Illinois advice

[Warhammer]

I have a potential job opportunity in Illinois. The job would be a sales position covering the IA, IN, WI, and IL. I would have the flexibility to live anywhere in the area, does anyone have any suggestions for a good place to live that is affordable, yet good for a young family.

My initial thoughts were Bloomington-Normal and Chambana, but am looking for other options/suggestions.

[Coffee Warlord]

Both are good picks. Champaign is more of a college town than Bloomington, but both are stable downstate towns.

You can get very affordable, high quality housing up in the far west suburbs of Chicago, I might add (Plainfield, Bolingbrook, Romeoville to name 3 good ones). Since you're not needing to commute to the city, it's another good option, especially if you wanna be near The City.

Stay away from: Anything south of Bloomington/Champaign, along with Peoria, Galesburg, and the Quad Cities.

Side note, if you ARE interested in the 'burbs, I can put you in touch with a trustworthy real estate agent. I'm not positive he covers that specific area, but I can find out.

[dervack]

I would stay away from Bolingbrook myself, and depending on what you want to spend, Downers Grove, Westmont and Woodridge are also all good options.

[Warhammer]

Stay away from: Anything south of Bloomington/Champaign, along with Peoria, Galesburg, and the Quad Cities.

It's kind of funny, I have a buddy of mine that is telling me that he really likes the Quad Cities, but he also doesn't have a family either.

I went to school in Champaign, so I am familiar with the area, plus my best friend lives there and the private schools there are good and affordable. Access to highways is ok, I would drive 45 minutes to Bloomington to head north to WI and the western Chicago burbs, east and west access is good, but heading west I pass through Bloomington anyway.

Bloomington I have less information on, but I have heard good things about the area, plus it has great access to highways for which ever way I need to travel. However, it appears that the cost of living is significantly higher than Champaign (3-4%).

The Chicago burbs would be fine, but I know the cost of living up there is incredible. Right now I don't know how much more I will earn based upon this job than the one I have now (I'm guessing about $20-30k more, but we will lose my wife's income initially ~$30k), but the company is more stable and I would be working towards my own company one year or so down the road, give or take a few months. My initial thoughts were the Aurora/Elgin/DeKalb areas but have no feel for what they are like now.

[Kodos]

Mundelein (Northwest suburbs of Chicago) is family friendly and nice, but kindof expensive.

[Coffee Warlord]

It's kind of funny, I have a buddy of mine that is telling me that he really likes the Quad Cities, but he also doesn't have a family either.

I don't either, but having lived the majority of my life 30-40 minutes away from there, I vote no. :)

The Chicago burbs would be fine, but I know the cost of living up there is incredible. Right now I don't know how much more I will earn based upon this job than the one I have now (I'm guessing about $20-30k more, but we will lose my wife's income initially ~$30k), but the company is more stable and I would be working towards my own company one year or so down the road, give or take a few months. My initial thoughts were the Aurora/Elgin/DeKalb areas but have no feel for what they are like now.[/QUOTE]

Actually, it's not that bad outside of the city, and gets much more sane the further away from the city you go. That's why towns in those far suburbs are really growing, because housing is actually reasonable. New developments are popping up EVERYWHERE out there.

Oh. Stay the fuck away from Aurora. Hellhole. :)

[Coffee Warlord]

Btw, I actually live in Woodridge, so I know these burbs pretty well. Neener. :)

[scooter]

Bloomington-Normal is the home of State Farm Insurance, with company people moving in and out of there all the time. I think that is part of what drives the higher cost of living. My wife's father worked there and my wife lived there through her high school years. I grew up in Lindenhurst north of Chicago. Both my wife and I went to school in Champaign.

I think your ideas of living somewhere in close proximity to the major highways makes sense. Both Champaign and B-N are well located in that respect. Both places are "college towns" so you will have the advantages and disadvantages of that. I would try to avoid getting too close to Chicago if most of you business is going to be elsewhere. Getting tied up in traffic (with the added cost of living) probably isn't worth it.

My sister and her husband have lived in the LaSalle/Peru area for a number of years. They seem to like it well enough. I sits on the intersection of I-39 and I-80. The cost of living is much less than in the suburbs too.

One other thought might be Wisconsin. It's farther away from Indiana, but there are some nice areas in southern WI. At least there are some hills and trees (can you tell I've come to appreciate that moving out to WA?). My parents live just north of Madison and it's beautiful up there. I also remember driving through some nice areas in southeastern WI.

If it were me, it probably would come down to where most of my business would take me. If you will be spending most of you time in one area, focus there. If you will be spreading yourself out more equally, look to settle locally.

[finketr]

fwiw, peoria is not that bad...if you don't live in the city proper...

also, if you are going to be flying alot, longterm parking is free at Peoria and Bloomington-Normal.

