I'm trying to find out where the best places to move and raise a family are in chicago. I'm about 40, high income and have kids. Like music and a want a strong sense of community. Is there are few decent suburbs to consider?
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What are the most affluent suburbs of Chicago?
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Take a look at Palos Park....southwest suburb. It's sorrounded by Cook county forest preserves and it can be very secluded. Very lovely.
Affluent Chicago Suburbs
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What are the most affluent suburbs of Chicago?
I'm trying to find out where the best places to move and raise a family are in chicago. I'm about 40, high income and have kids. Like music and a want a strong sense of community. Is there are few decent suburbs to consider?
Rich Suburbs Of Chicago
The most affluent suburbs of Chicago are along the lake north of the city, including (starting from the south) Wilmette, Kenilworth, Winnetka, Glencoe, Highland Park, and Lake Forest. Highland Park is home to more center/left politics, while all the others are solidly republican. Wilmette's lots are relatively small, as it was planned out pre-war. All have excellent schools, but don't forget that these sorts of areas subject kids to a high pressure, competitive lifestyle that can cause all manner of unhappy results. All have strong communities. None of these suburbs are strip-mall cities; each has a center, Highland Park, Wilmette, and Lake Forest, in particular, have decent sized, attractive downtowns.
Have a look at the villages's websites; the different focuses can give you a sense of what matters in those communities.
http://www.wilmette.com/
http://www.villageofkenilworth.org/
http://www.villageofwinnetka.org/
http://www.goglencoe.com/village/web/index.htm
http://www.cityhpil.com/
http://www.cityoflakeforest.com/
The first four communities are in the New Trier school district; this is the best community public high school in the state, if not the country. Its numbers compete with those of magnet schools. Highland Park High School and Lake Forest High School are also excellent schools. You'll find excellent primary schools in all these communities as well.
There are also some very affluent places off of the lake, Bannockburn, for one, is a small community full of massive estates that is to the west of Highland Park. Deerfield is between them, and it's very affluent also. West of Glencoe is Northbrook. There are also some very affluent communities west and southwest of the city as well, like Hinsdale and Naperville, but I'm not as familiar with those.
http://www.bannockburn.org/
Highland Park has Ravinia Park, which is a venue for outdoor classical and popular music concerts mostly in the summer (they have a few classical shows indoors in the winter). In the Ravinia neighborhood, there are many streets that allow you to sit outside and listen to the shows. A nice fringe benefit.
http://www.ravinia.org/
The ritziest area is commonly known as the North Shore, the suburbs north of the city near Lake Michigan. Towns include Wilmette, Winnetka, Lake Forest, Kenilworth, Highland Park, Glencoe and others. The north shore is the most stereotypical old money neighborhood.
In the northwest suburbs Barrington and Inverness are very nice. In the western suburbs look at Oak Brook and Hinsdale.
I am familiar with the Western burbs: as stated, Naperville has really grown in the last ten years. Always had nice homes, now they have more. Great area for kids, as well as their parents. Lots of social areas.
Definitely check out Burr Ridge also. Very centrally located to all major expressways, yet a very country atmosphere. And a quick jaunt to our wonderful city of Chicago. Quite a few major athletes have homes in a gated community in Burr Ridge.
Take a strong look at Naperville. It's consistently named as one of the top 5 cities in america to raise a family by Money magazine. Glenview would be my 2nd suggestion.
Part of this also depends on where you are working since Naperville and Glenview, for instance, are on opposite ends of the town from eachother.
If you're looking for the best shopping, I would definitley suggest Naperville. The houses are beautiful, and there really isn't a bad part of town there.
Plus, they have great schools, and many extracurriculars available to parents and kids that are in the school system.
Stevenson High School was just named one of the top high schools in the country. The suburbs that serve that school are Libertyville, Long Grove, Hawthorne Woods, and Buffalo Grove. All are beautiful communities that are excellent locations to raise a family.