House of the Week: 6305 Sequoia Court

Plainfield Ind July 14, 2012 at 02:51 am

This house in not located in the Village of Plainfield. This should be showcased in the Joliet Patch not Plainfield.

Holly July 14, 2012 at 07:13 pm

Oh sorry. It isn't "Perfectly Plainfield". What a snob. Attitudes like yours keep people from wanting anything to do with Plainfield. No wonder so many business downtown have closed.

silentrippy July 15, 2012 at 12:08 am

Holly - I don't think it is their attitude. It is the increase in taxes and fees in not only the Village but every taxing body in and around Plainfield. That drives customers away which closes businesses. They can get better deals elsewhere.

MidwestGal July 17, 2012 at 03:52 pm

It's not a poor attitude - it's the truth. This is Joliet. This home looks disgusting by the way - stuff everywhere. What kind of realtor would post these? The floor mattress does not even have sheets on it . Sad .

Jerry July 17, 2012 at 04:26 pm

It's an "old" Plainfield elitist attitude, Holly, and we can argue it until we are blue in the face and it won't change so now I just laugh at this pathetic snobbery. The USPS says this is Plainfield. If you wanted to go look at this house and you were to type this address into your GPS with Joliet as the city, you'd get an "address not found". The people, like myself, that live on the south side of town are taxed by the appropriate governing body for the services they use. My school, town, road, park district, and library taxes all go to Plainfield. My fire, municipal services, and another library tax (yes, double library taxes) go to Joliet. When people unfamiliar with the area ask me where I am from, I almost always tell them Joliet because it's a bigger city and more identifiable...or I say "south of naperville". After living here for 13 years and getting to know some of the "old Plainfield" denizens, beocming familiar with the joke that is Plainfield politics, and the embarassment that is the downtown business district, it's almost embarassing to say I'm from Plainfield. As for the condition of the inside of the house, yeah, I wouldn't post those pictures if I was trying to sell it either. But to infer that it's in disrepair and poor condition because it's not REALLY Plainfield? Well, all you have to is drive a one block radius from the epicenter of your precious downtown and see what run-down really means.

LMS July 17, 2012 at 04:36 pm

It's so embarrassing to read comments with Plainfield snobbery. You live in PLAINFIELD, IL!!! Have you ever left the "village" and seen towns with great downtown areas (trains, paths, tons of dining, shopping, history, etc.)? There's plenty to be proud of and like in Plainfield, but not enough to warrant this recurring and inexplicable snobbery. The listed home has a Plainfield mailing address and I would guess (but am not interested enough to look up) that it's within Plainfield School District 202 and has a mixed bag of Plainfield/Joliet services. Of course the realtor's advertising it this way for the sake of simplicity, and will explain about the Joliet location to anyone who takes the next step and inquires. Big deal. If you think Plainfield is some amazing utopia of suburban charm that the "Jofielders" weep over being excluded from you're seriously deluded. What in the world makes people think this? If someone wants to live in Plainfield they'll buy a home in Plainfield. If Joliet's fine, they buy in Joliet. Instead of making laughable posts on the Patch why not organize and push for addresses south of the ~village~ cutoff line to no longer have Plainfield mailing addresses? That solution would make everyone happy. Even the people who get that--either way--it's just not a big deal.

justme July 17, 2012 at 05:41 pm

According to mapquest, google, my phone gps...etc., etc. this is Plainfield address. Not sure why the first poster felt the need to point that out but they are incorrect. Also, this "Patch" is for Plainfield - not just the "Positively Plainfield" residents but all of Plainfield and surrounding areas. I don't live in Plainfield, but have a child that attends a District 202 school. I am quite familiar with the whole "Positively Plainfield" snobbery discussed here. And seriously, get over yourself - you live in Plainfield not Bel Air.

justme July 17, 2012 at 05:42 pm

Not the truth - read a map. And do you assume that because there is some "stuff" around that is because the house is in Joliet?

