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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.
Thanks so much! After reading the various comments about AH that is definitely an area we will be looking into. I am really glad I asked here, since I would not necessarily have thought about that myself.
I currently live near AH and Schaumburg (Lived near AH downtown before). Both are good places. But good thing about AH is, nice downtown and public transportation to Downtown Chicago. But AH and Sch have old houses, new constructions here and there.
We are contemplating move to Raleigh Area. Would help if you could throw in how things are over there? LIkes and dislikes.
I currently live near AH and Schaumburg (Lived near AH downtown before). Both are good places. But good thing about AH is, nice downtown and public transportation to Downtown Chicago. But AH and Sch have old houses, new constructions here and there.
We are contemplating move to Raleigh Area. Would help if you could throw in how things are over there? LIkes and dislikes.
Thanks!
Sure! Why don't you tell me a little bit about what you're looking for? We've lived in North Raleigh and then Five Points which is closer to downtown so those are the areas I know most. We have definitely loved Raleigh. There have been some cultural differences for sure - some of them more tricky to deal with than others. For instance, like I mentioned in my OP I do not like the whole Southern "being just a little more ok with racism"-kind of thing. I hate it. I also don't like the way a lot of southerners will send you the most molasses-sweet smile and then turn around and talk crap behind your back. It's a thing and it makes me really uncomfortable. Probably especially because I am Danish so sometimes I will not be following the unspoken rules, not because I am defiant but because I don't know any better.
The whole religious thing also makes me uncomfortable. I am not religious and I wasn't raised religious. It's hard having a serious conversation with someone who will ultimately make it about God or Jesus or whatever, when you yourself don't believe in that.
All that being said, we have absolutely loved it here. We've made some great friends, downtown Raleigh is a lot more fun than I thought, there are quite a few great restaurants and you can definitely tell that a more urban and young crowd is moving in. For the most part, people are very, very nice and helpful and eager to get to know you. If you're into nature, there are so many options for hiking, mountain biking, boating etc - and I love the fact that you are a few hours from both mountains and beaches (side note: NC has a coastline of AMAZING beaches).
But: tell me what you want to know and I'll answer to the best of my ability.
Okay I’ll chip in here. Born and raised in Chicago and suburbs. Just returned here after 21 years in Raleigh. Have lived in Arlington Heights, Naperville, Glen Ellyn. So glad to be back here and out of the south!
OP, I believe Naperville’s whiteness is way overblown. It’s a blend of all races. Way too far from Schaumburg. I highly recommend Arlington Heights. I don’t think you can go wrong there. If it’s not too far for you, also check out Glen Ellyn. Beautiful town. Loved living there, especially near the downtown area.
Any questions or options about Raleigh to the person who asked, feel free to send me a private message. Good luck in your search.
I totally agree with those saying AH. But, another suggestion..
My MIL works in Schaumburg and lives in Glenview. Straight shot down Golf/58. So, while it's not the "best" commute, it's very doable. Glenview gets you closer to the water, closer to the action in Evanston, and has an express train to Chicago (28 minutes). It's more connected to Chicago's northern reaches, and to me, falls into a more interesting area in general. It's a reasonably diverse community with a heavy Asian and Eastern European presence. Schools are among the best in the state, considered a slight step up from AH. And Glenview is very transient, with 20% of residents born Internationally, and 25%+ speaking a primary language other than English.
Glenview really has two major areas in my mind- the western parts of town, which are very typical 60s70s80s suburbia. Meh. And then central and eastern Glenview, which are beautiful. At $900k, you can afford to live right off of Glenview's main street.. A few restaurants, coffee shops, a public park, library, etc. They do a great Octoberfest, a nice Art festival, and one of my favorite 4th of July parades. It's not the large downtown like Arlington Heights, but it's packed full of families. And to supplement the traditional downtown area, Glenview also has The Glen.. Very functional shopping/dining center surrounded by a childrens museum, schools, Park and Rec center, and Glen Lake (great walking/biking/fishing).
I have said many times on this forum that I feel strongly that AH is severely underrated. But, I wouldn't choose AH over Glenview to save 15 minutes on my commute in your situation. Glenview is just in a better location, and has become one of the leading contenders- Along with places like Elmhurst, Park Ridge, La Grange- for folks leaving the city. Resale, if I had to guess, will hold stronger than AH.
