San Diego to Chicago - Near Oak Brook (Schaumburg, Hoffman Estates: best towns, apartment)

[cagez0r]

Hi there,

My girlfriend and I (along with her 11 year old son) are going to be relocating from San Diego to Chicago in about 6 weeks for a job promotion that I'm taking. My company is based in Oak Brook and my g/f's work will be based on Northlake. I am really unfamiliar with the suburbs of Chicago to be honest with you but I'm just looking for something very family oriented so her son can finally have a true "neighborhood" to live in that has a decent school system. It doesn't have to be the richiest area but something in between would be nice. Some place clean, low crime etc. etc. I'll be renting at first...most likey a 2 BR or 3 BR home. I'm trying to stay away from renting an apartment, townhouse, or condo if I can.

Any suggestions on suburbs that might fit this bill that would be near or in between where each of us are going to be working?

Any feedback would be greatly appreciated and would probably ease my stress level ha!

[chet everett]

You might want to look at Elmhurst. It is adjacent to Oak Brook and across the expressway from Northlake.

There are those are concerned that Elmhurst schools are not as much "bang for the buck" as other districts, but the test results for most of the schools are generally quite good if not top tier and the community support is strong.

Pretty much every part of Elmhurst has a true "home town" feel but there is a wide range of prices and you may have a hard time renting exactly what you want at a good price.

If you can't find what you are looking for in Elmhurst the next best towns would probably by Lombard, which is more affordable and schools are not quite as good, followed by Villa Park, which is a bit closer, but a bit further down on the school desirability ranking wise. There are only a tiny number of homes in Oakbrook Terrace, and it shares some schools with Villa Park, but it is closest to Oak Brook offices.

A bit more of a commute, but still well with acceptable would be Downers Grove, a town that compares pretty well to Elmhurst but might have a larger selection of rental houses.

Oak Brook itself is quite pricey, as are places like Hinsdale and tiny Clarendon Hills. Westmont is also another town to consider, schools are not as desirable as its neighboring areas.

Good Luck!

[ihynes]

Elmhurst and DuPage County in general are very wealthy & conservative, so they have good schools but you wouldn't even know Obama was running for office if you lived there. Cook County has all kinds of burbs. I live in Brookfield, just a few minutes east of Oak Brook. Brookfield and LaGrange and LaGrange Park are very nice suburbs with good schools. You might consider renting in this area until you find out where you'll be most comfortable.

[chet everett]

I saw LOTS of "Change we can believe in" yardsigns in Elmhurst back in Novemeber... Peter Roskam had a pretty stiff fight from the Democrat candidate for his congressional seat too.

I don't think there is any significant difference in the "wealth" Elmhurst vs LaGrange, and rental homes are more plentiful in Elmhurst. LaGrange has significantly higher household income numbers:

http://www.city-data.com/city/La-Grange-Illinois.html
http://www.city-data.com/city/Elmhurst-Illinois.html

I like Brookfield a lot, but I do not believe it would make sense to relocate to that area when Elmhurst would be extremely convenient for both working spouses, as you cannot find a better place to get to Northlake and Oak Brook.

[chitown85]

Look at Elmhurst, Addison, and Villa Park for more moderately priced homes in the 300-400K range. If you can afford more, look at Oak Brook.

All of those communities are close to each other and not far from North Lake.

The schools in all of the communities are pretty good.

[chet everett]

The schools in Addison are among the least desirable in DuPage Co. It is at the bottom of per pupil spending, and it is not because the kids there need less or the schools are hyper efficient in their spending. http://www.suntimes.com/images/cds/pdf/elemagate.pdf

If I was relocating with school age children I would avoid them.

[Prairie]

Having lived in Elmhurst for over 30 years and raising a family here it has been a great experience. Resale value is excellent and proximity to transportation gets high marks. Hop on the train and you can be downtown in less than an hour.
Schools - we have been satisfied and as I keep trying to point out, the effort has to be a combination of student and parent. Good involvement here in Elmhurst on both levels.

If I didn't live in Elmhurst, I would choose a more rural area.

[chitown85]

You could also look at NW burbs that are close to North Lake and Oak Brook.

Check out Streamwood, Schaumburg, Hoffman Estates, South Barrington, and Bartlett.

They all have good schools as well and are not far from where you both will be working.

[chet everett]

Again I would question why you recommend someplace like Barrington, some 40+ miles to the northwest when Elmhurst is adjacent to both Oak Brook & Northlake? How familiar are you with the geography of Eastern DuPage / Western Cook???

from: oak Brook IL to: Barrington, IL - Google Maps

[adele115]

Originally Posted by ihynes

Elmhurst and DuPage County in general are very wealthy & conservative, so they have good schools but you wouldn't even know Obama was running for office if you lived there. Cook County has all kinds of burbs. I live in Brookfield, just a few minutes east of Oak Brook. Brookfield and LaGrange and LaGrange Park are very nice suburbs with good schools. You might consider renting in this area until you find out where you'll be most comfortable.

DuPage County: there is wealth, there are conservatives, but I really think it is a disservice to compartmentalize people based on zip codes. There are PLENTY of dems, indepedents, as well as GOP'ers in these areas, and more often it is fiscal conservatism w/ social tolerance. The Chicagoland area is generally pretty tolerant - this isn't Alabummer.