BN and CU have amtrak stations for what that's worth.

now, having driven back and forth between Peoria and CU, I will say that CU has more eclectic food options, plus the U of I, than either BN and Peoria.

[cubboyroy1826]

Sycamore is the bomb, of course i live there. We are about an hour and twenty minutes due West of Chicago (depending on what time of day you are traveling). We have that small town atmosphere and some very good public schools. The town is next to Dekalb which is where Northern Illinois University is located. I have four kids and i would say avoid Plainfield, Bolingbrook, Romeoville. We lived in Plainfield for 8 years and moved to Sycamore from there. The primary reasons were the schools above the grade school level were getting bad and there was a bit of an unsavory element moving in. If you need a good realtor to work with or talk to let me know. If you need financing i can help you no matter where in Illinois you look.

[Warhammer]

If you need financing i can help you no matter where in Illinois you look.

Scribbles note about financing help... :D

That is one thing I am worried about. I am going to take a hit on my current house's value (friggin' city annexation talk, then not doing it has hammered the home's value). The problem I am going to have is I can't cover the difference with savings because my wife and I have been paying school loans and other stuff down. So I need to figure out how to either do that, or if I can roll the excess cost into my new house (shouldn't be more than $5-10k I figure).

[digamma]

Stay away from: Anything south of Bloomington/Champaign, along with Peoria, Galesburg, and the Quad Cities.



Just spent Thanksgiving in a town about a half hour south of Champaign. Other than corn, there's really not much there.

[dervack]

Btw, I actually live in Woodridge, so I know these burbs pretty well. Neener. :)
I live in Willowbrook, so I know the area pretty well too.

[sooner333]

I don't know much about either of those communities, but I do know that I really enjoyed growing up and now attending college in the same college town. I think you can get a lot out of it both as an adult (as my dad retired to Norman) and as a kid growing up.

[Coffee Warlord]

I live in Willowbrook, so I know the area pretty well too.

Heh, I can wave to you at lunch. :)

[dixieflatline]

Well naperville was just listed as the <a href=http://money.cnn.com/magazines/moneymag/bplive/2006/snapshots/PL1751622.html>2nd best city in america to live in</a>. It is a bit pricy but there has been a bunch of land developement in the area so apartments and condo's are still afforable. The schools are excellent and the library is the best in the state from what I have read. Also, basically no crime and decent public transport into chicago.

[timmae]

...and there was a bit of an unsavory element moving in.

I think we need to dig into this a bit deeper...

[timmae]

Well naperville was just listed as the <a href=http://money.cnn.com/magazines/moneymag/bplive/2006/snapshots/PL1751622.html>2nd best city in america to live in</a>. It is a bit pricy but there has been a bunch of land developement in the area so apartments and condo's are still afforable. The schools are excellent and the library is the best in the state from what I have read. Also, basically no crime and decent public transport into chicago.

A few rings further out would get down there a bit in price... I'm thinking Aurora areas like Sugar Grove, Lockport, etc... although with up and coming communities you are bound to deal with subpar school systems, infrastructure and the like.

[SelzShoes]

If you pick C-U (born and raised) I can give you some great advice on places to eat. Great place to live, the University gives the area some pluses not available to similar sized cities.

Also look to the McHenry-Woodstock-Crystal Lake area. It's about 60 miles from Chicago--far enough out traffic and people aren't a problem, but close enough to be served by the Metra (or whatever the public transit is called in that area. C-U might be too far south to serve Wisc., but McHenry County would be great for covering IA and WI.

[-Mojo Jojo-]

If generic sprawling flavorless big-box suburbia is to your taste, by all means check out the Chicago burbs. I lived in several of them (NW side) and subsequently organized my future living arrangements mostly around avoiding that sort of lifestyle. If you want somewhere more livable and family-friendly I'd check out Madison, WI. If not for work considerations and the fact that my wife doesn't like "cold weather" that'd probably be my top choice of anywhere in the country...

[illinifan999]

Also look to the McHenry-Woodstock-Crystal Lake area. It's about 60 miles from Chicago--far enough out traffic and people aren't a problem, but close enough to be served by the Metra (or whatever the public transit is called in that area. C-U might be too far south to serve Wisc., but McHenry County would be great for covering IA and WI.

x2

[Warhammer]

If you pick C-U (born and raised) I can give you some great advice on places to eat. Great place to live, the University gives the area some pluses not available to similar sized cities.

Also look to the McHenry-Woodstock-Crystal Lake area. It's about 60 miles from Chicago--far enough out traffic and people aren't a problem, but close enough to be served by the Metra (or whatever the public transit is called in that area. C-U might be too far south to serve Wisc., but McHenry County would be great for covering IA and WI.

