What do you think of Springfield, IL? (Chicago, Lincoln: crime, big house)

[LookKXLight]

My family and I are contemplating a possible move to the area. I would be working near the Capitol and am looking in 62703 near Grand and 8th, approximately. I have found some good houses near Iles Elementary and Lincoln Magent, which appear to be very highly rated. What do you think of the area in terms of safety for my wife and 2 little girls? We also would be looking to join the YMCA off of 4th. If you really dislike the area, where would you suggest as to a reasonable commute. We are not rich, but a house of $250k to $300k would not be a problem, it is just that with housing cost and resale in that area I am hesitant to spend that much if I can avoid it and still have the family be happy and safe. Any information would be greatly appreciated.

[mdand3boys]

Originally Posted by LookKXLight

My family and I are contemplating a possible move to the area. I would be working near the Capitol and am looking in 62703 near Grand and 8th, approximately. I have found some good houses near Iles Elementary and Lincoln Magent, which appear to be very highly rated. What do you think of the area in terms of safety for my wife and 2 little girls? We also would be looking to join the YMCA off of 4th. If you really dislike the area, where would you suggest as to a reasonable commute. We are not rich, but a house of $250k to $300k would not be a problem, it is just that with housing cost and resale in that area I am hesitant to spend that much if I can avoid it and still have the family be happy and safe. Any information would be greatly appreciated.

Chatham. Spend $150K-$200K on a great house with great schools and almost no crime and don't worry. So you end up with a 20-30 minute commute? So what compared to living in Springfield?

[doll lady]

Springfield has been discussed many times on here. Do a search to see what has been said. Just put in Springfield Illinois in the search area.

I imagine that most posters will most likely tell you that Grand (I assume you mean South Grand) and 8th, if you're looking at big houses, would not be the best choice in the world. Just a few short blocks to the south begins some deteriorating neighborhoods and encroaching on the neighborhood you listed and to the north is the heavily tourist traveled Lincoln Home area and to the east begins serious crime areas....and if it's North Grand you're talking about, the houses are lots worse as the houses in those neighborhoods are beginning to be immensely run down. Inner city just isn't the best place in the world to live.

If you're going to spend that much money, buy a house in the west part of town and commute. One poster recommended buying in Chatham.....that's a good idea, but there are plenty other suburban communities which are just as good as Chatham, with wonderful school districts. In fact some of the other towns other than Chatham, the housing is much cheaper for the same size house. Chatham schools are fairly new but past their capacity and beginning to suffer for the crowded conditions according to the news, so referendums to increase taxes may be on the horizon. But of course this could be true to any community.

Referendum leader knows Chatham schools - Springfield, IL - The State Journal-Register



I personally would not want my children going to Springfield city high schools....too many gangs, too much drugs, alcohol and violence to suit me. Surburban schools have great sports .... basketball, baseball, football, golf, soccer, volleyball, etc. And the best is a good choice of classes and great teachers.

Check out the following suburban towns/villages...all within easy commute. It doesn't take you major time to get across the city. Traffic isn't like it is in major metropolitan cities. Everyone commutes from the rural areas and it's fast going with few accidents. Commuting is a way of life here.

Rochester
Chatham
Riverton
Sherman (Sherman goes to Williamsville schools.....elementary school in Sherman and really nice houses in newly developed areas)
Williamsville (Some old stately houses here as well as some nice newer homes in newly developed areas)
Athens
Auburn
Petersburg (furthest) (Wonderful old stately homes/mansions)

Direct message me for any specifics. :>)

[LookKXLight]

Thanks so much for the details. It is a shame as there are some great older homes in those areas. My hope is that people will be motivated by the lower cost to go in and revitalize certain neighborhoods and push out the bad elements with good community policing and neighborhood watch programs. If I were younger and single I might take the chance but with a wife and two pretty little girls it is not a risk I am willing to take to save a few bucks and/or a few miles of commute. Still open to other information, so everyone keep it coming if you are willing. Thanks.

[Central Illinois 1]

The Washington Park area has some great older homes that should be in your 250-300K price range. Leland Grove is another great area nearby that may work for you. Otherwise, I would suggest getting out into Chatham.

[LookKXLight]

Thanks. I looked at Leland Grove (62704) but frankly the schools seemed to be a mixed bag unless you ended up in the area that is serviced by Sandberg elementary. At least per Greatschools.net (and reinforced by a lot of comments I have read) you really have to be selective in terms of schools in the Springfield ISD.

[kmwheel]

We moved to Rochester in September and my whole family loves it. My husband works at Camp Lincoln and it takes him 15 minutes to get to work (it's 15 minutes tops to downtown). I work on Wabash near Wells Fargo and it takes me 17-18 minutes to get to work, during the Springfield "rush hour" (ha!). We often go into Springfield for events and activities. It's really a marvelous town with lots of arts events going on. My son and I recently attended the Pied Piper Architectural Tour downtown and I took my two younger kids to the Zoolympics at Henson Robinson Zoo...all free! We can't wait to see some of the local theater products and also the bigger productions that come through UIS! I still haven't been to the Farmer's Market, either, but I can't wait to go.

Springfieldmoms.org is an awesome website where you can find out what's going on for kids in the area.

