Tell me about Chatham, IL (Chicago, Springfield: crime, homes, neighborhoods)

[irish setter girl]

I am investigating Chatham, IL. I'm looking for any personal opinions on neighborhoods, schools, safety, proximity to retail, etc.... I hear schools are good for the area but I want a local person's perspective. Thanks!

[skipcromer]

Originally Posted by irish setter girl

I am investigating Chatham, IL. I'm looking for any personal opinions on neighborhoods, schools, safety, proximity to retail, etc.... I hear schools are good for the area but I want a local person's perspective. Thanks!

Its a nice little town next to Springfield. I dont know too much about it. It is close to shopping in Springfield, only a 15 minute drive or so.

Hope you like high school football. If you move to Chatham you'll be hearing about it quite a bit.

[Maintainschaos]

It's a very quickly-growing suburb just south of Springfield with quite good schools. They're always building new buildings and expanding. That's about the extent of my knowledge, sorry.

[sgresident]

my husband is originally from springfield and has relatives that live in chatham. they have some newer schools as the area has grown quite a bit. It is on the outskirts of springfield. some areas of springfield fall into the chatham school district. don't know much about crime etc however.

[AnimalLover]

I live just outside of Chatham. The schools have an excellent reputation and are one of the reasons families are attracted to this area. Much of the south side of Springfield is in the Chatham school district. Chatham has been growing rapidly for at least the last 10-15 years and still going strong. A new high school was opened in 2001 and they are talking about the need to expand the schools again due to increased enrollment. Crime? Tends to be petty stuff - and you can read all about it in the weekly newspaper - Chatham Clarion - in the police blotter section. Yes, you can see who got a speeding ticket, how fast they were going and where. There are several full time police officers.

Chatham has it's own electric utility, currently gets water from Springfield but is working on establishing their own water supply.

Regarding retail - you can find just about everything you need in Chatham. Larger new businesses in the last few years: Ace Hardware, Walgreens, County Market (grocery), 1Stop Auto, restaurants. There are several doctors with offices here as well as 4 veterinarians, a golf course, collision repair, places to get your hair done, a spa, bars, reception center, fast food (McDonalds, Hardees, Subway), 5 gas stations, 5 banks, etc etc. The only thing I can think of that's 'missing' is a department store, but the major retailers are a 10 minute drive up Rt 4 to the bustling west side of Springfield.

The housing prices run from under 100k to 400K+. There are many subdivisions - some of the newer ones are Oakbrook, The Willows, Foxx Creek, Breckenridge, Manor Hill, Manor Hill II (just being built), Breckenridge Manor. There's no 'bad' part of Chatham - just areas with smaller, older homes. If you have questions about a specific subdivision - I would be glad to help.

Chatham is friendly, family oriented, affordable.

Hope this helps!

[irish setter girl]

Thank you everyone for your comments. AnimalLover, is there a subdivision of newer homes that has mature trees ( trying to avoid open fields of cookie cutter homes).

[AnimalLover]

I definitely understand that! There are several former cornfields turned into subdivisons... You might be interested in Hurstborne, Breckenridge, Sweetbriar. I can send you links to some homes in those subdivisions if you're interested.

[AnonymousCoward]

Originally Posted by irish setter girl

I am investigating Chatham, IL. I'm looking for any personal opinions on neighborhoods, schools, safety, proximity to retail, etc.... I hear schools are good for the area but I want a local person's perspective. Thanks!

Everything posted so far seems accurate, just to add a little...

Chatham is the only town surrounding springfield that seems to me as if it could actually qualify as a suburb. In other words, there are enough shops, and a few employers, which give it its own identity and make it feel like more than a rural farming community.

It's probably not something I would use to determine where I live, but the far southern portion of Springfield is in the Chatham school district and many of these areas are also under City Water Light & Power (CWLP) which is Springfield's government run utility. While some are critical of CWLP, and rates may rise if a second lake is built, they will continue to be among the lowest overall electric and water rates in the state.

[Skapov]

Okay, I'm gonna give you a little perspective. Chatham is just a hop-and-a-skip away from Springfield, IL, and this is where the paranoid people who dislike diversity move to be amongst their own kind only. I never actually visited Chatham, as it's really only a residential area with a school or two (all-white, of course), but when I lived in Springfield I had co-workers who were from Chatham, and they looked down their noses at those of us who lived in Springfield. Why? Because Springfield has 15% black population, and downstate Illinois is really racist and Republican so many folks don't like that. I never in my life heard so many people complain about the (come-on) "CRIME" and "URBAN-ness" of Springfield, IL when it's like the safest/whitest small town ever. I mean, I live outside Washington, DC now, I've lived in Chicago and Houston, and so I know what REAL urban-blight looks like, but the folks of Chatham are convinced that their safety is at threat were they to live in Springfield, so they flock to their own little enclave. That's the real reason Chatham is growing these last 10-15yrs., 80% white Springfield isn't white-enough, they want it 98%, and Chatham does indeed offer that! :-)

[AnimalLover]

I never actually visited Chatham

I think that pretty much sums it up.