Taking a Job in Joliet need HELP! (Chicago, Aurora: house, live)

[Spielpof]

My friend just moved out to Plainfield. He bought his first home at a steal. It is a huge.... huge, lot, and the house is beautiful. It is not a cookie cutter house as it's in unincorporated plainfield. The school district is supposed to be nice and the area is safe. You should check the area for what you're looking for. You will find something closer and that will suit your needs.

I do have a friend that is a realtor and specializes in that area. I don't know her phone number but her name is Kristy Burke and she works for Coldwell Banker. If you google her I'm sure you can find her and she'd be more than helpful.
Good luck.

[Mom2boys81]

I LOVE the Cathedral Area....we used to live there and I can't wait to get back! Anyways, Joliet to Naperville or Naperville to Joliet is horrible in my opinion. I had that commute for 3 months before taking a new job in Oak Brook. I liked the Joliet to Oak Brook commute way better than to Naperville and my husband commuted to Aurora from Joliet for a while and that was equally as bad. There's just so much congestion and so much stopping at lights . I was taking Weber Road and going to Washington St. in Naperville to get downtown Naperville by 8:00 and I'd have to leave no later than 7:15. My husband drove north on Rt. 59 to get to Aurora and same thing....just so much stop and go with all of the lights. There are plenty of great and affordable parts of Joliet and surrounding communities. People that don't know the Joliet area or just see one part of it sometimes get the wrong impression. I agree that the area of Joliet along Essington Road is a great place to start looking. My husband's parents live in a little neighborhood that is actually unincorporated Joliet...I think the neighborhood is called Murphy Acres and all lots are about 1/2 acre. It's a safe area...and it's withing walking distance to the Rock Run Preserve and the walking trails. It's also within Troy School district, which is good. Chanahon (southwest of Joliet) has nice homes, a good park district, and I've heard the schools are good. Morris is another town that's pretty nice and not a bad commute (20-30 minutes driving on stretch of highway with not much congestion). It has a great little downtown area, good schools, and good selection of new and old housing. Shorewood and Plainfield are nice, too, especially if you like newer houses. Depending on where you're at, you may be in Minooka, Joliet (West), or Plainfield school districts.

[IlWesleyanGuy]

Another area on the West side of Joliet (not far west) would be the neighborhoods along Midland Avenue north of Jefferson St. This area is in close proximity to the Cathedral area which is a very nice area. The Catheral area has Victorian-style houses, and the overall quality housing stock of this general area basically extends west to Larkin Avenue. If you are in this area of Joliet you should definitely check out the streets, Buell, Western, Glenwood and others. This area is probably a little expensive but again if you can afford to live in Naperville than you definitely can afford to live even in this area of Joliet.

[raven firespell]

Originally Posted by woolk

Hello,
My wife and I are probably going to be taking a job in Joliet and have no clue about the area other than visiting once. We did a quick drive through of Joliet, Plainfield, Romeoville and Naperville and it became very evident (and obvious) that Naperville would be the "desired" place to live but there are a few things I need help with.
1. What would a commute from Naperville to Joliet look like? Even ball park would help.
2. We have dogs which means I need a fenced in yard. Can you find such a thing for rent in Naperville, or even Plainfield/Romeoville for that matter? My goal would be to spend 1300/month or less.
3. Safety. My wife is pretty paranoid about the safety and frankly I am as well. I would like to be able to walk the dogs in the eveing without worry that I might be mugged or worse. I have heard mixed reivews of Joliet, but what do you all think about the other cities?

I think I am willing to obviously pay more money to live in a place such as Naperville but I think the commute factor will be huge and could be the decider so any help would be great. Also are there any other cities anyone can recommend?

prices will be higher in naperville than in joliet . renting nearer to the westfield mall is not a bad area that's where we lived in the crystal lawns subdivision . rent was affordable there. in the fancier areas of plainfield it is more expensive . there are many nice trails and a dog park int he area for your four footed friends.
route 59 into naperville is very slow during rush hour .

