Need input on north Chicago burbs...(ETHS?) (Evanston, Skokie: home, neighborhood)

[thePR]

Originally Posted by Lookout Kid

I have no idea what prices will do in the future. As a home owner I'd love to believe that prices have bottomed out, but maybe I'm not that optimistic...

The North Shore may be a stretch for you. You might want to look to the suburbs to the west. I still think Park Ridge could be a good choice, but it's truly suburban, unfortunately.

What's wrong with Park Ridge being suburban?

[Chicago-Newbie]

Originally Posted by STL Mom

I moved to Wilmette from another state just six weeks ago, and I love it. Our neighbors are friendly - one offered to take my daughter to the park with her kids the day we moved in. Our neighborhood has weekly pot-lucks in the summer. My neighbors mow their own lawns and wash their own cars and talk to each other when they meet on the sidewalk. A friend visiting from Joliet said he'd never seen so many people walking, biking, and running. I haven't encountered any "North Shore" snobbery or attitude.
There are some nice-looking neighborhoods on the west side of Wilmette where you could buy a ranch or split-level in the $400's (according to Realtor.com) and walk to school, the pool, the community center, parks, and some shops. The neighborhoods have sidewalks and the houses aren't too far apart. You could bike or drive a couple of miles east to get to the downtown area and beach. As your income rises, you could move further east and get that older house with a front porch.
As a new resident, I'm certainly no expert, but check out Wilmette before assuming it is too expensive or the moms are too pushy.

Thanks for the input!

[Chicago-Newbie]

Originally Posted by Sodium

Try some of the defined communities within Arlington Heights -- I still regret that our family didn't move to the "Stonegate" area in AH when our son was young and we had the chance.

Here's a suggestion: Use Google Earth to browse neighborhoods from the air: you can quickly discover places that look like safe, leafy places to live that are near stores and conveniences, and you can get an idea of what the houses and schools look like. When you've made some discoveries, switch to Google Map's Street View to "drive around".

Sodium, I do like what I've seen of Arlington Heights, but I think the commute is just too far. We're trying to drive less, not more...or at least, not that much more! Good idea using Street View to get a feel for neighborhoods...I've tried that with a few and you're right, it really gives me an idea of what a neighborhood looks like, enough to at least look further.

[Lookout Kid]

Originally Posted by thePR

What's wrong with Park Ridge being suburban?

The poster said they were looking for more of an urban experience. By urban, I mean traditional town-planning and development patterns (i.e. density, walkability, etc). The term "suburban" implies towns that are set up around automobile usage. I know Park Ridge has a nice walkable commercial strip "Uptown", but most of the town is a post-war suburb set up around the car. But it's definitely not as bad as some further-out suburbs. At least there are sidewalks!

[Avengerfire]

Originally Posted by Lookout Kid

...The North Shore may be a stretch for you. You might want to look to the suburbs to the west. I still think Park Ridge could be a good choice, but it's truly suburban, unfortunately.

Park Ridge is not really anymore suburban than the much of North Shore.

[Lookout Kid]

Originally Posted by Avengerfire

Park Ridge is not really anymore suburban than the much of North Shore.

Yeah, I guess I'd agree with that. Parts of Evanston are dense and urban, but most of Evanston is suburban with green lawns and larger lots. Many of the North Shore suburbs have older cores that are pretty walkable, though.

[Chicago-Newbie]

Originally Posted by Lookout Kid

Yeah, I guess I'd agree with that. Parts of Evanston are dense and urban, but most of Evanston is suburban with green lawns and larger lots. Many of the North Shore suburbs have older cores that are pretty walkable, though.

By "urban" I definitely meant walkable (even if there are yards and larger lots--are there also sidewalks? Is it safe/practical to get to coffee shops, libraries, grocery stores, etc on foot?) and some sort of downtown experience (a cultural scene of some sort, restaurants, etc). Diversity is nice, but I know some of the areas I'm looking just won't really have it.

[thePR]

Originally Posted by Chicago-Newbie

By "urban" I definitely meant walkable (even if there are yards and larger lots--are there also sidewalks? Is it safe/practical to get to coffee shops, libraries, grocery stores, etc on foot?) and some sort of downtown experience (a cultural scene of some sort, restaurants, etc). Diversity is nice, but I know some of the areas I'm looking just won't really have it.

If that's your definition of urban then Park Ridge has that. It's not diverse though.

[Lookout Kid]

Originally Posted by thePR

If that's your definition of urban then Park Ridge has that. It's not diverse though.

It has that IF you happen to live close to those things. The entire town of Park Ridge isn't like that.

[pesco]

Originally Posted by Lookout Kid

It has that IF you happen to live close to those things. The entire town of Park Ridge isn't like that.

But I think it's more than you think. I grew up in Park Ridge, and the vast majority of my friends (who lived all over the town) were able to easily walk to Uptown, the South Park shopping area, or both without having to deal with many busy streets. There are some neighborhoods on the far North side of the town and near Maine South that are not very walkable, but I would say that the majority of the town enjoys a pedestrian friendly lifestyle.