Northbrook or Buffalo Grove (Chicago, Evanston: apartments, to rent, townhouse)

[tiyakhambadkone]

Hello All,

I am seeking your help understanding which suburb would be better for us.

We are an Indian (South Asian) family. I work in Glenview whereas my spouse works in downtown Chicago.
My kid will be going to Kindergarten next year and so we are looking for a better school district to move-in.

My Criteria -

A good elementary school with a full-day KG and before and after school care. (I read - BG schools have a lottery system for before/after care. Is it hard to get it?)

Preferably Indian community around (I heard BG has a bigger Indian community as compared to NB, is it true?).

2 or 3 bed/ 2 bath rent range is upto $2500.

[Hiruko]

Originally Posted by tiyakhambadkone

Hello All,

I am seeking your help understanding which suburb would be better for us.

We are an Indian (South Asian) family. I work in Glenview whereas my spouse works in downtown Chicago.
My kid will be going to Kindergarten next year and so we are looking for a better school district to move-in.

My Criteria -

A good elementary school with a full-day KG and before and after school care. (I read - BG schools have a lottery system for before/after care. Is it hard to get it?)

Preferably Indian community around (I heard BG has a bigger Indian community as compared to NB, is it true?).

2 or 3 bed/ 2 bath rent range is upto $2500.

Chicagoland's Indian population is heavily concentrated in the northwest suburbs and a little bit in the southwest suburbs—Oak Brook in particular. However, there are smaller populations scattered throughout the northern suburbs. People of Indian descent are by no means the leading Asian cohort in the northern suburbs as they are in the northwest.

Skokie's Asian population is huge, roughly 1 in 4 residents. The population is even more visible in the public schools. You should find a fair amount of options in your range there, and it is convenient to both the city (via 94, CTA, and Metra in Evanston and Morton Grove) and Glenview.

Glenview, Northbrook, and Buffalo Grove have roughly the same demographics with very large Jewish communities (including Orthodox enclaves) in Buffalo Grove and Northbrook. I am not familiar with public school extended day programs, but I have never heard of a lottery system for extended day programming in our area.

[nana053]

I was going to suggest Skokie. My Indian relatives live in the Skokie-Evanston area and their children went to the Evanston schools. My daughter in law's father and mother are very active in the Indian community there and there are many events for various things in Skokie.

Skokie Indian Community Site, Desi Community in Skokie Indian Community

You might try asking at the above link to Skokie's Desi community.

[wjj]

Originally Posted by tiyakhambadkone

Hello All,

I am seeking your help understanding which suburb would be better for us.

We are an Indian (South Asian) family. I work in Glenview whereas my spouse works in downtown Chicago.
My kid will be going to Kindergarten next year and so we are looking for a better school district to move-in.

My Criteria -

A good elementary school with a full-day KG and before and after school care. (I read - BG schools have a lottery system for before/after care. Is it hard to get it?)

Preferably Indian community around (I heard BG has a bigger Indian community as compared to NB, is it true?).

2 or 3 bed/ 2 bath rent range is upto $2500.

Buffalo Grove straddles Cook and Lake Counties and I think that the demographics are different in the Cook and Lake County sides due almost entirely to the schools. The Lake County side feeds into Stevenson HS, one of the very best in the state. Stevenson is a huge school (about 4200 students) and has 30% Asian students. I have lived there for over 30 years and have seen the changes over the years. Asian (and Russian) families moving in and many Jewish families moving out. Though there is still a large Jewish population (including orthodox enclaves), the Jewish population is not as large as it once was, but the Asian population has increased dramatically.


Stevenson is clearly a draw for Asian families and Asian students are a major reason Stevenson has the academic record that it does. Take a look at the National Merit semifinalists this year and you can see how Asian students are driving academic excellence at Stevenson.

https://www.d125.org/quicklinks/news...-semifinalists


There are three elementary school districts in BG, each with their own structures regarding elementary, middle, and junior high demarcation as well as kindergarten. I am not sure about after school programs, but they are likely different depending on the school district. I know District 96 sends all kindergarten students to a single, dedicated school. I am not sure about Districts 102 and 21. Districts 96 and 102 serve the Lake County side of BG and both are exceptional.


There are not many apartments in BG, but you should be able to rent a small house or a townhouse with your budget.

[rocky12345]

There is small Indian representation in NB. But it’s a welcoming community and this should not be an issue for you.

[edsg25]

Originally Posted by wjj

Buffalo Grove straddles Cook and Lake Counties and I think that the demographics are different in the Cook and Lake County sides due almost entirely to the schools. The Lake County side feeds into Stevenson HS, one of the very best in the state. Stevenson is a huge school (about 4200 students) and has 30% Asian students. I have lived there for over 30 years and have seen the changes over the years. Asian (and Russian) families moving in and many Jewish families moving out. Though there is still a large Jewish population (including orthodox enclaves), the Jewish population is not as large as it once was, but the Asian population has increased dramatically.


Stevenson is clearly a draw for Asian families and Asian students are a major reason Stevenson has the academic record that it does. Take a look at the National Merit semifinalists this year and you can see how Asian students are driving academic excellence at Stevenson.

https://www.d125.org/quicklinks/news...-semifinalists


There are three elementary school districts in BG, each with their own structures regarding elementary, middle, and junior high demarcation as well as kindergarten. I am not sure about after school programs, but they are likely different depending on the school district. I know District 96 sends all kindergarten students to a single, dedicated school. I am not sure about Districts 102 and 21. Districts 96 and 102 serve the Lake County side of BG and both are exceptional.


There are not many apartments in BG, but you should be able to rent a small house or a townhouse with your budget.

as it clearly was for Jewish families before them.

[Hiruko]

Originally Posted by edsg25

as it clearly was for Jewish families before them.

Stevenson did not even exist when the Jewish community started to develop in Buffalo Grove. Frankly, Stevenson's reputation as an academic powerhouse is relatively new compared to schools like New Trier or Evanston.