MidwestGal July 17, 2012 at 07:31 pm

"that because there is some "stuff" around that is because the house is in Joliet?" I was not implying that at all! I was simply pointing out it was a poor job of the realtor to post them. And, for the record, I actually don't think that highly of Plainfield, just get sick and tired of people being embarrassed living in neighboring towns saying they live in another town then they actually do. THEY need to have pride in owning a home regardless of where it is!! And for the It's an "old" Plainfield elitist attitude, get over yourself - this town is a mixed bag. It's not bragging to say you are from this town.

Jerry July 17, 2012 at 07:42 pm

MidWestGal, you are either contradicting your original post or you did a poor job of expressing yourself in that post. Either way, I don't think it is I that needs to "get over myself". I find it a curious psychology that makes you so upset over what town others claim to be from. How does this affect you? Why do you care if I claim to be from Joliet, Plainfield, or Mars? Do you obtain your own identity that much from your address?

Tim July 17, 2012 at 08:15 pm

The USPS says it is 'plainfield' because that defines the post office that mail for that are is sorted through. It has absolutely nothing to do with town boundaries, and everything to do with the location of the post office.
The fact, is that this house is within the corporate limits of the city of Joliet.

Jerry July 17, 2012 at 08:42 pm

I was always under the impression that which post office processed what mail was based upon zip code, not the name of the town, but okay. STILL no one can tell me WHY it matters so much to anyone whether it's called Plainfield or Joliet? Maybe some of you local historians will know...has the area ever been called anything but Plainfield (I mean officially, not by the Plainfield elite)? The psychology behind this is truly fascinating to me.

MidwestGal July 17, 2012 at 09:08 pm

I am so sorry for doing a poor job of expressing myself in my orginal post. What makes you feel I am "so upset" is odd, but obviously struck a nerve with you. I do not care where someone is from, never have, never will, I care they have a roof over their heads and can put food on their table. So Jerry, before you have another tantrum, think about how you obtain your identity. The psychology behind THAT is truly fascinating to me.

Jerry July 17, 2012 at 09:19 pm

First you say this, "just get sick and tired of people being embarrassed living in neighboring towns saying they live in another town then they actually do.". Then you say this, "I do not care where someone is from, never have, never will".
That's what makes me feel you are so upset. The fact that you get sick and tired of anything related to where people claim to be from indicates that you are upset by it, and unreasonably so in my opinion. I'm not the one having a tantrum...I'm just curious where the hostility comes from, that's all. It's wonderful that you care about people having a roof over their heads and food on the table...those are the truly important things.

justme July 17, 2012 at 09:23 pm

""that because there is some "stuff" around that is because the house is in Joliet?" I was not implying that at all! I was simply pointing out it was a poor job of the realtor to post them"
You wrote the house was disgusting. That's a little different than saying the realtor was doing a poor job. That's why I asked you the question. They house is a little cluttered and messy (and I agree that the realtor might want to rethink the pics) but not "disgusting". And I agree, its not bragging to say your from Plainfield and its good to have some civic pride. It often crosses the line when you look down on the people surrounding you (not you persee, but I see that attitude all the time). I live in Bolingbrook. I don't claim to live in Plainfield, ever. I generally have to explain how my kids ended up in Plainfield schools but I'm not embarassed by where I live. Until I run into a "towner" who makes me feel like I am "stealing" thier schools and resources (literally have been told that). However, I notice many of those said "Positively Plainfield" folks at my town's fireworks show on the 4th at my town's golf course (which I pay for and they don't, thank you very much). So I understand where Jerry is coming from. And thank you for clearing up what you meant.

justme July 17, 2012 at 09:26 pm

Tim. Why does it show up on the map as "Plainfield". Is it like "Unicorporated" Plainfield. I grew up in DG and we had many areas that were DG but "unicorporated". Seems odd it would show up on any map website as Plainfield. Just curious.

Olddeegee July 17, 2012 at 09:30 pm

You must have spent money thinking that you were buying a place actually in Plainfield. I've lived here since the late 50's, and it's common knowledge that once you go too far past Fraser Rd, you're not actually in the the traditional town. You're in what we now refer to as Jofield.

