Anyone Knows Anything about Bolingbrook, IL (Chicago, Aurora: homes, school district, place to live)

[james57]

I don't know where Cavewoman is coming from. She talks about a Bolingbrook I'm not familiar with. I have relatives living in Bolingbrook and also used to live there myself. The Bolingbrook of today is definitely changing, and not for the better.

The core of Bolingbrook is not what it used to be. Crime is definitely on the rise. I would not walk the streets anymore at night. I even feel uncomfortable being in the town late at night. Lots of people hanging out and around. Stay in your car if you are out late.

Naperville is more upscale. Very nice community if you can afford it. I agree with the comment that if you have $600,000 to spend on property, there is no question that one should buy something in Naperville versus Bolingbrook. The area mentioned near the golf course is at the very fringe part of Bolingbrook. So it would be better than areas in the middle of town.

Must say that this is the first time I have heard anyone give Bolingbrook the node over Naperville. Even the locals in Bolingbrook know that Naperville is the better community.

Jim

[Steve-o]

Originally Posted by james57

I don't know where Cavewoman is coming from. She talks about a Bolingbrook I'm not familiar with. I have relatives living in Bolingbrook and also used to live there myself. The Bolingbrook of today is definitely changing, and not for the better.

The core of Bolingbrook is not what it used to be. Crime is definitely on the rise. I would not walk the streets anymore at night. I even feel uncomfortable being in the town late at night. Lots of people hanging out and around. Stay in your car if you are out late.

Naperville is more upscale. Very nice community if you can afford it. I agree with the comment that if you have $600,000 to spend on property, there is no question that one should buy something in Naperville versus Bolingbrook. The area mentioned near the golf course is at the very fringe part of Bolingbrook. So it would be better than areas in the middle of town.

Must say that this is the first time I have heard anyone give Bolingbrook the node over Naperville. Even the locals in Bolingbrook know that Naperville is the better community.

Jim

I agree. Naperville is far better. Bolingbrook is decent in spots, horrid in others and its seems the latter is the dominant. It appears Cavewoman hasnt the slightest clue what shes talking about.

[Retired Guy]

Well, I've a friend who lives in Bolingbrook and he likes it just fine, I think he raised his kids there. Me personally I'm looking for housing I can afford (and it doesn't include anything around the $600,000 level...I think that's quite excessive, as is anything over 1500 s.f., depending upon family size; I DO enjoy reading the commentary here <G>) and am considering Renting there (doubt I can afford to purchase on my meager pseudo retirement income).

So what's up with the Boughton Rd comment? Please eludicate, thank you very much and Merry Christmas

[Retired Guy]

Originally Posted by james57

<snip>
The Bolingbrook of today is definitely changing, and not for the better.
The core of Bolingbrook is not what it used to be. Crime is definitely on the rise. I would not walk the streets anymore at night. I even feel uncomfortable being in the town late at night. Lots of people hanging out and around. Stay in your car if you are out late.

Yeah, well I watched Chicago's South Shore community deteriorate
over several decades SIMPLY because the folks that lived there perceived they had to relocate. Had they stayed sure it would have changed but not so quickly and not without a modicum of control over its fate.

People staying IN is why crime is up. You want crime to go DOWN you gotta git yer butts out there and take back the streets instead of moving to an artificially safer area like, oh, Naperville.

Naperville is more upscale. Very nice community if you can afford it. I agree with the comment that if you have $600,000 to spend on property, there is no question that one should buy something in Naperville versus Bolingbrook. The area mentioned near the golf course is at the very fringe part of Bolingbrook. So it would be better than areas in the middle of town.
Jim

....GOLF? A meaningless game if ever there was one. Bowling takes more skill. And what do you mean by 'upscale'? More SUVs? More Givenchi, Gucci, Anne Klein and $600 (!?!) designer jeans for teens?

Maybe you're right, Jim...you SHOULD move there. Yeesh!

[james57]

Bolingbrook. Back in the 70's, Bolingbrook was a little suburb of Chicago way out at he end of the expressway.I bought a townhouse. Not many people lived there. Mostly white but one development was black.

From that point in time, Bolingbrook was discovered by the vast numbers of people dying to get out of the changing Chicago area. So many both whites and blacks resettled in Bolingbrook.

Over time the center of the town has remained the lower cost housing area so naturally has tended toward being settled by blacks and more recently hispanics.

There are still more upscale ( there's that word again--it means more expensive!) areas being built along the fringes of the community. At the same time the community is expanding geographically via annexation.

