Elmhurst vs Wheaton, Naperville, Hinsdale (Oak Park, Downers Grove: low income, 2014, apartments)

[Threes-A-Charm]

Compared to Wheaton, Naperville, and Hinsdale, it seems that Elmhurst is the least discussed on this forum.

Is there a reason? How is Elmhurst compared to the other 3 towns mentioned for raising a family with kids just starting elementary school? Budget $800k max (but $700-750 more comfortable) for 4+br plus home office space, 2+bath, 2500+ sq ft. Modern finishes. Great neighbors, lots of kids in neighborhood.

Access to Oak Park for work and to downtown (River North) important, so southern Naperville wouldn't really work for us.

Thanks in advance

[JJski]

We looked at Elmhurst, La Grange, Hinsdale and western springs when we moved about 2y ago - for us we had to be close to core (top of the list) and for 800k+ in hinsdale you basically got a tear down in that specific sweet spot we wanted...

[Lookout Kid]

Elmhurst is discussed and recommended ALL OF THE TIME. One of our regular posters lives there. It sounds like a good option for you.

[ToriaT]

Elmhurst is nice and has many beautiful areas. It certainly should be on anyone's list that wants to live in the western suburbs.

[chet everett]

I agree that Elmhurst is fairly well discussed but it is also SIGNIFICANTLY larger than the other towns and that makes it quite a bit harder to really "pin down". Truth be told I was thisclose to buying a home for my family in Elmhurst many years ago. There were some positives, but also some things that, as a teacher, troubled me. Most of those things have changed for the better and revolve around the general support for schools / community organizations. There was once a time that York High School really was a peer to New Trier and more desirable than HC. As some of the forces that shape politics changed, that support slipped a bit and there were "proto-Tea Party Types" that were content to let not just the physical school deteriorate, but the quality of teachers suffer. Fortunately good sense prevailed and the town has made huge progress toward regaining its place alongside top tier schools. That said, it remains a bit less desirable than smaller towns, perhaps as much because of its size, which does mean that some parts of town do have challenges that really are not on the radar of those miles away, and also due to the range of housing that others might see as appealing.

That last statement is a funny aspect of home buying that I also see among enthusiasts that have an affection for imported cars -- the success that a firm like Porsche has in selling four doors like the Panamera or SUVs like the Cayenne sort of dilutes the mystic for those that believe a 911 is the pinnacle of automotive excellence. Similarly when a very nice home sells in the northern reaches of Elmhurst for a fraction of similar sized property in the prime College Hill neighborhood it tends to quash some of the panache that high end home buyers are looking for. To be sure others towns are not immune from this (I believe even LK as given a sideways glance to homes that are in Glen Ellyn but nearer the YMCA or COD than are his preference) and it is actually incredibly rare for place like Hinsdale / Clarendon Hills to have such uniformly high performing schools. Of course it is also a bit easier to do that in a town that is far more physically compact and one also has to credit to the hard work of folks that do go out of their way to try to create a "balanced" Board of Education through community debates and quality candidates that reject radical ideologies...


The bottomline on Elmhurst is that I often recommend it not just to families with school aged kids, but as a surprisingly lively alternative for younger couples and even singles that really can benefit from its awesome location on the northeastern edge of DuPage that makes for manageable commute just about anywhere in the whole region! There are a decent number of nicer apartments and even some older bargain priced units that, together with true mansion in the heart of town, give wider range of housing than most any towns.

[Lookout Kid]

Originally Posted by chet everett

(I believe even LK as given a sideways glance to homes that are in Glen Ellyn but nearer the YMCA or COD than are his preference)

I'm quite happy these more affordable areas are part of our village (if you can even look at them this way, since they are still quite above the median for home prices). My daughter's best friend lives near the Y and many great community members live in these areas, including our past Village President. Many of them can afford to live elsewhere but choose to spend a more sensible amount on housing, and some are very happy to afford anything in the ever-more-expensive Glen Ellyn. Some live there so they can afford to have a parent stay home to care for kids. And if every person in Glen Ellyn lived in the "most desirable part of town" in a perfectly designed, ultra-charming house, this town would be more snobby and insufferable than it already is.

