Brookfield? (Chicago, Des Plaines, Oak Park: real estate, rental, homeowners insurance)

[Lilacsunset5]

Can anyone tell me anything about Brookfield? Your opinions on the area, etc? I'm thinking about moving there (just East of Maple and South of Ogden) right by the park and fire dept. Any input would be great! Thanks!

[Marc_g]

We had looking into the Brookfield area.... the "better" part of Brookfield is to the north, closer to 31. That puts you in some of the better elementary schools (actually in LaGrange park) and Riverside/Brookfield high. ..in fact you may want to look into LaGrange park as well.
The proximity to the city is nice, but overall we decided to take a pass on the community.

[Tula Bula]

That area of Brookfield is great. I've lived south of Ogden right by the park for the past nine years. When I first moved in, I spoke with a coworker who lived in the northern section of Brookfield. When I told her my new address, she reacted as if I were going to be living in the slums on the wrong side of the tracks. That made me a tad nervous, thinking "Oh, my goodness! It seemed okay to me!" Well, as time went by, I was very happy with my decision. Turns out she's a snob and simply needed to act superior. It's a great community. Lots of nice neighbors. And if you have kids, they'd go to Lyons Township high school, which from what I hear, is more desirable than Riverside/Brookfield.

[gardener34]

tulabula: don't you just hate people like that. They think that unless you are surrounded by people that all drive mercedes, it's a BAD neighborhood. These people obvioiusly never experienced a truly bad neighbhorhood. Then they wouldn't say a word.

Husband's aunt lives in Brookfield in the zoo area. Been there for years and she seems to like it. Very convenient location.

[Chancelynn2002]

I've not been anywhere except the zoo there, but it seems like a very nice, woodsy place to live, and not terribly expensive, either.

You can visit Brookfield, IL -- Welcome to Brookfieldil.gov!, that should provide some more answers, but probably not in the way of housing.

I am also considering moving to Brookfield, primarily for employment at their zoo.

If anyone has any opinions on the area - rental prices, good places to eat, or crazy people to stay away from, I'll be glad to hear it!

[cmoscinski]

Brookfield, Illinois is real estate rich and a unique lifestyle community without the high price tag and real estate tax burden.

About Brookfield:

Being dubbed as the new "Oak Park" and only 30 minutes from Chicago, Brookfield offers a community "evolving". With many recent residential developments and re-developments of single-family homes, townhomes, condos and row houses, Brookfield offers gourmet kitchens, loft size rooms, high ceilings, granite counters, extended outdoor living space with wrap around decks and porches with a modern yet vintage charm that city relocaters are looking for.

Brookfield is bordered by Riverside, Lagrange, Lagrange Park and Countryside. All are neighboring communities and each has something special and great to offer. Brookfield homes are very affordable. Homes start from the Low $200K's (for single family) & the low $120K's for Condos. Brookfield offers vintage Victorian, American Four Square, Craftsman and Bungalow style homes as well as the modern Bi-level and Ranch style homes.

Retail/Entertainment:

The Brookfield area boasts many merchants including boutiques, and a recent growing trend is bringing in eclectic restaurants and wine bars/bistros. Popular neighborhood hangouts are the "Irish Times" Pub and "Off Broadway" Pub.

Schools:

Brookfield is also home to top award winning schools in Illinois, Riverside/Brookfield High School and Lyons Township High School in Lagrange.

Recreation:

Home to world famous Brookfield Zoo, Brookfield offers much, much more as far as family recreation goes. Everything is close by and within walking distance with family friendly parks and the Salt Creek Bicycle Trail, a popular bike and walking path.

Community Growth/Development:

With a nearby future development at Ogden and Lagrange Road, and Ogden and East Avenue plans include for a mixed-use development, which will include multi-story condominium buildings with retail segments. Nearby LaGrange is also a popular venue any day of the week with bustling shops and restaurants not far from home.

Commute/METRA:

Commute time is a short 20-25 minutes to the Loop and the community is also located strategically near major highways I-294, I-55, and I-290.

Summary:
So, if you're looking to be close to the city yet seek a "Chicago Style" suburban lifestyle, come to Brookfield.We're in the "baby stage" of boom" offering affordable homes, low taxes, planned community development/improvements, great schools, shopping and recreation it's all here!

[Windy City John]

up and coming area adjacent to LaGrange which has strong home values-- Great Zoo!

[Burr Oak]

Brookfield is a solid, good value community. I've always been partial to the "Hollywood" section of Brookfield with its winding streets and very little traffic. The folks in Hollywood are part of District 96 which is one of the best grammar school districts in IL (check out the state report card). Hollywood has its own stop on the Metra and has a lot of Brookfield Zoo employees, folks who are pretty well educated. By the way, Hollywood, California copied its name from the Hollywood section of Brookfield. Long, but true story from the early 20's.

[Midrash]

Hi, I am also interested in looking for a home in Brookfield. I found a home I really like in the Hollywood section, however because it is right on the river/creek it is considered to be in a high risk flood zone. Should I be really worried about this? How much of a problem has flooding been in Brookfield over the years? Is the likelihood of flooding rare or does it occur often? Also, how expensive is flood insurance?
I'd really appreciate some insight from anyone living in the area.
Thanks in advance!

[chet everett]

Flooding in Brookfield is pretty uncommon. The Salt Creek is heavily channelized in the area and/or flows through some very significant buffers that are part of the Forest Preserve.

Years ago there were more homes right on the Des Plaines river, but there have been buy-outs for the most flood prone to add to the buffer with more greenspace.

Nice place to live. Hollywood section of town has its own elementary school, middle school is in Riverside. HS is Riverside-Brookfield, just south of the Zoo. I believe there is a big renovation in progress, was just over at friends this holiday weekend.

Most regular homeowners insurance will have some coverage for some kinds of water damage, you need to figure out the specific coverage you need with a insurance pro. It is probably worth getting actual quotes for several agents with specifics on the coverage and exclusions, though honestly it is even more important to have an inspection to verify that the place you are looking at has not been flooded, very rare. I would think that even neighbors would be happy to tell you how likely a place is to get wet. Of course you need to evalute the water control on the site -- from clean gutters with properly pitched downspouts and sumps with proper back-up there is A LOT that a homeowner can do to get their basement dry.