SperlingViews - Dolton, Illinois

Every year there is at least one major crime in this city. From robbing stores, and banks, to murder, this city is welcoming some people who come from Chicago city neighborhoods who must believe that crime is a normal way of life. Between Bishop Ford Fwy and Chicago Road, there are 10 stores/restaurants that sell liquor and only six learning facilities. There are no job development facilities (except for what you can get at the library), and no afterschool facilities within these blocks. The park district's summer program is costly and was an unorganized free-fall for my son. I enrolled my son in the South Holland Community Ctr summer program. It was well worth the money to have trained counselors and visable directors interacting with the children. Our taxes are continually on the rise, yet I can't SEE where the money is going. Have anyone seen an abatement truck drive down their block in the past three summers. Well, we are paying taxes for abatement. My property value keep going down, yet my taxes are going up. When Shaw was Mayor, why were we paying taxes toward a mental institution for several years(not the county in Tinley)? Will our taxes be lowered not that they are changing the Thornridge HS to a Freshman Academy to get students up to their proper grade level. I could not find one school in Dolton when my son started elementary school, that was not on academic probation. I hope we are not forced out of our community like all the other regentrified(sp?) inner-city neighborhoods of Chicago.[read more...]

I have lived here since July 1999 and when I decided to move out on my own, I knew that although I did like aspects of the city of Chicago, I didn't want to live there. I preferred a much quieter place that was only 20 minutes away from the city. That was fine until maybe 4-5 years later, I started seeing more kids hanging out on the corners because they have moved from the city. The education isn't great in comparison to other parts of the city either. Although I have to agree that the Chicago Public Schools could use more improvement, I have to also say that at least my kid was getting a lot of homework when he attended school there. Now I feel like I have to beg for homework here. The activities for kids are unorganized and it doesn't seem like there is much to do here for the young and old. On a brighter side, it still is more quietier than the city. The property taxes are lower, some people are decent, and it is close to many of the expressways around town.[read more...]

I've lived in Dolton for 17 years, and the neighborhood has changed tremendously in the last 5. This was once a nice south suburban neighborhood until they moved all of the project people from Chicago out here. Now, the crime rate has gone up tremendously, there have been more murders, break ins, rapes, etc. People don't know how to, or refuse to control their children who are some of the most destructive people I've seen. These kids walk in the middle of the street shouting profanities, throwing garbage and basically destroying anything that's good. Surrounding suburbs like Park Forest, Calumet City, South Holland, and others have also been affected. Think carefully before moving to the south suburbs. If you can afford to, consider Homewood, Flossmoor, Tinley Park, or Orland Park. Many of these areas don't accept section 8, and they will not tolerate any accerleration of crime.[read more...]