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Just in knowing what we know, I'd be curious to hear why you wouldn't consider some other N/NW towns in Cook (other than maybe High School size).
I'd take a look at Glenview or Park Ridge if you're keen on heading in that general direction. Maybe Wilmette, though ppsqft is probably highest of the group, and to really enjoy what Wilmette has to offer I'd recommend East of Hunter Rd. which budget may not allow. Glenview taxes are among the best in Chicagoland, certainly for 'tier 1' towns. Park Ridge has higher taxes, but my gut feeling is that they're no more than Lake Forest.
Glenview, in some ways, is a tale of two towns- West of Shermer/Southwest of Lake, and the rest. At your price point, you can get a nice house East of Shermer with a decent yard, and within walking distance to downtown Glenview/The Glen. You'd have top rated schools, access to three train stations, and would be around a TON of young families. Glenview is seemingly the mecca of block parties, parades, etc. You can target the neighborhoods immediately surrounding Glenview Road, like Linneman/Henley/Dewes/Larkdale, or look north of Glenview Rd. in Swainwood. The majority of "East Glenview" will be out of reach, though homes do pop up in the $700s. Glen Oak Acres is a really nice area if budget allows. Just need to be vigilant as some far reaching eastern neighborhoods in Glenview go to New Trier. And if you like outdoor activity, Glen Lake is fantastic for runs/biking/kayaking, as well as Blue Star Memorial and St. Paul Woods. Also, you'd maintain close access to the lake and to downtown Evanston, and the express train is ~30 minutes.
Park Ridge is a more like Elmhurst, with very similar density, and smaller lots than Glenview. It is, however, significantly greener than Elmhurst, and has a bit more appeal for me. It's a hot bed for young families looking to escape the city, and the downtown has seen a significant facelift with some good bars and restaurants that are all very family forward. The majority of Park Ridge is walkable- certainly more so than Lake Forest, which I find to be a happy medium for city dwellers that still want some space. You'll want to look East of Greenwood and South of Sibley. Some of those neighborhoods are out of a Normal Rockwell painting, but might not be for you as a large % of the homes are pre WWII builds. I suppose it depends on what you like. The express train is <30 minutes.
Just in knowing what we know, I'd be curious to hear why you wouldn't consider some other N/NW towns in Cook (other than maybe High School size).
I'd take a look at Glenview or Park Ridge if you're keen on heading in that general direction. Maybe Wilmette, though ppsqft is probably highest of the group, and to really enjoy what Wilmette has to offer I'd recommend East of Hunter Rd. which budget may not allow. Glenview taxes are among the best in Chicagoland, certainly for 'tier 1' towns. Park Ridge has higher taxes, but my gut feeling is that they're no more than Lake Forest.
Glenview, in some ways, is a tale of two towns- West of Shermer/Southwest of Lake, and the rest. At your price point, you can get a nice house East of Shermer with a decent yard, and within walking distance to downtown Glenview/The Glen. You'd have top rated schools, access to three train stations, and would be around a TON of young families. Glenview is seemingly the mecca of block parties, parades, etc. You can target the neighborhoods immediately surrounding Glenview Road, like Linneman/Henley/Dewes/Larkdale, or look north of Glenview Rd. in Swainwood. The majority of "East Glenview" will be out of reach, though homes do pop up in the $700s. Glen Oak Acres is a really nice area if budget allows. Just need to be vigilant as some far reaching eastern neighborhoods in Glenview go to New Trier. And if you like outdoor activity, Glen Lake is fantastic for runs/biking/kayaking, as well as Blue Star Memorial and St. Paul Woods. Also, you'd maintain close access to the lake and to downtown Evanston, and the express train is ~30 minutes.
Park Ridge is a more like Elmhurst, with very similar density, and smaller lots than Glenview. It is, however, significantly greener than Elmhurst, and has a bit more appeal for me. It's a hot bed for young families looking to escape the city, and the downtown has seen a significant facelift with some good bars and restaurants that are all very family forward. The majority of Park Ridge is walkable- certainly more so than Lake Forest, which I find to be a happy medium for city dwellers that still want some space. You'll want to look East of Greenwood and South of Sibley. Some of those neighborhoods are out of a Normal Rockwell painting, but might not be for you as a large % of the homes are pre WWII builds. I suppose it depends on what you like. The express train is <30 minutes.
Just in knowing what we know, I'd be curious to hear why you wouldn't consider some other N/NW towns in Cook (other than maybe High School size).
I'd take a look at Glenview or Park Ridge if you're keen on heading in that general direction. Maybe Wilmette, though ppsqft is probably highest of the group, and to really enjoy what Wilmette has to offer I'd recommend East of Hunter Rd. which budget may not allow. Glenview taxes are among the best in Chicagoland, certainly for 'tier 1' towns. Park Ridge has higher taxes, but my gut feeling is that they're no more than Lake Forest.
