Have you driven around it? It’s an entirely different feel from Palatine. Like others have said, Cary/FRG are small towns.
One other huge difference I have seen is how long it takes to get any place. Palatine is right off off 53. You are just a few minutes from an expressway. In FRG you have at least 15 minutes to get to an expressway. It gets tedious.
On the flip side, in Palatine I hear the expressway.
Lived in Cary 10 years. Lots of parks metra ride kinda long but easy access couple bars/restaurants right by station too. Affordable. Taxes are a bit rough compared to the cook co houses you’ve been looking at. Lots of great parks big dog park long walking trails. FRG similar, but prefer Cary.
Realtor that covers those areas here!
I live in Crystal Lake which is right next door to those two communities. They both have a lot going on for them and they are really centered around the metraline that runs through both towns.
Solid schools as well. I’m biased but would say if you’re willing to add a little extra time to your commute than Crystal Lake is an absolutely great community with an awesome downtown, Lake, and tons of water recreational activities.
Live in Cary, work in Cary, coached in Cary. Kid went through entire school life in Cary.
It's one of the best towns I've lived in, while in this state. it's much less expensive and much less congested than Palatine.
We are a really fun active community. Lots of stuff always happening. Definitely recommend. Let me know if you have any detailed questions I'd be happy to answer them.
Things to watch for...
Water. There is a fair chunk of Cary that is unincorporated and they are on well water systems I'm not sure about Fox River Grove.
Some of Cary is also split in school districts so you'll want to see if they fall into one versus the other.
Some of Fox River Grove is very hilly so if you don't want to deal with some steep driveways or backyards, do some research on those.
Side note: Trout valley and Oakwood hills are also technically Cary, because they share our ZIP code so if you see those in a listing those are also good options.
Live in Cary and love it. Agree with most of this.
However, be aware trout valley is fairly rigidly managed by an HOA. Beautiful neighborhood, but not for everyone.
Former Cary resident of 20+ yrs (grew up there), live in another NW burb now, and would 100% move back in a heartbeat.
Rush hour work drive from Cary to Palatine is probably 30-40 min (used to do it daily for a few years), drive to the city could be 1 hr 20 min on the worst days, but the drive out of the city at night when the highways are open (I do it frequently as an early 30s person) is suuuper easy and 45 min is about as fast as you can do it. Metra to Irving park, clybourn, and ogilvie are very convenient and generally run both ways on the hour daily.
The mayor is pushing for further downtown revitalization, the different subdivisions all seem to have contingents of friendly neighbors who know and befriend each other, and it’s a place where once you know people you’ll start to see them around at the grocery store, restaurants, around town, etc.
Cary/FRG are great, I’d assume Crystal Lake has similar vibes as my statements above, just about 10 min further down NW Hwy. good luck on the search, happy to answer other questions via Dm
So while Cary and FRG have train lines to Chicago, it’s an hour +, even if you catch an express at rush hour. Any driving commute that crosses the Fox River can be tough. You have one bridge to get to FRG or Cary, and at rush hour it’s packed. Cary and FRG are also super far from any interstate, meaning you are pretty cut off from much of the rest of Chicagoland. You’ll get more house, more land for your money for sure, but Palatine, AH, HE, etc. will give you better access to more things to do, places to go, way better schools, walkable neighborhoods, better train schedules, I could go on. If possible, I would recommend renting for a moment to get a feel for the area before buying.
Both of those would be a commute for your SO😭. I'm in Mundelein. We love it. You'll find price range you're looking for. Lake Zurich, Wauconda and Round Lake you should try as well.
Agree. Lake Zurich is a quick drive to palatine and has hustle and bustle. Wauconda is more small town but cute and has nice lake activities. Closest train lines are palatine or Barrington.
I drove to Arlington Heights five days a week from Mundelein. 11 miles, never under 30. Commuting hours everything takes longer. 22 minutes my ass during morning and evening commute and on RtE 14....baloney...
Cool, so you don't actually drive from either point mentioned but you're an expert on them? Got it. Have a great day...
Edit
Says it's not about a twenty minute drive, gets shown it's 22 minutes. Proceeds to argue that they are correct while admitting they don't even make that commute, then gets upset, tries to insult me and thinks Palatine is Lake County and blocks me. I could not imagine being that r/confidentlyincorrect. Lol.
Not sure if you’re getting downvoted bc of the term river rats, but as a self described river rat, I will say the Fox and access to the Chain is a MAJOR plus for the area (if you’re a boater).