MidwestGal July 17, 2012 at 09:35 pm

EXACTLY...READ ON, quote me entirely.... "THEY need to have pride in owning a home regardless of where it is!! ". I am not upset, just defending my statement, and trying to get people to own up to all they have in life. Why does Joliet vs. Plainfield bother you so much?
It's the same everywhere Aurora vs. Naperville. Wheaton vs. Warrenville. Downers Grove vs Hinsdale. Who cares? Your hostility should end here Jerry. Leave it be. It was nothing more than a town comment and a comment that the realtor seemed to not care too much about the pictures. Nothing more. Have a good evening, pray for rain.

justme July 17, 2012 at 09:48 pm

@Olddeegee - if you read my comments you will see I neither live in Plainfield, nor claim to live in Plainfield.
I live in Bolingbrook, my kids go to Plainfield schools. And I see the snobbery which Jerry pointed out all the time. That's all. NBD if people want to be small minded about where they live, my point was it's not like Plainfield is the center of wealth and prosperiety that they should feel threatened by people who live in another town claiming to be from their town (especially when said people pay taxes to the town).

Tim July 17, 2012 at 09:56 pm

Justme,
I have no idea what map you are looking at, so I can't speak to why it is incorrect. Here are the corporate boundaries of Joliet (scroll down quite a bit, on the left side of the page) http://www.city-data.com/city/Joliet-Illinois.html As for why it is called 'plainfield' by the residents, I would guess it has to do with the way these homes were advertized when they were initially built. Big, giant signs, with flags blowing all over the place, with bold letters proclaiming PLAINFIELD, and small letters below 'schools'. And here's the funny part... it actually could have been plainfield, if the village didn't stick its head in the sand and let the boundary agreement with Shorewood expire in the mid/late 80's. Up until that time, shorewood and plainfield had municipal agreements about the land they 'might annex in the future'. Plainfield, in its infinite cluelessness, let that agreement expire, and the SECOND they did, Joliet began its relentless march across rt 59 and into Kendall County, exactly as the village was warned they would do if they did not renew the agreement. 10 years earlier, they did the same thing with the land that Louis Joliet Mall sits on, because they didn't want to spend the money to run sewer and water lines to 'worthless property'. Keep in mind, there was a full interchange on the interstate at this time, and they still thought it was 'worthless'. So now the tax revenue goes to Joliet instead.

Jerry July 18, 2012 at 01:22 pm

Tim, thanks for the back story there...interesting stuff that I wasn't aware of. Kind of almost makes you glad Plainfield didn't renew that agreement for the southlands. Think of how badly they would have screwed up dealing with the additional growth in need for infrastructure and municipal resources. Shame about all that lost tax money from the mall though.
Olddeegee, I don't think you were actually trying to exemplify my point, but thanks. justme, I feel your pain in being outcast and told you are a drain on the resources of the Positively Plainfield folks. My wife and I have tried numerous times to become involved in activities that are Plainfield centered, have tried patronizing downtown businesses, even looked into opening a business downtown at one point and it's amazing how much they don't want people involved. Even to the point where we were actually told a couple years ago by an insider, "We are very careful about how and where we advertise, because we don't want to attract to many outsiders and bring in a bad element". This was in regards to Plainfield Fest...and everyone wonders why it fails miserably.

Jerry July 18, 2012 at 01:25 pm

Finally, MidwestGal. I'm with you...I think we beat this dead horse into the ground. To answer your question directly, Plainfield vs Joliet doesn't matter to me even a little bit...that was my whole point. My question from the beginning was just what you said...who cares? I think after a lot of back and forth you and I were saying a lot of the same things. And if you knew me at all, you would realize that I am the most non-hostile person you could ever want to meet! And yes, I will continue to pray for rain. I might get arrested for doing my special "rain dance" in the back yard. But don't worry, it will be the Joliet police that make the arrest so it won't be a drain on the Plainfield police department and Olddeegee's tax dollars won't have to cover the cost!!!