Think twice about moving to Mundelein
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4/1/2009
Here are the pluses - close to route 53, tollway and Libertyville, Vernon Hills and Lincolnshire all of which have a lot to offer. Housing cheaper than some of the other surrounding suburbs (but you pay for this in other ways). Has a nice, fairly new community center/fitness center and a nice new, expensive library and fire department. Not a high crime area - read police blotter - most arrests are minor offenses (but beware of the cops). If you want your nails done, your hair done or to eat fast food - this is a great place to live with plenty of these establishments available.
Minuses - downtown area has nothing going for it - architecturally it's a mess with old, ugly, small strip malls everywhere with a lot of vacant business space - the nicest building is the oversized police department built a few years ago and Park Street restaurant. All the other buildings are seriously a mish mosh of architectural style (if you can even call it that). There's a rail line that goes right through the center of town and you will get stopped several times during the day for freight trains that roll through - plan on spending a lot of time waiting on Rt. 176 several times during the day - really frustrating when you're trying to get to work. The only etertainment in the town are 2 bowling alleys and a roller rink for the kids. The cute little movie theatre closed several years ago. If you want to have your nails done, visit a fast food restaurant or a generic drug store, this is the place to live. Any of the unique businesses close after a year or so; schools are only so-so; police department is corrupt and overstaffed and because there is no 'real' crime, the cops are bored and known to harrass people (so be prepared). Mayor is more concerned with 'appearances' of their public buildings - police, fire, library than they are with providing an attractive and appealing town. Currently live here, plan to move when housing market improves and will never come back. There are a lot of better suburbs in Lake County.
John | Mundelein, IL