Chicago's North Shore: Buyer Beware? (Buffalo Grove, Highland Park: mortgage, house, school)

[lakecountylifer]

Whats everyone's opinion of the North Shore Suburbs and how they have changed over the years? Does the hype match the value? Is your life Truly better in Winnetka vs. Buffalo Grove?

Should a family sacrifice every penny for a huge mortgage in Highland Park (at the expense of little to no contribution to a 401K for example) because the school system is supposedly better and your neighbor will be your banker?

My own thought is no, having grown up on the north shore and moved away, all I see in the north shore is a change of attitude to ultra snobbishness and self proclaimed better lifestyle.

Seems to me that the north shore lifestyle is less to do with being happy vs. keeping up with the Jones'......

[Anthera]

I think this is an impossible question to answer. Those of us who bought homes on the NS, and stayed, would answer "yes"., people who have moved away would answer "no". They would both be right. Some people have to make a financial sacrifice to live here, others don't.

I have friends who hated growing up in Wilmette and would never move here, but does that necessarily reflect on Wilmette or on their particular childhood?



I will say that "I" would not want to live in any community whee I was not at least in the "middle" in terms of disposable income, house size, etc. I would not want to tell my kids they couldn't have the things that their peers had as a matter of course. Nor would i want to be a minority in my community.

But the pretentious snobs that pepper every conversation with "New Trier" and "house cost $XXX" are pretty roundly mocked and ostracized around here. They are usually doing this to people who don't live around here, thinking they will impress them. It doesn't work here and I think it just annoys other people.

[Nysee53]

Buffalo Grove is architectural hell for the most part. Winnetka is beautiful. The North Shore communities are unlike anything else found in the United States. People live on the North Shore because they love it. People with money come to the North Shore because they like it. I could never be more comfortable anywhere else than how comfortable I am here on the North Shore. There is nothing else like it.

[lakecountylifer]

Originally Posted by Anthera

I think this is an impossible question to answer. Those of us who bought homes on the NS, and stayed, would answer "yes"., people who have moved away would answer "no". They would both be right. Some people have to make a financial sacrifice to live here, others don't.

I have friends who hated growing up in Wilmette and would never move here, but does that necessarily reflect on Wilmette or on their particular childhood?



I will say that "I" would not want to live in any community whee I was not at least in the "middle" in terms of disposable income, house size, etc. I would not want to tell my kids they couldn't have the things that their peers had as a matter of course. Nor would i want to be a minority in my community.

But the pretentious snobs that pepper every conversation with "New Trier" and "house cost $XXX" are pretty roundly mocked and ostracized around here. They are usually doing this to people who don't live around here, thinking they will impress them. It doesn't work here and I think it just annoys other people.

I'm so glad I read your note. I just couldn't get over the Alaska lady being told that if she couldn't live on the North Shore---don't bother moving here. I'm glad those people are ostracized.

[Lookout Kid]

Originally Posted by lakecountylifer

Should a family sacrifice every penny for a huge mortgage in Highland Park (at the expense of little to no contribution to a 401K for example) because the school system is supposedly better and your neighbor will be your banker?

No. A family should never sacrifice 401K contributions to buy a home. If you have to do that, you can't afford the home. But if you have enough money to buy a place in the North Shore, like the atmosphere up there, and still have enough to take care of your other financial obligations, more power to you! If you're just trying to live some fantasy life beyond your means, look for housing elsewhere!

I've said this before: It's ridiculous to derive feelings of self worth based on the relative prosperity of the town you live in! If you like the North Shore, live there because you like it--not because you feel that it is THE PLACE for someone of importance.

[lakecountylifer]

Originally Posted by Nysee53

Buffalo Grove is architectural hell for the most part. Winnetka is beautiful. The North Shore communities are unlike anything else found in the United States. People live on the North Shore because they love it. People with money come to the North Shore because they like it. I could never be more comfortable anywhere else than how comfortable I am here on the North Shore. There is nothing else like it.

Egads..........lol Wise people with money also choose to stay away from the north shore. It can be a pressure cooker, look at Laurie Dann---proud New Trier graduate class of '75.

[lakecountylifer]

Originally Posted by Lookout Kid

No. A family should never sacrifice 401K contributions to buy a home. If you have to do that, you can't afford the home. But if you have enough money to buy a place in the North Shore, like the atmosphere up there, and still have enough to take care of your other financial obligations, more power to you! If you're just trying to live some fantasy life beyond your means, look for housing elsewhere!

I've said this before: It's ridiculous to derive feelings of self worth based on the relative prosperity of the town you live in! If you like the North Shore, live there because you like it--not because you feel that it is THE PLACE for someone of importance.

You speak the truth...were on the same page.

[Anthera]

Originally Posted by lakecountylifer

I'm so glad I read your note. I just couldn't get over the Alaska lady being told that if she couldn't live on the North Shore---don't bother moving here. I'm glad those people are ostracized.

It just doesn't work because most people are not pretentious. The older couple with the beat up Ford in their driveway, may be worth more than everyone else on the block combined. At lunch today, a friend and I were talking about summer jobs for teens, and she remembered when Liesel Pritzker (worth over 500 milllion personally and co-stared with Harrison Ford in Air Force One) worked behind a deli counter in Winnetka. Her parents wanted her to grow up with the right values. There's a lot of that around here.

[Anthera]

Originally Posted by Lookout Kid

No. A family should never sacrifice 401K contributions to buy a home. If you have to do that, you can't afford the home. But if you have enough money to buy a place in the North Shore, like the atmosphere up there, and still have enough to take care of your other financial obligations, more power to you! If you're just trying to live some fantasy life beyond your means, look for housing elsewhere!

I've said this before: It's ridiculous to derive feelings of self worth based on the relative prosperity of the town you live in! If you like the North Shore, live there because you like it--not because you feel that it is THE PLACE for someone of importance.

100% correct.

[Lookout Kid]

Originally Posted by lakecountylifer

You speak the truth...were on the same page.

Except for the fact that I would live in the North Shore, but would never consider Buffalo Grove... "Architectural hell" is being kind.