Relocating to Bradley, Il - Where to live? (Chicago, Orland Park: house, transfer)

[JSpringer]

My husband is getting transferred to Bradley, Il and I have been looking at different areas where we can live. We have 3 kids, ages 10, 8 and 4 so good schools are important for us. We would like a 4 bedroom house around 2500 - 3000 square feet for about $350,000 (preferably with a basement and the kids would love a pool).

I have been looking at the Bradley/Bourbonnais, Frankfort, New Lennox, Manteno, Flossmoor and Homewood (though these might be a little far). We don't mind ethnically diverse, we just want a safe and fun community.

Can anyone give me any info on any of these areas or any other areas that I might not know about? We are moving from CA so I really don't know much about the Chicago area.

Thanks!

[Jons99]

I would suggest the Limestone Township area of Kankakee, across the river from Bradley/Bourbonnais, on a map it will be the Rt 113 area long the river.. Its in the Herscher/Limestone school district, which most people consider the best district in the county and in that price range you should get a house you like.

It is a more rural area, so if thats a concern you might want to look at the Frankfort, Orland Park etc areas.. Will be a further drive and you will get a lot less of a house.. But if you are ok with Kankakee county, Limestone would be my suggestion.

[fitnessgirl36]

We are in the same boat -- my husband was transferred to the Bourbonnais/Bradley area a few months ago and we've been exploring the entire area to decide where to live. This is what we came up with:
Bourbonnais is a nice area with some very nice homes. If you like brand-new or newer, there are some nice homes that are closer to the Bradley area and also in some more upscale neighborhoods like Riverside Country Estates that are closer to the Kankakee River State Park, which has some great bike/walking trails that wind along the river through the trees. For some more established neighborhoods in Bourbonnais, there are the homes near the Briarcliff subdivision, south of Route 102.
I've also heard there are some nice neighborhoods in Bradley, but you'd want to check it out carefully before you bought anything. As far as Kankakee is concerned, my husband's new co-workers have pretty much told him to stay clear of anything in Kankakee. The town has had a very rough history and it is supposedly on the upswing, but not there yet.
Bourbonnais/Bradley has quite a few restaurants and the shopping isn't too bad, but I've been heading north to do a lot of my shopping. They have anything you can imagine in the Orland Park area -- although that is a bit of a drive from Bourbonnais.
The previous poster mentioned Limestone/Herscher and if you like very rural, this would be a pretty good fit. However, for any shopping, etc., you'd have to come back up to Bourbonnais/Bradley.
We've also looked further north, especially Frankfort. It is about a 1/2 hour drive up I-57 -- give or take 5-10 minutes -- and it is a very nice area. The homes are definitely more expensive up there, but the area is safe, the schools are award-winning, and it is closer to a lot more amenities. They have quite a few parks up there and a cute downtown area by Hwy. 45. It is also more convenient to Chicago, if that is of any interest to you.
Oh, and there are some towns along I-57, such as Manteno, Peotone, Monee, etc. that seem like quaint little towns, but I don't know much about them. The commute time would be more convenient though, so we have just started to peruse the areas.
Good luck!

[Jons99]

The nicer subdivisions in Limestone are no more rural than Riverside Country Estates, River Crossings for example is a mile from the areas largest hospital and right across the river from Bourbonnais. Rivers Edge is the other new one in that area, its about 2 miles further out on Rt 113..

And as a teacher, I would strongly suggest the Herscher school district if you choose to live in Kankakee County. This year my daughters first grade class had 17 kids, no other school had fewer than 22 at that grade and the Bradley and Bourbonnais schools were in the mid 20's.

[JSpringer]

Thanks, this is some great info. I can't wait to get there and do some house hunting and checking out the areas. You have given me some great areas to focus on.