Best south suburbs for a young, one-car family

[FleeTheRustBelt]

Originally Posted by At1WithNature

It's just the facts, places like Ford Heights, Chicago Heights, and Harvey are the absolute pitts. These are the neighbors of Homewood and Flossmoor. What do you choose to live in a bubble? Because you will have to if you don't expect to come across low lives. And since HF, whose school has been going down hill steadily for the past 10 years, shares its student body with hell holes like Chicago Heights you better believe those Homewood kids will be hanging out with Chicago Heights' finest. That's something I would never want for my kids.

Unless there's been massive redistricting since I left the area four years ago..the small part of Chicago Heights that borders Homewood and goes to HF schools is probably the nicest part of Chicago Heights, and differs little from Homewood. The ghetto parts of the Heights send most of their kids to Bloom, and some to Rich East.

Harvey is separated from Homewood by the tollway as well as heavy commercial and industrial development, and Ford Heights is miles away.

[cdc3217]

Originally Posted by At1WithNature

It's just the facts, places like Ford Heights, Chicago Heights, and Harvey are the absolute pitts. These are the neighbors of Homewood and Flossmoor. What do you choose to live in a bubble? Because you will have to if you don't expect to come across low lives. And since HF, whose school has been going down hill steadily for the past 10 years, shares its student body with hell holes like Chicago Heights you better believe those Homewood kids will be hanging out with Chicago Heights' finest. That's something I would never want for my kids.

I can't imagine anyone thinking of Homewood or Flossmoor as life in a bubble. As you point , life is intertwined with other towns that have a lot of problems. But then again towns like Oak Forest, Olympia Fields and Even Tinley Park are closer to Homewood than Ford Heights is, so I would describe the area as patchy, but not an island.

But I am looking at the School report card for HF and the overall test scores have been unsteady over the last 7 years, but not in steady decline. The meets/exceeds percentage is as follows, and please note the state average is 53:

02 67
03 67
04 60
05 66
06 64
07 68
08 66
09 62

I'm certainly not saying its on par with the Stevensons and New Triers of the area, but its not far behind say, Lyons Township.

I agree that parents want their children in a academic environment that is challenging and competitive and enriching. But to say that any community with any measurable dose of disadvantage is not worthy of my family shields my children from the reality of life that there are people different than us, with more challenges than us, with whom we share the world.

[WildWestDude]

Ever consider NW Indiana? Lower housing costs and taxes and closer to MI.
Consider Dyer, Schererville and St. John or for train access Chesterton or Valparaiso
Might want to post in NW Indiana forum for more answers