Please register to participate in our discussions with 2 million other members - it's free and quick! Some forums can only be seen by registered members. After you create your account, you'll be able to customize options and access all our 15,000 new posts/day with fewer ads.
Drover's post gives a very accurate picture of the downsides of commuting in our region and explains how the radial layout of various expressways and rail lines makes the OP's likely commute between Itasca-Kenilworth particularly prone to aggravation -- the need to sort of cut across multiple choke points will often leave one sitting in traffic dealing with parking lot conditions especially should there be a major incident of weather or even visiting presidential motorcade. If you can avoid a commute that crosses over the routes to airport and city from suburb to suburb you are much better off.
I also agree with Drover's assessment of folks giving their colleagues wide latitude in choosing towns for desirable "postal codes" -- I have personally worked with folks that commuted into Chicago from parts of NW Indiana or the extreme SW suburbs via rail. Folks on long rail commutes can catch up on work or sleep in some circumstances but they still are rather removed from the day-to-day demands of soccer practices, dance recitals and endless school PTA assemblies that fall disproportionately upon stay-at-home spouses that can grow increasingly burdened...
Living way out in the boonies is not as common. Once in a while it might come up that the sorts of hobbies common in such areas are more like one sees in a rural area as opposed to more typical white-collar pastimes but the good natured folks will often readily admit that a day fishing or tracking deer beats the heck out of pushing paper and untangling an IT glitch... When it comes to folks living in the costliest of towns (and Kenilworth would certainly qualify as that...) the trade offs for rising before the sun comes up and never getting home before it sets are pretty steep -- as others have said it makes a lot more sense for families with school aged kids at every income level to find balance. The weird ability of folks at the upper ranks of executive priveledge to benefit from lots more time off is a part of inequality that most workplaces face. Truth be told more than a few folks with incomes deep into the seven figures spend an awful lot of money on things like motorsports and fancy pheasant camps and the best of 'em tend to attract pals with a more blue collar mentallity of fixing what's broken with their own hands and hauling out what they've bagged on their own back as opposed to having a factory mechanic or helicopter portage... I have to disagree with Drover's assessement of the top tiers of income being more pressed for status, instead what you have is the douchey social climbers worming their way up while the really crazy rich would rather have fun and not be pestered with those that are merely flakey crumbs of the "upper crust"!
The rental factors of wanting a nice home that is pet friendly and convenient to local amenities can be found in places that still afford a reasonable commute / offer the promise of balance, but if the OP already eliminated options in other towns I know how frustrating those trade-offs can become. I recommend they continue to look at the widest range of towns possible and try not to write off any area. The specifics the OP wants will not be easy to find anywhere and looking at the details of indivual homes is smarter than going off generalizations of postal codes. Of course top schools and high incomes go hand-in-hand and does need to consider the overall family situation.
Quote:
Originally Posted by Drover
Fair enough, but bear in mind the commute from the North Shore to Itasca will necessarily need to be done entirely by car, so he won't have a chance to get caught up on work/e-mail/reading the news/etc. during a leisurely train ride. And it's also not a nice free-flow of traffic, not during standard commute hours anyway. A good chunk of the commute will be a stop-and-go grind.
I don't know if you're in greater London or not so I don't know what basis of comparison you might have. I'm sure greater Chicago traffic is not as unbearable as greater London traffic, but it's still a right drag during standard commute hours. The big difference is that unlike London (and probably most other major urban areas in the UK), you often won't have efficient and comprehensive public transportation alternatives to sitting in your car all day unless you live and work in or very near Chicago Proper. This is particularly true if your work place is out in the suburbs. Our public transportation infrastructure is geared toward moving as many people as possible into (morning) and out of (evening) the city proper's central business district. Cross-region public transportation around here is exceptionally inadequate. Obviously, Itasca is well beyond the CBD, so commuting by car and fighting sh*t-ass traffic is the only practical option if you decide to live in the North Shore.
I am not necessarily trying to discourage you from moving to the North Shore. There are many reasons to recommend it. I'm just trying to help you understand what your husband is up against so that you can set your expectations accordingly.
