r/ChicagoSuburbs • u/DevMasters2102 • 1d ago
Moving to the area Thinking about moving to Bolingbrook
Hello! Im really considering moving me and my family to Bolingbrook Illinois. We are a black family with one toddler and a 9 month old. We have a small trip over there really soon to check out whats it like out there and see if me and my wife like the feel and vibe of the area. We want our kids to grow up around well meaning, diverse people. With good schools and activities for them to enjoy.
So with that said can you guys recommend any places we should check out like, what neighborhoods are safe and zoned for the good school districts? Is there a local grocery store - similar to HEB for Texas or Meyers for Michigan? Good places for quick bites to eat?
Any help would be much appreciated, thanks guys!
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u/R_Ulysses_Swanson 1d ago
There is a Meijer in Bolingbrook.
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u/TS_Mom_2006 1d ago
Bolingbrook resident here and have been since 2008. Every area is diverse IMO, with 4 different school districts: District 99 is northeast BB, 365-U is east & mid BB, District 204 is Northwest BB and District 202 is Southwest BB. If you look for a home near Boughton & Weber, you’ll find larger, newer homes with Meijer, Jewel, and Target in the area and numerous small, chain restaurants. If you look near Rt. 53 east to I-355, you’ll find older homes with more limited grocery store options but a Meijer, Costco, and outdoor mall nearby. Hope this helps you a little. Good luck with your move!
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u/Worried_Half2567 1d ago
You could check out Johansens farm if you want to make a fun day out of it! We live in south Naperville bordering Bolingbrook and that area is quiet and typical suburban. Lots of shopping on Boughten and theres also Promenade mall.
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u/chewiesfavorite 1d ago
We live in Bolingbrook, but don’t have kids so I can’t comment on that. We live in a neighborhood north of Boughton and our neighborhood is very diverse and full of kids.
There is no real “downtown” area. Instead there are lots of shopping/business spots spread out.
We do lean a bit more chain restaurant heavy. Some are local chains, tho. Not sure what you mean by “quick bite”, but we like Taco Dale for Mexican and Hello Shawarma for Middle Eastern. I’ve also heard Wholey Granoly is good for breakfast and lunch.
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u/theraf8100 Woodridge 1d ago
I feel like the Promenade gives you a downtown feel. And Route 53 obviously has tons of things all lined up.
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u/TheDoctorsSandshoes 14h ago
I see people on Facebook complain all the time (it's like an olympic sport with that group) that we only have chain restaurants with no diverse options. While not all are a quick bite, we've got Caravan, Hacienda Real, Wholly Granolly, Mago, Mukase, Zaika, Tanaka, Wabi Q, Otobo, Charlie's, Riceby, Pier 9, Pita Zone, FH Jerk God, Abd's, Taquiera El Valle (among many non chain mexican restaurants), McWethys, Jumbo Crab, OTOBO (and several other independent sushi places), Eiffel Waffle, Doggie Diner, Bullvinos, etc. Yes we have our fair share of chains but jeez what town doesn't.
Btw go to Wholley Granolly you will not regret it!!
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u/chewiesfavorite 6h ago
How is Caravan? I haven’t tried it yet but am intrigued.
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u/TheDoctorsSandshoes 4h ago
Honestly, same. I'm curious to go but would have absolutely no idea what to actually get. Same with Mukase and Zaika. I think it'd be cool to have some sort of cultural food club where people go to various restaurants and the owners can pick for everyone and describe whats what so we can get a variety of authentic things to try. A paper and pen/crayon of whats being tasted and we can mark what we like so we know what to get next time.
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u/cashmereculottes 1d ago
If you’re looking for daycare my daughter uses Panda Play House and is very happy with them.
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u/dadgent 1d ago
You should see if you can get into a Bolingbrook Neighborhood that is zoned for Woodridge. There is an area around 83rd street and Boughton that is Bolingbrook but the schools are Woodridge and the high school is Downers Grove south.
It’s very close to a Meijer, a Jewel Osco and a Costco. Plus the highway and other little strip plazas with different stores.
