Which would you choose and why- St. Charles or Geneva? (Chicago: house, school districts)

[Tinuviel1184]

Hi! Husband has a job interview in Chicago and we are interested in relocating to Geneva or St. Charles, after previously thinking Crystal Lake. Which of the two do you prefer, Geneva or St. Charles and why? Any input on downtown areas, schools, park districts would be great! Looking to spend max of $375k and we have a young daughter so how are the cities for families? Are there any areas of each city that are better than others? Thanks in advance for the help!

[Vasily]

Geneva or Batavia ... I find both of them more charming than St Charles, especially the downtown area.

[TempesT68]

I would go with Geneva because of the train service for work downtown.

[Grey33]

Geneva has the train station which gives it much easier access to Chicago. Both areas have very nice downtowns, with Geneva having plenty of quaint shops and St. Charles having a lot of nice restaurants and bars. Choosing between these two towns is kind of like splitting hairs. The school districts both have exceptional reputations, with one not standing above another. Neither area really has any "undesirable areas", however if you were to live in St. Charles I'd advise to look on the west side. The east side has the Charlestowne Mall which has turned to a ghost town and a lot of stores have had trouble staying around in the area. The west side has easy access to the Geneva Commons as well as the shops along Randall Road. With a budget of 375k, you're more likely to find a home in St. Charles but both places would work. You'll also find that regardless of what city you decide to choose, a lot of the amenities are shared and it's very common to spend time in both cities.

Side note: St. Charles likes to boast that they won the "Best Place to Raise a Family" award, however Geneva, St. Charles, or Batavia would all be very deserving of this award.

[treeg26]

Geneva!
Smaller, fantastic school district.

Both are nice towns. I just prefer Geneva.

[ProgMichael]

Both have fantastic schools, parks, and downtowns. Geneva's big advantage is the Metra station if your husband is going to commute downtown every day (and trust me, he's going to want to take the train if he has any qualms with driving in heavy traffic). As long as you don't mind the distance, you're picking a winner either way.

[nikitakolata]

Personally, I consider St. Charles and Geneva to be pretty equal. If you will be using the train for commuting and can live within walking distance of the station then that gives Geneva a huge advantage. If you're going to be driving to the train either way, then I think it is basically a toss up and I'd move wherever I found the right house. In either case, I think it makes for a better lifestyle if you can live within walking distance of the downtown, but depending on what you want/need in a house that may not be possible.

[aga412]

Batavia, just as good as either of these. Closer highway access. School district on the rise.

[nanannie]

Originally Posted by aga412

Batavia, just as good as either of these. Closer highway access. School district on the rise.

Hmmmm, I think many would dispute this.
Nice,yes, on par with Geneva, no way.
If I was investing in a home NOW, Geneva or St Charles trump Batavia.
Resale, schools,desirability,
and charm.

[agstacker]

Originally Posted by nanannie

Hmmmm, I think many would dispute this.
Nice,yes, on par with Geneva, no way.
If I was investing in a home NOW, Geneva or St Charles trump Batavia.
Resale, schools,desirability,
and charm.

My thoughts exactly.