Glenview, in some ways, is a tale of two towns- West of Shermer/Southwest of Lake, and the rest. At your price point, you can get a nice house East of Shermer with a decent yard, and within walking distance to downtown Glenview/The Glen. You'd have top rated schools, access to three train stations, and would be around a TON of young families. Glenview is seemingly the mecca of block parties, parades, etc. You can target the neighborhoods immediately surrounding Glenview Road, like Linneman/Henley/Dewes/Larkdale, or look north of Glenview Rd. in Swainwood. The majority of "East Glenview" will be out of reach, though homes do pop up in the $700s. Glen Oak Acres is a really nice area if budget allows. Just need to be vigilant as some far reaching eastern neighborhoods in Glenview go to New Trier. And if you like outdoor activity, Glen Lake is fantastic for runs/biking/kayaking, as well as Blue Star Memorial and St. Paul Woods. Also, you'd maintain close access to the lake and to downtown Evanston, and the express train is ~30 minutes.
Park Ridge is a more like Elmhurst, with very similar density, and smaller lots than Glenview. It is, however, significantly greener than Elmhurst, and has a bit more appeal for me. It's a hot bed for young families looking to escape the city, and the downtown has seen a significant facelift with some good bars and restaurants that are all very family forward. The majority of Park Ridge is walkable- certainly more so than Lake Forest, which I find to be a happy medium for city dwellers that still want some space. You'll want to look East of Greenwood and South of Sibley. Some of those neighborhoods are out of a Normal Rockwell painting, but might not be for you as a large % of the homes are pre WWII builds. I suppose it depends on what you like. The express train is <30 minutes.
I'm quite familiar with Park Ridge. It was in our search (along with Oak Park and Elmhurst) prior to becoming frustrated with lot sizes. I guess after living in an urban environment for the last 18 years I'm just done with being on top of my neighbors. I know its all the rage right now for the surburb that is walkable, has a city core, etc, etc. so that millenials departing the city can have a soft landing, but thats why I titled by post "bucking the trend" I did my soft landing for 5 years and I'm tired of my neighbors being 15 feet away while I try and watch my kids play on a postage stamp of grass.
Your recommendation on Glenview is intriguing. That will be worth a solid review. I see plenty of homes in the price range, good schools, plenty of .33 acre lots, and all the other things you mention. I'm curious if you could elaborate on "Glenview, in some ways, is a tale of two towns- West of Shermer/Southwest of Lake, and the rest." What is the rest? The high end? I see all the $1.5m+ homes concentrated east of 43. So, basically the same as ELF and WeLF?
Park Ridge has higher taxes, but my gut feeling is that they're no more than Lake Forest.
Whoa...Park Ridge has higher property taxes than most North Shore municipalities, including notably high Highland Park. Where did you get the idea that they were "no more than Lake Forest"?
That being said, Lake Forest/Lake Bluff tax advantages can be overstated. Buyers should look to compare comparably priced individual properties instead of solely relying on effective rates.
Quote:
Originally Posted by GeoIron
...A big driver of looking at LF is the superbly lower tax rates...schools...As for Wheaton, which was also mentioned, we are not religious at all and lean politically left on social issues.
The tax rates here are lower, but you have to look at other factors when investing in local real estate.
Lake Forest public schools rank favorably, and most people that I know who attended them feel that they received a good education. However, a lot of families in Lake Forest opt for private schools—a lot. While I do not have formal statistics, anecdotally, it seems staggeringly high relative to other northern suburbs.
I was never asked if I "have a church home" until I started interacting with older Lake Foresters in real estate. The way people here talk about their involvement in their churches caught me off-guard, especially when they talk like that to me as a twenty-something. First Presbyterian, St. Mary's, St. Patrick's, Holy Spirit, and Christ seem to have tons of members and a visible presence in the community through schools—and aldermen including what church they belong to in their biographies.
Lake Forest was the only North Shore community carried by Donald Trump in 2016. It's markedly more politically conservative than the surrounding suburbs. Cosmopolitan Lake Forest is not.
I am friends with a student at LFC from Latin America, and he has too many stories involving interactions with residents in Market Square, unfortunately.
Quote:
Originally Posted by GeoIron
I'm tired of my neighbors being 15 feet away while I try and watch my kids play on a postage stamp of grass.
You will be disappointed when your kids prefer the park.
Whoa...Park Ridge has higher property taxes than most North Shore municipalities, including notably high Highland Park. Where did you get the idea that they were "no more than Lake Forest"?
