Anyone Knows Anything about Bolingbrook, IL (Chicago, Naperville: middle-class, apartments, foreclosures)

[Incognito Mosquito]

Weber Rd. on the west side of town is a goldmine of restaurant and shopping activity from Boughton down to Lily Cache, so from a convenience standpoint that area has a lot to offer. Crime is not a problem on the far west side where the newer houses are, and I honestly doubt there's much difference between the "old east" and "old west" sides in terms of crime.

It sounds like someone needs to find a different zip code to feel better about themselves roxy.

[nanannie]

A home is a major investment. With so many good safe burbs,with the schools to match, why invest in such an 'iffy' place? I wouldnt want my kids in a town with a school that is so crime ridden,even if they attended 'the other' school, the same gang bangers hang out in the same town.

[spitzbub]

[SIZE=2]Bolingbrook is developing hand-over-fist. The area offers tons to do for everyone. Like most suburbs, it is car-oriented; the new areas are pedestrian-friendly, but the development is spread out. The grade schools are excellent. I have heard complaints about the brand-new high school, but have no direct experience with it. Yes, there is a big beautiful glass library on the way, thanks to a March referendum.
Along Route 53 reside many renters and some crime. As you go west, crime decreases and values increase, generally. Look at data and the condition of the properties, cars, etc. If you need to use realty codewords to speak of minorities, you won't like Bolingbrook. There are black neighborhoods, integrated neighborhoods and white neighborhoods. If that doesn't suit, claw your way into Naperville, or keep going out toward the farms.
And there's not some epic struggle for the soul of Bolingbrook taking place (will it turn out good, or evil?). There's uncertainty from the housing slump and economy, but that's everywhere. Once it shakes out, the long-term trends are good: the city's southern (i.e., undeveloped) corridor will continue to grow, Naperville is so fully developed and expensive that Bolingbrook and surrounding communities will continue to inherit the spillover, Bolingbrook's own vigorous development will continue thanks to the I-355 extension, which in turn fuels the pressure for more capital and a Peotone airport. Believe me, the hundreds of families who purchased new $500,000 homes are not going to sit quietly and let their investments slide.
Good luck!
[/SIZE]

[cavewoman]

The majority of the gang activity was not from any locally grown Bolingbrook residents...they came from the outskirts. Joliet/Downers and the City.

I love Bolingbrook, and my property value increased over 35%so sorry, some of this information is old data.

[cavewoman]

Metal detectors in alot of highschools...naperville too. Its about protecting people.
I left Bolingbrook so I had to put my son in private school.
There's alot of good schools in Bolingbrook. Loved all the grammar schools. also Bolingbrook made a top place to live this year.....sorry to hear your dad left. Thats about the time I left too.... it has been growing fast, but still smaller and better planned than Naperville. Napervilles market has topped over ten yrs ago., so i disagree with where the real value is.... sorry., just my opinion.

[roxyscooby]

Originally Posted by Incognito Mosquito

Weber Rd. on the west side of town is a goldmine of restaurant and shopping activity from Boughton down to Lily Cache, so from a convenience standpoint that area has a lot to offer. Crime is not a problem on the far west side where the newer houses are, and I honestly doubt there's much difference between the "old east" and "old west" sides in terms of crime.

It sounds like someone needs to find a different zip code to feel better about themselves roxy.

Whatever! Im giving advice!

[roxyscooby]

That last statement fired me up a bit...so let me clarify. Obviously I wouldn't live in Bolingbrook if I thought it was a terrible place to live. I came from Downers Grove, where there was practically no crime or gangs (that I ever saw). Bolingbrook is a lot bigger, and has some section 8 still. Yes it is becoming the "place to live" and I do believe it will get better and better with the expansions and developments. I just know that there is crime, and I would never send my child to the high schools in BBR.
There is a lot of crime on the west side... not what you would see in the news, but things like domestic calls, burglaries, etc. Its on the east side too, but I just hear about it happening more on the west.

Just my opinion Mosquito!

[mattywo85]

OK don't listen to people that only drive through the town. I lived in Bolingbrook for twenty years and it has enormous growth potential and has grown massively in the past few years. There is a new mall, new hs, new restaurants and more too come. The schools are not as bad as everyone says. I went to the old Bolingbrook HS and had no issues whatsoever. Everyone was cool and of course there is going to be a fight once in a while but thats any school. I knew people that went to Naperville schools and they were stuck up and Naperville is a mostly white city, Bolingbrook is much more diverse. Taxes higher in Bolingbrook, lol thats funny. Napervilles houses are half a million and Bolingbrook is at about 220k, where do you think the higher taxes are? Everyone looks at Bolingbrook and see its bad because they always compare it to Naperville. If you want to live in a stuck up, high tax city they Naperville is the place to be. Naperville does have a nice downtown but the planning is poor, the city is spread out, Bolingbrook is so much easier to get around. I lived on the east side when I was younger which is considered the "bad side" but I never heard a gunshot, saw a drug dealing, etc....people exagerrate. The westside is much newer but its really a personal preference.

[YoursTruly101]

We moved here to B'brook a little over 3 years ago and, well, I can only tell you what I know and have seen.

The good:
- Our neighbors are fairly decent people. One household is black, one hispanic, one interracial, one indian, another white, and renters across the street. Many Spanish-speaking folks around the East side.

- Kids walk down the street w/ their parents to the playground safely, a guy down the street helped my wife get out of the driveway during last snow when she got stuck in the apron, and people do acknowledge you when walking by.

The bad:
- A guy down the street from us 'tunes up' motorcycles in his garage, and these guys blow past our house like they were launched from the Battlestar Galactica, testing how loud they can make it.

- Apparently the stopsigns at the intersection in front of our house are invisible. The cops have been called, but have yet to do anything about it. If we had kids, I'd be out there w/ a video camera & going to townhall meetings!

- A few neighbors down the block like to blow off loud fireworks on the 4th of July at 2am, and others like to party loudly w/ their friends any night they can. They toe the line w/ me on getting the police involved.

The Ugly:
- Rumors about about our dear mayor's drinking issues. And his concern that some crimes do not go reported in order not to scare people un-necessarily. And the fact that there's so many closed down businesses on the Rt53 corridor, just take a drive past~! Spend less time golfing, Mr. Mayor!

- Drew Peterson.

In all, hey - we just consider it a starter home. It's our first one, we didn't know better. But the next one, I assure you, we'll know better. I wouldn't necessarily move to Naperville... If we stick it out here, hopefully we'll see some equity once the economy turns around but that's all I expect.

[Chicago0304]

If you can afford that, buy in Naperville