Naperville, Oak Park... something else? (Chicago, Arlington Heights: neighborhood, movies, new construction)

[fusillirob1983]

Originally Posted by deeman7

Schaumburg is not near any of the areas you are looking at. The drive from Oak Park to Schaumburg right now with half the traffic on 290 is fine, but if/when everything picks back up, it is a nightmare for the latter third of the afternoon commute back to Oak Park.


I didn't see Elmhurst mentioned. I think that would fit most of your requirements. It's closer to the city than Naperville, it has a nice downtown area, very safe, very good schools, not too far from Schaumburg (and rail access to the city if there is a job change to Chicago).

Elmhurst is probably less diverse than Naperville. It has a nice, walkable downtown, but it's not a very big downtown.

Garyjohnyang mentioned Arlington Heights, which arguably has an equal or a bit more to its downtown than either Elmhurst or Naperville, and it's much closer to Schaumburg. I don't think it matches the diversity or depth of its downtown as Evanston or Oak Park, but maybe it's the closest match to checking every box the OP wants.

[Hiruko]

Originally Posted by daneinthestates

I apologize if this has been asked a million times before - I am completely new to this forum and kind of at a loss.
We are a family of four who will most likely be moving to the Chicago area from Raleigh, NC. My husband will be working near Schaumburg and I will be home w the kids who are 7 and 10. We have NO idea where to start looking for a house. I was kind of set on Oak Park because of its vicinity to downtown Chicago but the crime statistics concern me a bit. I've also looked at Naperville which looks nice but also.... VERRRRY white and suburban and maybe completely bland.
We are from Denmark - all born there - so culturally we don't feel like we belong anywhere in particular. We have been really happy in Raleigh but definitely see (and dislike) the Southern shortcomings when it comes to racism, intolerance, the whole obsession with religion...Etc. Still, downtown Raleigh has worked well for us and it feels like the perfect sized town. We also love that there is a lot of gorgeous nature surrounding us which is something we would definitely be looking for.
What I am terrified of is settling somewhere that looks "nice" and (relatively) safe, just to bore myself to death. We like diversity, an urban feel and a downtown area with more than just a Walgreens and a couple of chain restaurants.
We love walkability (or to be able to bike somewhere) and that the whole town - both downtown area and surroundings have something to offer, culturally, community wise, aesthetically...
We would be looking at houses in the 800-900,000s maximum probably and need a nice backyard.
One BIG criterion would be good public schools.

Any recommendations/words of wisdom? Anything would be immensely appreciated. I'd also love to hear if there are other areas you would recommend for us to look at.

Thanks SO much in advance!

I highly recommend Evanston as a good fit, and I actually know two real estate agents in Evanston and on the North Shore that are from Scandinavia. Please PM me for a referral.

[Ditto97]

Welcome to the Chicago area! I think you'll love it around here.

While I agree that Evanston and Oak Park would fit your criteria, the commutes would be pretty hefty.
My other recommendation is Arlington Heights, which has a very nice downtown. I used to live in Arlington Heights and really enjoyed the area. Will you have the ability to explore these towns at all before you move, or will your first time visiting be to move?

[wjj]

Originally Posted by garyjohnyang

Schools are good, although I think people prefer to be in the Prospect SD (AH is split into two districts).

Actually, I think Arlington Heights has areas that map into four different high schools (though all District 214). Prospect, Hersey, Buffalo Grove, Wheeling. All but Wheeling are considered to be excellent schools. Pretty much splitting hairs between the other three. And St. Viator is also an option in Arlington Heights and is well regarded.

[daneinthestates]

Originally Posted by Ditto97

Welcome to the Chicago area! I think you'll love it around here.

While I agree that Evanston and Oak Park would fit your criteria, the commutes would be pretty hefty.
My other recommendation is Arlington Heights, which has a very nice downtown. I used to live in Arlington Heights and really enjoyed the area. Will you have the ability to explore these towns at all before you move, or will your first time visiting be to move?

