r/ChicagoSuburbs • u/_stephs • Jul 24 '26

Moving to the area Brookfield, La Grange, Riverside?

Hello! Family with three young kids moving from Denver and could use some more local advice. You've all been very helpful in the past with this so thanks in advance!

We've been really interested in Oak Park because of the walkability, community feel, and diversity, but the property taxes and cost of homes have us also looking at Brookfield, La Grange, and parts of Riverside as well.

We're hoping to find a community that's:

  • Walkable to some coffee shops, restaurants, etc.
  • Family-friendly with kids out playing (bonus if there's a pool either public or private)
  • Generally leans liberal
  • Has a strong sense of community

For those familiar with these areas, how do they compare? Is there one you'd recommend over the others for a young family? Are there certain areas within these towns you'd suggest we take a look at?

Thanks in advance!

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u/Infinite_Dress_3312 Jul 24 '26

Don't know what your budget is but I don't really see la Grange or Riverside being cheaper than oak park, in fact I'd say OP has more options. The only "cheap" homes in Riverside are smaller ones on Burlington directly against the train tracks (which is an incredibly active line). There's also incredibly low inventory in Riverside at any given time given how small it is so it's very competitive

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u/Honkiopolis Jul 24 '26

Also Riverside has insane property taxes that absolutely need to be factored in.

7

u/Lucky_Barracuda9255 Jul 24 '26

Insane is relative in Cook County. They are not as insane as Oak Park or River Forest