Advice on Wheaton? (Chicago: sales, to rent, how much)

[chet everett]

Originally Posted by bigsmoke3238

Because its not as close knit community as glen ellyn

...just utterly idiotic statement...

In all seriousness, I have friends that live in Downers Grove and had some relatives that lived there for many years -- LOTS of great neighborhoods, MANY families have multiple casual "block parties" through the year, kids that remain friends from kindergarten through high schools and beyond. There are LOTS of activities to help new comers find like minded neighbors --wonderful library, Park District is very well programmed for kids athletics as well as events for folks at other stages of life , terrific YMCA, active Lions Club sponsors many wonderful events, as does local Rotary, active churches -- all in all a really AWESOME place for families like the OP.

Sure, Glen Ellyn is smaller, and due to similar number of activities probably has EVEN greaters levels of participation, but anyone that would say Downers Grove is not an excellent place for families is just badly misinformed.

[moving_back]

Ive actually heard Downers is quite friendly...
Downers Grove in Forbes Top 10 | Top Stories | Village of Downers Grove

[ToriaT]

I think each community is probably friendly. I just moved within Wheaton and I've already been invited to three events by my neighbors. Very nice people. I think you will find friendly people in all of the places you are looking. If you join a church or get involved in community activities, you will find even more friends.

[holl1ngsworth]

Originally Posted by bigsmoke3238

I'm from the area and if you are a minority, people won't be friendly or open to you. Most people keep to themselves. The Wheaton community is tight knit. I think you should also consider glen Ellyn and southern Lombard. The briar glen elementary school in Wheaton is top knotch and feeds into glen Ellyn schools.

You say avoid Wheaton because it is tight knit, and then recommend Glen Ellyn because it is close knit?

Originally Posted by bigsmoke3238

IMO, glen Ellyn would be where you would find the most friendliness and close knitness. Everyone knows everyone in Glen Ellyn. Lombard would probably come second to that. I think you should avoid downers grove though

[bigsmoke3238]

Originally Posted by holl1ngsworth

You say avoid Wheaton because it is tight knit, and then recommend Glen Ellyn because it is close knit?

"avoid Wheaton because it is tight knit"
Thats not what I said...I was just pointing out that Wheaton is a tight knit community.

[ToriaT]

I don't really think Wheaton is a tight knit community whatever that is. ITs very fractionalized based on subdivision and church. I don't think the north Wheatonites around Geneva Rd probably mix with the south Wheatonites...its just a big community. Its not that its unfriendly its just big.

[holl1ngsworth]

Originally Posted by moving_back

We're looking to move to the western suburbs this summer and are strongly considering Wheaton. My husband will be working in north Naperville off of I-88. We really like Wheaton because it's smaller/less crowded than Naperville, is very close to my husband's work, offers lots of greenspace, and the downtown area seems to be fairly walkable. Our max budget is $500k.

We have two young boys and I'm wondering about the schools. My older son will be going into 1st grade in the fall. I know Wheaton is known to have excellent schools, but there seems to be some variability among the elementary schools. Our target areas are Longfellow or Whittier districts (we'd like to be close to downtown if possible) but we recently saw a home in the Sandburg district that we loved (it had direct access to the Prairie Path). Sandburg is rated quite a bit lower than the previously mentioned schools, any idea why?

Was also wondering about the overall vibe of the community. Are people generally friendly/neighborly, do kids play with other kids in the neighborhood or do people mostly stay inside/keep to themselves? We are looking for a very family friendly community, so any recommendations on certain neighborhoods would be greatly appreciated.

Thanks for any advice! We will be moving from out of state so I really appreciate your insight!

My wife and I moved to Wheaton from Chicago in late 13. We picked it for many of the reasons you listed. Wheaton earns high marks for its walkability, historic charm, green space, robust park district, excellent transit, central location within Chicagoland, numerous young families and outstanding schools k-12. It frequently tops "Best Suburb" lists from Money Magazine, Movoto, Chicago Magazine, etc. and arguably represents one of the best values for upper middle class home buyers in our metro.

We have two young children now, and couldn't be happier. Our neighbors are friendly and generous, and we've found it quite easy to make friends through tot lot interactions, block parties, park district activities, preschool, etc. Kids can be found playing catch in the street, riding their bikes, or hanging out at downtown shops. It's all very nostalgic. Numerous parades, festivals, carnivals, and community events throughout the year add to the small town experience and bring residents together. Note these are all dealings that would be experienced by home owners living in Wheaton, not those with third party opinions who simply live in the area.

As far as Sandburg is concerned, test scores lag most other CUSD 200 schools because of higher-than-average low income enrollment. However, I'd expect the current low income % to shrink over the next few years as the 30 new semi-custom homes planned for the attendance zone are completed. Which I guess is a nod to chet's point about Wheaton's various neighborhoods becoming more similar in composition, especially on the north side:

Northridge Estates | K. Hovnanian
Woodlawn Place | M/I Homes

That corner of Wheaton benefits greatly from its proximity to Cosley Zoo, Lincoln Marsh, Northside Park (and pool!) and Wheaton Sports Center. Some of the homes north and west of the school are unincorporated though, which is fine, so long as you're aware of the differences in services you'll be receiving. Ask your realtor for specifics.

Cosley Zoo | Wheaton Park District
Lincoln Marsh Natural Area | Wheaton Park District
Aquatic Facilities | Wheaton Park District
Wheaton Sports Center

If you have any other questions I can answer, ask here or feel free PM me.

[chet everett]

...nobody is a bigger "homer" than Hollingsworth but he truly has done his homework. He has sliced and diced the data about many towns and it is extremely hard to find fault with what a good value Wheaton is. He really represents the kind of "current wave" buyer that my friends that still work full time as real estate are seeing more frequently-- empirical data drives their decisions, not old fashioned preconceptions or even "grapevine gossip".

Illinois faces some terrible financial challenges and folks that well recall the errors that wiped out equity for many in the melt down of 2007-8 understand data is the way to avoid the pitfalls...

[TempesT68]

Originally Posted by moving_back

Thank you for your insight. We are also considering Glen Ellyn and Downers Grove. I ask about the overall "friendliness" of the community because where we've lived for the last two years, people are considerably more friendly than anywhere we've encountered while living in Chicago and we have enjoyed that. Ideally, we'd like to live in a neighborhood where people get to know one another, the neighborhood kids play/walk to school together, etc but maybe such a thing doesn't exist anymore? At any rate, I realize it will be difficult to gauge these things until we actually move in. I appreciate everyone's input.

Pretty much every suburb is just this.

[Taco1234]

Originally Posted by chet everett

...nobody is a bigger "homer" than Hollingsworth but he truly has done his homework. He has sliced and diced the data about many towns and it is extremely hard to find fault with what a good value Wheaton is. He really represents the kind of "current wave" buyer that my friends that still work full time as real estate are seeing more frequently-- empirical data drives their decisions, not old fashioned preconceptions or even "grapevine gossip".

Illinois faces some terrible financial challenges and folks that well recall the errors that wiped out equity for many in the melt down of 2007-8 understand data is the way to avoid the pitfalls...

What are your thoughts on buying in general right now (in IL)? We were under contract on a home and it fell apart because of a roof issue, and in the end we have decided to rent for one more year as we feel big things are going to be happening with housing and the economy in general in the near future. I know people say you can never time it perfectly, but we can't help but feel that if we buy right now, that same house may be worth quite a bit less in a year or so....