Finally, your previous posts suggest that postal codes carry particular importance in the professional and social circles you and your husband circulate in over there in the UK. I'm not sure if you mean that literally, as in people ask about each others' postal codes, or as a figure of speech to mean that people with your social standing are expected to live in very specific areas. If it's the former, I'll say this: nobody will ever ask you what your postal code is. If it's the latter... yes, people will often ask you what municipality you live in, and yes, there is a certain expectation that people of certain means will live in certain areas.
But, those expectations are not particularly rigid. Nobody will judge you and your husband if you're making a very comfortable six-figure salary and choose to live in a safe, comfortable middle- to upper-middle-class town like Wheaton or Naperville where your neighbor just might be a mid-level accountant or a rather successful plumber. But they might think you're nuts if you live in even the most exquisite home in a run-down place like Maywood or Northlake. Only the very upper-crust -- as in, people with incomes into the seven digits -- will expect you to live in an upper-crust town or subdivision before they deem you worthy to associate with.
Thanks All
Yep great schools tend to be in more expensive areas for sure - here as well as there. What will limit us will basically be availability of the housing. We didn't start out wanting Kenilworth - it was the best of the 2 houses that were suitable for us. (I hadn't even heard of it and didn't understand it's worth until I looked it up on wikipedia!) On Sunday I think we have only a choice of 1 house to see in Hinsdale that is pet friendly.
The problem I think I face is that I need to get it right first time ideally - in the UK once the kids get a place in a school we are allowed to move house and keep the kids in that school even if we move out of the catchment whereas in Chicago if you move out of catchment you have to move schools.
I don't really want to end up in the wrong place and be moving again in a year pulling the kids out of their environment that they will have taken time to settle into.
Chet - I am one of those stay at home spouses that runs the PTA and helps in school daily - fortunately I don't see it as a burden - yet! It certainly beats trying to hit the "ever increasing targets" I used to have to try and achieve in work!
My husband definately wants to be more involved than he is although short term that just isn't going to happen with his new role. Thankfully he will have a decent amount of holidays and he controls his diary so isn't a slave to the clock. We are going to do more commute runs again on Monday and Tuesday. As its such a short trip for us we will stick to UK time zones to a certain extent, probably be up at 4am looking for something to do, so doing another commute from the North Shore and then Barrington will help and if we do Hinsdale in the evening that will also provide a comparison.
Exciting times ahead - I just can't wait to get over there now.
North Shore, Barrington, Hinsdale and Glen Ellyn are great locations. Have you considered Arlington Heights? 30 minute commute to Itasca (possibly shorter) Metra service to downtown and very good schools. Downtown AH has many amenities and a home within a few blocks of downtown would put many activities within walking distance. It is a more traditional block layout, but homes can change from block to block.
Having lived within a mile of Lake Michigan for 13 years of my life, I no longer see the value of the North Shore over similar towns that are further from the lake in terms of housing prices. I do like the lake, and maybe I take it for granted now... But you can get almost everything you can get on the North Shore in other affluent Chicago suburbs. And commuting to work is a VERY big deal in a congested metro area like Chicagoland.
If the North Shore is your first taste of American culture, it will be a distorted one. It's a little bit, um, different up there. Plastic surgery and botox are common among middle aged women. Materialism is ramped up to ridiculous levels. But if you're comfortable with all of this, it's certainly a physically beautiful area to live with top notch schools.
My husband definately wants to be more involved than he is although short term that just isn't going to happen with his new role. Thankfully he will have a decent amount of holidays and he controls his diary so isn't a slave to the clock. We are going to do more commute runs again on Monday and Tuesday. As its such a short trip for us we will stick to UK time zones to a certain extent, probably be up at 4am looking for something to do, so doing another commute from the North Shore and then Barrington will help and if we do Hinsdale in the evening that will also provide a comparison.
Exciting times ahead - I just can't wait to get over there now.