That said, I do have an architecture background and tend to prefer the streets of older craftsman and Victorian era homes due to the physical design of these neighborhoods. But I'm more likely to judge someone building an expensive ostentatious McMansion teardown than I am someone living in some dated 1970's split-level.

[chet everett]

Originally Posted by Lookout Kid

I'm quite happy these more affordable areas are part of our village (if you can even look at them this way, since they are still quite above the median for home prices). My daughter's best friend lives near the Y and many great community members live in these areas, including our past Village President. Many of them can afford to live elsewhere but choose to spend a more sensible amount on housing, and some are very happy to afford anything in the ever-more-expensive Glen Ellyn. Some live there so they can afford to have a parent stay home to care for kids. And if every person in Glen Ellyn lived in the "most desirable part of town" in a perfectly designed, ultra-charming house, this town would be more snobby and insufferable than it already is.

That said, I do have an architecture background and tend to prefer the streets of older craftsman and Victorian era homes due to the physical design of these neighborhoods. But I'm more likely to judge someone building an expensive ostentatious McMansion teardown than I am someone living in some dated 1970's split-level.

There are several towns that do have sections / subdivisions filled with the architectural equivalent of "polyester leisure suits". Mostly such developments are also not particularly convenient to the core of railroad oriented suburbs so the negatives for current shoppers, that want both traditionally styled homes AND walkable access to transit, are compounded. Elmhurst suffers from a few pockets of that sort of development as do a depressingly large number of N/NW and S/ SW suburban areas. The relative rarity of such things in the core of DuPage helps both aesthetically and fiscally -- teardowns are lots harder to accomplish in an area where current "neo-traditional" style homes would stick out like Italian wool patching a leisure suit...

Of course for folks that appreciate the cost savings and still have access to top rated schools, nice parks, well run city services and such the overall effect is probably to increase "economic diversity". Heck, over the years I have even met a few shoppers that actually appreciate the Brady Bunch aesthetics of these places and when the layout was well executed you really can get a tremendous of living area with no wasted space.

[Threes-A-Charm]

Thanks everyone, really appreciate it! So what areas of Elmhurst are considered the best? Where is college hill?

[4122]

$700k-$750k in Hinsdale could actually fit your criteria for a house, but it would be close to the minimum size you would want for a house. Out of the towns you mentioned and based on your budget and commute to work, imo it would be:
1. Elmhurst
2. Naperville
3. Tie between Hinsdale and Wheaton

Elmhurst is in the perfect location. Easy access to the city, but also to other suburbs too. Also, it has one of the best downtowns in the suburbs. The schools aren't the best in the state but they're ranked above Wheaton schools and very close to Naperville 203. College Hill is in the neighborhood where Elmhurst College is which is not far from downtown Elmhurst and it's a nice area. North of 290 would be the least desirable part of Elmhurst. It's not a bad area, but much of Elmhurst's low income population lives there and it skews the rankings for Fischer Elementary which serves this area. The school is the ranked lower than the other schools, but it's 65% low income. I don't think there's any bad area of Elmhurst actually. There are just some that are more desirable than others.

Oak Brook is worth considering too. Their school district, Butler school district is one of the top districts in the state and feeds into Hinsdale Central. Oak Brook is more affordable than Hinsdale and is close to Oak Park and the city. The homes tend to be newer too. Even though there's no downtown, there's a lot of stores (strip malls) and restaurants on Butterfield Rd and Oakbrook Center which is an outdoor mall that has almost everything. The amount of retail in Oak Brook is why the taxes are low. There are also parts of Oak Brook that are part of Hinsdale School District 181 (Hinsdale k-8 district), Elmhurst schools, Downers Grove schools (north side schools which are the better schools in Downers Grove, and Salt Creek school district (serves all of Villa Park and Oakbrook Terrace. I don't know much about it, but I know they don't compare to the other school districts that serve Oak Brook. I assume they are ok but not great.) Although, Oak Brook is split into many different school districts, most of it is in the Butler school district which is the best one. Any school district would be good except maybe Salt Creek.

