Move to ...LOMBARD,IL?? (Glen Ellyn: neighborhood, school district, to live in)

[lovetoteach09]

I love Lombard, I have lived here for 26 years

[bella1789]

From someone who has lived in Lombard, IL-----------> I absolutely loved it. Good town. Great people. We moved to Downers Grove and Now we are looking to move back.

[MrsCossio]

You know, I currently live in Forest Park with my husband of almost two years who happens to be Mexican-American. We are not wild about Forest Park's public school system and can't afford private school tuition so we are thinking of nearby towns to move to since we will be expanding our family more than likely in the coming years and thought Lombard might be nice. We go there a lot and my husband works downtown and I work in Forest Park so it would still be convenient for us. I'm really turned off by the "minority" statements. Would my husband be looked at funny or judged?

[chet everett]

Originally Posted by MrsCossio

You know, I currently live in Forest Park with my husband of almost two years who happens to be Mexican-American. We are not wild about Forest Park's public school system and can't afford private school tuition so we are thinking of nearby towns to move to since we will be expanding our family more than likely in the coming years and thought Lombard might be nice. We go there a lot and my husband works downtown and I work in Forest Park so it would still be convenient for us. I'm really turned off by the "minority" statements. Would my husband be looked at funny or judged?

It is easy to assume that one or two posters on a web forum reflect some broader bias, but believe me if you drive around Lombard (or pretty much any other town in DuPage Co) you are going to see a wide range of people. The folks that are "moving up" from a town are generally going to make good neighbors and 99% of the folks that live in any town recognize that.

You said your husband will be working downtown, and I assume that means he probably has some kind of office related career. Odds are folks are NOT going to object to anyone of any race that maintains the appearance consistent with an office related career. In Lombard there are plenty of folks that do have more 'blue collar' backgrounds too, and for the most part the folks in the trades take really good care of their homes, so that is also a plus. Neighbors understandably do get concerned when there are renters in a property and that property is not well maintained and the "career" of the tenant is / borders on illegal. That is not discrimination but a legitimate worry that their own property values will be negatively impacted...

Your money will go farther in a town like Lombard than in Glen Ellyn or Wheaton or Elmhurst. For places close to the train you really would have a hard time doing any better in any other town in DuPage Co. Depending on what you are shopping for you should also check out Downers Grove and maybe even Westmont and Lisle, all of which have some similarities to Lombard.

Trust me, I have owned rental properties in DuPage Co and sold real estate for many many years -- the attitudes that some folks express here online are pretty rare in real life...

[Tru and Tru]

I grew up in Lombard, most people can't afford to live there because of high property taxes and has some really nice homes. In the last 7 years there has been 4 houses built near 750,000 on my street alone. I always felt that Lombard>Glen Ellyn>Wheaton>Villa Park. I just think Glen Ellyn and Wheaton is basically still in a forest and I don't want to be eaten alive in the summer in my own backyard. Lombard has a lot of nice restaurants like Harry Caray's, Capital Grille, Greek Islands, Capone's, Weber Grill and Sushi RA and is about 3 minutes from all of the nice Oak Brook restaurants as well. As somebody else mentioned there is Yorktown Mall which had a lot of addition done to it recently with Lucky Strike bowling.

Overall Lombard is really nice and closer to nicer things than Glen Ellyn or Wheaton. Obviously closer to the city is ideal as well.

[css9450]

Originally Posted by Tru and Tru

I just think Glen Ellyn and Wheaton is basically still in a forest and I don't want to be eaten alive in the summer in my own backyard.

What does that mean? Eaten alive by what, coyotes? Or mosquitos?

Glen Ellyn and Wheaton have more trees than Lombard, sure, but that's because Lombard was more heavily hit by Dutch Elm disease in the 60s and 70s than the other two. But trees don't necessarily mean mosquitos; ponds, swamps and stagnant water do.

[ToriaT]

Huh?? Wheaton and Glen Ellyn still in a forest??? They are near nice things and are nicer than Lombard in my opinion. Nothing wrong with Lombard but there are better places to live in Dupage.

[JustJulia]

Originally Posted by Firetop

So looking at real estate I was wanting info and opinions about Lombard(my job is there). I hear some say its a good town and then others say its an armpit and run. Anyone care to share??

I think if you say what criteria are important to you--schools, distance to the Metra, commute to Chicago, shopping, outdoor activities, etc.)--people will be able to give you a better idea of whether Lombard might be a good fit for you. (How big is your family? Do you want to rent or own? How long do you plan to stay? What is your budget? Things like that.)

My office is in Downers Grove, which is next door to Lombard, and I think I like that area better. However, another poster lives in DG and wants to move back to Lombard. So people have different tastes and priorities. What are yours?

[Drover]

Thread is two years old, y'all.

[stch1122]

For what it's worth, I moved to the North side of Lombard 2 years ago after spending 8 years in Chicago (originally from Nebraska). What initially drew me in was the proximity to the train and relatively lower cost of houses compared to surrounding suburbs. There is 1 direct train from the city of Chicago to Lombard every afternoon during the week (leaves Chicago at 5:09 PM and arrives in Lombard at 5:38). There are no direct trains to Chicago in the mornings, but the trains run often. They leave Lombard every 20-30 minutes and take between 35 and 42 minutes to get to Chicago.

The neighborhood surrounding the train is very quaint, quiet and relatively well kept up. There are some huge houses, some dinky old houses and many average houses. There are also lots of tear-downs and new constructions, which shows that many people want to live in this area.

The grade schools are supposed to be very good and the high school is supposed to be about average, though I haven't concerned myself too much with the schools yet as my children are small.

There are many young families in the neighborhood and more arriving regularly.

The downtown area next to the train is growing and there are many great establishments including 2-3 high quality restaurants and a few other restaurants that serve more standard fare. There are few decent bars including a dive bar, sports bar and a new (and very fancy) cocktail bar. There is a mom-n-pop coffee shop, a few salons, a boutique clothing store, a candy/ice cream/hybrid store and a cute little Dairy Queen. There was recent approval to add a boutique grocery store called Prarie Food Co-Op. It should be opening within the next year or two.

In the spring Lombard has Lilac time, their own festival that includes a 5K run as well as beer and wine tastings. During the summer there is a car show and band every Saturday night. During the holiday season Lilacia Park is decked out with amazing Christmas lights.

A very short drive from Lombard is downtown Glen Ellyn with bars, restaurants and shops galore. Being on the north side of Lombard gets you closer to downtown Glen Ellyn than many of the people who live in Glen Ellyn itself.

A few miles from downtown Lombard, in a weird strip mall, behind a KFC is Noon Whistle brewery, quite possibly the best brewery I've ever come across.

The last thing to point out is proximity to biking and running trails. Both the Great Western Trail and Prairie Path run right through Lombard. These trails can take you on long bike rides that connect to many other suburban downtown areas and many nature preserves.

I'd definitely recommend Lombard as a place to Live, especially for young couples.

The only thing I don't like about Lombard is the fact that 30% or so of houses that don't keep up their properties.