SperlingViews - Sycamore, Illinois

I'd mostly agree with what Liz from Texas had to say, though when I lived there (1994-2001) the snow plowing was better (not the county roads, though!) Sycamore is an OK place to live if you're rich and happily married, but if you're poor or single, forget it! Especially single men, you definitely will not find Ms. Right here, or anywhere else in Illinois for that matter. People here are very materialistic and there is an abundance of class discrimination. As for the crime, Sycamore like most small towns seldom has really horrible crimes like murder, but it does have a lot of petty crime and more violence than you might expect. Part of this is because of the university town next door. The police are so-so, they generally try to fight crime but they also meddle a lot. They work for the local politicians and are union-shop, so don't expect them to always be fair. The attitude of the long-time residents toward newcomers and people outside their socio-economic class is definitely less than Christian, so making friends here won't be easy. That's why I say it's better if you already have a family and steady employment. Taxes are high just like anywhere else in Illinois, another reason I liked Texas a lot better! There are a few positive attributes of Sycamore: the Halloween festivities are good, there is a decent park and a bicycle trail that goes all the way to the suburbs. There are some nice historic places, too. There isn't much variety in the way of restaurants, but they are reasonably priced, the food is fair to good, and some have a decent atmosphere. All in all Sycamore wasn't for me, and most likely it won't be for you. I would recommend another part of the U.S., because if you go to other towns near Sycamore you'll encounter similar attitudes and a general lack of opportunity.[read more...]

My husband and I moved to this town from Texas as a halfway mark b/w his work and Chicago. We have family in Chicago which is the reason we moved here. Our experience here is that it is not an ideal place to live. At first the town appeared to be nice, but the town is money hungry. Their school systems are not well run or organized. Parents seem to lack common sense when picking up or dropping off their children, and the school administration does nothing to even try and correct it, and the school that my son was supposed attend was overcrowded and had to attend a school further away. (Over crowded schools is a problem in Dekalb County). That is just one of my list of complaints about their school system. Also, the general age group for Sycamore is seniors; however, DeKalb has a univeristy so if you go to that town, be aware that there is not a lot of family friendly areas. The scenery is appealing ONLY if you like corn fields! The climate is FREEZING with a ton of snow, and since the town is on budget with SALT, don't expect all roads to be salted or cleared in time for work. It has been a winter for the records this year. Jobs are hard to come by! There is not a variety of restaurants other than pizza or hot dogs, and the tiny shopping area that the county provides is outdated, and most stores have closed b/c of the dismal economy giving the appearance of desertion. After listing some of my negatives, I will tell you that the crime is LOW, and the town offers and encourages many family & community events. The fall is fun here b/c of corn mazes, orchards, pumpkin patches etc. However, I would rather live in a better city and just drive a distance to enjoy the fall perks. I suggest that no one move here from out of state.[read more...]

Nice town. Growing fast and property values are high. Decent schools. Safe place to live. Not the same small town I grew up in but quality has been maintained[read more...]