[GolfLover2]

Hi. "Congratulations" on your new job and "Welcome" to our area! Both communities you are considering have real pros and cons. Joliet has many areas that are affordable and also safe for your family. It has gotten somewhat of a bad rap regarding those issues, especially in the past and many of those issues are really no longer valid. Naperville is also a great town, having good schools, plentiful shopping, and services. The negatives are in commuting back and forth to Joliet and other communities. Route 59 in rush times can be very challenging and irritating. Right now there is construction taking place on Route 59 in multiple places that made the drive between these two cities frustrating. Obviously as you go north and closer to Chicago, prices can grow higher and become an issue. With the extension of I-355, you might wish to consider homes along the south end of that in New Lenox, Mokena, and even Manhattan. The elementary schools in that area are very good and feed into the Lincoln-Way High School District, one of the best in the state of Illinois and nationwide. New Lenox and Mokena are a little more upscale and urban in nature and also a bit more congested. Major shopping is close by along Route 30 (new shopping center planned for I-355 & Rte. 6) and north of I-80 in Orland Park. Manhattan still has the elements of a more rural community, but is growing also in many positive ways. The prices of homes is very reasonable and varied in nature. I can tell you from experience (having grown up in this community and still having relatives there) that it is a walking town. There are always many people out walking, exercising dogs, and bike riding. There are some beautiful older sections of town, as well as new construction/subdivisions surrounding it. Your personal tastes in lifestyle would probably be the deciding factor in choosing from these communities. These communities will be served by a new/expanded Silver Cross Hospital very soon, which always is a plus for the residents. Channahon to the west/south has some newer construction to consider, but it is suffering some growing pains which should be considered. Its proximity to I-80 and I-55 still make it a possible location for you to consider for commuting.
If I can be of any assistance to you during your decision making, please let me know. As a lender in the area, I am very familiar with the cities you are considering and would be able to offer some insight into a broad range of topics. Best of luck to you no matter what you decide!
Gene Mundt, Professional Mortgage Banker

[Kathleen82]

Hi! I currently live in Joliet and commute to Lisle (right next to Naperville) and it takes me 45 min at 6am, then I drive home at 3pm and it takes about 35-45 min. I live near shorewood/plainfield at Caton Farm Rd and County Line Rd. I walk my dogs almost every night by myself and I feel very safe. Everyone out this way is very friendly too, I have great neighbors. Your commute will depend on where in Naperville you live and where in Joliet you work - they are both big cities. Joliet has some very nice areas and also check out shorewood and plainfield. Shorewood is building a new subdivision near the town hall, it is very nice but too expensive for me, it is on rt 52 near 59. Good Luck! Let me know if you have any more questions.

Kathleen

[kulu33]

I have lived in the Joliet / Plainfield / Romeoville / Lockport area all my life. The Rt. 59 corridor is only going to become more congested in coming years, despite the recent economic downturn. Personally, I would not recommend living in Naperville and driving to Joliet. Depending upon where in Naperville you would live and where in Joliet you would work, could make your commute 30 minutes or even an hour plus.

You should consider living in Plainfield, Lockport / Homer Glen and Shorewood. I would try to avoid DuPage and Cook County. Tax rates are generally lower. There are good school districts and neighborhoods in each of these towns.

A couple of notes about commutes in the area. The area has several major roads, railroads, rivers, canals, etc. that impact commute times. You should try to avoid having to cross any of these in your commute.

Interstate 55 / Interstate 80 / Sanitary & Ship Canal / DesPlaines and DuPage Rivers are serious obstacles. The bridges over these can be major bottlenecks during rush hours. The CN railroad (former EJ&E) is experiencing a major increase in traffic. Most of the railroad crossings are street level. Learn which roads do not have ‘at grade’ crossings.

[tyboo123]

Montgomery will be a great place to live. They have nicer schools, better, safer community for your children.Check out my house for sale at buyowner.com property ID 13047.

Thanks!!!

[HomehelpinIL]

Hello taking a job in Joliet, don't let mixed respond keep you from obtaining living in Joliet. It is safe to live here, my hubsand an I build our home here twelve years ago, and we are happy. 'of' course you want to live on the far west side of town, beautiful forest preserve for walking your pet. And more affoardable than the other towns you have been direct to. Why spend more money than you have to and not sure to be any safer. Good luck.

[mr joliet]

MUST SEE the Cathedral Area of Joliet (St. Rayomnds Cathedral). This place is a gem! I will guarantee that if you visit, you will be very interested. CAPA Joliet Home Page Very, Very nice area! Moved here from Batavia about a year ago, and have not looked back since. I would seriously consider contacting a local realtor for a tour of this area. Will not be disappointed