La Grange vs Hinsdale? (Chicago, Naperville: cul-de-sac, house, neighborhood)

[JJski]

well said LK... "micro-location within the village as well as the choice of suburb itself."

[Lookout Kid]

Originally Posted by JJski

well said LK... "micro-location within the village as well as the choice of suburb itself."

Thanks! If it were my choice, I'd probably save some money and get that $850,000 house in La Grange even if I could afford more. I just... Like La Grange more than Hinsdale. The vibe, the look, the feel, the amenities... It feels more like a "normal place" and less of an enclave--even though it is still quite affluent. Hinsdale has always turned me off for some reason, even though it really is a very nice suburb.

As far as schools are concerned, Cossitt, Ogden, and Park in La Grange district 102 are all top notch. I see Hinsdale Central as more of a differentiator than the elementary schools, which are excellent in both towns.

[chet everett]

Originally Posted by JJski

well said LK... "micro-location within the village as well as the choice of suburb itself."

Oh my yes. If I had a nickle for every doofus that pulled the "well there is house just like mine that sold for $xxx,xxx just days ago" ...

If you are selling a home that backs up to a busy street or some other less than desirable "unremedable negative" you are NOT going to get the same price as even the guy right across the street. Even people with hearing loss and other legitimate disabilities are still gonna have to endure the negative effects of road noise and headlights shining into the yard.

The crazy thing is that more than a few "spec builders" are either kinda clueless on even these VERY basic idea or they just carried away in bidding frenzies too and there are some REALLY AMAZINGLY WELL APPOINTED homes with killer backyards and all kinds of other nice touches with absurdly high price tages that are smacked up against something that would make enjoying the backyard all but impossible. Even more absurbly some less than well-grounded real estate professionals do from time to time slap unrealistically high prices on these beast. Most excrutiatingly -- SOMETIMES a buyer does massively over pay.

I have a good friend that is still very active in selling residential properties, when we grab a drink together we often we marvel at the eye-popping chain of stupidity that happens to make this work -- insane builder overpays for lot, puts way too nice a home on a parcel that really cannot justify such costly construction, risk taking real estate pro lists way too high, cluessless but deep pocketed buyer "falls in love" and agrees to over massive shortfall between offer and appraisal. Homeowner lives happily for a few years. Eventually sky high appraisals might start to take toll on finances. If homeowner then decides to downsize a more realistic listing agent proposes price that is likely unacceptable, seller decides to go with agent similar to one that originally had new construction listing. Property sits and sits until seller either comes to their senses after numerous "low ball" offers or finds their "matching sock" of a deep pocketed clueless buyer...

[TexanUpNorth]

Thanks for the words or wisdom. Very helpful! This forum really is the best place to get the real deal.

[SonySegaTendo617]

Originally Posted by Lookout Kid

Thanks! If it were my choice, I'd probably save some money and get that $850,000 house in La Grange even if I could afford more. I just... Like La Grange more than Hinsdale. The vibe, the look, the feel, the amenities... It feels more like a "normal place" and less of an enclave--even though it is still quite affluent. Hinsdale has always turned me off for some reason, even though it really is a very nice suburb.

As far as schools are concerned, Cossitt, Ogden, and Park in La Grange district 102 are all top notch. I see Hinsdale Central as more of a differentiator than the elementary schools, which are excellent in both towns.

I totally agree with Lookout and others who've said it, as I've also always preferred La Grange over Hinsdale myself. Much better restaurant and bar scene in La Grange, Hinsdale having a little bit of a too sleepy feel to its downtown and is limited in the options you can do while there, houses being almost too expensive in Hinsdale(and for that matter, also in neighboring Western Springs, which feels like a similar clone to Hinsdale in the vibe of how it's like), etc. And having the bonuses of being close to Brixie's(great beer bar) and Galloping Ghost Arcade(great arcade, and one of the biggest arcades in the U.S.) in neighboring Brookfield, is also very awesome in my book.

Apologies to Hinsdale and Western Springs, since I definitely don't hate both towns at all! One of my good friends from years ago grew up in Hinsdale, and Kirschbaum's Bakery(Western Springs) is a great bakery as well.

[holl1ngsworth]

Originally Posted by Lookout Kid

Thanks! If it were my choice, I'd probably save some money and get that $850,000 house in La Grange even if I could afford more. I just... Like La Grange more than Hinsdale. The vibe, the look, the feel, the amenities... It feels more like a "normal place" and less of an enclave--even though it is still quite affluent. Hinsdale has always turned me off for some reason, even though it really is a very nice suburb.

As far as schools are concerned, Cossitt, Ogden, and Park in La Grange district 102 are all top notch. I see Hinsdale Central as more of a differentiator than the elementary schools, which are excellent in both towns.

I guess I will be the voice of dissent...

