Happy Thursday!
I hope your week’s been a good one. I found a few things happening around the South ’Burbs that are worth passing along, so let’s get right to it.
Here's what's inside:
🎓 Lincoln-Way East student earns National Merit Scholarship
🚂 A historic steam locomotive just rolled through the south suburbs
📺 7 small towns around Chicago everyone's moving to
🎪 Old Canal Days, Santana, and a farm market this weekend
🏡 Two Chicago listings worth a look
🔍 $650K in La Grange vs. $650K in Frankfort
🚪 Gas prices, jobs, and your weekend weather
LET'S GET INTO IT ↓
Local headlines this week
🎓 Lincoln-Way East Student Earns National Merit Scholarship
Felix Sacks from Frankfort was named a National Merit University of Minnesota Scholar this week. Headed into chemistry. One of 2,500 winners nationally. South burbs are showing up.
📚 535 People Showed Up to a Foam Party at the Library
Orland Park Public Library kicked off its Summer Reading Challenge Saturday with carnival games, LEGO building, and a foam party that pulled in 535 people. Friends of the Library also donated $3,750 to support programming. Runs through August 1st.
🚂 A Historic Steam Locomotive Just Rolled Through the South Suburbs
Union Pacific's Big Boy No. 4014 chugged through the south suburbs this week as part of its tour celebrating America's 250th anniversary. Rail fans lined the tracks. If you missed it, it's worth watching here.
🐾 Manhattan's Animal Hospital Just Added a New Vet
Grand Prairie Animal Hospital in Manhattan is welcoming Dr. Mackenzie Germino to the team in mid-June. Orland Park native, Kansas State vet school grad, specializing in small-animal medicine.
7 Small Towns Around Chicago Everyone’s Moving To Right Now
The Seven suburbs, one ranking, and a few of them are flying completely under the radar. I broke them all down on the channel this week.
Here's the quick version:
La Grange: feels more like a city neighborhood than a suburb. BNSF Metra gets you to Union Station in 25-30 minutes, homes selling 4% above list price. If you love walkable, dense places, this is your market.
Elmhurst: the New York Times called it one to watch in 2025. Custom new builds on infill lots, A+ rated schools, Metra to Ogilvie in under 40 minutes.
Oak Park: highest concentration of Frank Lloyd Wright buildings in the world, CTA and Metra access, less than 11 miles from the Loop. Buyers here know exactly what they're paying for.
Frankfort: restaurants packed, brewery patios full, historic district alive. Mid-$500Ks to low-$600Ks gets you a significantly larger home than in the west suburbs at the same price. Lincoln-Way East is carrying an exemplary state rating.
Plainfield: first-time buyer territory. New construction in the mid-$400Ks to mid-$500Ks range, 50-55 days on market, room to actually negotiate.
Lockport: 380+ new businesses since 2013, M/I Homes just announced 260 new units, and prices haven't caught up yet. One of the most underpriced markets in the region.
Arlington Heights: Bears stadium bill passed the Illinois House 78-32 in April: speculative play right now, but strong fundamentals either way.
Frankfort and the southwest suburbs belong on this list. Watch and see why.
🎥 Watch the full breakdown here
New videos every week: market breakdowns, local development, what's actually moving in the suburbs.
Subscribe here so you don't miss the next one.
Old Canal Days, Santana, and a farmers’ market
🎪 Old Canal Days Festival (Lockport)
One of the best festival weekends of the summer. Free entry, carnival rides, artisan market, live music all weekend, beer garden, petting zoo, and fireworks Sunday night.
10-15 minutes from Frankfort and New Lenox.
📅 Now through June 14th
📍 303 W 2nd St, Lockport
🎸 Santana & The Doobie Brothers (Tinley Park)
Two Rock & Roll Hall of Fame acts on one stage, and this is the first night of their entire North American tour.
Tickets from $35. Lawn chairs welcome.
📅 June 13th | 7 PM
📍 Credit Union 1 Amphitheater, 19100 Ridgeland Ave, Tinley Park
🌾 Dean's Greens Market at the Barn (Orland Park)
Saturday morning farm market at Boley Farm, Orland Park's oldest existing farm.
Local crafters, farm-to-table food vendors, and a great way to spend the morning before the concert.
📅 June 13th | 9 AM–2 PM
📍 8101 W 151st St, Orland Park
Featured Listing: Chicago
$175K, new roof, new furnace, quiet street on the southwest side with easy access to the expressway and transit. Guardianship sale, sold as-is. If you've got a contractor and a vision, the numbers work.
📍 3748 W 54th St, Chicago
Featured Listing: Chicago
Corner unit in River North with panoramic skyline views from every room, a 700 sq ft private terrace, 10' ceilings, and the largest floor plan in the building. Updated kitchen, custom closets, in-unit washer/dryer, and covered garage parking included. Steps from Ward Park, Whole Foods, and the riverwalk. One of a kind at this price point in River North.
📍 873 N Larrabee Street #202, Chicago
Thinking about making a move in 2026? Text or call me directly. 📞 708-612-0644
$650K in La Grange or $650K in Frankfort?
I covered both on the channel this week. And I'll be honest, I teased this comparison in the video on purpose because the numbers are worth seeing side by side.
La Grange is one of the best suburbs in the Chicago area. Walkable, dense, feels like a city neighborhood, BNSF Metra gets you to Union Station in 25-30 minutes. Homes here are selling around 4% above list price. It earns every dollar it commands.
At $650K in La Grange, you're getting into the market, not buying your dream home. You're competing hard, moving fast, and probably waiving contingencies to win.
In Frankfort, $650K is a different conversation entirely. Custom-built home on a real lot, no cookie-cutter subdivisions allowed, full stop. Lincoln-Way East holds an exemplary state designation and ranks in the top 10% in Illinois. Downtown, which has been filling in with restaurants, breweries, and shops that didn't exist five years ago.
Same budget. Significantly more house. A community that's still in its growth chapter.
La Grange has already arrived. Frankfort is getting there, and buyers who get in now will be glad they did.
👉 See what $650K looks like in Frankfort
👉 See what $650K looks like in La Grange
Thinking about making the move? Reply to this email, and I'll walk you through both sides based on what actually matters to you.
⛽ CHEAPEST GAS IN THE SOUTH BURBS!
Prices as of 06/07/26 (Website)
📍 New Lenox — ~$4.26 ⬇️ From Last Week
📍 Mokena — ~$4.38 ⬇️ From Last Week
📍 Frankfort — ~$4.49 ⬇️ From Last Week
📍 Manhattan — ~$4.38 ⬇️ From Last Week
💼 LOCAL JOBS & VOLUNTEER PICKS
🌤️ WEEKEND WEATHER: FRANKFORT, IL
Friday: 82°/61° — 🌤️ Mostly sunny — 💧Low — 💨 S 10–15mph
Saturday: 75°/58° — ☁️ Partly cloudy then sunny — 💧10% — 💨 NNE 5mph
Sunday: 79°/57° — 🌤️ Partly sunny — 💧20% — 💨 SSE 5–10mph
Thanks for reading this week’s edition of the South Suburbs Scoop.
Every Thursday, I'll be dropping this in your inbox.
Local news, what's going on this weekend, where the market's at, and a few things to make your week a little easier.
If there's something you want to see more of, just reply and let me know. This thing gets better when you tell me what matters to you.
Have a great weekend, and I’ll see you right back here next Thursday.
— John
📞 708-612-0644 | [email protected]
