NY to Chicago Suburbs (Naperville, Arlington Heights: big house, buying, schools)

[G in MP]

Yeh now that I think of it, the Glen would be great, it's right off Willow so you could shoot Palatine Rd west to 53 south to Schaumburg. Or take Cental home for the scenic route.

The Glen is real nice, my mom lives in there, so I'm there quite a bit. Champs, it would tick most of your boxes...got it's own little downtown area with shops and cafes, restaurants and bars, movie theatre, book store, etc. Grocery store, post office, banks, etc. Nice park in there, metra station to get you into the city, highway nearby...yeh it's awesome Champs, you should check it out.

[olive03]

Originally Posted by champs2012

What do folks think of Vernon Hills? My wife read they have a nice mall and immediately added it to our list

VH is going to put you further north. If it was just a commute to LF, I'd suggest considering it (though I personally think Libertyville is nicer and feels less generic). Libertyville is north of VH though which would be even more of a drive. I think the commutes from VH and LVille to Schaumburg are going to be a pain. If you really don't want to drive a ton, I'd probably keep them off the list for now and focus on what's further south.

IMO, Hawthorn Mall (not sure if it's still called that?) is decent but nothing to write home about.

[olive03]

If your wife's opportunity doesn't pan out and the commute to LF is no longer going to be a thing, I'd also add Inverness to your list. Lovely community and right next to Palatine/Schaumburg. Make sure you look for houses in the Fremd school district (not sure if all of Inverness feeds into Fremd).

I'd also consider the Barrington villages/towns as well if you're not commuting to LF. Always, always loved the area but it was just too far west for us.

[wjj]

Originally Posted by champs2012

What do folks think of Vernon Hills? My wife read they have a nice mall and immediately added it to our list

Vernon Hills is the retail hub of the area centered at the intersection of Milwaukee Avenue (Rt. 21) and Town Line Road (Rt. 60). It, along with its neighbor to the north (Libertyville), are very nice areas and one blends into the other. I did not bring it up because it would easily exceed the travel time limit to Schaumburg/Palatine you have suggested. New construction in VH (Cuneo Mansion and Gardens) would be above your budget for the size home you are looking for but look in Gregg's Landing. Large, newer community that surrounds White Deer Run Golf Course (public course) with many large homes backing on the course that could fit your budget. For what it's worth, that community draws a lot of Chicago Bears players due to its proximity to the Bears' facilities in Lake Forest.


The two high schools in District 128 are excellent (Vernon Hills HS and Libertyville HS) as are the feeder districts. Not quite at the level of Stevenson and its feeders but the gap is pretty narrow right now. Locals tout District 128 as providing a Stevenson-level education without the pressure cooker environment that can be an issue for some at Stevenson and without the huge student body size at Stevenson (around 4,200 right now).


Not sure what you are referring to as the nice mall in VH. Hawthorn mall is a big indoor mall that has fallen on hard times as anchor stores have failed. It is in the process of being redeveloped. There is a new outdoor mall across the street that opened about a year or two ago that is like a small walkable community with a decent sized apartment complex included. I guess if you live in the apartments it might be nice since there are restaurants, small stores, and a small grocery store in there, but I find it quite limited in what it has to offer people not living there. The rest are large outdoor malls along the south side of Town Line Road that have pretty much every store you can think of. Very busy area year round.



The trip to the business hub in Lake Forest at Town Line and I 94 would be a snap, but the trip to Schaumburg would be pretty long, especially in the winter (could be over an hour if it is snowing). A nice part of living in Gregg's Landing is that you are only about five minutes north of the retail mecca in Vernon Hills and only five minutes south of the very nice downtown area in Libertyville all while living in a large quiet community.

[olive03]

Adding on to what wjj mentioned ---

There's a VERY small portion of VH that feeds into D103 and Stevenson. I think it might just be unincorporated VH?

And yes, District 128 is also a very strong district. Excellent schools there as well.

[personone]

I'm not sure exactly where you'll be commuting to, but I would think Chicago's North Shore Suburbs will be very comparable to Westchester. This gives you a flavor of some of them (there are several though)


https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=CTBif6VMb6E


https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=y3fG4_Kn9Yw


https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Y0fEL0_Liks

I don't know that the commute to Schaumburg would be that bad, and the North Shore may check all of your boxes. Although some of the other suggestions like Arlington Heights, Barrington, and other NW Suburbs are great too.

I personally just find the North Shore suburbs with the greenery, nature, and the water nearby to be so gorgeous (and great for schools and families). So if you can commute to where you need to without much hassle, it may be worth checking them out. Although Chicagoland traffic can get pretty bad (in normal, non-pandemic times), so I understand looking in between where you and your wife will be, and the more NW suburbs are fine alternatives.

[aga412]

Park Ridge / Mount Prospect?

[personone]

Originally Posted by aga412

Park Ridge / Mount Prospect?

These are good choices too. You really can't go wrong with Chicagoland suburbs. There are an endless number of them, and so many are nice. It makes it hard to choose. Commute times, and finding the right house and deal, are likely what it will come down to when choosing.

[champs2012]

Originally Posted by personone

I'm not sure exactly where you'll be commuting to, but I would think Chicago's North Shore Suburbs will be very comparable to Westchester. This gives you a flavor of some of them (there are several though)


https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=CTBif6VMb6E


https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=y3fG4_Kn9Yw


https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Y0fEL0_Liks

I don't know that the commute to Schaumburg would be that bad, and the North Shore may check all of your boxes. Although some of the other suggestions like Arlington Heights, Barrington, and other NW Suburbs are great too.

I personally just find the North Shore suburbs with the greenery, nature, and the water nearby to be so gorgeous (and great for schools and families). So if you can commute to where you need to without much hassle, it may be worth checking them out. Although Chicagoland traffic can get pretty bad (in normal, non-pandemic times), so I understand looking in between where you and your wife will be, and the more NW suburbs are fine alternatives.

Thanks so much for your reply and the lovely videos. The Northshore suburbs indeed look a lot like parts of Westchester. They have the "old money" feel to them. As you mentioned, the commute from those towns may be tough so will prefer places a little west of the towns on the lake.

[olive03]

Originally Posted by champs2012

Thanks so much for your reply and the lovely videos. The Northshore suburbs indeed look a lot like parts of Westchester. They have the "old money" feel to them. As you mentioned, the commute from those towns may be tough so will prefer places a little west of the towns on the lake.

As a non Chicago native, I was always told that north shore = old money and NW affluent burbs (i.e. the Barringtons) = new money