The Barrington-Itasca commute is very doable. I think you will likely find a $7-$8K rental houses that allow pets in the Barrington area. You may also want to check out Deer Park, Long Grove, Kildeer. These towns feed into Barrington, Stevenson, and Lake Zurich schools.
I also suggest you thoroughly check the school boundaries. E.g. There are listings in the Barrington area that feed into other school districts (e.g. Lake Zurich, Carpentersville, or Wauconda schools). Boundaries can get tricky.
I believe, even 6-12 mos ago, there were more rental homes in your price range. I am now seeing some of these homes taken off the rental market and moved back to the sale market. Perhaps owners sense prices have picked up a bit, and want to sell before interest rates go up. I'm not sure how long you want to rent, but you may want to lock into a longer term lease if you plan on staying awhile. This may prevent your rental price from increasing with the market, or the owner from selling the home from under you. But maybe a realtor has more insight on this.
North Shore to Itasca commute will be grueling. East/West roads are beyond capacity during rush hours (3 hour span of time each morning and afternoon). Plus......there is a very well known saying in the area....."There are only two seasons in Chicagoland - winter and road construction seasons". Every year, several East/West roads are under major construction. That not only kills the road being worked on, but also all other East/West roads where traffic moves to. Take your pick....Lake Cook, Dundee, Palatine/Willow, Euclid/Lake, Golf.......all are either under construction from spring through fall or feeling the impact of traffic diverted to them. As an example, during the recent Palatine Road construction, the trip from Rt 53 to I 294 was taking an hour during rush hour. Normally? Probably 15 minutes.
You should do research on which roads are up for construction in the next year or two. It could greatly impact travel times if you are going to attempt a commute from the North Shore to Itasca. I have lived in the NW suburbs all of my adult life and if there is one truth in the universe, it's that there will be extensive road construction every year from late March through mid October.
Unless you leave at 5:00 and return at 20:00, I would not even think about commuting from the North Shore to Itasca. Or perhaps get a good rate from the Westin and make that a home away from home.
Did not mean to make it sound like volunteering at school is just a burden -- the bigger context is that my experience having a working spouse and seeing many neighbors grow frustrated with demanding work schedules is that even shaving 15-20 minutes a day off commute is a real plus for families with school aged kids. Towns like AH are a great option for those working in Itasca, easy commute on either expressways or surface streets. Day-to-day that can really help give families a little more time together.
Not sure if OP has option to utilize temporary "executive housing" but I completely agree with concerns about upending kids life if no suitable rental is found for either short term or ongoing needs, and certainly the relative costs of purchase are a factor to say nothing of the challenges of school enrollment and of course the need for a pet friendly option...
I would really suggest that if the relocation folks you're working with are not finding enough rentals that are suitable you might just call a few local real estate agents in the desirable towns mentioned and sort of have a little script to try to get some help -- "I'm sure you can understand my predicament, we have a pet we love, children that we don't want to uproot over & over, a desire not bankrupt ourselves and a short window to get things done -- our budget is not overly modest but that is less important than finding the right place quickly. Can you suggest options?" An approach like that might evoke more immeadiate help than the less than stellar efforts of the person you might be working with now that I fear will get paid and not really care about you long term happiness...
I totally agree with Chet's suggestion about the re-lo folks. Since you're now looking at a huge swath of real estate from Barrington over to Kenilworth down to Hinsdale, there's no way that one re-lo specialist can handle all of that well. I understand you have a time crunch, but you could consider having a North Shore person, a NW suburbs person (Barrington), and a Hinsdale area realtor-- and believe me, I know that sounds like a lot. My concern is that since you really want to understand life/schools in each of these places, that a relo person just might scratch the surface. The more I think about it, the more I think Hinsdale could be a very good idea -- lots of executives, including overseas transplants, a downtown with shopping that won't make you feel isolated, train to downtown, great schools -- and the commute is certainly more do-able than the Kenilworth-Itasca run that is making everyone on this thread gag at the mere thought of it.
