Overrated and underrated suburbs Chicago (Naperville, Schaumburg: neighborhood, good schools, mall)

[fusillirob1983]

Originally Posted by SonySegaTendo617

I disagree with what you say about Evanston and Skokie, but to each their own. I will say that for certain places like Winnetka and Glenview, they never jumped out to me much.

I don't think anyone has mentioned it yet, so I will for underrated ones. Blue Island definitely always felt underrated, and has a LOT of nice historic buildings there. And I'd also say that Elmwood Park, Berwyn, and Riverside seem a little underrated IMO. Brookfield is also nice, as well.

Speaking of Long Grove, I really don't know why they put one of those metal barriers(where its height would equal the one for that covered bridge) completely over the road before you hit that covered bridge of its height on each side, so that trucks that are too tall to drive through that bridge don't keep crashing into the top part of it. And that such trucks are stopped, before they would drive through that bridge and damage it. That has VERY long bugged me, each time these incidents are reported about on the news.

Yes, Blue Island has some nice historic buildings and even older homes. Unfortunately there's also some less than impressive houses and some industrial areas that caused me to exclude it.

[Chicagoisthebest]

Palos heights is very underrated.
I have never been to blue island I would like to go there.

[Avondalist]

Originally Posted by Master Jay

nana053, good evening. I have driven past that place many times and I guess I never noticed the actual full name.

I am NOT a pancake guy. I would be willing to try it out for other breakfast items, however. This weekend I went to Wildberry Pancakes in Libertyville. This summer I went to a place in Jefferson Park along Milwaukee Avenue, I believe is Elly's??? And a couple years ago I went to a cute European Dutch (I believe) pancake place in Lincoln Square, near Western and Lawrence.

I am taking a break in between workout sessions so I better get my mind off of food.

Elly's is indeed a pancake chain. There used to be a location at LaSalle and North Ave.

[Master Jay]

Avondalist, hello. Staying warm?

If I ate at Ellys, or any other pancake place, I'd need to do about 100 more situps to my routine!

[SonySegaTendo617]

Originally Posted by fusillirob1983

Yes, Blue Island has some nice historic buildings and even older homes. Unfortunately there's also some less than impressive houses and some industrial areas that caused me to exclude it.

Gotcha. I don't think any community is 100% perfect, that's for sure.

And wjj, yeah it might indeed be a good idea to put such a metal barrier as an inch or 2 lower than the covered bridge's height, to make it less likely one of those trucks or buses accidentally hits the top of that Long Grove bridge. LOL!

[Kmanshouse]

I've always found Oak Park overrated. Sure, it has a very nice downtown area and some cool architecture. But it's butt up against one of the worst Chicago neighborhoods, lacks a college of substance, and unless you live right by the train, is the longest "short" commute in Chicagoland.

Getting to/from Oak Park requires jaunts through gangland. Not worth it IMO

[Kmanshouse]

Originally Posted by fusillirob1983

Overrated
Mount Prospect
Arlington Heights
Schaumburg
Downers Grove


Underrated
Palos Park
Palos Heights
Oak Lawn
Evergreen Park
Lisle
Riverside

This is pretty good. Lisle is a sleeper. I lived 2 blocks from Main Street for 5 years. And that was before all the improvements.

AH and Schaumburg are THE most overrated places.

As noted before, I would add Oak Park to overrated.

I like that you notably left off some usual suspects here - probably because you felt they were rated about right. Naperville is polarizing - as it should be. Geneva/St. Charles are rated pretty high as they should be. Wheaton also. No point in listing a bunch of crappy suburbs.

[fusillirob1983]

Originally Posted by Kmanshouse

This is pretty good. Lisle is a sleeper. I lived 2 blocks from Main Street for 5 years. And that was before all the improvements.

AH and Schaumburg are THE most overrated places.

As noted before, I would add Oak Park to overrated.

I like that you notably left off some usual suspects here - probably because you felt they were rated about right. Naperville is polarizing - as it should be. Geneva/St. Charles are rated pretty high as they should be. Wheaton also. No point in listing a bunch of crappy suburbs.

Thanks. It seems like Lisle is trying to add a bit to its downtown at the moment as you mentioned. It has some decent parks, the Arboretum is really nice, and some pretty nice homes.

Exactly as you said, I left off some usual suspects as I believe they're rated appropriately one way or the other and tend ot wash out.

Some people will flat out never like Oak Park and others will never like Naperville. Some people think the North Shore is overrated. I suspect all 3 of these in many respects are appropriately rated.

I see why Naperville is polarizing. It definitely has a stigma to it, but it also has some unique features, and it size provides resources and access to things within its city limits that makes difficult for other towns to say they have within town.

[Kmanshouse]

Originally Posted by fusillirob1983

Thanks. It seems like Lisle is trying to add a bit to its downtown at the moment as you mentioned. It has some decent parks, the Arboretum is really nice, and some pretty nice homes.

Exactly as you said, I left off some usual suspects as I believe they're rated appropriately one way or the other and tend ot wash out.

Some people will flat out never like Oak Park and others will never like Naperville. Some people think the North Shore is overrated. I suspect all 3 of these in many respects are appropriately rated.

I see why Naperville is polarizing. It definitely has a stigma to it, but it also has some unique features, and it size provides resources and access to things within its city limits that makes difficult for other towns to say they have within town.

I lived in Naperville for 16 years. I think it's a great place to raise a family, especially if you have time/ability to enjoy the nightlife downtown as well. No suburb touches Naperville's downtown for nightlife.

But the train is on the northern edge of the town, creating long drives just to get to the train stations. And there are some pretty soulless subdivisions.

Schools are awesome.

Naperville is also a very competitive suburb - lots of high performing kids and adults.

[fusillirob1983]

Originally Posted by Kmanshouse

I lived in Naperville for 16 years. I think it's a great place to raise a family, especially if you have time/ability to enjoy the nightlife downtown as well. No suburb touches Naperville's downtown for nightlife.

But the train is on the northern edge of the town, creating long drives just to get to the train stations. And there are some pretty soulless subdivisions.

Schools are awesome.

Naperville is also a very competitive suburb - lots of high performing kids and adults.

Yep, I'm there now. I was concerned with its distance to Chicago, less of a concern now that I no longer work downtown and all but a couple of my friends moved to the suburbs in the last 4 years.

The downtown is good. Our experience with the park district thus far is good. It is unfortunate about the train location, mainly because the town mostly had room to expand south of downtown, and you're right that some subdivisions are soulless. There's also no shortage of access to forest preserves and bike paths.

My kids aren't school-age yet, but I'm looking forward to them getting some opportunities in school that I didn't have growing up.