That being said, Lake Forest/Lake Bluff tax advantages can be overstated. Buyers should look to compare comparably priced individual properties instead of solely relying on effective rates.
The tax rates here are lower, but you have to look at other factors when investing in local real estate.
Lake Forest public schools rank favorably, and most people that I know who attended them feel that they received a good education. However, a lot of families in Lake Forest opt for private schools—a lot. While I do not have formal statistics, anecdotally, it seems staggeringly high relative to other northern suburbs.
I was never asked if I "have a church home" until I started interacting with older Lake Foresters in real estate. The way people here talk about their involvement in their churches caught me off-guard, especially when they talk like that to me as a twenty-something. First Presbyterian, St. Mary's, St. Patrick's, Holy Spirit, and Christ seem to have tons of members and a visible presence in the community through schools—and aldermen including what church they belong to in their biographies.
Lake Forest was the only North Shore community carried by Donald Trump in 2016. It's markedly more politically conservative than the surrounding suburbs. Cosmopolitan Lake Forest is not.
I am friends with a student at LFC from Latin America, and he has too many stories involving interactions with residents in Market Square, unfortunately.
You will be disappointed when your kids prefer the park.
I have little firsthand knowledge of Lake Forest, but these all sound like good points to bring up when comparing to Wheaton. I'm sure the OP has considered other positives of Lake Forest such as having more land or proximity to the lake.
To the OP, while the consensus historically is that Wheaton is extremely religious, I personally find the neighborhoods south of Roosevelt pretty indistinguishable from any suburbs surrounding it. When my wife grew up there, she said there were some religious families on the south side of town, but 20-30 years later I'm sure it's become more diverse. To add onto Hiruko's point a large portion of Wheaton voted for Clinton in 2016. Also keep in mind that at the high school and in some areas middle school level that Wheaton kids go to school with Warrenville kids. I dread sharing this map that's appeared on C-D multiple times now, but if you want to be around people with similar viewpoints, this is helpful. As Hiruko noted, LF appears to be the most conservative town on the North Shore. Back to Wheaton: Warrenville went for Trump in 2016, though that appears to be from the population leaning more rural than religious.
The tax rates here are lower, but you have to look at other factors when investing in local real estate.
No doubt. I know I've made a big deal of it throughout this thread, but I absolutely understand it's only one data point. I realize it means LF prices will generally be higher for an equivalent home and you need to look at all in costs. Here is a home we really like in Riverside: https://www.zillow.com/homedetails/5.../3778088_zpid/
It's a great house, quiet area, green space, decent schools (though not great), large enough backyard and very private being "green fenced." Here is the catch, its underassessed. At a $729K purchase, the taxes will be $24K! Let's say I put $300K down on any house, I have equivalent buying power of $900K in LF assuming taxes in the $15-16K. I'm quite certain I can find a very similar home in LF at $900K. And I'd get all the vastly better LF amenities. The only downside is commute, but I can deal with that fine. I have very flexible office hours/days. Over the course of 20 years, assuming both taxes escalate at the same rate, it'll add up to $200K+ saved in taxes. A meaningful amount to most people.
Quote:
Originally Posted by Hiruko
Lake Forest public schools rank favorably, and most people that I know who attended them feel that they received a good education. However, a lot of families in Lake Forest opt for private schools—a lot. While I do not have formal statistics, anecdotally, it seems staggeringly high relative to other northern suburbs.
Meh, I went to a highly selective private boarding school, they aren't all they're cracked up to be. I remember the girls always liking the boys from the local public high school better. I guess they were cool because they wore jeans.
Though I wonder if the school isn't then similar to my previous question on if people rank themselves by which club they belong to, you said they didn't. Maybe they do it vicariously through which private school their kids attend.
Quote:
Originally Posted by Hiruko
I was never asked if I "have a church home" until I started interacting with older Lake Foresters in real estate. The way people here talk about their involvement in their churches caught me off-guard, especially when they talk like that to me as a twenty-something. First Presbyterian, St. Mary's, St. Patrick's, Holy Spirit, and Christ seem to have tons of members and a visible presence in the community through schools—and aldermen including what church they belong to in their biographies.
Lake Forest was the only North Shore community carried by Donald Trump in 2016. It's markedly more politically conservative than the surrounding suburbs. Cosmopolitan Lake Forest is not.
There is a big difference between having churches in town and Wheaton. I grew up in a deeply religious family, I just don't attend. I'm not uncomfortable around religious folks, I just don't want it shoved down my throat and that's the (likely wrong) impression in Wheaton. The politics isn't that big of deal either. We might lean left on social issues, but we don't bleed blue. My tax focus and questions around local gov't accountability should indicate something about my political leanings being at least balanced. Every member of my extended family voted for Trump, I'm sure I can handle a few neighbors.
