Relocating to South side of Chicago/NWI (Aurora, Naperville: house, buy)

[Kwhit1015]

My husband and I are relocating from Des Moines, IA to the Chicago area for his job. This will be our second move with his company...we are originally from Atlanta, GA. Just looking for some advice on places to live!

His job involves him working some from home and visiting several dealers on the south side of Chicagoland...as far west as Ottawa and as far east as Michigan City, IN. Most of the dealers are between Joliet and Merrillville, IN. His territory is much larger now so he is very used to driving long distances, although I think it will be a perk for him if he's relatively close to the majority of the dealers.

Also, our son competes in gymnastics! I know Chicago is known for men's gymnastics, but I'm having a hard time finding gyms with boys teams on the south side. I would commute up to an hour or so if needed. This is very important in our decision.

I have been told to choose Indiana due to the taxes, but again, hard to find a gym there. I would prefer a small town...I am drawn to Beecher, IL. We really don't have a need to commute into downtown other than for weekend entertainment...unless its for the gym.

Here's what we need/want:
3-4 bedroom house under 250k
Excellent school district
Near boys team gymnastics (any suggestions?)
In and around south of Chicago or NWI

Thanks!

[chet everett]

I would focus on NW Indiana given the territory he has to cover and your budget.

[linicx]

There are many boys gymnasium clubs in the Chicago area. Your area is not in the 2i7, 309, or 618 telephone area code. You most likely will find what you seek in the 815 and 845 telephone area codes.

I found towns in the south and west that could conceivably work as your husband also drives to Ottawa more likely via I-80. My dad did the same as your husband in IA, IL and IN for 40 years. I would not buy anything, anywhere until my husband was familiar with his territory, where each target company is located, how often he is required to visit each, and how quicky he learns surface routes. Chicago area travel is not by measured by mileage, it is measured by minutes and surface routes. In lousy weather 8 miles can mean 45 minutes through city streets and stoplights. It would serve no purpose, for instance, to live an hour West if the manority of his time is spent East near the lake.

Cook County is 1000 square miles. The City of Chicago is nearly 100 square miles, You can find 90 hospitals and probably a 1000 schools. He probably won't want must farther south or west than these places where I found gyms: Flossmore, Homewood, Joliet, Romeoville, Naperville, Aurora and Plano. Of these the most rural is Plano. It is WSW of Aurora and near Sandwich. Rural areas in Illinois are *not* customarily served by AT&T or Comcast (if Internet is important), plus cell phone service can be spotty.

Gymnastics in IL. Here is a phone number and email for nearly every listing. Information on Indiana gymnastic clubs is scattered with no cohesive list of clubs or contacts. The Illinois list is provided below.

Gymnastics in Illinois USA

[urza216]

Homewood and Flossmoor are both right by 1-80 and about a half hour east of Joliet and a half hour west of Merrillville. Focusing on NWI doesn't make any sense because Joliet is pretty west. Flossmoor isn't even THAT close to Indiana (compared to places like Lansing and South Holland) but living in Flossmoor, I'd say I'm pretty central located in the area you've defined.

[urza216]

Originally Posted by linicx

You most likely will find what you seek in the 815 and 845 telephone area codes.

No.

Driving east on I-80: From about Ottawa to New Lenox it will be 815. From about Orland Park to Calumet City, it will be 708. And from Hammond to Michigan City it will be 219.

[summer22]

You may want to look into the Munster school district and the Lake Central schools in Indiana... out of anywhere in NW Indiana, those would be the areas where you might find either a school program or a gym.

Homewood/Floosmoor sounds like it would also be a good choice, location-wise.

Romeoville is much farther west; Naperville and Aurora are much farther north and west and would make for a difficult commute for your husband.

I noticed there are many New Lenox, Mokena, Plainfield and Tinley Park gyms on the link that Linicx posted... I wonder if Tinley would work as a location for you to live.