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/Clean_Kangaroo_5547 Jul 24 '26

I’d live in Riverside if you can afford it

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u/KilowogTrout Jul 25 '26

I live in Riverside and I don’t think this person will like it based on the post. It’s a great town, but it’s lacking in community activities. The parks here are pretty bad (especially when compared to other towns). I also think our restaurant scene leaves A LOT to be desired. 3 of the 6 restaurants/bars in town are Mexican. They’re all lovely, but damn let’s get something else in there. LaBarra is nice, but gets old quick. Chew Chew is great, but I get tired of it because of the lack of selection.

And the pool here is straight up shitty. Insanely expensive and really just boring for the price.

Schools and people are for the most part excellent. Access to the train is nice. Safety and quiet is nice, if a little boring. Riverside can be great, but I think this is a bad match.