Aside from Murphy's, Papa Dell's, and the Pancake House, what do you suggest?

I was actually looking at the Woodstock-Harvard area, ok, the whole US 14 corridor and thinking about that. But I actually know very little about actually living there.

Most of my travel will be by car and I would be on the road 2-3 days out of the week. I am waiting for information about the accounts and where they would be located before anything else progresses.

[Cork]

Bloomington-Normal is the home of State Farm Insurance, with company people moving in and out of there all the time. I think that is part of what drives the higher cost of living. My wife's father worked there and my wife lived there through her high school years. I grew up in Lindenhurst north of Chicago. Both my wife and I went to school in Champaign.

I think your ideas of living somewhere in close proximity to the major highways makes sense. Both Champaign and B-N are well located in that respect. Both places are "college towns" so you will have the advantages and disadvantages of that. I would try to avoid getting too close to Chicago if most of you business is going to be elsewhere. Getting tied up in traffic (with the added cost of living) probably isn't worth it.

My sister and her husband have lived in the LaSalle/Peru area for a number of years. They seem to like it well enough. I sits on the intersection of I-39 and I-80. The cost of living is much less than in the suburbs too.

One other thought might be Wisconsin. It's farther away from Indiana, but there are some nice areas in southern WI. At least there are some hills and trees (can you tell I've come to appreciate that moving out to WA?). My parents live just north of Madison and it's beautiful up there. I also remember driving through some nice areas in southeastern WI.

If it were me, it probably would come down to where most of my business would take me. If you will be spending most of you time in one area, focus there. If you will be spreading yourself out more equally, look to settle locally.

I lived in Peru for a year back in early-mid 1990s. I enjoyed my time there.

-Cork

[scooter]

Aside from Murphy's, Papa Dell's, and the Pancake House, what do you suggest?

Custard Cup. God I miss Custard Cup.

[SelzShoes]

Aside from Murphy's, Papa Dell's, and the Pancake House, what do you suggest?

I second Custard Cup but in downtown Champaign there is the Great Impasta (pasta, but not the normal red sauce/white sauce kind), Cafe Kopi (good lite fare, and Radio Maria (very electic--kind of carribean, but not). There is also a good sushi bar and a great thai place near those. Plus numerous other bars and cafes in the whole d-town area. The Ribeye on the South end of town is a very good steak place.

Downtown Urbana has the Courier cafe--great salad bar and wonderful assortment of sandwhiches. Strawberry fields has great vegan/vegitarian food--and I'm not either of those.

La Bambas has wonderful mexican.

That's just off the top of my head. When ever the wife and I visit my uncle who still lives there we hit at least one of those places and pick up a couple frozen Papa Dell's pizzas.

There is alot of asian places--Mayalsian, Singapore in addition to Japanesse (steakhouses and noodle shops) and Chinesse.

[illinifan999]

Aside from Murphy's, Papa Dell's, and the Pancake House, what do you suggest?

I was actually looking at the Woodstock-Harvard area, ok, the whole US 14 corridor and thinking about that. But I actually know very little about actually living there.

Most of my travel will be by car and I would be on the road 2-3 days out of the week. I am waiting for information about the accounts and where they would be located before anything else progresses.

Just from my experience with Harvard, you can find a lot better towns with better schools in McHenry County.

[Warhammer]

La Bambas has wonderful mexican.

This is just hilarious for me since we used to go to Bambas after a night of heavy drinking, oh 10 years or so ago.

The Courier is nice, but we haven't gone there much since we have had the kids (I'm in Champaign once or twice a year to visit my best friend).

Other than that, the places we used to go to have mostly closed (Delights and Ned Kelly's) and I haven't gone to many of the newer establishments.

[finketr]

peoria is the home of Caterpillar.

i forgot the obvious suggestion:























don't move to illinois.

[-Mojo Jojo-]

Aside from Murphy's, Papa Dell's, and the Pancake House, what do you suggest?

I was actually looking at the Woodstock-Harvard area, ok, the whole US 14 corridor and thinking about that. But I actually know very little about actually living there.


I wasn't that far out, but I lived along US 14 in Palatine, Arlington Heights, and Fox River Grove (on 14 between Barrington and Crystal Lake). I just found it to be a lot of big box stores, chain restaurants, endless subdivisions of McMansions and not a lot else. And it's a bear to get anywhere. Nothing is close to anything else and it's all connected by rinky-dink country highways that have now become major thoroughfares and are totally inadequate for the traffic. In other words, it just like suburbs anywhere else... I'd much rather find a mid-size city like Madison, or some of the other college towns that have been mentioned, where the city itself is livable and you don't have to resort to the burbs.

