What do you think of Northern Illinois University and the city of DeKalb? (Chicago: sales, to rent) - Chicago Suburbs - (IL) - Page 3 - City-Data Forum

MitchArk87 · 10-13-2009, 09:23 PM

Thanks for all helpful information! I need to to be more specific than my previous post. Although I prefer Western surburbs (halfway between NIU in DeKalb and the city of Chicago with good rail service to anywhere in Chicago), I am willing to settle for Elburn, Campton Hills, etc. as long it is close to Western surburbs and still have rail services to Chicago along with country roads to DeKalb as an alternative route than paying to use Tollway to NIU every time. Based on what Drover posted about Elburn with Metra rail to the city and country route to DeKalb, it sounds like a perfect place for me.

I have one more question. Since I am not familiar with Western Chicago surburbs such as Lisle, Naperville, Warrenville, Hinsdale, plus many more before you get to Sugar Grove, I need to ask this.

My aunt living in Naperville will be moving to Lake Forest just because she said that blacks are slowly moving into West Chicago and its surburbs and in few years, it would be the new Southside. I find that very racist and hard to believe, but I still want to ask. Is that true about a new white flight out of Western surburbs happening? I want to make sure if it's true or not. I am not a racist, but I just don't want to move into a location that white people are leaving. LOL! It's just my preference. No offense.

Drover · 10-13-2009, 09:35 PM

Yeah, I think we can count on Naperville climbing all the way up to 4-5% black when the official 2010 census figures are released.

Not to put to fine a point on it, but your aunt is an idiot.

DancingStar · 10-13-2009, 09:46 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Drover

Yeah, I think we can count on Naperville climbing all the way up to 4-5% black when the official 2010 census figures are released.

Not to put to fine a point on it, but your aunt is an idiot.

No, she's not an idiot. South Naperville borders Plainfield and Bolingbrook, where problems are starting to surface. A student was stabbed at Bolingbrook HS about a month ago. 20 Bolingbrook High School students were expelled for fighting the year before, if I remember correctly.

Drover · 10-13-2009, 11:24 PM

Oh no -- a high school brawl! RUN FOR TEH HILLZ!

MannheimMadman · 10-13-2009, 11:43 PM

Eh, I'm not so sure of 'problems' surfacing in Plainfield. Believe it or not, Bolingbrook is pretty decent except in a small little area. If you can avoid that RT53 corridor between I-55 and Boughton, you're fine. I did part of my student teaching in a Bolingbrook middle school and found the 8th graders to be average kids, imho. They're nowhere near the blood-thirsty savages portrayed. You make it sound like it's Englewood or something.

As for West Chicago, see the other thread here. IIRC, there was some hispanic gang presence before.

However, it is laughable to suggest that the western suburbs are becoming the new south suburbs/south side. The western suburbs are like the hanging gardens of babylon compared to the hell hole that is the south suburbs.

edsg25 · 10-14-2009, 05:50 PM

Ann Arbor is a college town. Madison is a college town. Iowa City and Bloomington are college towns. Champaign/Urbana give you two college towns for the price of one. Hell, even Evanston and Hyde Park are college towns.

DeKalb is a town that just happens to have a college. IMHO, I have never seen a college town that is so throughly uncollegiate. Cross the street south of campus (Lincoln Hwy) and you wouldn't even know the university was due north of you. East of campus, downtown DeKalb looks like just another old Illinois farm town.

As I said, I see absolutely nothing collegiate about the place.

Drover · 10-14-2009, 05:53 PM

^^^ Thiis is actually pretty common at second-tier state universities. Just in Illinois, I think you'll find Charleston, Macomb, and to a large extent Carbondale are the same way. Same with Whitewater, Stevens Point, and Superior up in Wisconsin, or Terre Haute in Indiana...

Steve-o · 10-14-2009, 08:00 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by DancingStar

No, she's not an idiot. South Naperville borders Plainfield and Bolingbrook, where problems are starting to surface. A student was stabbed at Bolingbrook HS about a month ago. 20 Bolingbrook High School students were expelled for fighting the year before, if I remember correctly.

Bolingbrook has always had questionable areas. And Plainfield? The only danger in Plainfield is getting mauled by a pack of coyotes.

MitchArk87 · 10-14-2009, 08:25 PM

That's what I thought when I heard my aunt's comment about western surburbs becoming more black. I laughed when she labeled them as the new Southside. Of course, I am sure it's becoming more black very slowly by 2010 Census but it will never be like the Southside. LOL! Maybe that's why you always hear white people saying that northern surburbs are the best and least diverse.

Anyway, I know DeKalb isn't what you expect for a nice, attractive college town with plentiful of activities/events to attend. However, it happens to be the only public graduate school in the state of IL that offers Master of Science in Rehabilitation Counseling (my interest). There is another one with similiar program but it's private so it's not affordable so I am stuck with NIU. Besides, I would be a graduate student getting higher degree for higher pay and job promotion so I am not looking to party. Most importantly of all, I have no interest in attending the best universities just to show off their degree while being in debts; it's both life/job experiences that matters the most.

Drover · 10-14-2009, 08:31 PM

I don't think anyone is doubting your commitment to NIU, notwithstanding DeKalb's alleged shortcomings. What we're struggling with is suggesting place to live that meets your needs. Now that you've refined those criteria for us, I really think Naperville fits your needs pretty well. It's really just the commute I'm worried about. But I think you have a good idea by now what you'd be getting into commute-wise. And if you can handle the commute, I would say start making plans to move to Naperville.

ETA: You know what, maybe you don't know yet what you'll be facing commute-wise. Naperville can get pretty damn gridlocked during peak commute times. And as someone (or someones) has already intimated upthread, how long your commute would take will be greatly influenced by 1) how close you live to I-88, and 2) what time of day you'd be driving. The difference could be anywhere from a half-hour commute to nearly an hour.