Jeff Petersen

Teacher I Coach l City Wanderer l Parking Lot Loather I Door Aficianado

[Jeff Petersen @SCNPetersen]

I’m hanging out over on Instagram most of the time now.

Find me over there at jeffrey.petersen82 if you enjoy pictures from my wanderings around Chicago, random collections of door pictures, or chronicles of what I’m eating.

[Jeff Petersen @SCNPetersen]

@Eric_Erins The University owns like the next bajillion acres immediately south of campus, which limits the southward sprawl from this vantage point!

[Jeff Petersen @SCNPetersen]

@pupsandpinot @ajlatrace Granted I’m in the suburbs, but my son is currently playing with a friend who moved here from Dallas this year, and I’m looking across the street at my new neighbors that just moved here from Asheville.

[Jeff Petersen @SCNPetersen]

@minc798 Have had 2 houses on our block in Glen Ellyn sell recently. Both went for 20+% above list, and I know 1 had something like 17 offers. The market is wild.

[Jeff Petersen @SCNPetersen]

@mattlindner 2 years ago, during the 2023-2024 school year, my 2 kids in the western suburbs went to an awesome, very affordable daycare ~140 days. The combined cost was over $26,000. $26,000 for 140 days. It’s a little more than Candy Crush making people think twice about having kids.

[Jeff Petersen @SCNPetersen]

@SummitDavid @aaron_renn There’s an already been significant pension reform for TRS; it just takes quite awhile to have a major impact.

[Jeff Petersen @SCNPetersen]

@Eric_Erins Whenever I go to Hyde Park, I purposefully meander through the area, and it’s so cool to see both the infill, and the rehabs!

[Jeff Petersen @SCNPetersen]

@mnolangray Having walked & driven past it many times in the last 6 months, I don’t think it’s nearly as obtrusive as certain angles make it out to be, and it’ll soften even more when all the landscaping is finished.

[Jeff Petersen @SCNPetersen]

@culturecanceler @yajeetz0 Almost all of the UPW stops have walkable downtowns with tons of historic character. I live in downtown GE and it has 16 full-service restaurants, 5 cafes, 4 counter-service lunch spots, a juice bar, 3 bars, with another cafe and a taproom/restaurant opening soon.

[Jeff Petersen @SCNPetersen]

@Eric_Erins I was there late fall, and I don’t think it’s nearly as bad as people make it out to be. Once the site is finished, it will be much better as well.

[Jeff Petersen @SCNPetersen]

@chibbqk1ng @grayishungry Did Shan Shaan Taste ever reopen anywhere with a name change? That place was great.

I’ve had the Nanchang Beef Noodles at Noodleverse, which were good.

[Jeff Petersen @SCNPetersen]

@BrendaVest14 @TraceyRyniec @APBear76 Aeropay, TransLoop, IMC, Quantum Machines, DMGMori, Abbvie, Hyundai, CSL, & Mars have all announced significant expansions in the Chicago area, often adding hundreds of jobs, and investing tens to hundreds of millions.

[Jeff Petersen @SCNPetersen]

@BrendaVest14 @TraceyRyniec @APBear76 Since Caterpillar’s departure in 7/22, Chime, Xerus, TransLoop, Tata, Flock, Newcold, Spot, Bitwise, United, Umiami, Kellanova, Caddi, Nexamp, Vyond, Bedrock, PsiQuantum, KeyBank, Ayden, IBM, Sargent, Fortune, Stripe, Holcim, Abbott, DIRAQ, Pascal…

[Jeff Petersen @SCNPetersen]

@DanielKayHertz @Eric_Erins @PaulSkallas I haven’t been to downtown Joliet, but downtown Waukegan is in rough shape.

[Jeff Petersen @SCNPetersen]

@chibbqk1ng @M4X_POW3R I tackled your top 10 sandwiches list from 2020 during that winter of 2020/2021, and still think Ali Baba was the best of the bunch. Was bummed when it closed and agree that Doner 97 isn’t the same.

[Jeff Petersen @SCNPetersen]

@aaron_renn Some of the decline in a place like Barrington is more-so related to generational preference. Pre-COVID, when all of my 30-something friends began the move from city to suburbs, no one wanted to move that far anymore. Everyone wanted Arlington Heights, Oak Oark, Elmhurst, etc.

[Jeff Petersen @SCNPetersen]

@financedon2024 @TheMindScourge Spot-on. Oak Park, River Forest, LaGrange, Western Springs, Elmhurst, Hinsdale, Downers Grove, Lombard, Glen Ellyn, Wheaton, Naperville, St. Charles, Geneva & so many more out west are fantastic as well.

[Jeff Petersen @SCNPetersen]

@weakinstrument @arpitrage @AzizSunderji How are its suburbs wastelands? DuPage & Lake Counties are home to extremely well-educated, high-income populations, with tons of walkable towns on commuter rail lines that have existed for a century. Kind of an odd take.

[Jeff Petersen @SCNPetersen]

@ProducerCities My house in west suburban Chicago is +60% in value since 2019. Two houses on my street sold in the last two months for 20% above list. Wild times in some of the Chicago suburbs.

[Jeff Petersen @SCNPetersen]

@Eric_Erins Interesting take. I live in Glen Ellyn and think about when/if Lombard will accelerate (there are signs), and if West Chicago eventually will. I’d say those go before Aurora does. Both have downtowns, old bones, and are on the UPW.

[Jeff Petersen @SCNPetersen]

@DrDeburnke Chingon is good, but for like 1/40th the cost, there are a bunch of places in Back of the Yards, Brighton Park, Little Village, Pilsen, & Belmont Cragin that are just as good.