While I do like the housing stock available at $1mil a little more in La Grange, I think overall Hinsdale is a more appealing town. La Grange was one of the first towns my wife and I researched when we were preparing to move to the burbs last year, but we quickly passed. While we loved the vibrancy of the downtown district and the beauty of some of the old Victorian homes, the general feel of the neighborhoods (read: tight blocks, rigid grid layout) gave us pause. The narrow roads, small lot sizes and close proximity of homes to the street all added to our distaste. Contrasted with Hinsdale, especially the Woodlands area (talkin' micro-locations here ), it's hard for La Grange to compete in the charm department. With winding roads, towering trees and homes set back on large lots, the appeal of the Woodlands can't be matched. And while, yes, La Grange has a bustling downtown, I actually like the quaint feel of Hinsdale's. It has enough offerings to satisfy on most weekends, and when you want something extra, it's centrally located between the larger downtown districts of Elmhurst, Downers Grove, and of course La Grange.

All that said, there isn't going to be a lot of appealing real estate in the Woodlands at $1.2mil. There are however several Western suburbs that have Woodlands parallels with great homes at that price. North Glen Ellyn around Lake Ellyn, south Wheaton around Chicago Golf Club and east Clarendon Hills around the downtown all have similar charm, with winding tree-lined streets and large homes on large lots -- and all with close proximity to downtown districts.

Regarding Western Springs: My wife and I felt as though Western Springs straddles Hinsdale and La Grange, both literally and figuratively. There are less through-streets than La Grange, but the block pattern was ultimately a little too tight and grid-like for our taste.

...can't believe I'm sticking up for Hinsdale. As if it needs me to.

[CCrest182]

La grange for me seems to have a more historic connection to it, lots of very old mansions and 3 flats all over. La grange has a better and more lively downtown than hinsdale, but there does appear to be more of a lot of Cafes and coffee shops and antique shops in Hinsdale, vs. an array of bars, restaurants, Cafes, and other sores in DTLG. If you want to feel more like the 1%, go to Hinsdale. If you want to be in the more run of the mill 'suburban' village, la grange easily. La Grange In my opinion, has always modeled the definition of 'suburb'. Both places of top notch schools and are very safe. Neither towns are really diverse, but hinsdale does have a pretty sizable Asian presence, and LG east of La Grange Rd and north of 47th has a pretty sizable Hispanic and black population. Still, both places are 90ish percent white. I'd go with LG.

[Lookout Kid]

Originally Posted by CCrest182

...and LG east of La Grange Rd and north of 47th has a pretty sizable Hispanic and black population.

Sizable? Hardly. And the first two-three blocks east of La Grange Road are just as nice as the blocks west of La Grange Road--though it does get worse as you approach Bluff and the railroad tracks, and there are some lousy apartment buildings over there. I would also probably avoid the area of La Grange on the east side of the railroad tracks adjacent to Brookfield.

[Lookout Kid]

Originally Posted by holl1ngsworth

While we loved the vibrancy of the downtown district and the beauty of some of the old Victorian homes, the general feel of the neighborhoods (read: tight blocks, rigid grid layout) gave us pause. The narrow roads, small lot sizes and close proximity of homes to the street all added to our distaste. Contrasted with Hinsdale...

I guess that's a matter of personal preference. I actually like the slightly increased density in La Grange. The lots are wider/larger than the typical lots in a suburb like Oak Park, yet they are tight enough to create a vibrant, walkable neighborhood where front porches are actually used instead of being ornamental. And if you go further west in the northern part of town, there are some very large houses on large lots with bigger setbacks (the lots get wider, particularly as far west as Park or Blackstone).

[nikitakolata]

Originally Posted by chet everett

Oh my yes. If I had a nickle for every doofus that pulled the "well there is house just like mine that sold for $xxx,xxx just days ago" ...

If you are selling a home that backs up to a busy street or some other less than desirable "unremedable negative" you are NOT going to get the same price as even the guy right across the street. Even people with hearing loss and other legitimate disabilities are still gonna have to endure the negative effects of road noise and headlights shining into the yard.

The crazy thing is that more than a few "spec builders" are either kinda clueless on even these VERY basic idea or they just carried away in bidding frenzies too and there are some REALLY AMAZINGLY WELL APPOINTED homes with killer backyards and all kinds of other nice touches with absurdly high price tages that are smacked up against something that would make enjoying the backyard all but impossible. Even more absurbly some less than well-grounded real estate professionals do from time to time slap unrealistically high prices on these beast. Most excrutiatingly -- SOMETIMES a buyer does massively over pay.

I have a good friend that is still very active in selling residential properties, when we grab a drink together we often we marvel at the eye-popping chain of stupidity that happens to make this work -- insane builder overpays for lot, puts way too nice a home on a parcel that really cannot justify such costly construction, risk taking real estate pro lists way too high, cluessless but deep pocketed buyer "falls in love" and agrees to over massive shortfall between offer and appraisal. Homeowner lives happily for a few years. Eventually sky high appraisals might start to take toll on finances. If homeowner then decides to downsize a more realistic listing agent proposes price that is likely unacceptable, seller decides to go with agent similar to one that originally had new construction listing. Property sits and sits until seller either comes to their senses after numerous "low ball" offers or finds their "matching sock" of a deep pocketed clueless buyer...

This reminds me of this house that my husband and I toured before we bought our current house (it just recently sold, a year later):

35 Short St, Clarendon Hills, IL 60514 - Zillow