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Old 01-27-2016, 10:39 AM
 
1 posts, read 3,695 times
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My family and I are currently thinking about making a move from the NW side of Chicago to the far northern suburbs (Winthrop Harbor, Zion, Waukegan areas). Can anyone offer any opinions on any or all of these areas? We are going to take a drive this weekend to check out some of the towns.
Thanks
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Old 01-27-2016, 12:37 PM
 
28,453 posts, read 85,403,413 times
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To be blunt, those are some of the least desirable areas in Lake Co.

Though Winthrop Harbor has developed the largest marina on Lake Michigan, there is a rather large amount of thefts reported, many are probably related to folks nabbing things that boaters have left unlocked / easy to see.

Similarly Zion has a legacy of industrial sites that have not been replaced with anything that attracts more upscale home owners.

So too is Waukegan more part of the "rust belt legacy" of the region than participating in the modern economy of Lake Co that includes good paying office jobs...

//www.city-data.com/crime/crime...-Illinois.html

If you are aware of these things and don't have kids I suppose this might be an OK option for a lower priced home, but like many towns with bad reputation the tax rates tend to be much higher than in areas with a healthier mix of more affluent home owners, so you may want to give some thought to nicer areas...
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Old 02-05-2016, 03:21 PM
 
Location: New Albany, IN
830 posts, read 1,666,913 times
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What can you afford?

Gurnee and Grayslake are good if you have kids in school and not looking for something extremely pricey. Lake Villa/Lindenhurst have more affordable homes (more old-ish subdivisions) and little lakes scattered here and there; Round Lake Beach is similar but is less recommendable IMO. Of course costs go up as you get closer to Chicago but if you look at places like Libertyville and Highland Park you'll see why they're more desirable.

Zion and Waukegan have everything you need amenity-wise, but they're not as nice and have more crime than nearby towns. Waukegan is trying with their downtown but it's slow progress. I don't know a lot about Winthrop Harbor--I remember some cute older homes and also bleak areas. Their best days were at least two generations ago. Any place in Lake Co. on the Wisconsin boarder is not very attractive.
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Old 04-17-2016, 02:46 PM
 
Location: Lake County, IL
46 posts, read 66,972 times
Reputation: 15
Lightbulb You got it all wrong

Um, actually, hate to break it to you, but that's the worst place you can live.

Like many of the people above, my suggestions are:Antioch, West Gurnee, Grayslake, Lake Villa($220k bracket). If that's too much, renting and condos in the areas are cheap.

If you have more cash to spend, maybe look at some parts of Wadsworth and East Antioch/Old Mill Creek(300k bracket).

Glad I can help!
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Old 04-17-2016, 03:18 PM
 
435 posts, read 431,302 times
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Industrial users are absolutely jumping the state line due to much stronger economic incentives in WI, leaving areas like Zion in the dust. Without a strong commercial/industrial base (for example, the nuclear plant closed there) the remaining businesses and residents are left to make up the difference which results in higher taxes and lower property values. Tax rates in Zion are really high, so keep in mind total cost of ownership if you are buying. Also, crime stats have risen there and I have heard the word "Zompton" thrown around but honestly from doing some work in that area, I don't think that is a fair assessment.
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Old 04-17-2016, 07:15 PM
 
Location: Schererville, IN
143 posts, read 218,220 times
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If you are looking so close to Wisconsin, why not just look there? You'll certainly save a lot more on taxes, so there is a lot more bang for your buck there for only being a few minutes farther.
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Old 04-17-2016, 09:44 PM
 
1,231 posts, read 2,085,817 times
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What's your price range? Are you working in IL or WI?
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Old 04-18-2016, 01:31 PM
 
155 posts, read 213,222 times
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Stay away from North Chicago and anything near by.

Consider Green Oaks or Libertyville.
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Old 04-18-2016, 04:39 PM
 
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Zion was sitting in the catbird seat when the nuclear plant was running. And hotel and restaurant business was booming during the outages. When it closed the money stopped flowing. Transients occupied the hotels. Winthrop Harbor was never fashionable, but the closing dragged it down.
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Old 04-18-2016, 05:09 PM
 
Location: broke leftist craphole Illizuela
10,326 posts, read 17,434,650 times
Reputation: 20338
I also can't think of any reason to live in N Lake Co vs Kenosha Co Wisconsin. NE Lake Co is a dump.
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