Information on Wheeling, IL (Chicago, Lake Forest: crime, day care, loans)
Please register to participate in our discussions with 1.5 million other members - it's free and quick! Some forums can only be seen by registered members. After you create your account, you'll be able to customize options and access all our 15,000 new posts/day with fewer ads.
I would strongly suggest you buy/move anywhere but Wheeling. Trust me, you will be thanking your lucky stars if you listen to me. Talk to any cop in Wheeling and they will tell you the same thing. Latin Kings (Gangs) all over. Crime infested hispanic community<< definition of Wheeling.
And you base your statement of "ask any Wheeling cop" on what?
Your opinion or an actual in depth conversation with a Wheeling cop?
Yes, you need to be very careful which neighborhood you choose, but from what I see with my own eyes driving through Wheeling regularly, is that there are some nice areas that seem safe.
So I am curious for actual information instead of generalizations because parts of Wheeling are part of my extended neighborhood and I do like to know what's going on.
Wheeling, like many cities surrounding Chicago, is a sanctuary city. If you are Mexican or an illegal you'll love it hear. No need to assimilate. No need to learn the language or swear loyalty to these, Our United States. The Jews have moved out. The WASPS, the Polish, the Bulgarians, the Russians are moving out. The Chinese, Indians and Pakistani's are all moving out. Why. Because the illegals have moved in and are turning this quaint little village into another Tijuana. It's dirty. The people are uneducated. The schools are broke. The public works are broke. Look to Deerfield or Lake Forest or Riverwoods, stay the hell away from Wheeling.
Wheeling, like many cities surrounding Chicago, is a sanctuary city. If you are Mexican or an illegal you'll love it hear. No need to assimilate. No need to learn the language or swear loyalty to these, Our United States. The Jews have moved out. The WASPS, the Polish, the Bulgarians, the Russians are moving out. The Chinese, Indians and Pakistani's are all moving out. Why. Because the illegals have moved in and are turning this quaint little village into another Tijuana. It's dirty. The people are uneducated. The schools are broke. The public works are broke. Look to Deerfield or Lake Forest or Riverwoods, stay the hell away from Wheeling.
Do you reside in Wheeling?
I can name some very mediocre areas, many OK areas and definitely some nice areas. What you are saying can be said about Chicago. But then again, those who really investigate find some truly good neighborhoods and even some good schools in Chicago. ANd I doubt someone looking at Wheeling housing costs will be able to afford Deerfield, Lake Forest or Riverwoods...........puh-leeze. Sure I think Arlington Heights, Buffalo Grove, most of Prospect Heights and most of Mt. Prospect are better overall choices, but if it's Wheeling because it's what allows you to afford your first home or to escape a fringe area of Chicago, it's still decent if you choose your neighborhood carefully.
The only reason Wheeling still looks any decent is their rental licence laws. All rented units have to be licenced and are inspected by the Village regularly. Everything must be fixed up before the licence is renewed. And I mean everything, every year: broken windows, broken window screens, storm doors, balusters, holes in drywall and or carpet. Thousands of dollars courtesy of "quality" tenants.
Stay the hell out of Wheeling if you can afford it.
What kind of baloney is this "love" of schools filled in majority with emigrant kids?
When you attend first day of school orientation and find out you are the only one or one of very few parents speaking English there? What kind of quality education will your kids get there?
I used to manage several rental properties in Wheeling- no more, but even selling them was hard as banks require additional downpayment monies because this is in their words: a distressed area...
What keeps Wheeling alive is the industrial park, the airport. Retail district along Milwaukee. Not the demographics.
As for Latin Kings, they are visibly spreading to other neighboring communities. Sheriff's graffiti removal unit is very busy. One family in over 500 apt. community can keep you busy.
The only reason Wheeling still looks any decent is their rental licence laws. All rented units have to be licenced and are inspected by the Village regularly. Everything must be fixed up before the licence is renewed. And I mean everything, every year: broken windows, broken window screens, storm doors, balusters, holes in drywall and or carpet. Thousands of dollars courtesy of "quality" tenants.
Stay the hell out of Wheeling if you can afford it.
What kind of baloney is this "love" of schools filled in majority with emigrant kids?
When you attend first day of school orientation and find out you are the only one or one of very few parents speaking English there? What kind of quality education will your kids get there?
I used to manage several rental properties in Wheeling- no more, but even selling them was hard as banks require additional downpayment monies because this is in their words: a distressed area...
What keeps Wheeling alive is the industrial park, the airport. Retail district along Milwaukee. Not the demographics.
As for Latin Kings, they are visibly spreading to other neighboring communities. Sheriff's graffiti removal unit is very busy. One family in over 500 apt. community can keep you busy.