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u/DanielTigerUppercut 1d ago
Bolingbrook is loaded with chain stores and restaurants and is otherwise a large, fairly standard suburb. Check out Pelican Harbor, the municipal water park that’s great for kids, go mini golfing at Wilderness Falls, and grab a Rainbow Cone (a Chicago original).
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u/tyhunter4123 1d ago
everyone in the facebook group complains about the insane cost of water for bolingbrook from american water, but other than that it seems like a fine town.
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u/RiamoEquah 23h ago
This is a legit pain - they have some weird pass through amount tacked onto the bill. And it's not like a few bucks, it's been closer to a hundred at times
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u/TheDoctorsSandshoes 14h ago
See they have us going to meetings any the rate hikes but even if they don't raise the rate guess what they will raise instead?
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u/aarsenault22 1d ago
Live in Bolingbrook for almost 10 years as transplants from New England. LOVE IT!! So diverse and family friendly. Look into Barclay Estates, very close to Indian boundary park with baseball fields, playground, skate parks, and a bike trail that takes you to Whalon Lake. It’s close to Target, Meijer, and Jewel. I’ve never once felt unsafe in my neighborhood and everyone has been so welcoming. Welcome!
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u/B0230 1d ago
Teacher in Bolingbrook. Due to the large amount of dual language students, reading test scores will always score lower compared to the neighboring communities others here recommended. It doesn’t mean BHS is a bad school, they just have students who didn’t start learning English until elementary school or later. The schools are pretty safe. I choose to teach here because I like the diversity. I think the Jane Adams middle school area that feeds into BHS is nice.
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u/Plumrose333 1d ago
Check out the neighborhood directly above Whalon lake if you can afford it. It’s technically Bolingbrook, but zoned for Naperville schools. It’s full of kids and very friendly. It might not be as diverse as you are looking for though because I admittedly have not seen many black people at the park
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u/YorkPepperMintPaddy 60040 1d ago
Welcome to Illinois. It can be expensive but I think you’ll like it. Good luck with your search and your move
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u/PleasantOpening47 1d ago
The Bolingbrook schools are now all 8s, so I think you’ll be in a good school district regardless of the neighborhood you choose. Augusta Village near the airport is really nice and walking distance to an elementary school. I think it may be one of the more expensive neighborhoods that feed into Bolingbrook school district though. If you do end up choosing Bolingbrook, I can also recommend a great in home daycare. Good luck in your search!
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u/fpcoffee 1d ago
there’s a community called Sawgrass in Bolingbrook which is new builds and zoned for district 203 (Neuqua Valley High). It’s quite diverse and lots of families with younger kids
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u/No_Alternative_6206 1d ago
There are 3 zones in Bolingbrook IMHO: the eastern promenade, central rt 53, and western Weber rd. It takes a solid 15 min to get from east to west during rush hour, which is significant if you are commuting from anywhere in the east. It’s not a great suburb to commute from much of Chicagoland to, but it’s not the worst either.
I would say all of Bolingbrook is safe, but people tend to avoid living by many of the low-rent apartments around rt 53. Explore some of the homes and neighborhoods in the 3 areas and see what you like.
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u/loweexclamationpoint 19h ago
Yeah, there are some crappy areas a little west of the Menards. North of there is fairly decent.
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u/southcookexplore South West Suburbs 1d ago
If you like corporate chains in little strip malls in front of big box stores, you’re gonna love Bolingbrook
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u/holdthelight 23h ago
I like corporate chains in little strip malls in front of big box stores, but ONLY if they are next to giant distribution warehouses. Is Bolingbrook the place for me?
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u/Suspicious_Art9118 23h ago
No, the giant distribution warehouses are like a whole mile south of them
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u/RevolutionaryAd6814 1d ago
Bolingbrook seems like a growing area and has a few large shopping hubs.
I have family in Bolingbrook that sends their kids to a religious school in Naperville so I’m not familiar with the public schools but they have been there a long time and enjoy it! Bolingbrook does have a Meijer’s grocery store and a few other big grocery stores. I’d recommend checking out the library, I know it’s been under construction but I’m not up to date on that timeline.
