Would this be smart or nuts??? (Chicago, Joliet: house, find a job, safe neighborhoods)

[italianbluesboy]

To flee the dying coal economy of Central Appalachia for the Joliet-Plainfield, IL region? Can we find jobs that pay 40,000/year min., and live in safe neighborhoods with good schools? And not have to go into Chicago for work?

I can't wait around here in West Virginia until the coal industry is gone and I can't sell our home and get trapped and marooned. And yet I don't want to move south with the HOT summers and bugs and snakes!

Would I be nuts to move to Joliet?

[chet everett]

Joliet has some of the worst employment numbers in the Chicago region, but if you have skills in the sectors that have jobs and can land a job ahead of time you might do OK. There are some chemical plants that I have seen want ads for language skills of Spanish and experience managing others in a hazardous environment should be worth $40K...

[Lookout Kid]

If you can find a job there, by all means move there. I'd recommend lining up the job first. Nothing in certain in this economy.

[pelagiagardens]

Joliet and Plainfield have excellent highway access to a variety of areas outside of Chicago without locking you into "city traffic". I bought a house in good condition in a historic area for under 150K last year. The neighborhood is safe and quiet and the quality of life here is good. Lots of joggers and dogwalkers around, well kept yards and mature street trees.

Depending on which industry you're in, you should probably be able to find a job in this area that won't demand that you commute into the city, although the commute into Chicago by train is honestly not that bad. The highway is another story.

Good luck with your relocation plans.

[sgresident]

I would not think you were crazy to want to re-locate! Just find the job first. many of the suburbs of chicago have good home values. when you narrow down the job, then look in a certain radius from that job for housing, schools etc. the suburbs are quite vast.