Chicago Suburbs to move to from Austin TX (Naperville, Schaumburg: 2015, homes)

[chicagodesi]

Naperville has an express train to downtown in 30 minutes. D203 schools are amazing and has a great Muslim community as well. I would highly recommend Naperville.

[Pseudonym18123]

Firstly, to the OP, we need to establish convenience. Which area is your spouse working in/is there are particular area you need to be in? I know you’re remote, but if your spouse works, you want to be close to his or her location as possible. If schools and a strong Indo/Pak community are what your going for, here are my recommendations based on areas in the city:

North Shore/North Suburbs: Stevenson High School area, Lincolnshire/Buffalo Grove. Northbrook and Glenview are also alternatives. Niles and Skokie have higher populations of Indo/Pak, but schools are not as well-acclaimed. Vernon Hills is another cheaper and great alternative to Stevenson

Northwest (closer to McHenry) Suburbs: Fremd HS area in Palatine or Barringtons. Schaumburg has higher concentration of Indo/Pak, but like with Niles and Skokie, schools are not as good

West: Oak Brook/Hinsdale/Burr Ridge, which Naperville/DuPage Aurora as close seconds. Follow my recommendations for Oak Brook, same guidelines apply for Burr Ridge (I know part of it goes to Hinsdale South in Darien; this is a good school, but Hinsdale Central and Downers Grove North are widely considered to be better). 203 and 204 for Naperville are basically splitting hairs, so go for which you like, but if you move to Aurora, STAY WITHIN District 204 borders. Kane County Aurora is not a great area and the schools range from meh (West Aurora) to bad (East Aurora). I recommend Hinsdale area over Naperville because of proximity to the city, though I think Naperville is a fine area in of itself.

Southland: Orland Park. This is pretty much the only area in the Southland with a sizable enough Indo/Pak community, and is definitely the nicest. You could also look in Tinley Park, though if you do that, make sure to stay within areas that go to Victor Andrew HS. Tinley Park HS is decent, but Andrew is so much better. Lincoln-Way area (Frankfort, Mokena, New Lenox, Manhattan) could also work, but it’s quite far from the city and there’s not much diversity though.

If your wife is also remote, or if she doesn’t work, I recommend Lincolnshire area, as Stevenson has exactly what you’re looking for. Good luck in your move!

[RamenAddict]

I think that Westmont is often overlooked, but it is a great value. Parts feed into Hinsdale Central and South and others feed into Westmont, which is also very good but much smaller than the other two.

I think in Hinsdale/Oak Brook, you might have trouble finding newer homes in your price range, but there is a lot of newer construction in Westmont. You’re also likely to be near to the train station, which can be an issue in Naperville since it is so huge.

[Burbmama]

Originally Posted by Pseudonym18123

If schools are the primary concern, Oak Park/Bridgeview is not the move. The schools range from alright to decent, but you can do so much more with your money’s worth. Both Naperville and Lincolnshire have higher Muslim concentrations in the area surrounding and have far better schools. It should also be noted that the majority of Muslims in these western areas are Arab; for Indo-Pak Muslims, go to the Oak Brook area, or even BG/Lincolnshire. Oak Brook is great too, but is split between school districts. The best district is the one that goes to Hinsdale Central, although Downers Grove North HS and York HS are fine too. Willowbrook HS homes in Oak Brook are ones I’d avoid; it’s not a bad high school by any means, but definitely a tier down from DGN, York, and Hinsdale Central. Where your wife is working also matters. If she’s working in the West suburbs, I’d go with Hinsdale/Oak Brook. If she’s working in northern suburbs, I’d go with Lincolnshire or Buffalo Grove.

I was not recommending bridgeview for the schools but trying to point out that oak park/riverside were options that have good schools and a short distance from the muslim community in Bridgeview. A few miles down harlem ave.

[Sunbiz1]

Originally Posted by RamenAddict

I think that Westmont is often overlooked, but it is a great value. Parts feed into Hinsdale Central and South and others feed into Westmont, which is also very good but much smaller than the other two.

