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Old 03-09-2021, 05:47 PM
 
Location: Chicago, IL
474 posts, read 522,634 times
Reputation: 686

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It seems that Detroit and Chicago have some very similar suburbs. What would be the closest equivalent to Chicago's western suburb of Naperville?

For those who are unfamiliar, here's how I would characterize Naperville:
  • Large downtown (by suburban standards) that attracts younger residents
  • Mostly upper middle class, median household income ~$100K
  • $1M+ homes adjacent to downtown and in other pockets around the city, but average home price is closer to $400K
  • Top-ranked school district, generally top 10 in the state
  • One side of town (north) is older and slower growth, while the other side is developing more quickly
  • Primarily white, with a substantial and growing Asian population (20%)
  • Strong commuter population with many people employed in DT Chicago, however there are also employment centers in the more immediate vicinity along highways

And some street view pictures:
Downtown Naperville
Naperville "Historic District" (adjacent to downtown)
A more typical subdivision
A new part of the city with larger homes
Some McMansions (only a small portion of the city)

I am aware that Troy and the surrounding area have a comparable income and Asian population to Naperville, and some of the street view neighborhoods there look almost identical. However, there doesn't seem to be much of a downtown area there, either. Are there any parts of the Detroit area that remind you of what I described?
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Old 03-09-2021, 07:31 PM
 
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Naperville is probably closest to some attributes of

Birmingham / Western Troy / Bloomfield Township
Rochester / Rochester Hills
Novi / Northville

We have areas that have some defacto downtowns that support the surrounding, more recent suburban growth/sprawl.
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Old 03-09-2021, 07:39 PM
 
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I have lived all over the place in SE MI. I now live 20 minutes away from Naperville. Naperville is larger than any MI suburbs (pop. 150K). Ann Arbor, though it's not technically a Detroit suburb, probably comes closest in both size and spirit, although Naperville doesn't have a major university or a medical center in/next to downtown (although Elmhurst might disagree) and I don't think Naperville has any high-rise apartment buildings. But as far as expensive downtown property, a walkable business district and significant SFH and commercial sprawl, they're pretty close.
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Old 03-09-2021, 08:03 PM
 
Location: Chicago, IL
474 posts, read 522,634 times
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Quote:
Originally Posted by DTWflyer View Post
Naperville is probably closest to some attributes of

Birmingham / Western Troy / Bloomfield Township
Rochester / Rochester Hills
Novi / Northville

We have areas that have some defacto downtowns that support the surrounding, more recent suburban growth/sprawl.
I see. Yeah, Naperville is a pretty large suburb, so maybe it's more of a mix and match of all of these areas. Would you describe those cities as "new money" or "old money"? What about politics? DuPage County where Naperville is located was historically a conservative stronghold, but it's since gone purple with a tendency toward blue in the past few elections (at the national level, at least - local elections are still veeeery contested).

Last edited by garyjohnyang; 03-09-2021 at 08:14 PM..
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Old 03-09-2021, 08:08 PM
 
Location: Chicago, IL
474 posts, read 522,634 times
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Quote:
Originally Posted by highlanderfil View Post
I have lived all over the place in SE MI. I now live 20 minutes away from Naperville. Naperville is larger than any MI suburbs (pop. 150K). Ann Arbor, though it's not technically a Detroit suburb, probably comes closest in both size and spirit, although Naperville doesn't have a major university or a medical center in/next to downtown (although Elmhurst might disagree) and I don't think Naperville has any high-rise apartment buildings. But as far as expensive downtown property, a walkable business district and significant SFH and commercial sprawl, they're pretty close.
Ann Arbor is an interesting comparison - from what I understand it's a more self-sustaining city (?) that's somewhat disconnected from the sprawl of the Detroit. It looks like Downtown Ann Arbor is much more urbanized than Naperville, but I think these cities are at a relatively similar price point and demographic, though I imagine Ann Arbor skews much younger due to the university.

How long have you been in IL now?
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Old 03-09-2021, 08:37 PM
 
5,681 posts, read 5,058,584 times
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Quote:
Originally Posted by garyjohnyang View Post
Ann Arbor is an interesting comparison - from what I understand it's a more self-sustaining city (?) that's somewhat disconnected from the sprawl of the Detroit. It looks like Downtown Ann Arbor is much more urbanized than Naperville, but I think these cities are at a relatively similar price point and demographic, though I imagine Ann Arbor skews much younger due to the university.
Yeah, they aren't directly comparable, but at least sheer size-wise, it's as close as it comes. Price points are definitely similar, as well, and there are good amenities that are reachable on foot in a three-mile radius (or so) of Downtown.

As for separation from Detroit... I dunno. Hard to tell and it depends on what "self-sustaining" means to you. Many Ann Arbor residents still work in Detroit and Dearborn. And the 'burbs mentioned elsewhere in this thread are no closer, commute-wise than A2.
Quote:
How long have you been in IL now?
Since last July.
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Old 03-09-2021, 11:53 PM
 
1,996 posts, read 3,128,406 times
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Quote:
Originally Posted by garyjohnyang View Post
It seems that Detroit and Chicago have some very similar suburbs. What would be the closest equivalent to Chicago's western suburb of Naperville?