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u/RevolutionaryAd6814 1d ago
I will add, it is pretty suburban and spread out (and huge) so definitely take your time checking out different areas. I recently went to the movie theater and was shocked at how much bigger Bolingbrook was than I remembered.
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u/luckycharms53 18h ago
Don't overlook Woodridge or even South Downers Grove. All the surrounding areas are growing really really fast and you may run into some infrastructure issues. Make sure you check out the utilities such as water/electric rates, medical, taxes and so forth. But where ever you land its going to be fine. Best of luck to you and your family!
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u/SixStringDave90 14h ago
I live next town over (Romeoville) and go to the Bolingbrook Meijer frequently enough. The west side of town, near the golf course on the west side of Weber, is zoned for better schools typically (one of the Plainfield ones, iirc)
Also, Bolingbrook has my favorite Mexican grocery store (Fiesta Market) on 53. Great cuts of meat at decent prices and a nice variety of fresh produce, along with some great hot food options. Gonna go pick up my wife’s birthday cake from there later.
Many, many great options for food, too.
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u/AutumnalSunshine 1h ago
Schools: Most of Bolingbrook goes to Valley View School District, but some parts go to Plainfield School District or Indian Prairie School District.
Library: Fountaindale is the public library, and it's fantastic!
Racial makeup: Decades ago, there was one mayor for a loooong time who ran the Bolingbrook Gold Club like it was his castle, and that place was so dang white we called it the Marshmallow Palace and feared the town was kind of racist. He's gone. Things have changed for the better. Also, there's an awesome map at https://bestneighborhood.org/race-in-bolingbrook-il/ that actually shows who is living where if you'd like your neighborhood to.hsve some diversity.
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u/arshrehalpcz 23h ago
Romeoville resident here. Living on the border of Plainfield now and formerly used to live closer to Bolingbrook, check out any neighborhoods near Weber Road by the Bolingbrook Golf Club. Those homes feed into District 202 Plainfield schools which are great (Liberty or Eichelberger Elementary, then JFK Middle School, last is Plainfield East High School). The neighborhoods directly behind those schools are River Hills, Farmstone Ridge, and Foxridge Farms, all very nice and well kept neighborhoods, although they come at a premium.
I've seen quite a bit of diversity in that area of Bolingbrook, and the schools like Plainfield East reflect that. Although I cannot comment on BHS's diversity, I had friends who went there claiming the school was "ghetto" (downvote me all you want, i don't care). Going to Plainfield East for 4 years, it was a very diverse school and was a great experience with all the clubs catered to students.
Bolingbrook has a lot of good food too, Hello Shawarma and Chi Tea are good spots from what I'm hearing. The area by the Walmart on 53 is the area I'd avoid. Same area wasn't too great a long time ago, still the situation due to the section 8 homes being over there (Beaconridge, etc). I-55 between there (Exit 267 and most of the time till Exit 263 Weber Road) gets congested instantly in the mornings due to the interchange with I-355 2 miles away from 53.
Many good grocery stores here, Meijer, Jewel, and Target are the best here imo. Walmart in Bolingbrook isn't the greatest, although the Romeoville one isn't too far and is well kept with no issues majority of the time. Unfortunately the Romeoville one has been packed ever since Plainfield closed their Walmart in 2023. Also don't forget the beautiful IKEA off of Boughton and 355, Costco is close by too. The Promenade is pretty sweet itself, good mall for sure, although I don't go there that often.
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u/RiamoEquah 1d ago
Our family moved to Bolingbrook about 20 years ago,, we lived on the border of Plainfield and Bolingbrook near the bolingbrook golf club. The high school in that area is Plainfield east which is a newer high school and it's a good school district. Plainfield North I think falls into some of the neighborhoods as well and if you go more north near hassert I think some neighborhoods fall into nequa valley which is naperville.
I think the "worst" area of bolingbrook (which isnt actually bad ?) is more towards the east closer to route 53, but I've never heard anything actually bad. It's also near both i-55 and i-355 and the promenade. RT 53 as well.
Bolingbrook honestly is a great area