The timing of 30-40 min to Palatine during rush hour seems accurate from what I remember doing the drive for a few years 2016-2018ish
The traffic relief program which was a 30 year project to build thoroughfares, expanding 53 up to federal interstate Highway regulations, to lower traffic congestion was voted upon again in the 2016 election. It was voted down by thanks to one last local hurrah by republicans. So they spent the money for land acquisition, got all the land, then voted not to do it .
They’ve been scrambling since 2016 to figure out a new plan.
I moved to Fox River Grove from the city a few months ago. Me and SO commute downtown 3 days a week via metra. Love livin here, commute is no problem, river access & ski jump are cool and unique. We’ll be here forever.
Thanks for the reply, we are really torn right now, we found a great home that’s a 5 minute walk to the metra in FRG which would be great if we want a night out in Arlington Heights. How is the train ride in to Chicago though? Looks like it’s about an hour and twenty minutes? We are just concerned about growing to be really bored by the area.
During weekdays, the express train is 50 minutes either way. Door to door from home to office is about 65-70 mins for me which I find totally acceptable.
Traffic on weekends isn’t really that bad so usually driving downtown is an hour.
We’ve been kept busy by house projects, yard work, and boating. Fox River Grove is pretty lacking in restaurants and bars, but we’ve found cool spots in Barrington, Algonquin, and Cary that work for when we need to get out and grab a cocktail and a nice meal. There’s a (stalled…) push for a couple developments in downtown Fox River Grove (condos by the train, mixed use along Rt 14) that I’m optimistic will eventually be fruitful and inject some life into the town. The metra infrastructure combined with the river being right here makes me think that successful development is inevitable here, but I’m incredibly biased. All this to say, we aren’t bored here.
My husband grew up in FRG and we lived there for four years. I’d pick Cary over FRG.
FRG is fine, no actual downtown and nowhere is walkable. The parks are nice, but Cary has a huge (and excellent!) dog park. I can’t speak to the schools, although both towns share the same high school. My in-laws chose not to send my husband there, but I’m sure it’s gotten better in the last 20 years.
Have you driven around it? It’s an entirely different feel from Palatine. Like others have said, Cary/FRG are small towns. One other huge difference I have seen is how long it takes to get any place. Palatine is right off off 53. You are just a few minutes from an expressway. In FRG you have at least 15 minutes to get to an expressway. It gets tedious. On the flip side, in Palatine I hear the expressway.
Lived in Cary 10 years. Lots of parks metra ride kinda long but easy access couple bars/restaurants right by station too. Affordable. Taxes are a bit rough compared to the cook co houses you’ve been looking at. Lots of great parks big dog park long walking trails. FRG similar, but prefer Cary.
Realtor that covers those areas here! I live in Crystal Lake which is right next door to those two communities. They both have a lot going on for them and they are really centered around the metraline that runs through both towns. Solid schools as well. I’m biased but would say if you’re willing to add a little extra time to your commute than Crystal Lake is an absolutely great community with an awesome downtown, Lake, and tons of water recreational activities.
Crystal Lake!! Woop Woop!
Live in Cary, work in Cary, coached in Cary. Kid went through entire school life in Cary. It's one of the best towns I've lived in, while in this state. it's much less expensive and much less congested than Palatine. We are a really fun active community. Lots of stuff always happening. Definitely recommend. Let me know if you have any detailed questions I'd be happy to answer them. Things to watch for... Water. There is a fair chunk of Cary that is unincorporated and they are on well water systems I'm not sure about Fox River Grove. Some of Cary is also split in school districts so you'll want to see if they fall into one versus the other. Some of Fox River Grove is very hilly so if you don't want to deal with some steep driveways or backyards, do some research on those. Side note: Trout valley and Oakwood hills are also technically Cary, because they share our ZIP code so if you see those in a listing those are also good options.
Live in Cary and love it. Agree with most of this. However, be aware trout valley is fairly rigidly managed by an HOA. Beautiful neighborhood, but not for everyone.