Some also feeds into Downers south, where I went to HS; but resided near Cass and 63rd in Westmont.
Unless they re-districted since then.

[personone]

The only minor complaint I have about the Chicagoland suburbs that are very close to city-limits, is the lack of new construction/modern homes. To find the most options for new construction SFHs or even townhomes in the suburbs, you have to go much farther out. There are a few options here and there, but the pickings are pretty slim. They tend to be the million dollar mansion types that are custom built on an available lot.

It's not like other metro areas where there are several developments and many options in multiple price ranges for new/newer construction homes. A lot of people don't like modern housing, but I love it, so the limited options for modern homes in the Chicagoland area is a limitation for me personally.

[Pseudonym18123]

Originally Posted by personone

The only minor complaint I have about the Chicagoland suburbs that are very close to city-limits, is the lack of new construction/modern homes. To find the most options for new construction SFHs or even townhomes in the suburbs, you have to go much farther out. There are a few options here and there, but the pickings are pretty slim. They tend to be the million dollar mansion types that are custom built on an available lot.

It's not like other metro areas where there are several developments and many options in multiple price ranges for new/newer construction homes. A lot of people don't like modern housing, but I love it, so the limited options for modern homes in the Chicagoland area is a limitation for me personally.

True. There’s some VERY nice older housing in Western Springs and La Grange, which are other great areas, but for the most part, the housing stock in inner ring burbs is limited. Then again, commuting to the city isn’t too bad.

[Hiruko]

Originally Posted by personone

The only minor complaint I have about the Chicagoland suburbs that are very close to city-limits, is the lack of new construction/modern homes. To find the most options for new construction SFHs or even townhomes in the suburbs, you have to go much farther out. There are a few options here and there, but the pickings are pretty slim. They tend to be the million dollar mansion types that are custom built on an available lot.

It's not like other metro areas where there are several developments and many options in multiple price ranges for new/newer construction homes. A lot of people don't like modern housing, but I love it, so the limited options for modern homes in the Chicagoland area is a limitation for me personally.

Most new construction in places like Evanston, Wilmette, Oak Park, La Grange, etc. is infill development. Typically, outdated homes were torn down and replaced by significantly more expensive and larger improvements. That is why the price tags for newer construction are so high.

[ToriaT]

Lots of bad information on here. Many places mentioned that are good but no Indian or Muslim community. I think overall Naperville is the best choice. You might also look into Downers Grove. I'd say no to the north shore. I don't know about Skokie area, I think there are Indians there and its very diverse. Newer homes are in Naperville. The closer you get to Chicago you will find older homes, but some are updated and are in good condition. My vote would be Naperville. Depending on where you pick, you can get into the city very easy.

[Rhino4401]

As Hiruko suggested, consider Skokie. There’s a visible Muslim population, the schools are outstanding and it’s a cool town. But I have no personal testimony to offer (or even pass on) on your exact question re India/Pakistan Muslim presence. Skokie’s is probably smaller than that of other towns you mention, maybe significantly. But, FWIW, the overall culture in Skokie is multi-ethnic. Being a smaller group among a diverse community may be as good for your family as being a larger group where the majority culture is whiter. Given the other benefits of living there, it may be worth the effort to reach out to the Muslim community center and ask about different school communities. It could be a great fit.

There are at least 2 different elementary school districts serving Skokie. I don’t think any of the ones in district 65 have more than a handful of observant Muslim kids, but Skevanston doesn’t meet your other needs anyway. The others are likely to. 68, 69 & 73.5 are the district number. If you do talk to someone it’ll probably help to know the names of each district’s middle school.

There aren’t as many obviously wealthy/high-income families as in other towns, Idk if relative wealth matters anyway but FYI. Still, the schools are well funded. Skokie’s overall scores on the Illinois report cards might not be as high, but the kids who are good at school are equally well served.

Good luck.