waterman, il. (Chicago, Wheaton, Sugar Grove: apartment complex, renting, condos)

[Schmoo]

Howell, the school you're thinking of on Herrick & Warrenville Rds is DePaul's Naperville campus. NIU used to have a campus on Finley in Downer's Grove but I don't know what classes are offered there.

As far as Maple Park, I have a good friend living there. Their schools are currently undergoing huge expansions and I know there are some mobile buildings being used in the meantime. There are a lot of new homes going in there, but it should still be affordable. It's a hop, skip, and jump into DeKalb without any of the crime, sprawl, or other problems associated with DeKalb.

I also did my first 2 years at NIU, so ask away if you have questions on the school!

[tigerstar]

Howell Street:

These are good ideas (buying a foreclosure and taking general classes at Kishwaukee Community College going to the extention campus.) There are many very good reasons to live in Naperville and I know we can do it if there is no satisfactory alternative. I will definately follow up on these ideas.

Thanks again, Pam

[tigerstar]

Schmoo:

Thank you for suggesting Maple Park. I will be looking into it more and tomorrow I will post a thread about NIU. I already have my BA in psychology and religious studies (dual major) and am looking at the next step.

Pam

[HOWELL_STREET]

I agree with Schmoo that Maple Park is also a very nice town. Like Cortland, they are twin cities and actually adjacent neighbors to each other. Cortland has a little more land space and so there are more subdivisions being built. In one of my threads (maybe not to you folks, though) I talked about Cortland's website. So for more information, you can log onto Town of Cortland -- Welcome to Cortland! and double click on the picture of NeuCort Lakes Subdivision. That is where my son owns his home. At the upper left of the NeuCort Lakes picture are the high rise buildings of NIU. In the middle area of the picture is the DeKalb County airport. That's all for now.

Carter Glass

[HOWELL_STREET]

Pam:

Several other important factors to consider in your eventual NIU attendance is first 'in' district vs. 'out' district. This is an important consideration in saving on tuition. So because of this reason, I believe your best residential choice would either be Cortland, IL or Maple Park, IL as 'Schmoo' recommended.
My NIU student - son lives in Cortland and that is 'in' district for both NIU and Kishwaukee Community College. I do not know where the district limits are located. So is Maple Park still in the college(s) district? I don't know. But living in the NIU / "Kish" district will save you a lot of tuition money.
Since your husband is an OTR (over the road) truck driver - - does he want to park his rig at your place of residence? NeuCort Lakes in Cortland probably will not permit that since the road base is 'soft' in that entire town. Many other Illinois farming communities are similar and do not have a rock base like you find in Northern Arizona. So these are other very important considerations.
Since we are moving to a new 'question' about NIU that you plan to generate, I will probably recopy this to your new question - - later today.

Best Regards,

CARTER GLASS

[HOWELL_STREET]

In our quest to help Pam locate an NIU friendly residence, we have been drifting off the subject of Waterman, IL. So this comment is for the benefit of other readers. Someone in another group / question (not our group) mentioned that DeKalb has railroad service to Chicago. This is not true. The Union Pacific Railroad line through DeKalb, IL is only freight service. However, the Union Pacific passenger service to Chicago starts at Elburn, IL - - a distance of about 17 miles east of DeKalb. The Elburn to Chicago passenger service started in January of this year. And so it is quite new. In Chicago, you will get this service at the Olgevie / Chicago railroad station. That station used to be known as the Chicago - Northwestern station.
For Pam - - a possible NIU related apartment in DeKalb, Illinois would be the "West Ridge Apartments". I believe you can find their website through a Google search. They are located at Ridge Drive and Normal St. about four (?) miles directly north of NIU. Of course that is close to the DeKalb / Sycamore city limits.
NIU provides free bus service to NIU students only if a student ID card is displayed. And there are approximately two different NIU bus routes that go past the West Ridge Apartment complex. Although this apartment complex area is very, very saturated with NIU students, it is still a very nice area to live - - if one is an NIU student. NIU publishes a brochure regarding all of its NIU - Student bus routes around DeKalb.

CARTER GLASS

[tigerstar]

Good Morning Howell and Schmoo,

I entered my NIU question under "Law School" in the education forum.

That "district" question got my attention, Howell; maybe I better call the school and find out what towns are in their district.
Thank You

[Scribbler]

Originally Posted by Schmoo

That crime rating has to be wrong for Paw Paw. It's a tiny little town without so much as a stop light. Nothing happens ever.

A word on this...the reason the crime rating is as high as it is is the same reason that it's high in other nearby towns of similar size...lack of a law enfocement presence, both because they are perceived as small, sleepy towns where nothing much happens, and because small town budgets don't allow for a substantial law enforcment salary provision...in towns dependent upon county sheriff's offices for law enforcement, they are lucky to get a daily drivethrough.

The idea that "nothing happens" because the town is small and sleepy isn't necessarily true, either...you just may not see it, readily observable. The lack of policing means that towns like Paw Paw, Earlvillle, Compton, Leland, etc. are easy picks for those involved in drug trafficking and drug production, since there's really nobody there doing traffic checks on anything resembling a regular basis and nobody really keeping an eye out. Suspicious stuff isn't likely to get found out, and those looking to do suspicious stuff know that.

Anyhow, things DO go on...the Paw Paw bank has been robbed at gunpoint in the past year, and Earlville has had several high profile meth lab busts.

In any case, this is not to dissuade anybody from choosing small, rural communities as an alternative to suburban living (although eventually, towns like Waterman will grow in until they're hitting suburbia, anyway, and it will all just be sprawl). It's just meant to point out that even small, rustic towns do have crime. Everywhere has crime.

[Schmoo]

Scribber, I live next door to Paw Paw and did not hear about the bank. Weird! There are, of course, drug problems here but I don't think they are anymore significant than any other town/city. (Except maybe meth labs, I do know those are popular in all rural areas.)

Howell - I did my first 2 years at NIU when I lived in DuPage County and was still "in district". When I attended, anyone in the state of IL paid the same "in district" tuition because it's a state university, not a county college. Only out of state students would pay "out of district". I hope it's still the same.

[HOWELL_STREET]

Dear Friends:

I basically agree with Schmoo regarding the 'in district' status of NIU. However, my comments were really about Kishwaukee Community College. When my son first started there (transfering 'general' courses back to NIU), they wanted to know his residency. Then the office of Kishwaukee admissions told him that Cortland was still in their district. If it had not been, then I suppose (but I am not completely sure) that the "Kish" tuition would have been much higher. For Pam's safety, it would seem to me that she and her family should settle somewhere in the tri-cities area of Cortland (or Maple Park), DeKalb or Sycamore.
Both Schmoo and I (learning from my son) know a lot about NIU. And I believe that we both think that Cortland or Maple Park would be the best place for Pam and her family. But also, there are some complex issues in order to avoid the pitfalls of spending a lot of money at NIU.
Somebody might want to comment on the housing in Malta, Illinois. When you visit Kishwaukee Community College, you are in the middle of a large corn field(s) without anything else apparent. Since I have never been into the town of Malta, I don't know if there is good housing there. That's all for now.

Best Regards To All