What a load of #rap. Yes there are some bad sections. But there are many decent areas such as: the neighborhood west of Elmhurst Rd and south of Hintz. The neighborhood just west of Wheeling HS, north of Hintz and south of Indian Trails library. The neighborhood south of Dundee west of Schoenbeck by Tarkington School. And there are others. Wow, I'm not offended by the Hispanic kids on my girls basketball team, or the Indian/Pakistani kids or the Chinese kids or African American kids or the Polish kids, it is good for my kid to be in a melting pot so she doesn't grow up a xenophobe. Better schools than Chicago, affordable housing for NW/N burbs and many decent safe neighborhoods make Wheeling an appealing choice for some. Oh and where is this 500 apartment neighborhood you speak of? I don't recall any areas like that in Wheeling. Are you talking the neighborhood just south of Palwaukee/Chicago Executive Airport? If so, that's Prospect Heights. AND that is a pretty isolated area that doesn't effect the overall qualities of the rest of Prospect Heights.
Sorry you had such hassles with your tenants. I'm the son of a landlord and I remember the challenges we had with tenants that didn't take care of the place or stopped paying rent. Thankfully we were able to keep security deposits in most situations where repairs or cleaning up after tenant moved out justified it. And keeping the apartments up is called complying with municipal code.
Wheeling does have top notch schools and they have won just as many awards as other 214 high schools though most do not know that. They will be changing their name to academy even in the next few years to "tout" how they are up to par with other 214 schools. My brother in-law is a district 214 teacher and he said though he would not send his kids to Wheeling high school because of the rougher crowd and it has nothing to do with ethnicity because Rolling Meadows has diverse populations of ethnicities and they do not have the gang problems that Wheeling does.
That municipal code in Wheeling is designed exactly for the problems they have. Our apartments or townhomes are always in very good shape. Yet on yearly bases windows, window screens, window blinds, interior ballusters, closet doors etc. were messed up if not just missing. And the tenents were just families with kids. Stained 1st floor ceilings from flooding upstairs bathroom... all that has to be fixed to keep up with the municipal code. Somehow the concept of normal, clean living is just foregin to so many in that area. A good friend of mine living in Wheeling, in a new construction area by the power lines sold his house asap couple of years ago after their daughter went to first grade. Besides them, another white couple and one black family all the parents in the class were hispanic. Racial diversity is ok as long as it is a mix. That's just too much diversity. And the banks seem to think the same way. Asking for increase in downpayment money is not bs, just what hapened when we were selling one of the townhomes- totally renovated, btw. New bath, new kitchen, closet doors, flooring thruout. Light fixtures, switches etc.
Doesn't matter that there may be few better pockets, the community as a whole suffers.
That municipal code in Wheeling is designed exactly for the problems they have. Our apartments or townhomes are always in very good shape. Yet on yearly bases windows, window screens, window blinds, interior ballusters, closet doors etc. were messed up if not just missing. And the tenents were just families with kids. Stained 1st floor ceilings from flooding upstairs bathroom... all that has to be fixed to keep up with the municipal code. Somehow the concept of normal, clean living is just foregin to so many in that area. A good friend of mine living in Wheeling, in a new construction area by the power lines sold his house asap couple of years ago after their daughter went to first grade. Besides them, another white couple and one black family all the parents in the class were hispanic. Racial diversity is ok as long as it is a mix. That's just too much diversity. And the banks seem to think the same way. Asking for increase in downpayment money is not bs, just what hapened when we were selling one of the townhomes- totally renovated, btw. New bath, new kitchen, closet doors, flooring thruout. Light fixtures, switches etc.
Doesn't matter that there may be few better pockets, the community as a whole suffers.
John, I agree with what you're saying, BUT it all depends on where in Wheeling you are. You paint a broad brush that I feel is too broad and unfair.
Throughout my entire high school career, I wished to go to Wheeling. Although it's a little worse off than BG (where I went), it is still a good school, especially when compared to CPS. The point is, it's diverse but you don't need to worry about getting shot in the parking lot (this isn't Piper Lane).
My closest friends live in Wheeling, there are many businesses I go there. I live on the fringe (aka Dundee) between BG and Arlington Heights and have never felt the community vibe here. The only thing I'd say is to avoid a few streets around Chambers Park at night and you'll be fine.
Basically, if I had to pick a NW suburb to live in outside Chicago (I'm a city girl), this would probably be it.
Please register to post and access all features of our very popular forum. It is free and quick. Over $53,000 in prizes has already been given out to active posters on our forum. Additional giveaways are planned.
Detailed information about all U.S. cities, counties, and zip codes on our site: City-data.com.
Please register to participate in our discussions with 1.5 million other members - it's free and quick! Some forums can only be seen by registered members. After you create your account, you'll be able to customize options and access all our 15,000 new posts/day with fewer ads.
. Sure I think Arlington Heights, Buffalo Grove, most of Prospect Heights and most of Mt. Prospect are better overall choices, but if it's Wheeling because it's what allows you to afford your first home or to escape a fringe area of Chicago, it's still decent if you choose your neighborhood carefully.