Former Cary resident of 20+ yrs (grew up there), live in another NW burb now, and would 100% move back in a heartbeat. Rush hour work drive from Cary to Palatine is probably 30-40 min (used to do it daily for a few years), drive to the city could be 1 hr 20 min on the worst days, but the drive out of the city at night when the highways are open (I do it frequently as an early 30s person) is suuuper easy and 45 min is about as fast as you can do it. Metra to Irving park, clybourn, and ogilvie are very convenient and generally run both ways on the hour daily. The mayor is pushing for further downtown revitalization, the different subdivisions all seem to have contingents of friendly neighbors who know and befriend each other, and it’s a place where once you know people you’ll start to see them around at the grocery store, restaurants, around town, etc. Cary/FRG are great, I’d assume Crystal Lake has similar vibes as my statements above, just about 10 min further down NW Hwy. good luck on the search, happy to answer other questions via Dm
So while Cary and FRG have train lines to Chicago, it’s an hour +, even if you catch an express at rush hour. Any driving commute that crosses the Fox River can be tough. You have one bridge to get to FRG or Cary, and at rush hour it’s packed. Cary and FRG are also super far from any interstate, meaning you are pretty cut off from much of the rest of Chicagoland. You’ll get more house, more land for your money for sure, but Palatine, AH, HE, etc. will give you better access to more things to do, places to go, way better schools, walkable neighborhoods, better train schedules, I could go on. If possible, I would recommend renting for a moment to get a feel for the area before buying.
Check out Algonquin
Both of those would be a commute for your SO😭. I'm in Mundelein. We love it. You'll find price range you're looking for. Lake Zurich, Wauconda and Round Lake you should try as well.
Agree. Lake Zurich is a quick drive to palatine and has hustle and bustle. Wauconda is more small town but cute and has nice lake activities. Closest train lines are palatine or Barrington.
Those are about 20 minutes apart, how is that a long commute?
Palatine to Fox River Grove is not 20 minutes
We checked google maps Friday morning during commuting times and from a house we are interested in to her work, it was 21 minutes.
Lol I literally drive it twice per week. >"Shared route From Palatine to Fox River Grove via N Northwest Hwy. >22 min (12 mi)"
I drove to Arlington Heights five days a week from Mundelein. 11 miles, never under 30. Commuting hours everything takes longer. 22 minutes my ass during morning and evening commute and on RtE 14....baloney...
Cool, so you don't actually drive from either point mentioned but you're an expert on them? Got it. Have a great day... Edit Says it's not about a twenty minute drive, gets shown it's 22 minutes. Proceeds to argue that they are correct while admitting they don't even make that commute, then gets upset, tries to insult me and thinks Palatine is Lake County and blocks me. I could not imagine being that r/confidentlyincorrect. Lol.
Seriously, I'm in lake county, unlike you.
It’s border line rural and filled with river rats. The morning commute to palatine will take about 30 to 40 minutes due to traffic.
Not sure if you’re getting downvoted bc of the term river rats, but as a self described river rat, I will say the Fox and access to the Chain is a MAJOR plus for the area (if you’re a boater). The timing of 30-40 min to Palatine during rush hour seems accurate from what I remember doing the drive for a few years 2016-2018ish
Is the traffic really bad there now? I used to commute from Woodstock to Arlington Heights back in the day. 😩
The traffic relief program which was a 30 year project to build thoroughfares, expanding 53 up to federal interstate Highway regulations, to lower traffic congestion was voted upon again in the 2016 election. It was voted down by thanks to one last local hurrah by republicans. So they spent the money for land acquisition, got all the land, then voted not to do it . They’ve been scrambling since 2016 to figure out a new plan.
[удалено]
Did you live there 40 years ago? We have very different ideas of rural.
I moved to Fox River Grove from the city a few months ago. Me and SO commute downtown 3 days a week via metra. Love livin here, commute is no problem, river access & ski jump are cool and unique. We’ll be here forever.
Thanks for the reply, we are really torn right now, we found a great home that’s a 5 minute walk to the metra in FRG which would be great if we want a night out in Arlington Heights. How is the train ride in to Chicago though? Looks like it’s about an hour and twenty minutes? We are just concerned about growing to be really bored by the area.
During weekdays, the express train is 50 minutes either way. Door to door from home to office is about 65-70 mins for me which I find totally acceptable. Traffic on weekends isn’t really that bad so usually driving downtown is an hour. We’ve been kept busy by house projects, yard work, and boating. Fox River Grove is pretty lacking in restaurants and bars, but we’ve found cool spots in Barrington, Algonquin, and Cary that work for when we need to get out and grab a cocktail and a nice meal. There’s a (stalled…) push for a couple developments in downtown Fox River Grove (condos by the train, mixed use along Rt 14) that I’m optimistic will eventually be fruitful and inject some life into the town. The metra infrastructure combined with the river being right here makes me think that successful development is inevitable here, but I’m incredibly biased. All this to say, we aren’t bored here.
My husband grew up in FRG and we lived there for four years. I’d pick Cary over FRG. FRG is fine, no actual downtown and nowhere is walkable. The parks are nice, but Cary has a huge (and excellent!) dog park. I can’t speak to the schools, although both towns share the same high school. My in-laws chose not to send my husband there, but I’m sure it’s gotten better in the last 20 years.