Also, look at Clarendon Hills too. It's not as affordable as Oak Brook, but it's still more affordable than Hinsdale, but is in Hinsdale's k-8 district and is in the boundaries for Hinsdale Central HS too.

River Forest, Oak Park, Western Springs, La Grange, and Riverside would also be good to consider too. Schools are great and they're not far from work.

[holl1ngsworth]

Originally Posted by 4122

$700k-$750k in Hinsdale could actually fit your criteria for a house, but it would be close to the minimum size you would want for a house. Out of the towns you mentioned and based on your budget and commute to work, imo it would be:
1. Elmhurst
2. Naperville
3. Tie between Hinsdale and Wheaton

Elmhurst is in the perfect location. Easy access to the city, but also to other suburbs too. Also, it has one of the best downtowns in the suburbs. The schools aren't the best in the state but they're ranked above Wheaton schools and very close to Naperville 203. College Hill is in the neighborhood where Elmhurst College is which is not far from downtown Elmhurst and it's a nice area. North of 290 would be the least desirable part of Elmhurst. It's not a bad area, but much of Elmhurst's low income population lives there and it skews the rankings for Fischer Elementary which serves this area. The school is the ranked lower than the other schools, but it's 65% low income. I don't think there's any bad area of Elmhurst actually. There are just some that are more desirable than others.

Oak Brook is worth considering too. Their school district, Butler school district is one of the top districts in the state and feeds into Hinsdale Central. Oak Brook is more affordable than Hinsdale and is close to Oak Park and the city. The homes tend to be newer too. Even though there's no downtown, there's a lot of stores (strip malls) and restaurants on Butterfield Rd and Oakbrook Center which is an outdoor mall that has almost everything. The amount of retail in Oak Brook is why the taxes are low. There are also parts of Oak Brook that are part of Hinsdale School District 181 (Hinsdale k-8 district), Elmhurst schools, Downers Grove schools (north side schools which are the better schools in Downers Grove, and Salt Creek school district (serves all of Villa Park and Oakbrook Terrace. I don't know much about it, but I know they don't compare to the other school districts that serve Oak Brook. I assume they are ok but not great.) Although, Oak Brook is split into many different school districts, most of it is in the Butler school district which is the best one. Any school district would be good except maybe Salt Creek.

Also, look at Clarendon Hills too. It's not as affordable as Oak Brook, but it's still more affordable than Hinsdale, but is in Hinsdale's k-8 district and is in the boundaries for Hinsdale Central HS too.

River Forest, Oak Park, Western Springs, La Grange, and Riverside would also be good to consider too. Schools are great and they're not far from work.

Completely untrue. Among the two towns, based on 2014 standardized exam scores...

.

Best Elementary Schools
1.) 91% Longfellow Elementary School (Wheaton)
2.) 89% Lincoln Elementary School (Elmhurst)
3.) 86% Hawthorne Elementary School (Elmhurst)
4.) 85% Weisbrook Elementary School (Wheaton)
4.) 85% Field Elementary School (Elmhurst)
4). 85% Jefferson Elementary School (Elmhurst)
5.) 84% Whittier Elementary School (Wheaton)
6.) 84% Edison Elelmentary School (Elmhurst)
7.) 83% Emerson Elementary School (Wheaton)
8.) 82% Lowell Elementary School (Wheaton)
8.) 82% Emerson Elementary School (Elmhurst)

Best Middle Schools
1.) 87% Bryan Middle School (Elmhurst)
2.) 87% Sandburg Middle School (Elmhurst)
3.) 80% Edison Middle School (Wheaton)
4.) 74% Franklin Middle School (Wheaton)

Best High School
1.) 77% Wheaton North High School (Wheaton)
2.) 76% York High School (Elmhurst)

.

There is no way to emphatically say one district is better than the other. Both have excellent track records and are very similar on paper. Also, Oak Brook is significantly more expensive than Clarendon Hills. I think this has been said before and corrected before. Also, I don't think anyone seriously interested in the social charms of Hinsdale, Clarendon, Elmhurst, Naperville, Glen Ellyn or Wheaton will be swayed by gated-fortress, keep-that-drawbridge-up flavor of Oak Brook.