Affordable suburbs near Deerfield

[lakecountylifer]

Originally Posted by cubssoxfan

Gurnee schools:
http://iirc.niu.edu/SearchResult.aspx?SearchText=$GURNEE$&type=CITY
Arlington Heights:
http://iirc.niu.edu/SearchResult.aspx?SearchText=$Arlington+Heights$&t ype=CITY
http://iirc.niu.edu/SearchResult.aspx?SearchText=$prospect+heights$&ty pe=CITY
Buffalo Grove:
http://iirc.niu.edu/SearchResult.aspx?SearchText=$buffalo+grove$&type= CITY

And according to US News here is how the high schools that serve most or parts of Arlington Heights rank (only school from AH or BG not to make the list was Rolling Meadows-which has made the list in recent years) http://www.usnews.com/education/best...ools/illinois:
Stevenson-5
Heresey-10
Prospect-10
Buffalo Grove-21
Elk Grove-30
Wheeling-42 (Wheeling's principal was also named principal of the year by Illinois Principal's association)

Warren was not ranked, and I do not recall it being ranked in the past.

I never said Gurnee schools were "bad", just that AH and BG schools are better. You are the one who insinuated that AH & BG schools were worse than Gurnee schools because of "gangs".
You are shredding your credibility because you are so busy saying how bad AH & BG are; and using false information to do so. I repeat, there is nothing wrong with Gurnee. In MY opinion AH&BG offer better schools, better location and are ceratinly no farther away from Deerfield and, depending on location might be a smidge closer. And AH (again my opinion) offers more charm than Gurnee. Gurnee has some nice sub-divisons, but it really doesn't have a downtown, offers no Metra service (without driving to another town) and I (opinion again) see no charm in the rte 132 corridor.
The only facts are actual drive times (your results may vary a bit) and school performances. If you don't like the criticism, I politely suggest you spend more time extolling the virtues of your town without putting other nice towns down and use facts to back your opinions.

And according to this source: Gurnee (village) QuickFacts from the US Census Bureau
There is only a $6,000 gap from Arlington Height to Gurnee; not a $15,000 gap.
And BG has about a $7,000 higher average income than Gurnee.
Does that mean one is automatically better than the other, or has better schools?

I'm not saying Arlington Heights and Buffalo Grove are bad towns either. I just think these towns are over-bulit, not enough green space, congested, and have older housing choices. Gurnee has a higher median income, and like Middletown OH, is conveniently located halfway between two major cities----giving someone the opportunity to commute to either a Chicago area company or Milwaukee area company if needed. Gurnee also offers travelers a choice of a 3rd airport, MKE, as an option that those south of us do not really have realistically.

[cubssoxfan]

Originally Posted by lakecountylifer

Yes this is true about Gurnee Mills. There is an aggressive effort by our local government to work with Simon Properties to change Gurnee Mills from an outlet mall to a full service mall. The current Macys project and conversion of one wing of the mall to a full-line life style upscale center is happening now with a roll-out over the Summer. Certainly the demographic of Gurnee residents income level of $83K per year and a mall that attracts gang bangers from Waukegan is something that needed to be addressed.

As for gang problems, the proximity to Wheeling and other areas does put AH's and BG in the area of gangs. Note this story about a Latin Kings murder. There are many other examples.

Reported gang member sought in Palatine Township slaying - DailyHerald.com

The suspect lived in Palatine in the Rand Rd corridor that many recognize as a "no fly zone". The rest of Palatine is pretty decent with good schools. The same can be said about Wheeling. East side has some "no fly zones", west side is pretty nice and is safe. Despite taking kids from all sorts of different demographics, Wheeling is still a pretty good high school and so is Palatine.
Ironic that you continue to play the gang card, yet feel that your local HS and area are impervious to it.

[vikm23]

Totally disagree with this poster. Buffalo Grove has terrific parks, safe neighborhoods some suprisingly good local dining and has a great deal of diversity. Plus it's conveniently located off 2 major highways. Gurnee is pretty far out and can't touch the culture that BG has.

Another alternative may be Lake Zurich. A bit further west but good schools, cheaper housing and close to good shopping.

Originally Posted by lakecountylifer

I wouldn't recommend Buffalo Grove. They have an unstable local government led in part by a crazy recalled trustee. The whole town is a soap opera. I would look north as an option as well. Gurnee is a good option for $300K and will get you newer housing stock. I grew up in Deerfield and my mom still loves there and commutes to Gurnee daily to help out with child care. Its a pretty easy commute now that the tollway has been widened to 3 lanes in both directions.

[cubssoxfan]

Originally Posted by vikm23

Totally disagree with this poster. Buffalo Grove has terrific parks, safe neighborhoods some suprisingly good local dining and has a great deal of diversity. Plus it's conveniently located off 2 major highways. Gurnee is pretty far out and can't touch the culture that BG has.

Another alternative may be Lake Zurich. A bit further west but good schools, cheaper housing and close to good shopping.

I agree BG is a good suburb. Lake Zurich is nice, but commuting east/west to Deerfield is a bear! Rte 22 is still not 4 lanes through NIMBY-land aka Long Grove and that causes quite a bottleneck.

[wjj]

Originally Posted by vikm23

Totally disagree with this poster. Buffalo Grove has terrific parks, safe neighborhoods some suprisingly good local dining and has a great deal of diversity. Plus it's conveniently located off 2 major highways. Gurnee is pretty far out and can't touch the culture that BG has.

Another alternative may be Lake Zurich. A bit further west but good schools, cheaper housing and close to good shopping.

I agree. There are parks everywhere in BG as well as 2 public golf courses. Plus there are still farms for all intents and purposes, inside the village (though probably unincorporated, they are surrounded by the village). Didiers Farm at BG Road and Aptakistic is a destination in the fall with the pumpkin cart rides and corn maze and other activities. Some may say it is a throwback to earlier times, but it is absolutely mobbed in September and October. And it is a very big working farm that meanders all over the place. I would say that is significant open space, especially since it runs up to one of the golf courses.

Plus, if on the Lake County side, you are in Stevenson HS district which is one of the best in the country let alone the state. Even if on the Cook County side, BGHS is no slouch either.

[sbkim]

Originally Posted by plates

Libertyville, Vernon Hills, Wheeling, Glenview, and Arlington Heights would fit your requirements. However, Wheeling is on the cheap end so your money will go further there, and Glenview is the most expensive of those listed (although it would be the place to look for subdivisions). You didn't specify what size house or what "near" means.

I wouldn't include Glenview on this list as it's just as expensive as Deerfield and I don't think you will find what you are looking for $300k. In fact, my cursory search tells me that there more single family homes under $300k in Northbrook.