How's Homewood? (Chicago, Naperville, Hinsdale: school districts, incomes, quality of life)

[allen2323]

Originally Posted by Northwest Indiana

Top quality based on what, the south suburbs alone? If that's the case, then yes, H-F is a top quality school. In the Chicago area as a whole? It is not top quality. But here is the thing. The RATE that people are paying in taxes in this area is higher than that in Hinsdale or the North Shore...the only difference is that the property values are much higher in those areas so the amount one pays will be higher. But dollar for dollar, I do not think people in the H-F district are getting what they are paying for in terms of education. Also, the class of 1974 (and some years surrounding) is actually very important. They are likely the ones whose children are attending high school right now! In fact, one of my friend's parents was the class of 1975 and 1977 and still live in the area. They were pleased with the school when their eldest (class of 1999) graduated from H-F. Their youngest is graduating next year and they are not pleased with the direction the school has gone. The reason they stayed was because their house was payed off and in the south suburbs, that was the only desirable place for them that was also close to work. While H-F is not a bad school, they do not like the fact that it is only a good school now. The H-F they went to was an EXCELLENT school in the entire Chicago area, not just a good one. Many new residents (who probably graduated after 1974) feel that H-F is an excellent school mostly because they either moved from Chicago or from places like Dolton, Cal City, or South Holland. But for those who have lived in the area for a long time (black, white, asian, whomever), I can guarantee that many are none too pleased with the status of the school now.

As far as that Flavor restaurant in Flossmoor...it is EXCELLENT! 10/10.

And also, about Golden Corral: It is WORSE than Old Country Buffet. Do not go there...you will be sorry...

The HF debate is getting a bit old. The school is currently around 60 percent african american. Get over it. The area now has alot of high income african american residents. In fact, one of the highest concentrations of high income african americans in the entire country live in the area.

[Humboldt1]

H-F continues to decline from a great school to now only a good school and is trending worse. Get over that.

[allen2323]

Originally Posted by Humboldt1

H-F continues to decline from a great school to now only a good school and is trending worse. Get over that.

Nobody is trying to take anything away from other areas. Most people I know who live around me have CHOSEN to live in this particular environment, particularly where racial tension is lower for there kids. Life is so much more enjoyable without the daily tension, I tell you. Most people in the area deal with enough of it at work or when doing business and really can't stomach anymore of it when they are around home. They gladly pay whatever, to live in an area where the attitudes that you guys display is not the dominant voice heard. I am sure that maybe there is a small silent minority still living in the area that wish things would return back to the way that things were before. But, they need to also get over it or move on because things won't be returning back to the way that it was before, ever.

[Humboldt1]

Allen,

People want to move to areas that are trending for the better, not worse, or at least maintaining.

For this reason when I have kids we will be looking at areas where we can raise a family for the next 20 years.

We are not looking for areas based upon how white they are as my kids will be mixed (hispanic). I don't care what color someone is so long as they do not act ghetto.

I happen to be a fan of both Oak Park and Evanston though I do have a concern about some of the ghetto kids populated the schools and the distractions and challenges they pose for the other students (regardless of skin color).


30 years ago, I probably would have considered HF but not now given some of the changes that have occurred.

Clearly this is not a racial but cultural debate as I believe NorthwestIndiana is black (african) and shares many of the opinions of chuckcity and myself.

Btw, be thankful you have never been to Golden Corral (I get in trouble for calling it Golden Trough).

[SoxCub Fan]

But, the reality is most ADULTS who live in middle class and affluent suburbs work, own businesses, etc. Not hang out all day. I own multiple investment properties in the city and am in the city all the time tending to my investments, hanging out with friends, and some of my family on the southside.

Pleeeeaaaase I know multi-millionaires that do nothing but hang out ALL DAY...how about you go and say this same speech on Rush Street at 11:30 in the afternoon..you will get laughed back to the south side to tend to your properties. To try and belittle people by implying that they are not adults because they aren't running around trying to live up to some false "adulthood" perception with a "business" is ridiculous. I find people who live on the northside of the city to be more "adult" and in touch with the progressive world than some of the "adults" who live in these over-sized and over-priced cookie cutter mini mansions in the suburbs scared to come out and live life. So to justify not living where the action is by stating "you dont have time to run around with childish people from the north side" is completely lame. And my stance remains....no person under 40 should live in the South Suburbs; its nothing more than a glorified retirement home. Trust me I know for a fact these people live boring, shallow, and out of touch lives.