Areas around Roosevelt Park (Swainwood), areas south of Glenview Rd. like Dewes, Henley, Linneman, and areas East down Glenview Road towards the Forest Preserve are all idyllic areas for a family.
I totally agree with those saying AH. But, another suggestion..
My MIL works in Schaumburg and lives in Glenview. Straight shot down Golf/58. So, while it's not the "best" commute, it's very doable. Glenview gets you closer to the water, closer to the action in Evanston, and has an express train to Chicago (28 minutes). It's more connected to Chicago's northern reaches, and to me, falls into a more interesting area in general. It's a reasonably diverse community with a heavy Asian and Eastern European presence. Schools are among the best in the state, considered a slight step up from AH. And Glenview is very transient, with 20% of residents born Internationally, and 25%+ speaking a primary language other than English.
Glenview really has two major areas in my mind- the western parts of town, which are very typical 60s70s80s suburbia. Meh. And then central and eastern Glenview, which are beautiful. At $900k, you can afford to live right off of Glenview's main street.. A few restaurants, coffee shops, a public park, library, etc. They do a great Octoberfest, a nice Art festival, and one of my favorite 4th of July parades. It's not the large downtown like Arlington Heights, but it's packed full of families. And to supplement the traditional downtown area, Glenview also has The Glen.. Very functional shopping/dining center surrounded by a childrens museum, schools, Park and Rec center, and Glen Lake (great walking/biking/fishing).
I have said many times on this forum that I feel strongly that AH is severely underrated. But, I wouldn't choose AH over Glenview to save 15 minutes on my commute in your situation. Glenview is just in a better location, and has become one of the leading contenders- Along with places like Elmhurst, Park Ridge, La Grange- for folks leaving the city. Resale, if I had to guess, will hold stronger than AH.
Areas around Roosevelt Park (Swainwood), areas south of Glenview Rd. like Dewes, Henley, Linneman, and areas East down Glenview Road towards the Forest Preserve are all idyllic areas for a family.
Okay I’ll chip in here. Born and raised in Chicago and suburbs. Just returned here after 21 years in Raleigh. Have lived in Arlington Heights, Naperville, Glen Ellyn. So glad to be back here and out of the south!
OP, I believe Naperville’s whiteness is way overblown. It’s a blend of all races. Way too far from Schaumburg. I highly recommend Arlington Heights. I don’t think you can go wrong there. If it’s not too far for you, also check out Glen Ellyn. Beautiful town. Loved living there, especially near the downtown area.
Any questions or options about Raleigh to the person who asked, feel free to send me a private message. Good luck in your search.
Thank you! Looks like a lot of people recommend looking into AH. We'll certainly do that.
I’ve been lurking here for years, but finally came out of hiding because I was in a similar situation.
We moved here a couple of years ago. My husband works in Palatine. We are a mixed race family. I really wanted someplace with good schools, walkable, urban(ish), and diverse. I wanted my kids to feel comfortable. We moved from Florida. The neighborhood was very nice, but mostly white. There were surprising issues. Anyway, our finalists were Evanston, Lincoln Park, and Oak Park. Evanston was way too far. Lincoln Park was nice, but it was a bit too crowded for me and more expensive than we were willing to pay. We fell in love with Oak Park. It’s walkable, diverse, and interesting.
My husband’s commute is long and can be stressful in the winter. He says it’s worth it, because the girls and I are here all the time. He thinks a happy family is worth more than a short commute. I hope that this helps you.
I’ve been lurking here for years, but finally came out of hiding because I was in a similar situation.
We moved here a couple of years ago. My husband works in Palatine. We are a mixed race family. I really wanted someplace with good schools, walkable, urban(ish), and diverse. I wanted my kids to feel comfortable. We moved from Florida. The neighborhood was very nice, but mostly white. There were surprising issues. Anyway, our finalists were Evanston, Lincoln Park, and Oak Park. Evanston was way too far. Lincoln Park was nice, but it was a bit too crowded for me and more expensive than we were willing to pay. We fell in love with Oak Park. It’s walkable, diverse, and interesting.
My husband’s commute is long and can be stressful in the winter. He says it’s worth it, because the girls and I are here all the time. He thinks a happy family is worth more than a short commute. I hope that this helps you.
Welcome to Chicago!
Yeah, I certainly wish Evanston was more conveniently located. Thanks for the input!