One thing that someone told me that I didn't really think of is to buy a home with a Springfield address that feeds into Rochester school district. That way, they get the resident fees for Springfield Park District instead of having to pay out-of-district fees. There are a couple of really nice subdivisions closer to Lake Springfield that would fit the bill. We, unfortunately, didn't know that, so we bought right in Rochester, but I'm still super happy with where we ended up. The neighbors are terrific, and coming from Chicagoland, we couldn't believe the amount of house you can get for your money.

We go walking or riding bikes on the path that's right across the road from our subdivision almost every night.

As far as schools go, I have heard (but didn't confirm) that if Springfield 186 wants, they can send your kids to whatever school they want. I did not want to deal with that, so I looked for an area that had consistently good reviews, smaller schools, and the guarantee that your kids will go through the same school system the whole way. Rochester schools have been great for us so far. My kids have made friends fast, they have really high academic standards, and the parental/teacher involvement seems great.

If you want any more details about Rochester, feel free to PM me.

[AnonymousCoward]

Originally Posted by LookKXLight

Thanks so much for the details. It is a shame as there are some great older homes in those areas. My hope is that people will be motivated by the lower cost to go in and revitalize certain neighborhoods and push out the bad elements with good community policing and neighborhood watch programs. If I were younger and single I might take the chance but with a wife and two pretty little girls it is not a risk I am willing to take to save a few bucks and/or a few miles of commute. Still open to other information, so everyone keep it coming if you are willing. Thanks.

I too have hoped to see older, near downtown, neighborhoods being renovated, but aside from a few small sections of town, it hasn't really happened. The problem, I believe, is that there isn't financial pressure for people to do so, and it is just too easy to drive to the far west side or one of the outlying communities. With a wide variety of homes in the $100,000 - $250,000 price range available in areas that are a relatively short commute from downtown, few middle class people are willing to be "urban pioneers" and take back large sections of the city. Since many younger professionals have children, few would be willing tolerate even the smaller added risk of being in a neighborhood that was believed to be troublesome.

To add to some of the options listed here, there are several nice neighborhoods within the city of Springfield, and as was mentioned not all of them fall within Springfield's School District 186, and these are largely on the fringes of town. Even for homes falling within the boundaries of District 186, some are lucky enough to have their children make it into the Magnet school, and there are also several options with regard to private schools in the area. It could be that the convenience of living within Springfield, and the potentially lower home prices, could make paying tuition a more reasonable option. There is nothing wrong with any of the outlying communities mentioned here either, but each of them has a different character, with Chatham having the most suburban feel to it, and many of the others seeming more rural.

The median priced home in the Springfield area is in typically ranges from the low to upper 100's depending on what community you are looking at. I would suggest that, if ease of resale is a consideration, not spending more than double that, and probably below $250,000, depending on where it is, might be a wise decision. The number of people willing and able to spend more than that is limited. If you want proof of this, ask your Realtor what the average time on the market is for homes at various price points and neighborhoods.

As someone who isn't originally from here, I would also suggest that living here requires one to change their mindset a bit. Outside of city government, you aren't likely to hear "urban revitalization" or "community policing" mentioned very much. It just isn't a central part of the value system that people have, and it isn't likely to change. That isn't to say that there aren't individuals interested in such things, but there aren't enough to truly change the city. As with much of life, to live happily here requires a certain appreciation and acceptance of how things are. Springfield is an interesting city, and the Springfield area is a nice place to live with affordable housing and few traffic issues. It isn't likely to change a whole lot, and that is just fine with me.

[ILRef]

Welcome! Springfield is a great place to raise a family and you will be able to find a number of areas that suit your needs. As others have said, I'd stay away from the areas you listed. I admire the fact that you would like to revitalize those areas, I really do, but it will take a community movement. Springfield seems to be a sprawling city and some areas have gone downhill (mostly the east side) while the rest has thrived.

The areas already mentioned (Chatham, Rochester, Williamsville, Leland Grove, Washington Park) would probably be a good fit. If you are in the 186 district, you will have the option of sending your children to a number of good private schools.

Another option is the very south end of Springfield in the Toronto Rd. area. Two subdivisions in particular (Lake Pointe and Crows Mill) are desirable areas that feed into the Chatham school district and may be worth a look. Homes seem to go very fast in those neighborhoods.

Good luck!

[Annie3]

I agree with the other posters, you don't want to go near the 8th and S. Grand area, not with children. I live in a nicer neighborhood closer to that area, but crime is starting to trickle into our neighborhood a little at a time. There was a recent shooting about 3 blocks from my neighborhood. To be very honest, I would avoid virtually all streets that are numbers (6th, 15th, etc) There are some very nice areas mixed in there, but if you are moving from out of town you won't know where to look and where to avoid.

A note on the schools, Iles and Lincoln Magnet are both public schools, but Iles is a gifted school and you have to make application and be approved, and Lincoln runs on a lottery system - you don't have to live in the neighborhood to attend those schools, just be accepted. The rest of Springfield public schools can be pretty tough. I am an Education major and I have no intention of working in Springfield.

Springfield does have a number of excellent private schools, mostly Catholic but a few Lutheran and other Christian schools. If you really want to live in Springfield, look at those. I don't know where you are moving from but the tuition is usually reasonable (especially if you can afford a $250K house). I don't know if diversity is important to you, but Cathedral School is probably the most diverse and St. Agnes or Christ the King are probably the least diverse (economically and ethnically).