which western suburbs?

[ahava]

Originally Posted by nanannie

Sounds like a sub-division to me.Any Wheaton locals know for sure ??

It is a subdivision, it's off of Butterfield Rd & Orchard Rd.

[acdevane]

I have lived in Naperville for over 22 years. I know and love the community. I can tell you first hand that I've raised my three children here, and would be hard pressed to find another community that offers the wide array of activities and events that Naperville provides. It seems there's something to do every weekend if you are looking for something to do. Whether it's a community parade, or the dog frisbee competition, or the juried fine arts festival, or the nationally attended RibFest. Whether you're looking for large scale or small scale activity, you're sure to find it here.

As far as property. There is a diverse choice to be found in Naperville. You have the older homes, concentrically located closer to town in more established communities. As you move out further from town you will find newer homes, in newer settings. There are properties interspersed that are about 1/2 - 1 acre. Those are usually located in unincorporated areas. You can find housig in the price point you are looking for, it will all depend on where and how new you'd like your home to be.

There are two school districts that support Naperville. One is Community Unit School District 203, the other is Indian Prairie School Dist. 204. However, a little known fact is that you can reside in some areas of Woodridge, Lisle, or Bolingbrook and still be served by school district 203. The same is true for school district 204 serving some areas of Aurora, Bolingbrook & Plainfield. They are highly acclaimed!

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Good Luck

[deegers]

Naperville residents, how long does it take to drive to downtown Chicago from there? I can't remember.

[cw68]

Originally Posted by cmow

We are looking at spending $450,000 - $600,000 on a home and would like 4BR. We also would like a home that is updated and doesn't need a lot of work. Where we live in Ca we have less than a 1/4 of an acre and at least 6 homes looking into our yard, plus there are no mature trees. So we would like a little more privacy. Talked to a realtor that works in the North Shore and said we could only get 3BR for our price range that needs fixing up. That's why we are looking elsewhere. Are the western suburbs near trains so if my husband works in Chicago he could commute with them? Thanks again for your help.

Don't forget that most of these houses will have basements; something you don't get in California. When my sister bought her house it would have been listed on paper as a 3/1.75 with 1500 finished square feet. However, the basement is the full footprint of the house and with a fireplace, so there is 3000 square feet of living space. They finished the basement, added one bedroom, an office, a computer/game area and a family room with the fireplace. She also has a huge laundry room. Please take these things into account when you're looking at houses.

I grew up in Elmhurst and live in California. Our 4th bedroom is the kids' homework area, guest room and office. If we had a basement, it could easily be all of these areas and not in a small space either.

[GROVE2007]

Oak Park, Villa Park, St. Charles, Wheaton, Elmhurst, River Grove, Elmwood And Anything West Of Chicago. Stay Away Cicero, Maywood And Berwyn.. Schols Distrcits Not That Great!

[jessiegirl_98]

Originally Posted by deegers

Naperville residents, how long does it take to drive to downtown Chicago from there? I can't remember.

During rush hour, I would say 2 hours-ish. It's a horrible commute. During non-rush (which is hard to predict!), it can be 45 min-2 hours!! I would absolutely not drive in from Naperville during rush hour. I would definitly take the metra.

[deegers]

Originally Posted by jessiegirl_98

During rush hour, I would say 2 hours-ish. It's a horrible commute. During non-rush (which is hard to predict!), it can be 45 min-2 hours!! I would absolutely not drive in from Naperville during rush hour. I would definitly take the metra.

I figured just as much, thanks for the info!

[mcubed]

I live in Western Springs and love it! It is a tree-city USA so there are tons of tall mature trees that line the parkways. Another person compared it to Evanston but it is nothing like Evanston. Our small little downtown does not have a lot to offer but neighboring Lagrange and Hinsdale both have quite a bit. It is also very close to Oakbrook mall where you will find everything you need (high-end as well). There are many parks and great schools.
My husband commutes to the city via the metra train. He walks to the train (7 min) and the train ride is about 30 min.
For your price range you will have a hard time finding a 4br house in walking distance to the train. However, with the way the market is you never know.

Lot sizes also vary most are 120' deep and 40-50' wide. I don't know the acerage.

There is a family that just moved in across the street from us and they were from Orange County, Ca.

I would also look at Lagrange. Naperville is nice, I lived there for one year when I first moved to IL. I like the downtown there but there are too many people and traffic is really bad now. Also, to drive to the city in traffic would take for ever (around 2 hrs).

Hope this Helps
Melissa

[jaynetarzana]

Originally Posted by homewifeev

The best elementary school and middle school in Illinois are probably Middlefork and Sunset Ridge in far east Northfield. In Northfield a lot of people rent houses.

Can you tell me more about Northfield? We are considering a house there. Thanks!

[Burr Oak]

I'd like to recommend Riverside. It's on the Metra line to Chicago (20 minutes one way). The village is the only community in the United States designated by the Department of Interior as a National Historic Landscape District (laid out in 1869 by Olmsted & Vaux). Riverside-Brookfield is a small, highly rated school, and the grammar school district 96 is always one of the state's most highly rated. It is a beautiful, quaint Victorian village. There is a variety of housing at a variety of prices. I recommend looking at the village's website and its Wikipedia entry.