Sure! Why don't you tell me a little bit about what you're looking for?
Hi, I'm in a similar situation as the person who asked this question. My family is looking to leave IL (lived mostly in Naperville, currently in Bloomingdale) for NC. Specifically the Research Triangle area but also Charlotte.
1. How is the food/dining situation like in Raleigh? Like, cost, quality and variety of cuisines. I'm not concerned with a specific cuisine. I don't expect it to compare very favorably to what we have here, because IMO not even NY (Manhattan proper or the surrounding boroughs where I grew up) compares, I just want to know that I have some choices and some depth.
2. How pervasive is religion in every day life? I'm OK with the mega MEGA churches that seem to dot every piece of open land around here, and I do get one or two groups of people knocking on my door each year to "spread the word", but that's the real extent to which religion has imposed on my life here. Is it more extreme in Raleigh? Like, people shoving flyers into your hands and actively trying to convert you?
3. We're Asian, and blatant racism isn't something I want to have to deal with. It's very rarely something I have had to deal with in IL. Is the acceptance of racism you see in Raleigh limited to just one specific race, or is it just racism in general? And if you could put a number on it, how prevalent would you say it is?
So as not to derail your thread, I'd like to throw in my $.02 about Naperville.
-Regarding the commute to Schaumburg, I spent 8 years commuting between Naperville and Elk Grove Village, which "borders" Schaumburg in that they're neighbors separated by the massive Busse Woods forest preserve and I-290. The commute was not horrible and were it me, the difference in times as compared to AH would not be a deciding factor in where to live. FWIW from southern side of Naperville (Knoch Knolls) to ORD took me 45 minutes on a typical day, same in the reverse. A bad day could push it to very close to 1hr. And during winter storms that impacted rush hour, 1:30 was not unusual IIRC. Its been a while.
-The downtown area I spend the most time in aside from Naperville is AH. Simply be virtue of having the Riverwalk, I feel that Naperville's downtown is always more vibrant and dynamic, with more to do and more changing throughout the seasons. AH has some good restaurants and is very well (simply) laid out, but feels significantly smaller than Naperville's and has more limited retail shopping (if that interests you). The Egg Harbor (popular brunch chain) in AH was always easier for us to eat at than the Naperville one, with shorter lines and somehow more available parking.
-Naperville has three libraries IIRC, two of which are positively massive and recently undergone extensive upgrades. My young daughter loved spending time at either one of the big ones, downtown's Nichols or the 95th Street location due to lots of stuff for kiddos. Both are extensively kitted out with resources beyond books and movies.
-I prefer Naperville's proximity to its various neighboring parks and preserves over what I have in relative proximity to me here in Bloomingdale, which I'd say is similar to what AH would offer. I don't think there's a bad place to be if you're looking for access to nature though. It's just personal preference for me.
-Naperville has some good dining options, but I'm sill surprised at how limited they are. Of my favorite restaurants in the Chicagoland area, only one is in Naperville. It's not to say there's not good quality dining available, I just don't feel like the value is there.
-I had been to the Naperville Farmer's Market a few times in the past and found it, like the dining scene, surprisingly underwhelming. Around the area, I much prefer Wheaton's French Market.
-Naperville and its surrounding cities offer very little for me in terms of shopping for cooking ingredients for the types of cooking I do. Specifically, quality beef, fresh seafood, harder-to-find vegetables and breads. Outside of H-Mart (grocery chain specializing in Asian ingredients and food) in Naperville, I do not have a go-to place in the SW suburbs that I turn to when its time for a special meal. Over the course of ~15 years, the places I frequent for food shopping are concentrated around the NW suburbs, which AH would give great access to.
-Naperville has a Children's Museum that my daughter loved. And being a museum its exhibits change.
-Its true for any suburb that once you leave its downtown core, things will get bland. This is not exclusive to Naperville, AH or anywhere else not bordering the city.
-Just speaking anecdotally, there seem to be a lot of young families native to Naperville. I don't mean just poking around the downtown area where many may be from neighboring cities, but driving around communities and subdivisions and local parks, there are plenty of young kids. When I'm in Rolling Meadows/AH, I see less of that. Again, anecdotal. Its something I struggle to find in Bloomingdale and wish I had more of for my young daughter, because whenever school starts up again, I still want her to be surrounded by kids her own age outside of school hours.
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