Need info on Kankakee (Chicago, Bourbonnais: middle-class, real estate market, apartments)

[Dolly]

My husband has a job interview with the college in Kankakee, next week. I really do not know much about it but at this point, a job is a job. We do not have small children so we don't need to know about school districts. Mostly need information on rental housing and neighborhoods to avoid.
Thanks!

[Dreickx]

I've lived 25 miles from Kankakee my whole life, and been there numerous times. Kankakee has a reputation for high crime and much of it is quite dangerous, I know from getting the Kankakee paper for years. I believe there are some fairly nice neighborhoods on the west side, though. Bradley is mostly nicer and Bourbonnais is pretty wealthy. Frankly, I prefer small towns so if I worked at KCC, I'd live in Clifton or Chebanse. Rent will be cheaper and crime is nil. It probably takes about the same amount of time to get to KCC from Clifton as it does from Bourbonnais, it's just a straight shot up 57.

Kankakee is a blue-collar, rust belt town. It had major factory closures in the 80s and has never really recovered fully. Bourbonnais, on the other hand, is mostly upper middle-class. It is a very outlying suburb of Chicago; there are people living there who commute to Chicago and the suburbs.

KCC is in a beautiful location right by the river, though, that's for sure. It's a couple miles outside town, really.

[MantenoWrestler]

I live in Manteno. its a nice community. you can find good priced houses here and its only a 15 minute drive into kankakee.
i would avoid living IN kankakee though. a lot of drugs, prostitution and crime.
and manteno is located on some major roads, so traveling is easy. I-57 Route 45 and Route 50 all pass through. the town is growing quickly. the south creek sub-division in manteno is really nice. the neighbors are friendly.

[Dolly]

My husband has a second interview scheduled at KCC on March 4th. We are going to spend the night and look around the area. Any recommendations for a hotel, restuarants, etc. Should we avoid getting a hotel room in Kankakee if the crime is that bad? What about the KCC campus itself. Does anyone know what the crime situation is there on campus?

[Jons99]

There is a new hotel thats just a few minutes from KCC, Hilton Garden Inn, both that and KCC are on the far edge of town where crime isn't an issue.. Though you might not want to stay there as most of the shopping and dining is on the north side in Bradley...

[linicx]

Go read what Wikipedia has to say about Kankakee. It's interesting. Kankakee has a city website, Kanakee River for pleasure boating, a downtown area, and some historical buildings. Knowing Illinois like I do, I would give the #2 and #3 posts a lot of consideration - and shy away from portential problems. Moving is enough hassle for one year. You can always more to Kankakee later, once you get a feel for the town. The population is about 27k divided as 50% white, 48% black and the balance is Mexicans and others.

[linicx]

You may want to read this post too. Very informative.

Are the South-West Chicago Suburbs a nicer area than Kankakee?

[GolfLover2]

Dolly: The Kankakee area is actually made up of a trifecta of cities, Bradley, Bourbonnais, and Kankakee. As in every town, there are differing types of homes and prices in each. Kankakee is probably the most diverse in ethnicity, newer housing and growth is probably most active in Bourbonnais, then Bradley. Interstate 57 is a main artery, as are Routes 45 and 50. More rural areas can still be found around the perimeter of these cities. If you don't mind a minor commute of 15 to 20 minutes tops, the Villages of Manteno and Peotone to the north offer small town living and amenities too. Both of these communities, as well as Bourbonnais offer new construction and newer residential homes to choose from and are as stable of real estate market as you will find these days. Manteno has a Country Inn and Suites right off the Interstate that is affordable, clean and safe. Nearby are gas stations, McDonalds, Subway, and small restaurants. There are newer townhomes and apartments available in those villages, as well as Bourbonnais and Bradley.Moderator cut: soliciting . Best of luck in the new job and your new home. Welcome to the area!

[Dolly]

We drove around Kankakee and saw three hotels, well two, one was a rather scary place I don't think I would even classify as such from the looks of it. The Hilton was too expensive, the other two places were bad and worse. So we went on down the road to Bourbonnais, wow, the difference between day and night! We stayed at Lee's Inn and had a nice pleasant stay and a great breakfast for a reasonable price. We ate at Coyote Steak House that night and again it was very nice. I found a Hobby Lobby and was in heaven. (we have a running joke that I don't move anyplace that there isn't a Hobby Lobby!) But, don't break out the welcome mat yet, they had one more person to interview on Monday and today is Thursday and we haven't heard anything yet. My hubby is 55 though and doesn't seem to be having a lot of luck finding something in his field. Jobs he could have got easily 10 years ago just seem to slip right out of his fingers. It is hard to stay positive in this economy.

[linicx]

I am glad you found a Hobby Lobby and a lovely Inn to spend a couple of days. Don't give up hope yet. It's a buyer's market and employeers are far more likely to hire an experienced person than one that has an arm full of certs and no experience. I would be more concerned if he were fresh out of college with no real life experieces. Don't fprget. they did call hubby for an interview. Depening upon the emplyeer, the application may go through many hands before a final descision is made. Also, because of the economy. employers ara being much more cautious before they hire.

Chin up, kiddo! just think how much fun you'll have exploring the new Hobby Lobby after you get settled in.