Who lives in Long Grove? (Chicago, Buffalo Grove: for sale, houses, neighborhood)

[cfologan]

I'm asking because my husband has found his dream home there and we are considering moving. We live in the city and have been looking in the suburbs, but not that far out. My concerns are (1) we are generally city people and we didn't necessarily seek out a "country" lifestyle with 2+ acres, but I have read that that's what Long Grove feels like. True?? (2) We will have to commute to the city a few times a week. Is that doable? If my husband has to be downtown from 9-6 a few days per week, will we not see him anymore?

Just looking for some realistic thoughts on living in LG from people who live there now. A lot of posts talk about the demise of the downtown area and I'm frankly not really concerned with that. I'm mostly wondering what it is like to live there in 2018.

Thanks!!

[chet everett]

Long Grove has large lots specifically because of the reliance on private wells and septic fields. The municipal building standards also require all properties be equipped with fire sprinklers. These measures all were designed to minimize any kind of municipal infrastructure / shared services. Personally I am not a fan as these things put a large burden on home owners and their own diligence of sticking to the maintenance that such systems require. While that might keep taxes lower it means that when a poorly maintained home comes on the market it ends up depressing comparable home prices, not a good trade-off...


The relative distance between homes also makes it less conducive to the sorts of informal neighbor-to-neighbor communication that help folks stay connected to each other which is a negative factor with regard to all kinds of local events / and governance. I'm sure there are areas where the 'detachment' is even worse but the general trend over the past few decades has been that municipalities that foster more involvement seem to have attracted a more committed group of residents that work cooperatively to see positive changes as opposed to the "NIMBY" type activism; Long Grove is well known as being opposed to the extension of IL-53 or the widening of any roads that might improve the congested nature of Lake Co commutes...


The closest Metra station for most of Long Grove is probably in Buffalo Grove. That is part of the North Central Line service that is having a lot of options -- https://metrarail.com/maps-schedules/train-lines/NCS Figure about an hour to Unions Station...


The 36 mile or so drive to / from the Loop probably averages about 1:20 - 1:50 , but can really climb when there is road repaving and/or any weather related events. It might be tolerable if this is only happening a few days a week...

[Hiruko]

Originally Posted by cfologan

If my husband has to be downtown from 9-6 a few days per week, will we not see him anymore?

Probably not.

...In all seriousness, I don't know why someone would buy in Long Grove when there are so many deals to be had in more desirable communities. I don't remember what your budget was, but why not look at the Barrington area, Lake Forest/Lake Bluff, and Deerfield/Bannockburn/Riverwoods? You can find similar properties around the same price range. 2+ acres will be more difficult in the latter two areas, but a half-acre to an acre is very common.

[Hiruko]

Mettawa is another place.

[damba]

Yeah, but Mettawa is a postage stamp with a much smaller supply of homes.

That said, I know of a gorgeous home for sale there now with an indoor pool. Hard to argue if they found a ‘dream home’ elsewhere though.

[cfologan]

Originally Posted by Hiruko

Probably not.

...In all seriousness, I don't know why someone would buy in Long Grove when there are so many deals to be had in more desirable communities.

https://chicago.curbed.com/2018/9/24...t-dennis-blair

Our search is less about precise location and more about the house. This one is the one we were thinking about but it's under contract now, so never mind!

Thank you all for your responses!

[Hiruko]

Originally Posted by cfologan

https://chicago.curbed.com/2018/9/24...t-dennis-blair

Our search is less about precise location and more about the house. This one is the one we were thinking about but it's under contract now, so never mind!

Thank you all for your responses!

I see... That is a rather unique home.

If I were you, I would try to become as specific as possible about a location first. It's much more challenging to find a neighborhood you love and feel a part of than to find a home. You can change the look of your house or move down the street with relative ease. Have you spent a lot of time exploring the suburbs? Do you have any relationships with people living in the suburbs?

[pvande55]

I suppose some prefer it, but it lacks many amenities you expect in a high class suburb. No Metra station (downtown commuters use those in Buffalo Grove or Prairie View) nothing is walkable. There is a small downtown, but not as busy as it once was. Their signature covered bridge was destroyed a few months ago and it's unclear if it will be rebuilt. It disappeared from their street signs years ago.

[MillennialUrbanist]

I would certainly not recommend Long Grove for the OP. It's one of the most overrated suburbs, and only works for someone who likes bucolic rural areas, like the "old-money landowner" types it was originally planned for. (The OP said they're moving from Chicago proper, which will make Long Grove a huge culture shock.) I can't think of a single redeeming feature, other than a well-known name.

Everything is really spread out; even the driveways measure in fractions of a mile. The narrow streets with tall trees towering over them look cool in broad daylight, but feel creepy at night, and they're chocked with gridlocked traffic every rush hour. The cutesy downtown is tiny, and looks and feels more like a glorified theme park than a part of the town, and it lacks sidewalks in some parts. Also, many houses are on well and septic, not city water and sewer.

Oh, and two famous streets run through Long Grove: the haunted Cuba Road and the oddly-named Robert Parker Coffin Road. I mean, who was Robert Parker, and what does a coffin have to do with him? (Unless "Coffin" is an actual name.)

[damba]

Meh. No surprise that MillenialUrbanist doesn’t like something in the suburbs.

The OP specifically stated that a lack of downtown wasn’t the dealbreaker. Nor is being on septic and being on well water for many people considering a million dollar home on a big property.

I agree that suburban Lake County traffic has become a lot more gridlocked. I hate getting stuck on 22 (etc.) sometimes.
OTOH, it won’t matter as much if the OP only commutes a couple times a week. And from that part of Long Grove isn’t horrible- only if you need to drive all the way to the city.

You get some amazing sunsets, wildlife and outdoor green space/parks in that part of Lake County. Hopefully the home will go back on the market since it is a beautiful MCM.