Are there any suburbs with streetlights/well lit roads. (Chicago: house, buying)

[Rendill]

Silly question, but I’ve noticed a severe lack of streetlights in the Glen Ellyn/Wheaton/Lombard/Oak Brook/ etc area. Is there a place around here that has well lit roads? Do most suburbs have a lack of street lights? I just moved here, so I don’t know the area that well, but I’m used to having well lit roads and would prefer having that.

[Hiruko]

Originally Posted by Rendill

Silly question, but I’ve noticed a severe lack of streetlights in the Glen Ellyn/Wheaton/Lombard/Oak Brook/ etc area. Is there a place around here that has well lit roads? Do most suburbs have a lack of street lights? I just moved here, so I don’t know the area that well, but I’m used to having well lit roads and would prefer having that.

Even communities that were known for "well-lit streets" when first developed in earnest at the turn of the century—Evanston, Wilmette, Kenilworth, Lake Forest, and Oak Park immediately come to mind—are today known for an abundance of old street lanterns that give off poor light. I say this because I am not sure that the number of lanterns really makes a huge difference in how well-lit the streets are.

As an issue, I am an opponent of light pollution, so I am resistant to unnecessary exterior illumination. Chicago has a surprisingly large population of birders, bird-watchers, stargazers, and other proponents of dark skies. While I do not know if they have an actual impact, I know that their voices are heard anytime public lighting projects have been discussed in any community that I have been witness to. My recommendation would be to get used to the way things are!

[rjs54321]

Meh. Ask someone that lives in a well lit area, when was the last time they've seen stars in the sky? Sorry, the amateur astronomer in me says no more lights.

[ChiGuy2.5]

Within 1 year of me buying my house the city replaced my older "yellow" halogen street light with a super bright "white" LED street light. I despise it.

Glen Ellyn, Wheaton, Lombard are all pretty rural in infrastructure terms. As you get closer to the city, everything is better lit. My suburb of Park Ridge for example has street lights galore. If you're looking for well lit areas then I recommend getting closer to the city.

[urza216]

Downtown Homewood is always very well-lit 24/7.

[Sunbiz1]

Originally Posted by ChiGuy2.5

Within 1 year of me buying my house the city replaced my older "yellow" halogen street light with a super bright "white" LED street light. I despise it.

In the name of safety we lived without for decades, they ruined the ambiance with warehouse lighting.

[ChiGuy2.5]

Originally Posted by Sunbiz1

In the name of safety we lived without for decades, they ruined the ambiance with warehouse lighting.

My house is on the end of a T street where one major street ends on my street with my house at the corner. I guess you can see more clearly which is good for traffic reasons, and hopefully the new light is more energy efficient but I can't confirm if that's true. Either way, I still don't have to like it!

[Kraftask]

Aurora, Naperville, Elgin, Joliet & Waukegan all seem pretty well lit compared to some of the surrounding suburbs. But i guess they're kinda more cities in themselves that are tucked away in the suburbs.

[Rendill]

Thanks for all the input. I’ll take a look at closer to the city/within the city.

[Kraftask]

Here's a nice pic of the city lights from above.