I totally agree with Chet's suggestion about the re-lo folks. Since you're now looking at a huge swath of real estate from Barrington over to Kenilworth down to Hinsdale, there's no way that one re-lo specialist can handle all of that well. I understand you have a time crunch, but you could consider having a North Shore person, a NW suburbs person (Barrington), and a Hinsdale area realtor-- and believe me, I know that sounds like a lot. My concern is that since you really want to understand life/schools in each of these places, that a relo person just might scratch the surface. The more I think about it, the more I think Hinsdale could be a very good idea -- lots of executives, including overseas transplants, a downtown with shopping that won't make you feel isolated, train to downtown, great schools -- and the commute is certainly more do-able than the Kenilworth-Itasca run that is making everyone on this thread gag at the mere thought of it.
When it comes to rentals location makes a BIG difference -- I used to really have my finger on the pulse in Clarendon Hills & Hinsdale, as that is near my home, and a pretty good grasp on homes in Elmhurst, Villa Park and Countryside as I owned rentals there, but I know less about LaGrange, Western Springs, and Downers Grove simplest becuase I rarely had clients there, similarly though I sold homes in Glen Elllyn I don't recall ever getting into the rental market, though I am sure there agents that do...
Even the best relo specialist can't beat an old pro that knows landlords on a personal level -- for the right client (gnerally one that is going to come to them for an eventual purchase...) such a pro will make the case to landlords that are wary of foreign tenants / pet owners / folks with active kids that this is the smart deal. Of course if there are no homes that light your fire that is a whole other issue....
Did not mean to make it sound like volunteering at school is just a burden -- the bigger context is that my experience having a working spouse and seeing many neighbors grow frustrated with demanding work schedules is that even shaving 15-20 minutes a day off commute is a real plus for families with school aged kids. Towns like AH are a great option for those working in Itasca, easy commute on either expressways or surface streets. Day-to-day that can really help give families a little more time together.
Not sure if OP has option to utilize temporary "executive housing" but I completely agree with concerns about upending kids life if no suitable rental is found for either short term or ongoing needs, and certainly the relative costs of purchase are a factor to say nothing of the challenges of school enrollment and of course the need for a pet friendly option...
I would really suggest that if the relocation folks you're working with are not finding enough rentals that are suitable you might just call a few local real estate agents in the desirable towns mentioned and sort of have a little script to try to get some help -- "I'm sure you can understand my predicament, we have a pet we love, children that we don't want to uproot over & over, a desire not bankrupt ourselves and a short window to get things done -- our budget is not overly modest but that is less important than finding the right place quickly. Can you suggest options?" An approach like that might evoke more immeadiate help than the less than stellar efforts of the person you might be working with now that I fear will get paid and not really care about you long term happiness...
Don't worry Chet I didn't take the burden thing personally at all - horses for courses. I love the PTA however many friends baulk at the amount of volunteering I do - although I do see it as an excuse not to do any housework...
We can definitely try to speak to local realtors. My husband is in a corporate let in Shaumberg as of November so he can do a lot of ground work for us. My aim is to see as many areas as possible with him so if we don't find anything this weekend at least if he carries on the search I will have an idea of where he is looking.
My husband also has exec level work colleagues in North Barrington Glenview, Northfield and Northbrook to name a few so will ask them to ask around at their country club!
What is becoming more clear is how differently London workers and Chicago workers lead their lives. The majority of family exec men here commute excessively as a matter of course and the families are used to it. I don't know how I'll cope if my husband is under my feet because he is home early too early. We've been together 20 years. I hope seeing him loads won't hurt us. Maybe Kenilworth is the way to go ha
Please register to post and access all features of our very popular forum. It is free and quick. Over $68,000 in prizes has already been given out to active posters on our forum. Additional giveaways are planned.
Detailed information about all U.S. cities, counties, and zip codes on our site: City-data.com.
Please register to participate in our discussions with 2 million other members - it's free and quick! Some forums can only be seen by registered members. After you create your account, you'll be able to customize options and access all our 15,000 new posts/day with fewer ads.
Commute