[SoxCub Fan]

But, if you look at downtown or in the more upscale areas a large percentage of the condos are second homes of affluent suburbanites.

LMAO!!!Really???Dude you are stuck in the 90's.....people have been fleeing the suburbs in droves back to the city...especially these "affluent" people that you speak so highly of. Look around you man...everyone with any real sense of the world has moved to the city. Statistics have shown that the trend is moving away from mini-mansions and huge houses to smaller condos. The suburbs are no longer the ideal representation of the American dream as it once was in the 80's and 90's.

[Avengerfire]

Originally Posted by allen2323

The HF debate is getting a bit old...

You are the one that will not let it end.

[allen2323]

The city vs the suburbs has nothing to do at all with homewood or the south suburbs in particular.

[Northwest Indiana]

Originally Posted by allen2323

The HF debate is getting a bit old. The school is currently around 60 percent african american. Get over it. The area now has alot of high income african american residents. In fact, one of the highest concentrations of high income african americans in the entire country live in the area.

Question. It seems as if all you care about is that if African-Americans are happy in H-F then everyone should appreciate that and move on. What happened to H-F being welcoming and accommodating for everyone? You always say "affluent AFRICAN-AMERICAN's have no problem with H-F" or, "it has more affluent AFRICAN-AMERICAN's now" or "this area is good for middle-class or affluent AFRICAN-AMERICANS looking for a quality education"..........really? Is this all H-F is good for? Can the area not accommodate anyone else? What about an Asian family who wants to move there? Do we just say "well, the school is not what it used to be but the wealthy AFRICAN-AMERICANS think it is perfect for them, so get over it!".....I mean...c'mon now, THE HIGH SCHOOL IS GOOD BUT IT WAS NEVER MEANT TO BE GOOD...IT WAS MEANT TO BE EXCELLENT!...and the towns used to be excellent...now they are just good...this should not be acceptable at all....but the fact that you seem to think it is acceptable SOLELY because NEW residents (who usually have less invested into the town than long-time residents) think it is so much better than their old area (Dolton, Cal City, South Holland, etc.) and is "good enough for them" is appalling...I guess long-time residents just do not matter these days...the hell with them, right?

[allen2323]

Originally Posted by Northwest Indiana

Question. It seems as if all you care about is that if African-Americans are happy in H-F then everyone should appreciate that and move on. What happened to H-F being welcoming and accommodating for everyone? You always say "affluent AFRICAN-AMERICAN's have no problem with H-F" or, "it has more affluent AFRICAN-AMERICAN's now" or "this area is good for middle-class or affluent AFRICAN-AMERICANS looking for a quality education"..........really? Is this all H-F is good for? Can the area not accommodate anyone else? What about an Asian family who wants to move there? Do we just say "well, the school is not what it used to be but the wealthy AFRICAN-AMERICANS think it is perfect for them, so get over it!".....I mean...c'mon now, THE HIGH SCHOOL IS GOOD BUT IT WAS NEVER MEANT TO BE GOOD...IT WAS MEANT TO BE EXCELLENT!...and the towns used to be excellent...now they are just good...this should not be acceptable at all....but the fact that you seem to think it is acceptable SOLELY because NEW residents (who usually have less invested into the town than long-time residents) think it is so much better than their old area (Dolton, Cal City, South Holland, etc.) and is "good enough for them" is appalling...I guess long-time residents just do not matter these days...the hell with them, right?

OK I will try to open the dialogue back up. From a team spirit standpoint, what do you want to see the residents in the area do differently if anything at all? What should homewood-flossmoor high school change to make you feel that residents in the area are getting what there tax dollars are paying for? How could we make the area better overall? Should some of the residents who live here consider moving? If so, which type of resident should move and what are some comparable areas that they might want to consider moving to? Also what would be some other great comparable areas for middle class and affluent african americans that you would want to see more of them moving too instead of the southern suburbs, that are better choices than homewood, flossmoor, olympia fields, matteson, south holland, country club hills, etc? How will these areas offer them better value and there kids better educational opportunities? What about the other high schools in the area like rich central, the new southland college prep charter high school that just opened this year, and marian catholic? What should they be doing differently?