In the process, it is becoming more expensive to live in Bolingbrook even as the town gets somewhat poorer. Schools take up a big chunk of the real estate taxes .

In the end, Bolingbrook has some major challenges ahead of it. The question is whether the white population will remain or whether Bolingbrook will become another one of those poor communities without support. Time will tell.

In the meantime Naperville is a well established mature community that seems at this point able to maintain its upscale lifestyle. So the question of choice between to two is no contest. AT least in MHO.

Incidentally I both golf and bowl and enjoy both. I moved out of the area in 2002 to achieve a lower cost of living in the Dixon IL area. For me it has been a very worthwhile move. Better living at a lower cost. Hard to beat. Regards

Jim

[cynicalkat]

I think Bolingbrook is nice, parts are crappy, look for the warning signs, lots of for sale signs in the neighborhoods, the way the yards are kept ect. but I'd have to agree the newer neighborhoods are nice but there is a lack of some shade/tree growth, if you can afford it buy west of weber.... REALLY an nice are. There is the airport but it's not really a bother. Stay away from pinecrest (a street) kinda shady area, if you know what I mean, but if you go east to the other side of janes huge houses newer area...but still would recommend stay north and east in bolingbrook.good luck..... I also would say some of those folks down grading bolingbrook isnt really fair, yes there are parts of bolingbrook that aren't that savory but so is every town, anyway I like to say bolingbrook is full of Naperville rejects, who are in essence full of themselves..... those naperville folks sheesh.

[stewartthrower]

I would look at the cities where the express Metra train stops. I know it stops in Naperville.

[BUalumni]

I went to school for short time in Downers Grove, and can tell you that at that time Bolingbrook wasn't even that great. But it all depends on what you want. I would stay clear of Naperville too. I hear that there is a huge underground drug problem in their huge high schools. I also heard the other day on the news, that one of their high schools might have to dismiss class's for a few days because a disease was found in their schools. If you have the money to move into Naperville, then you have money to move into many other areas that are much nicer. Feel free to DM me if you have any questions on good places.

[acdevane]

Bolingbrook has it's good sections & it's better sections. I think every community has SOMETHING good to offer. Bolingbrook offers affordable housing, or at least more affordable than anything North or East or West. However, having the opportunity to spend $600,000 on a home INVESTMENT you will see far greater appreciation if you make that investment in Naperville vs Bolingbrook.

[acdevane]

Originally Posted by BUalumni

I went to school for short time in Downers Grove, and can tell you that at that time Bolingbrook wasn't even that great. But it all depends on what you want. I would stay clear of Naperville too. I hear that there is a huge underground drug problem in their huge high schools. I also heard the other day on the news, that one of their high schools might have to dismiss class's for a few days because a disease was found in their schools. If you have the money to move into Naperville, then you have money to move into many other areas that are much nicer. Feel free to DM me if you have any questions on good places.

You need to get your facts straight. Huge underground drug problem? What exactly does that mean? I don't know of a high school around that doesn't have some issue with students using drugs, but I think you are overstating the problem without supporting evidence.

Also, classes were never dismissed. Here is a e-mail sent directly from Naperville School Dist. 203 to all the parents. This is how pro-active the district is. Events are not hidden or swept under the rug. They are put out there for everyone to see, warts and all, they way I think we all would prefer.

There was another subsequent e-mail that came out that detailed on the procedures underway for super-cleaning facility and equipment to keep the students protected.

It was reported to District 203 and Naperville North administrators late afternoon on Wednesday, October 17, that we most likely had two confirmed cases of students with MRSA (Methicillin Resistant Staphyloccoccus Aureus) infections. Both students have been treated and released by their physicians and were cleared to return to school.

In an effort to be proactive and precautionary, we chose to inform high school parents.
Today, in response to media and parent inquiry, we decided to expand our communication in an effort to reassure the community and to encourage parents to review personal hygiene precautions with their children.

To view the Talk203 message sent to high school parents, please see the District 203 homepage, Home Page - Naperville Community Unit School District 203 and click on the News headline. If you are not a
Talk203 subscriber, please click on the Talk203 box to register for this email notification service.

Edward Hospital has a very helpful web page with MRSA-related questions and answers and additional links posted. It is: MRSA

We are working with the DuPage County Health Department, as is customary, and will follow their direction and guidelines to assure the continued safety of our students and staff.

Hope this helps.