Thank you! I have trying to add to my original post that Evanston would be our no 1 choice if it wasn't for the commute but for the life of me, I cannot find my edit button.

[daneinthestates]

Originally Posted by Ditto97

Welcome to the Chicago area! I think you'll love it around here.

While I agree that Evanston and Oak Park would fit your criteria, the commutes would be pretty hefty.
My other recommendation is Arlington Heights, which has a very nice downtown. I used to live in Arlington Heights and really enjoyed the area. Will you have the ability to explore these towns at all before you move, or will your first time visiting be to move?

I don't know why my replies get cut off so here's the rest of the text I tried posting above: Evanston was the first place we looked at and it seems like it checks pretty much every box - but while my husband is willing to take a fairly sucky commute in exchange for us living some place we could really love, that is just too much.
I really, really hope we'll be able to go up there once or twice and meet with some real estate agents prior to moving or even deciding on an area. I can't imagine buying a home in an area I have never seen.

[Ditto97]

Originally Posted by daneinthestates

I don't know why my replies get cut off so here's the rest of the text I tried posting above: Evanston was the first place we looked at and it seems like it checks pretty much every box - but while my husband is willing to take a fairly sucky commute in exchange for us living some place we could really love, that is just too much.
I really, really hope we'll be able to go up there once or twice and meet with some real estate agents prior to moving or even deciding on an area. I can't imagine buying a home in an area I have never seen.

Yeah, the Evanston to Arlington Heights commute would be really difficult.
You could always rent for 6 months-1 year in order to decide where you would want to permanently settle down.
It would help you learn more about the area before making such a big decision. Although, I do understand the want for immediately settling down.

You might consider reaching out to an agent in order to get a head start on things. I had some clients moving to Chicago from San Francisco. They had never been to Chicago before, let alone any of the suburbs, and were only visiting for 2 days. In order to get a head start on things, before they arrived, I drove around different suburbs videoing the area or showing them on FaceTime. That seemed to help a little - it's not the same as actually visiting - but it could help you and your family narrow down your choices a little further. I know it might be difficult to visit now especially.

Also, you can only edit your posts within a certain timeframe of posting the original. That's probably why you were unable to find the edit button for your original post.

[daneinthestates]

Originally Posted by Ditto97

Yeah, the Evanston to Arlington Heights commute would be really difficult.
You could always rent for 6 months-1 year in order to decide where you would want to permanently settle down.
It would help you learn more about the area before making such a big decision. Although, I do understand the want for immediately settling down.

You might consider reaching out to an agent in order to get a head start on things. I had some clients moving to Chicago from San Francisco. They had never been to Chicago before, let alone any of the suburbs, and were only visiting for 2 days. In order to get a head start on things, before they arrived, I drove around different suburbs videoing the area or showing them on FaceTime. That seemed to help a little - it's not the same as actually visiting - but it could help you and your family narrow down your choices a little further. I know it might be difficult to visit now especially.

Also, you can only edit your posts within a certain timeframe of posting the original. That's probably why you were unable to find the edit button for your original post.

Thank you so much! Yes, we'll definitely try to come up there and meet with a local agent who knows the area. We've thought of a temporary stay and if it weren't for the kids, that's probably what we'd do. But since they're young and already had their lives uprooted when we moved here, we prefer to keep it as smooth as possible. If possible.

[OPRFmama]

Oak Park & River Forest should definitely be on your radar - for your budget you’d get a beautiful house (that also comes with a big property tax bill). The commute to Schaumburg can be pretty rough in winter weather (or when there’s an accident, or road construction)... I’ve lived in the near west suburbs from Berwyn to oak park to Elmwood park and love this area. Hoping you’re able to find home here, too.

[ToriaT]

Lots of bad advice on here. If your husband works in or near Schaumburg, then Oak Park, Evanston, or Naperville are not going to be convenient and are going to be hellish commutes. What makes sense is Arlington Heights. Its a really nice town with a good urban core, good schools and probably some diversity. You might also want to look into Park Ridge. Naperville is really a nice town and no you won't get bored there but its too far away to make sense.