbs? You can't be making $88,000 per year at Gurnee Mills or Six Flags, right? And if there are more plentiful better jobs in the NW burbs, why don't those suburbs income levels reflect that?

A $20,000 per year median gap between Northern Lake County residents and NW Cook burbs dispels many myths about Northern Lake County being "too far away" from Chicago.

Now, granted----schools up here can improve and they will. People making $88,000 in Gurnee are starting to demand action to improve schools. But the quesion of the days is, why aren't the 30,000 + residents of Gurnee and surrounding suburbs who work in our area be (median income $88,025) willing to commute to Arlington Heights to live there for the "better life" and "better schools"? Because good paying jobs are here, schools are improving, the knock on Central/Northern Lake County is a myth, and the lifestyle is good up here..... Income levels don't lie.

[cubssoxfan]

Originally Posted by lakecountylifer

Steveson is an elite school in the league with New Trier, GBN, GBS and DHS. I wouldnt consider Fremd, Buffalo Grove or Palatine in comparison to Stevenson.

Do some research and Prospect and Fremd rank right up there with the elite schools. Hersey is very close behind. When I look at various test scores & AP offerings that is the conclusion I come to.
BG and Palatine are a notch or 2 below.

[cubssoxfan]

Originally Posted by lakecountylifer

Here are some interesting tidbits from Citydata.com:

2007 Median Income:

Palatine- $66,689
Arlington Heights- $81,527
Schaumburg- $61,818
Rolling Meadows- $68,140
Hoffman Estates- $75,474

Gurnee- $88,025
Grayslake- $85,005
Wadsworth- $100,954
Lindenhurst- $86,978
Libertyville- $103,233

And even shocking to me- Round Lake Beach had a higher median income than Palatine and Schaumburg!- $67,465. That is a shocker and a mythbuster! 10 years ago RLB was a pit. But people making...ummm... $67,465 are now moving there. Why?

With the disparity between the median income levels between Central/Northern Lake County and the Northwest Suburbs I referenced, wouldn't the notion that being further from Chicago in Northern or Central Lake county has potential disadvantages economically be false? Wouldn't it say that more, better paying jobs are moving north? I'm not a rocket scientist....but the income data doesn't lie: "Who is paying this type of money to those crazies in northern lake county"? LOL.

How would one explain the income gap between the northern/central Lake county suburbs and the Cook NW Burbs? You can't be making $88,000 per year at Gurnee Mills or Six Flags, right? And if there are more plentiful better jobs in the NW burbs, why don't those suburbs income levels reflect that?

A $20,000 per year median gap between Northern Lake County residents and NW Cook burbs dispels many myths about Northern Lake County being "too far away" from Chicago.

Now, granted----schools up here can improve and they will. People making $88,000 in Gurnee are starting to demand action to improve schools. But the quesion of the days is, why aren't the 30,000 + residents of Gurnee and surrounding suburbs who work in our area be (median income $88,025) willing to commute to Arlington Heights to live there for the "better life" and "better schools"? Because good paying jobs are here, schools are improving, the knock on Central/Northern Lake County is a myth, and the lifestyle is good up here..... Income levels don't lie.

All good points. Again, I did not say there were not good job opportunities in Lake Co. I said you are closer to MORE in NW Cook than in Lake Co. I can reach DuPage county in 30-45 minutes, downtown in 60-80 minutes and REVERSE commute into Lake Co and be at most jobs in 45 minutes.
The median income IS interesting and is a good counter point to my argument of home values being a guide to a more desired area. Again, SIGH, I did not say Lake Co. is a bad place to live and I see and understand its desirable assets. I just disagree with people who choose it in exchange for a lengthy commute.