[MalcPow]

A few rings further out would get down there a bit in price... I'm thinking Aurora areas like Sugar Grove, Lockport, etc... although with up and coming communities you are bound to deal with subpar school systems, infrastructure and the like.

I grew up in the Lockport-Orland Park area and loved it. It's suburban sprawl for sure though, might not be your speed. But there's a lot of development out there and it's not too far from the city so your wife might have an easier time finding a job depending on what she does. Probably not what you're looking for it sounds like but hearing Lockport mentioned got me all nostalgic.

[Neuqua]

I live in Naperville, and have for just about the past 10 years or so, so if you have any questions feel free to ask. It is a bit pricier than the other areas, so if that is an issue you may want to look at one of hte neighboring towns (Plainfield, Aurora, etc.)

[Cork]

I wasn't that far out, but I lived along US 14 in Palatine, Arlington Heights, and Fox River Grove (on 14 between Barrington and Crystal Lake). I just found it to be a lot of big box stores, chain restaurants, endless subdivisions of McMansions and not a lot else. And it's a bear to get anywhere. Nothing is close to anything else and it's all connected by rinky-dink country highways that have now become major thoroughfares and are totally inadequate for the traffic. In other words, it just like suburbs anywhere else... I'd much rather find a mid-size city like Madison, or some of the other college towns that have been mentioned, where the city itself is livable and you don't have to resort to the burbs.

I'm from Madison and it is a great place to live. If the city if not to your liking, there are many decent burbs to choose from. If I had to move to Illinois, I would avoid the whole Chicagoland area and move to the Bloomington/Normal area.

-Cork

[watravaler]

W. Aurora/Naperville/Plainfield is nice, and fairly affordable, great sports programs in the area for your kids, if you have any, and good public/private schools. I've never had a problem with traffic to and from Chicago in this area.

[timmae]

I grew up in the Lockport-Orland Park area and loved it. It's suburban sprawl for sure though, might not be your speed. But there's a lot of development out there and it's not too far from the city so your wife might have an easier time finding a job depending on what she does. Probably not what you're looking for it sounds like but hearing Lockport mentioned got me all nostalgic.

Lockport will soon be bursting at the seams... I just got back from a city council meeting out there and all of the big box stores and corporate retailers are jumping at any opportunity they have to build. It seems that the corp's have caught onto the fact that housing has hit the area hard.:eek:

[HerRealName]

I live in the B-N area and it is pretty nice. Most people choose to live in Normal because the schools are a little better than in Bloomington. Also, most of the newer developments on the East side are in Normal school district.

If you're interested in living in a small town, Downs has an excellent school system with small classes. It is about 8 miles away from restaurants and shopping though.

If you have any specific questions like areas to avoid, just let me know.

[Warhammer]

Can anyone give me some good info about Bloomington-Normal and DeKalb?

Those are the two areas we pretty much have this nailed down to right now, but that may change.

What I am trying to figure out is how the schools are, how the people of the town are, whether the area is good for small children (2 and 5), how safe the area is, what there is to do in the area, and the age of the people in the area.

[dixieflatline]

Well DeKalb is a college town with NIU being right there. I enjoyed my time there but I don't know about how it would be for small children. I have only been to B-N a couple of times so I can't really comment on there.

edit: Good luck on the search.

[cubboyroy1826]

If you are thinking Dekalb it really depends on how close to the school you will be. If you look in Sycamore (the next city over) you will strike gold. I have 14, 7,6, and 3 year old kids and they love it. The two main blocks we live on has about 23 kids ranging from 3-14 with most of the kids in the 5-8 range. The Sycamore schools are much higher rated than the Dekalb schools. Dekalb is having some financial issues with the school district right now. We moved here from Plainfield where the schools were originally rated very highly. Our primary reasons for moving were the schools and a good place to raise our kids. Sycamore has a very small town feeling with the extras of the bigger cities 20 minutes away. We have most everything you would need but we lack some of the more specialized stores. Here is a link to the district site. PM with an idea of your price range for your house.

http://www.syc427.org/New%20District%202/community/profile.html

[HerRealName]

Bloomington-Normal is a good family town. There are a lot of sports leagues and parks for the kids. There's nothing like Beale Street but there is a nice little down town area developing as well. Like I said before, you'll want to look for the Normal (Unit 5) school district. There are a lot of newer housing developments on the East side of town that are in Unit 5 school district and close to restaurants, shopping, and schools.

Here are a few links on the area...

Convention Center - http://www.bloomingtonnormalcvb.org/
Newspaper - http://www.pantagraph.com/
For Sale By Owner Real Estate Website - http://www.fsbolocal.com/
Unit 5 school - http://www.unit5.org/