Is there a bad part of Wheaton? (Elmhurst, Glen Ellyn: section 8, apartment complex)

[chicagoRE]

Or I should say a more desirable part? Still trying to settle on a suburb and Wheaton seems to be fitting the bill but we don't know enough about it. I have read bits and pieces (and tried doing a search) about more desirable sections but I don't have a handle on it. Are there certain boundaries we should be looking at if schools are important?

[chicagoRE]

Quite a comment from someone who knows absolutely nothing about my situation. If you do not wish to offer a helpful comment then say nothing. If your tolerance is so low maybe you should find a new hobby?

[chet everett]

There are wide variety of sections in Wheaton, some where smaller older homes are more common and some where the "McMansion" term is more appropriate, as well as fair number range of the historic charming homes, tract-ish style developments from GI bill days, Brady Bunch era stuff and more.

No ghetto, or dangerous sections, but certainly some sections with more rentals and unappealing high density / lower quality developments.

Even the sections that are close to downtown have some blocks that are much much more appealing than others -- the former DuPage Co. Courthouse and governmental offices led to some poor traffic issues and such so a block or two away made a big difference in local appeal. Similarly at the fringes of town and near Roosevelt Rd there are retail centers and such that lack visual charm...

Those sorts of things probably explain why towns like Glen Ellyn have attracted more high end tear downs, as well as the odd land use that occurs near Wheaton College, not that the kids there are anything to worry about, a large percentage go on to be preachers and do missionary work, so the quietness is top notch, but there are still dorms, dining halls, concerned centers and all that so it is not just a big park -- couple of times a year there are big influxes of parents and confernce attendees...

The folks that sometimes say "oh it is so conservative" strike me as being more than a little out of touch. The population of Wheaton itself is pretty much like any other suburb in the region. There may be mire churches, but I am fairly sure that given the large number of them that are tied to missionary activities and now cater to immigrants from Asian countries where one might have services in Korean and another Laotion, and others in Vietnamese the situation is not that different than the highly touted cultural and linguistic diversity of a much more urban setting...

[TempesT68]

The only not-so-good areas are the apartment complex areas on roosevelt and also on the far north end of town which much is also section 8. Generally anything south of roosevelt is considered the more desirable part of town, but really anywhere in the city will tie you into premium schools.

[chicagoRE]

Thanks Chet & Tempest, I really appreciate this and exactly the kind of info I am looking for. Coming from the city, I am looking for a little more peace and quiet, and don't mind the churches at all.

We will be working downtown but we bth work from home and do not keep regular hours, what would the commute be like during non-rush hour? Would you say 45 mins or less?

[TempesT68]

In perfect conditions 45 minutes is about right. There is also a metra train that runs downtown as well.

[chet everett]

The non-express trains on the UP-W line can be annoyingly pokey, though they rarely are not faster than driving. While driving times do decrese a bit outisde the rush hour peaks as there is a fall off in traffic volumes between about 10am and 11:45AM as well as post lunch lull from about 1PM until 3PM these are NOT truly "open roads" and I would say your 45 minute estimate is on the optimistic side unless you live / work VERY near the expressway... Various deliveries, service type businesses, salespeople and even buses are trekking around during work / school hours.

If driving into the Loop is a big part of your job I might recommend Elmhurst to save 15 minutes or so.