Advice on Naperville / Surrounding Suburbs

Downers Grove is nice too, there was an article in the Chicago Tribune about it on August 1st. Although I'd think it will be a little difficult finding a larger lot size there and in Lisle and Naperville, well at least in the area of Naperville that is close to the Arboretum.

We moved to Naperville in Oct. & love it. We live on the SE side, 10 min. from I355, 15 min. to the Morton Arboretum. I highly recommend the district 203 area of Naperville (eastern side). Rt. 59 (10 min. west of us, in district 204 & bordering Aurora) is very congested. D204 schools are also very congested. We specifically wanted D203 for my son (only 2 now) b/c test scores are a few points higher than D204, and are enjoying a more mature neighborhood (15 yrs. old) w/ beautiful trees & great neighbors. Our lot is a little over 1/4, so not as big as you want, but we also looked at Lisle (Green Trails), Wheaton, Woodridge & Naperville, and our yard is one of the biggest we saw. In my experience, downtown Naperville is only congested on the weekends & evenings, but even then I've found parking w/out too much trouble. Good luck!

Hi J. -
I attended college at North Central College in Naperville a while back, lived there briefly a few years ago, and still have several friends with families living there. The town consistently rates high in the "best places to live" in the nation and the schools rate very high as well (the high schools are large, FYI). In general, it's pretty family friendly with lots to do and nice neighborhoods. From what I understand, the newer neighborhoods in the south are more affordable, but the town has become very long North to South, so watch commute times WITHIN Naperville as well - several areas are problematic during rush hour. Best wishes as you look around and make your decision!

You should definitely consider looking in Glen Ellyn too. Even closer to the Arboretum, and a charming friendly town.

West Chicago has small and larger homes with nice size lots like you're looking for. Wheaton has a very strict school system. My daughter played basketball out there and the kids were not even allowed to listen to music during practice or pregame warmups..???? The police in DuPage County will ticket you for 5 miles over; be cautious.

Hi..I am a realtor with Baird & Warner in Glen Ellyn. If you would like, I can e-mail you some listings to peruse. If you like what you see, I'll be happy to show you homes. I just need an e-mail address, how many bedrooms/baths you need 1 or 2 car garage, etc...also your price range.
You can probably get a home for a good price, however, you may take a hit on selling your home in Park Ridge, simply because of the real estate market. If you could rent it out, which is easier, that might work also..feel free to e-mail me at ____@____.com or call my cell ###-###-####

Hi J.. How has your house hunt been going? I am a buyers agent with Baird & Warner, and I can assist with the selling of your current home and the locating of your new home. Let me know if I can help. ____@____.com, or ###-###-####

Hi J.:

I was born in Naperville and raised in Lisle (I'm 41). The western suburbs are terrific. We currently live in unincorporated Glen Ellyn. Any of the suburbs you mention are great. Our home is on the market as we are hoping to move to a smaller home/lot in Lisle. The schools in any of these suburbs are terrific (Lisle, Naperville (some a bit overcrowded), Glen Ellyn, Wheaton). If you have any specific questions feel free to email me directly at ____@____.com you are considering Lisle and would consider Catholic schools, St. Joan of Arc in Lisle is one of the top rated schools in the U.S. Benet Academy is also there (but quite pricey). If you're looking for a 3,000 sf gorgeous house on just under 1 acre, in the top scoring public high school in the area, I have the house for you :-)

Best of luck - you'll love the area!

M.