So what's the most trendy/desirable burb emerging? (Chicago, Evanston: low income, apartments)

[Butkusrules]

What suburb/ area is emerging as the place to move to for younger families leaving the city but with access to the loop?

Oak park seems to be losing appeal because schools dropping
Park ridge because of plans noise and school drooping
Elmhursr because of flooding

Thoughts? Glenview? Clarendon hills? I'm looking for a burn with biggest arrow pointing up.

[SAGAstory]

I deal with Palos hills, I haven't really dealt with any more far as Illinois. Long live any city that has more high places than a poor city. It shouldn't be any in outresence either I think it's time for a change through the government and high places of the country that we govern by law.

[ToriaT]

Each place has its upsides and downsides. You hear Oak Park, Evanston. Some people say Park Ridge. Others say Forest Park, Berwyn. I don't know if I would call these trendy. It seems that people that wish they could stay in the city or be near it are interested in these places. Forest Park and Berwyn are the budget versions and may have school issues. There are many nice suburbs but don't know if they are trendy. Places on the north shore and western suburbs are great but can be expensive.

[Wicket]

Berwyn is probably trendy. Oak Park isn't trendy, more upscale liberal, like Connecticut or Vermont. Evanston same but with a university and the lake, bringing in some north shore vibe. Park Ridge? Really?

[chet everett]

The OP is badly mistaken if they believe there are any sudden new changes in the towns they listed -- Oak Park has long struggled with the disparity of outcome that faces the distinct subgroups of students in its district; their is no new downtrend. Similarly the efforts of park Ridge to fight O'Hare expansion and seek ways to soundproof buildings at the expense of Chicago & Federal authorities has been active for more than twenty years. So too has the tiny portion of Elmhurst that garner news coverage during extreme weather events long been the recipient of extreme efforts to keep basements dry. Each of these towns remain desirable becuase of their mostly excellent locations, the quality of schools and other amenities.

I personally have seem Clarendon Hills shift from a low priced alternative to Hinsdale to a nearly equally costly town. I have also seen foolish developers massively overpay for teardowns outside the desirable the D181/D86 attendance area and been burned by the lack of interest.

Similarly Glenview did see a major uptick in both commerical and residential developement following the conversion of the Naval Air Station but developers that stretched prices well beyond the sane levels of a town that has neither the direct access to Lake Miichigan nor uniform school attendance boundaries that funnel only some kinds to the most desirable North Shore district(s) have not seen the kind of return on their efforts as wiser developers that target folks looking for those things...

In a general sense the trends that push values higher remain pretty basic in our region -- too notch schools are far more valuable to home buyers than even very good schools a peg down, excellent rail service and quick access to employment are highly prized and more mature areas with a proven track record of value are far and away a safer bet than any of the all "new" developments.

Finally there are ALWAYS limits to what sorts of valuations are sustainable -- decades ago the appeal of places that had a lot more high paying jobs were still a huge factor. Shifts in both employment and the inability of some towns to really support the kinds of housing that is attractive to affluent shoppers has really hurt some towns -- Lincolnwood, Skokie, Morton Grove in the near north, Oak Lawn, Homewood Flossmoor, and Olympia Fields to the south, spots like Westchester and North Riverside in West Cook Co, and a range of other towns have signficantly underperformed other areas.

I would worry less about trying to find an area with a trajector "straight up" than I would about spending a sensible amount of money around others that have invested even more in a desirable community...

[JJski]

La Grange...

[pete6032]

Oak Park. More up and coming would be Forest Park or Berwyn. I'm sure there are more but those are only ones I can speak to personally.

[chitownperson]

Considering that families have been snatching up homes in Oak Park, and inventory is low... saying that the town is "losing appeal" is not an accurate assessment of the village. I've met many families that have moved to Oak Park recently, and the 3 top things on their lists of wants were diversity, good schools and proximity to the city. The schools offer a top quality education for those with involved families and work hard, and the majority of students achieve the same standards as compared to the highest performing schools. The commonly referred to achievement gap between the majority and minority students would happen at any of the top performing schools if they had the same demographics, but they don't because the vast majority of students in those schools are more privileged in multiple ways. The the assumptions regarding minority students and Oak Park schools in correlation to achievement also fail to take into account that there are low income families, with single parents, that have moved to Oak Park from other areas like Austin or K-town, where their kids have gone through a number of years at poor institutions in highly dysfunctional contexts... It's very difficult to catch up from a certain point, coming from such an under privileged start, compared to some kid in an affluent area, with 2 parents, that have all the resources available to them. It's like putting 2 people in a 100 meter dash, except 1 person gets to start at the 50 meter mark, and the other starts that the beginning with weights tied around his ankles... Even with the best training, the first person already has a significant head start.

I don't know of any suburb that could be considered "trendy", but then that definition is somewhat subjective. Young families wanting easy, varied and quick access to the loop typically go for some of the inner ring suburbs that offer a variety of modes of transportation options, that also meets a list of their needs and wants.

Desirability is another subjective thing. I know people that love living in places like Evanston and Oak Park that wouldn't be able to stand living in a places like Clarendon Hills or Glenview... and I'm sure the same could be said for the other way around, and then I'm sure there are people in the middle too.

[Wicket]

Trendy doesn't mean desirable, unless you strive to be trendy. I think the poster asks two different questions.

[linicx]

Oak Park has a public school system; high school is shared with Forest Park.

Oak Park is not a waspy town. It is a family town with a walkable downtown that has won several awards as has its library system. It has several parks and a dog park, too. It has , an excellent transit system into the city. Trade Joe's and Whole Foods are in OP or very nearby. OP is very diverse in politics, income, culture and religion, and its a bit quirky with its Church of Beethoven. You'll find a hospital, motels, restaurants, Family Y, and enough shopping to meet your basic needs. Regardless of what you read on these threads few established residents are fleeing Oak Park.

Housing stock ranges from $10M homes to apartments. You are just as likely to meet a millionaire or doctor as you are to meet a bank teller or visitor. If you like OP you can find your niche.