For those who are unfamiliar, here's how I would characterize Naperville:
  • Large downtown (by suburban standards) that attracts younger residents
  • Mostly upper middle class, median household income ~$100K
  • $1M+ homes adjacent to downtown and in other pockets around the city, but average home price is closer to $400K
  • Top-ranked school district, generally top 10 in the state
  • One side of town (north) is older and slower growth, while the other side is developing more quickly
  • Primarily white, with a substantial and growing Asian population (20%)
  • Strong commuter population with many people employed in DT Chicago, however there are also employment centers in the more immediate vicinity along highways


I am aware that Troy and the surrounding area have a comparable income and Asian population to Naperville, and some of the street view neighborhoods there look almost identical. However, there doesn't seem to be much of a downtown area there, either. Are there any parts of the Detroit area that remind you of what I described?
Birmingham is the answer to your question. It has all of the above bulleted qualities. It has an absolutely HUGE downtown for a small suburb. Upscale, top-rated schools, new money, primarily white. It even had a station on the commuter rail line that went to downtown Detroit.

The only thing that Birmingham does not compare with Naperville is the size. Naperville is 39 square miles, while Birmingham is only 5 square miles. However, like DTWFlyer implied, Birmingham, with adjacent Bloomfield Hills/Bloomfield Township and Western Troy are basically one contiguous area (of wealth). Bloomfield has big older homes and is hilly and has a really elegant, upper class feel to it while Troy has the more "subdivision" feel to it. Troy has a substantial Asian population.

Birmingham's downtown: https://www.google.com/maps/@42.5464...7i16384!8i8192

Typical Birmingham residential street: https://www.google.com/maps/@42.5484...7i16384!8i8192

Typical Bloomfield Hills residential areas (explore with Google Maps, lots of older bigger homes on spacious lots, where auto execs lived):
https://www.google.com/maps/@42.5671...7i16384!8i8192

Another cool feature about that area is the Cranbrook Institute, a 200+ acre educational and cultural complex that has a graduate school, an art museum, a science museum, and an observatory. I just participated in a 3.5 mile hike around the grounds this past weekend. Beautiful place

https://cranbrook.edu/

Last edited by usroute10; 03-10-2021 at 12:05 AM..
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Old 03-10-2021, 09:34 AM
 
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Isn't one part of Naperville "independent" from the rest of the city and the property taxes in that area are lower than the rest of Naperville? I knew someone who lived in this area and was told if police are needed, you have to call the county sheriff because the Naperville police are not responsible for covering the "independent" area.
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Old 03-10-2021, 10:21 AM
 
Location: Chicago, IL
474 posts, read 522,634 times
Reputation: 686
Quote:
Originally Posted by usroute10 View Post
Birmingham is the answer to your question. It has all of the above bulleted qualities. It has an absolutely HUGE downtown for a small suburb. Upscale, top-rated schools, new money, primarily white. It even had a station on the commuter rail line that went to downtown Detroit.

The only thing that Birmingham does not compare with Naperville is the size. Naperville is 39 square miles, while Birmingham is only 5 square miles. However, like DTWFlyer implied, Birmingham, with adjacent Bloomfield Hills/Bloomfield Township and Western Troy are basically one contiguous area (of wealth). Bloomfield has big older homes and is hilly and has a really elegant, upper class feel to it while Troy has the more "subdivision" feel to it. Troy has a substantial Asian population.

Birmingham's downtown: https://www.google.com/maps/@42.5464...7i16384!8i8192

Typical Birmingham residential street: https://www.google.com/maps/@42.5484...7i16384!8i8192

Typical Bloomfield Hills residential areas (explore with Google Maps, lots of older bigger homes on spacious lots, where auto execs lived):
https://www.google.com/maps/@42.5671...7i16384!8i8192

Another cool feature about that area is the Cranbrook Institute, a 200+ acre educational and cultural complex that has a graduate school, an art museum, a science museum, and an observatory. I just participated in a 3.5 mile hike around the grounds this past weekend. Beautiful place

https://cranbrook.edu/
Oh wow, downtown Birmingham looks quite impressive! I'm surprised that for a metro area 1/2 the size of Chicago, Detroit seems to have more than its fair share of walkable suburban nodes. I think part of it might have to do with the fact that Chicago is still a very hub-and-spoke city, so our suburban downtowns didn't get the chance to develop as their own destinations. Instead you get a lot of small Main Streets centered on a train station, like Clarendon Hills or Downers Grove.

Bloomfield Hills has an interesting topography. I want to say it reminds me a lot of Hinsdale with the bigger homes and hilly terrain. And the Cranbrook Institute sounds great! I'll definitely pay it a visit if I'm ever in town. (Haven't explored the Detroit area yet - but if I ever get a hankering for shawarma I might just make the 4.5 hour drive )
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Old 03-10-2021, 10:29 AM
 
Location: Chicago, IL
474 posts, read 522,634 times
Reputation: 686
Quote:
Originally Posted by highlanderfil View Post
Yeah, they aren't directly comparable, but at least sheer size-wise, it's as close as it comes. Price points are definitely similar, as well, and there are good amenities that are reachable on foot in a three-mile radius (or so) of Downtown.

As for separation from Detroit... I dunno. Hard to tell and it depends on what "self-sustaining" means to you. Many Ann Arbor residents still work in Detroit and Dearborn. And the 'burbs mentioned elsewhere in this thread are no closer, commute-wise than A2.Since last July.
Makes sense. And welcome to Illinois! We appreciate you bringing us the additional tax revenue
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