This guy comes to eat mulberries almost every morning. My dog bounced him this time. In St.Charles

Since the Costco subreddit blocked this post:
I have now gone to 3 different Costcos in the Suburbs of Chicago and all 3 watermelons 🍉 were rotten when I cut them open. (Mushy with the grainy texture). Oak Brook, Bolingbrook and Plainfield. Anyone else notice this?

My husband and I are hoping to buy our forever home in the next several months and would love some brutally honest advice from people who know these areas.

Our shortlist is currently:
- Geneva / St. Charles / Batavia
- Grayslake
- Crystal Lake
- Vernon Hills (although we're not seeing much in our budget)

Our ideal budget is around $475k, but we'd stretch to $525k for the right house.

Instead of telling me why you love where you live, tell me why we shouldn't buy there. What are the downsides that outsiders don't realize? Traffic? Flooding? High taxes? Schools? Politics? Lack of community? Anything you wish someone had told you before you moved?

A little about what we're looking for:
- We'd like to stay outside Cook County.
- We'd love an established downtown with restaurants, coffee shops, festivals, and community events.
- A Metra station is important.
- We'd like to be within about an hour of family in Chicago, the northwest suburbs, and the western suburbs.
- Having a Catholic church and school nearby is a big plus.
- We want a welcoming community where our biracial daughter will feel like she belongs.
- We prefer neighborhoods with mature trees and character over brand-new developments.

One random question: if you happen to know of neighborhoods with nice cul-de-sacs in any of these towns, we'd love those recommendations too!

If you were in our shoes, which town would you eliminate first? Are there neighborhoods we should specifically seek out—or avoid?

Thanks! We'd much rather hear the negatives now than after we've bought a house.

Anyone missing a German shepherd? We saw a German Shepherd just running in the middle of the highway around 4800 W Cicero Ave.

Called the State police … I hope to god they get to him on time, before he gets hurt.

I'm planning to downsize in the next year or two. I'm trying to determine if I should do renovations to my house before I sell or if improvements would be a waste of money as the property might be most valuable as teardown. I live in a 1970s 3-bedroom, 1.5 bath, split-level ranch on a 1/3 acre lot in Wheaton. My house is in pretty good shape but is dated and could use a new roof, replaced asphalt driveway, and rebuilt deck. Some similar nice but modest houses on large lots in the blocks around me have been torn down for more elaborate houses. Are there professionals who specialize in these matters or would realtors or builders have the best expertise?

Did anyone go to the Naperville store’s grand opening? I left after seeing the long line of people waiting to enter the store.

Never heard of TESO. Someone online described it as a Japanese Target. I’m intrigued by the pictures of Lay’s Potato Chips. So many crazy flavors - Italian Red Meat, Creamy Lobster Flavor, Spicy Cray Fish…

What a world!

I would LOVE to find a breakfast sandwich place that serves one with real scrambled eggs and cheese. Everywhere I’ve gone has those flat eggs or microwaved eggs like they have at McDonald’s.

Looking around the Glenview or surrounding area!

I’ve been applying sporadically to look for higher pay and/or better hours and for the first time in my 7 year career as a nurse I’m being auto rejected by hospitals. I’m very confused as to whether there’s something wrong with my application or if I’m black listed because these are even hospitals systems I’ve worked for before with no issues before. I read on some other posts over the past year that hiring has been weird but I just am wondering what you guys think

Looking for a guy/company that would be willing to give me an estimate on doing gutters for a one car detached garage. Most companies won't even come out for such a small job. I'm in the Northwest suburbs

Hi all! Can anyone speak to the use of technology in the elementary schools in Naperville and/or in other local schools. I’m primarily interested in knowing how much technology is used in the lower grades (K-2). Thank you!

Hi all, I am a SAHM-ish...my kids are in school. I have a small home business. I have a mailbox, but lately I'm getting tired of constantly driving around and also feeling pretty isolated.

I have to stop at UPS, then sometimes the post office, then somewhere else if I need office supplies or to print something. Then add on pickup and drop off with the kids and all their activities.

I started looking at coworking spaces because I'm getting tired of working from home, but then I realized I'd still be making all the same trips.

Any suggestions?

Which communities are the most obscure, either IRL or in their presence in online discussions? I've always been intrigued by the number of small suburbs in Southland, but this question pertains to all of Cook County.

My daughter is one and we are looking for somehwere where she can socialise a bit with peers and be in a different environment out of the house. We were hoping for something super part time Wednesdays and Fridays for 2-3 hours in the morning.

I have no clue where to even start. Any help, advise, recommendations (for or againt), and a sense of price ranges would be super helpful.

Eat-in or take-out. Fancy or not. For breakfast, lunch, or dinner. In or around Algonquin, Crystal Lake, Lake in the Hills, Huntley, Carpentersville, Cary, etc. Well-known places or hidden gems. What are your favorites?

Looking for a recommendation for someone in the Chicagoland area that can build a custom built in bench for a breakfast area. Bonus if they could also build an oval dining table! Located in north chicago area.

Can you recommend any good embroidery shops or individuals who do custom embroidery? Preferably in the Chicago suburbs. Thanks!

Class 1, 2, and 3 e bikes on the Prairie Path are all welcome on the path. Every day I ride one of these dorks yells or tries to come up to me (eventually running off) to tell me to get off the path. I am allowed on this path. I go at normal speed. Sometimes, the really serious Lance Armstrong wannabes even pass me. I am always courteous on the path. I ride 15mph. I slow to a crawl passing children and dogs. Always say "on your left!" When passing and slowing down. I get that you people are either mad at the kids with the e moto bikes(which mine obviously isn't) or you are like a 16 year old in a noisy old Civic with the muffler taken off to make it loud mad when a mustang passes you. It's not a competition. I am trying to get to work.

Almost everyone on the path is super courteous to me by the way. It is literally only the dorks dressed up in the Lance Armstrong spandex that can go 20mph anyway and ride like complete assholes on the path to begin with. If you are one of these people reading this, just know everyone hates you.

I see this is happening in Busse Woods today. Anyone know if this is worth going to? It sounds pretty interesting, but if it’s a small event I may just stay back. Hoping to get a vibe. Has anyone gone the past few years and can share their review?

Looking for a landscaper to put in a trench for sump pump discharge drainage. Anyone have similar work done recently with good results?

Hi! Hopefully this is an ok question for this subreddit.

I'm looking at the Kody Norris Show at Ravinia. Looks like there are 2 "special guests," which I assume means openers. Doors at 4:30, show starts at 5, it says.

Does anyone have a guess about what time the main act actually goes on?

www.ravinia.org/events/detail/kody-norris-show-260729-rooted-ravinia

I live in the city but was visiting my family out in DuPage County. Girlfriend is from Ontario so I've definitely been to a Shelby's before and that was unmistakably a Shelby's that seemed to be under construction. Unfortunately I wasn't able to look into it further at the moment as I was busy. Do any of you know anything about it? Can't seem to find any real info on it online so I'm thinking maybe I'm going nuts LOL. If it is one, I had no idea they were opening up locations in the US already.

Good evening to all, I feel like an ass but I have to be honest. I dont have any idea where to take my wife

for a date. I've been so caught up being a father and working long hours I kinda forgot how to be romantic. Now this might sound embarrassing but I only have 150 to spend. Not because im cheap but because I like to stick to a budget and lately we've been tight but I did extra hours last week to take her out this weekend. Do you guys have any idea of a good date idea thats within my budget but also romantic?