Is Kankakee really that bad???? (Chicago, Herscher: mortgage, lawyer, loan)

[RWA]

Originally Posted by Jons99

The Kankakee schools, especially at the junior high and high school level are the most disturbing places I have ever been to. There is a very good reason that people pay good money to move out of 111 to BBCHS and Herscher school districts. Perhaps the reason the school is crappy is because people don't realize how bad it is.

Really, and could you explain why Kankakee High is so much more disturbing than BBCHS? Every school has its problems, and the only major difference I can see between the schools is their demographics.
To tell you the truth, I admit that Kankakee has its fair share of problems, but I feel as if I would have a better time fitting in with many diversities of people in Kankakee HS. And after going through two testy years of private Catholic education, I feel more liberated and comfortable in this school than I have ever been.

[Anita Clark]

Kankakee was a chronically economically and socially repressed area long before the housing crash took place there about March 1, 2006. You can't give away a house; much of it is composed of older, decaying housing neighborhoods with super low income and welfare tenants. The 2007 taxes were just hiked up, despite severely decreased housing values and lack of overall sellability-for retirement funds of the few-especially the horrible schools tax and many governmental layers (over-layered by far) levies. That helps keep housing values downward spiraling in price with no sellability, by far more than Will County. Smart investors fled the area long ago. I fled Kankakee County in 2007, because of the area and will never get rid of a house I made a big mistake buying 23 years ago. In the last two years there, I witnessed 3,000 illegals come in and push the welfare rolls beyond belief. The city itself is one of the worst slum drug-gang ghettos,just like Sun River Terrace and Hopkins Park-Pembroke. Nobody moves to the County, they move within, if at all (from one slum rental to the next).I have read sites commenting that the County is not mentioned as a place to move to-nobody will even answer you on CraigList,but they sure know about the ammenties and justifiable housing values in Will County. The 'anchors' for Kankakee County are welfare institutions, eateries, common box retailers; the County itself has no unique high profit offerings of it's own-although it would like to think so. BTW backwards ignorance.The biggest discussion topics of other websites on the county are eat,eat, eat out and what will become of the old Walmart(of course it will rot just like the old KMart-duh); I saw the hugest people there-extreme obesity. People walk down the main street, slumping, scowling, wearing the filthiest rags they can dig up. It is a mecca for lawyers-overly abundant per populace. The one viable, largest industry is Riverside Hospital and facilities(top 5% in the nation), employing many local somewhat literate to imports of doctors to the area or the rare doctors feeling their Hypocratic Oaths. Bourbonnais has a better reputation minus the low graduation rate and ratings of Kankakee schools. Unfortunately better people and neighborhoods lying outside Kankakee can't sell because those kids are bussed to schools in the 'city'. The choice is obvious for many in rural subs-have the kids picked up by bus to several parochial schools or home school. The demographics are about the worst in Illinois. Shootings, street fights and beatings, drugs, are the worst I ever saw making Chicago and Joliet look tame. And when the Kankakee and Iroquois Rivers flooded this past winter, not even Blago's State government would help the victims, after the Federal Government wouldn't either.

[nickz]

Gah! Its people like you that give this place a bad name. It is not that bad at all. The Kankakee/Bourbonnais/Bradley Tri-City area is not a bad place. Like every city it has the parts that should be avoided at night. But it has decent shopping, decent restuarants, and very kind people. Pessimists like you give this city and county a bad name. Obviously youve never bothered to visit the surrounded towns such as Herscher, Manteno, Peotone, or Limestone. All of which have very high education rates and very low crime rates.

[JerichoHW]

Originally Posted by RWA

Really, and could you explain why Kankakee High is so much more disturbing than BBCHS? Every school has its problems, and the only major difference I can see between the schools is their demographics.
To tell you the truth, I admit that Kankakee has its fair share of problems, but I feel as if I would have a better time fitting in with many diversities of people in Kankakee HS. And after going through two testy years of private Catholic education, I feel more liberated and comfortable in this school than I have ever been.

To be quite honest, KHS seems rather low on the charts, and I would probably have done Catholic school.

