Information on Wheeling, IL (Chicago, Arlington Heights: section 8, apartments, condo) - Chicago Suburbs - Illinois - City-Data Forum

Krusty4v · 07-14-2009, 12:57 PM

Hello,

We are first time home buyers and we are looking at a few places in Wheeling,IL. The area in Wheeling that we are interested is between S Elmhurst Rd and S Wolf Rd (Near Heritage Park). We are interested in this area because it is within walking distance to Metra and I have to commute to downtown Chicago for work. Any thoughts/comments/suggestions on this area is much appreciated.

Thank you

cubssoxfan · 07-14-2009, 02:18 PM

Are schools important? What are some of the other locations. Wheeling is an interesting suburb. It has some "rough" (for the NW suburbs) areas, but also has some really good neighborhoods as well. I would really talk to some of your future neighbors and also thoroughly drive not only your neighborhood but also a 1-2 mile radius. I do not care for the apartments north of Dundee on Wolf and north of Dundee on rte 83.

chitown85 · 07-14-2009, 03:18 PM

The schools are pretty good in comparison to the city schools. Compared to suburban schools, they are midlevel. Try to get in the District 21 elementary school district and 214 high school district. Make sure you understand the demographics of the condo complex. A lot of them are rented privately to Section 8 tenants.

It will be an easy train ride to Chicago, especially if you don't have to park.

Just because the area may be Hispanic doesn't mean it is a bad area. A lot of the Hispanics are well off.

cubssoxfan · 07-14-2009, 04:45 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by chitown85

The schools are pretty good in comparison to the city schools. Compared to suburban schools, they are midlevel. Try to get in the District 21 elementary school district and 214 high school district. Make sure you understand the demographics of the condo complex. A lot of them are rented privately to Section 8 tenants.

It will be an easy train ride to Chicago, especially if you don't have to park.

Just because the area may be Hispanic doesn't mean it is a bad area. A lot of the Hispanics are well off.

OP didn't say if it was Condo or SF. Some DIst 21 schools are fair and others are better. Wheeling HS is a better HS than many give it credit for. Better option, although probably more expensive, is to get into Dist 23. I agree re. the demographics, many honest, hard working Hispanics in Wheeling-good number own their homes.

chitown85 · 07-14-2009, 05:09 PM

If you can get zoned into the Arlington Heights/ Buffalo Grove side of District 21, it's better as Cubssoxfan said. Regardless of where you go in Wheeling, you will be zoned to District 214 high schools. I think Wheeling is only served by Wheeling HS and a small portion to Buffalo Grove High School. Correct me if I am wrong on these assumptions.

cubssoxfan · 07-15-2009, 09:02 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by chitown85

If you can get zoned into the Arlington Heights/ Buffalo Grove side of District 21, it's better as Cubssoxfan said. Regardless of where you go in Wheeling, you will be zoned to District 214 high schools. I think Wheeling is only served by Wheeling HS and a small portion to Buffalo Grove High School. Correct me if I am wrong on these assumptions.

Very accurate statement. Here is the zoning map: http://www.d214.org/shared/info/areamap.pdf (broken link) I noticed the scores are better for Dist 21 schools feeding into Buffalo Grove HS. District 23 scores are better than District 21 scores. Wheeling HS ACT scores are a little lower than Hersey, BG and Prospect but I think it's due to having a larger portion of non-college bound kids taking the test. Course offerings, sports and extra curricular offerings are strong at all 214 high schools. Wheeling HS has a larger Hispanic student population than the other 214 schools and although the "I'm here because I have to be" element worries me a smidge, I think it's great for my kids to be exposed to a different, non WASP-upper middle income, background. The more cultures and different points of view they are exposed to, the better to balance my fussy, somewhat strict, inflexible Germanic ways I am cursing/blessing them with

Many of the HIspanic families remind me of my parents- immigrants who came here to provide a better life for their family through hard work.

chitown85 · 07-15-2009, 10:04 AM

Wheeling (both village and high school) at one point was plurality Jewish. It is now majority Hispanic, with still a sizable Jewish population, though most of the Jewish students are at BGHS.

I think the rest of the 214 schools are mostly WASPs, with a smidgeon of Hispanics, Italians, and Polish.

cubssoxfan · 07-15-2009, 10:25 AM

and Indian, Korean, Chinese, Japanese, Russian, Ukranian, Egyptian and many others-

mytimeisnow · 07-19-2009, 08:30 AM

I would strongly suggest you buy/move anywhere but Wheeling. Trust me, you will be thanking your lucky stars if you listen to me. Talk to any cop in Wheeling and they will tell you the same thing. Latin Kings (Gangs) all over. Crime infested hispanic community<< definition of Wheeling.

chitown85 · 07-19-2009, 11:30 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by mytimeisnow

I would strongly suggest you buy/move anywhere but Wheeling. Trust me, you will be thanking your lucky stars if you listen to me. Talk to any cop in Wheeling and they will tell you the same thing. Latin Kings (Gangs) all over. Crime infested hispanic community<< definition of Wheeling.

Disagree for the most part. Sure, there are some gang members, but what burbs don't have any anymore. Just because it is majority Hispanic doesn't make it bad. By that definition, Los Angeles is all bad too.

Wheeling still has good schools, better than most in Chicagoland.