Can you tell me about Ottawa? (Chicago, Aurora: relocating, showing, income)

[Jeff Hill]

Ottawa is a BEAUTIFUL town! I go back there once a year for their summer festival and I wish I could move there permanently however, my wife's job will not allow us to be that far.
It reminds me of a river town right out of a story book. They have amazing parks and a fantastic downtown area.

You have nothing to worry about rbergwright!! I guarantee you will love it.

[Jeff Hill]

$795,000











$699,000















$695,000















$350,000

















$299,000

















This give you a good idea?

[shadow91]

I too wish I could go back. It is a beautiful town.

[Manigault]

Stangely enough, I have been in Ottawa often although I currently live far from there. I found it to be a very pleasant place and the storekeepers seemed friendly enough. It has a great firing range and good fishing nearby. Like many small towns, the choices as to restaurants are pretty limited.

[newcastle]

My sister lives in Ottawa with her husband who is a pastor at a small Lutheran Church. For someone who only goes and visits, the town is nice with some historic buildings downtown. It is about an hour away from Joliet and the train into Chicago. However, there are cornfields as far as you can see in any direction. I am not used to that nor having to drive 30 minutes to get to any sort of shopping. Overall I have a favorable impression.

[shadow91]

Newcastle-you think driving 30 minutes to get to shopping is bad? I live in AZ and we drive way more than that on freeways to get ANYWHERE. I would die to come back home to Ottawa, but my son is in high school here and loves it. To uproot him to come back home would be a great injustice to him.

[Steve-o]

Originally Posted by shadow91

Newcastle-you think driving 30 minutes to get to shopping is bad? I live in AZ and we drive way more than that on freeways to get ANYWHERE. I would die to come back home to Ottawa, but my son is in high school here and loves it. To uproot him to come back home would be a great injustice to him.

Thats when you just look him in the eye and say "ahem, who pays the bills around here? We're going back." j/k

You should try Chicagoland, Im sure he would enjoy that if he likes the urban AZ feel.

[Jeff Hill]

I wanted to come back and find this thread because I found a house in Ottawa that is on auction in a couple weeks.

Not sure if the original poster is even hanging around here anymore but here's the link to the auction house none the less.

Real Estate Auction 1447 Birchlawn, Ottawa, Illinois, by Cotten Auctions of Peoria, Illinois - Joe Cotten, Auctioneer

[gardener34]

"If your children are interested in anything get them into classes!!! If you have a daughter who wants to be a cheerleader in high school she has to have dance classes. If you want your son to play high school football he must have played peewee football. It doesn't matter how good they are if they haven't had lessons or been in the town's sports as a kid. "

It is like that anywhere there are upper middle class families now... this nation-wide trend makes me sick. that is why my son is in karate - I refuse to play this game.

[gardener34]

There are some really cool old houses on "ottawa avenue". I don't live there, but frequent around there. And we have looked at those. What side of town is that? Eastside? It looks really nice if you are into old antique homes. Definitely not chicagoland prices... they seem pretty inexpensive to me.
Can anyone comment about this ottawa neighborhood? thanks.