Quote:
Originally Posted by Hiruko
You will be disappointed when your kids prefer the park.
I think you're missing the point here. Of course they will want and will go to the park, when we have time for it. It's more about Sat morning when Mom and Dad are busy tiding the house, or the 30 min while dinner is being prepared, or the 30 min at the end of the day before heading in to get ready for bed. Those are times the kids want to go out and putz in the yard and the park is not an option. Hate to drop this line, but you'll understand when you have kids. Also, the first part my sentence you reference was about the neighbors being 15 feet away. It's a sense of privacy that I as the parent really crave. I feel you get that in LF. Even in ELF with smaller lots, many have green walls that give a sense of privacy, similar to the listing I have above.
Part of it is literal privacy, i.e. I don't want my neighbors to see me sitting with my shirt off on a hot summer day. And part is purely aesthetics. I enjoy the aesthetics of LF. It reminds me of Connecticut. Densely treed area with green space, with homes set back off windy little roads, the large body of water, the lack of strip malls, chains, and signage/billboards. It's a pleasing and calming environment.
I have little firsthand knowledge of Lake Forest, but these all sound like good points to bring up when comparing to Wheaton. I'm sure the OP has considered other positives of Lake Forest such as having more land or proximity to the lake.
To the OP, while the consensus historically is that Wheaton is extremely religious, I personally find the neighborhoods south of Roosevelt pretty indistinguishable from any suburbs surrounding it. When my wife grew up there, she said there were some religious families on the south side of town, but 20-30 years later I'm sure it's become more diverse. To add onto Hiruko's point a large portion of Wheaton voted for Clinton in 2016. Also keep in mind that at the high school and in some areas middle school level that Wheaton kids go to school with Warrenville kids. I dread sharing this map that's appeared on C-D multiple times now, but if you want to be around people with similar viewpoints, this is helpful. As Hiruko noted, LF appears to be the most conservative town on the North Shore. Back to Wheaton: Warrenville went for Trump in 2016, though that appears to be from the population leaning more rural than religious.
Thanks for the map. It's interesting. Seems like Warrenville and LF, while both technically going for Trump, were both mixed and the advantage to Trump was small. You see those areas way out west that are deep dark red? I have extended family that lives there. I know the face of deep red, it gets very angry when you say Trump is unfit for office. I can handle 50/50 LF.
I was replying to Hiruko when you posted this, so I'll point out that I did say my impression of Wheaton was likely wrong in viewing it as a hyper-religious area. But that's the reputation, and not totally underserved when you're the "second most churched" town. Anyhow, Wheaton just don't really interest us, you're right that there are just other amenities that make LF more attractive than a random Western burb.
Anyhow, Wheaton just don't really interest us, you're right that there are just other amenities that make LF more attractive than a random Western burb.
That makes sense and was my assumption. I'm sure it's pretty different living on the North Shore than the middle of the western burbs.
Your recommendation on Glenview is intriguing. That will be worth a solid review. I see plenty of homes in the price range, good schools, plenty of .33 acre lots, and all the other things you mention. I'm curious if you could elaborate on "Glenview, in some ways, is a tale of two towns- West of Shermer/Southwest of Lake, and the rest." What is the rest? The high end? I see all the $1.5m+ homes concentrated east of 43. So, basically the same as ELF and WeLF?
I would say that, in many ways, the western areas of Glenview feel more like Mount Prospect, while East Glenview feels more like traditional North Shore areas. And, much of the western areas of Glenview are considered unincorporated. At $750k, there is no reason to even consider the thought of unincorporated Glenview as it falls in a different school district, and it's largely considered a less desirable area. That's why I tried to lay out the boundaries. I will say though, with the exception of unincorporated Glenview, there is no real ELD vs. WeLF scenario in Glenview. It's more Glenview vs. Unincorporated Glenview.
As for the rest of your note, you can find plenty of neighborhoods where homes sit on .25+ acre lots. Prices fluctuate considerably by neighborhood, but proximity to downtown Glenview/The Glen has remained in high demand. And you are correct, the luxury market primarily sits east of 43.
If you do decide to check out Glenview, as I mentioned before, I would look at:
I think these areas combine proximity to downtown with nice sized lots. Some areas a more of the traditional grid, with skinny lots.. Even those tend to be considerably longer in the back than expected. The rest should give you wider .25+ acres, especially those on windier roads that don't abut other neighborhoods.
Last edited by mwj119; 07-18-2019 at 08:48 AM..
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Also, the first part my sentence you reference was about the neighbors being 15 feet away. It's a sense of privacy that I as the parent really crave. I feel you get that in LF. Even in ELF with smaller lots, many have green walls that give a sense of privacy, similar to the listing I have above.