[Anita Clark]

Aroma Township(including the small Village of Aroma Park(small supermarket, auto repair, gas stations, insurance agency, parks, nice restaurant, boat club, fire department, law office) is nice, quiet, has lovely homes on bigger lots and acreage). It is 5 miles away from the city of Kankakee. Unfortunately parts of the township's children get bussed to schools in Kankakee, which has killed some housing sales. Almost 1/2 of the kids in the subdivision I moved away from after 20 some years to 2,000 miles away put their kids in private schools(three choices) or home school them so the kids wouldn't be victimized in Kankakee schools by crime or become involved in drugs themselves nor subjected to lower education standards and graduation rates. Aroma Township collects much higher income taxes and could afford it's own K-12 instead of paying property taxes to the 111 school district. People in Aroma Township are primarily hard-working homeowners, decent, clean, not loud and by far less drug-cultured than that city five miles away. Police and fire/ambulance respond promptly and without fear in Aroma Township. A good number of residents are business owners, lawyers, doctors, boating/golf, fishing/river enthusiasts and river people! There are several natural forest preserves with educational agendas for all ages. Agriculture is slowly dying off, unfortunately, with it being a desirable place to live. Land is much more so a premium there. GOOD place for families compared to some cities and towns in the County.
Check, recheck, and then again, when selecting for property value, crime, and other important population behavior demographics in Kankakee County. This peaceful, serenely beautiful township is 'on the river'(a decent part of it) east I-57 about 5 miles.

[asmond1]

I was born and raised in Kankakee county, I have lived in other areas of the state and currently live in a suburb of Atlanta GA for the past 11 years. I am so excited to be able to move back to Kankakee County next month. Kankakee County is just like the rest of small town America and if you like that kind of environment it is a good place to live. If you have a job there that's great, but I think most people commute to larger cities nearby.

The main problem you have in a lot of areas in the county is that it is economically depressed. Kankakee was thriving prior to the 70's because it was an industrial town with plenty of factories. When the factories relocated nothing replaced it. The other problem is you have a lot of prejudice and corruption. Most of the areas these people are saying are bad is the areas where minorities live. And just from reading some of the comments some of the people who responded to you are allowing there prejudices and fears rule there common sense. Every city has bad areas, poverty and disinfranchisement breads corruption, stagnation and deterioration of communities. If you can afford to move to an area where there are people who are of a like mind to yours as it concerns the lifestyle you want for your life. I am sure you will find that in Kankakee county.

The one thing I will say about all these people who keep saying Bradley and Bourbonais has all these shopping areas, that's all they have. regardless to where you live in the county there really is no industry except for the retail industry. From my vantage point Bradley/Bourbonais seems like its an economic disaster waiting to happen. How can anyone talk about the city of kankakee and esteem bradley/bourbonais when you can throw a rock from downtown kankakee and hit the city centers of bradley/bourbonais. That's just ignorant. If the county seat is so terrible, it stands to reason that you are looking at the future of the county. It seems to me that the most viable option is to invest in the county seat and build a stronger base for the "growth" in the surrounding areas, otherwise the "growth" in places like bradley/bourbonais is really inflated more so than substantive. And the true test of real growth is time.

I say ignore all these negative comments and go see for your self. honestly when you consider the sense of community and that kind of thing (excluding economic factors) Kankakee county is a decent place to live.

[nickz]

asmond1 is completely right. Commercial development is really the only thing
in the Tri-City area. So if you like to shop, then its for you. But as for like Six Flags
and stuff. I wouldnt expect that stuff down here anytime soon. Though asmond1, Im not sure if youve been up here lately or not. But there is actually a sort of nightlife
developing. Surprisingly, its not just the cheap bars and dives that it used to be. Theres actually a really trendy new club that opened up by the Paramount where they built the new police station. Its a formal dress apparel place with valet parking and its doing quite well oddly enough. Then there are a few more outside of the "downtown" area.

[GivMeABreak]

Anita, Anita , Anita, It sounds as if you fled because you couldn't sell your house. Other homes have sold that were on the market for a shorter time than yours. The 1 story frame house across the street and south of yours, SOLD ! The small 3 bedroom brick home on the corner to the north, SOLD, in 2 short months and they received more than they originally ask for it. I currently have our home listed, on the same street as yours and we are asking 30K more than what we purchased it for 3 years ago and we are moving in to the city of Kankakee. Please don't bring down the Kankakee area just because you have had some bad luck or bad experiences. It's not he best place to raise a family or to live or to look for work, but, it's not as bad as you make it sound. I'm curious. Why did you live here so long? 23 years !?

[Drover]

Originally Posted by GivMeABreak

Anita, Anita , Anita, It sounds as if you fled because you couldn't sell your house.

That doesn't make the remotest bit of sense...

[GivMeABreak]

You are absolutely right. I should have said, "you slam the Kankakee area stating that you could not give away your house, but yet, other homes in your neighborhood are selling." And, also adding, you must have fled from the area for other reasons, not just the housing market. Thank you for the correction. My bad.