Crete, IL

168 Apartments for Rent

Crete in Will County, Illinois is home to Balmoral Race Track, one of the most popular venues for harness racing in America.

Crete, located in the Chicago metropolitan area, has a population of around 8,300. It occupies an area of 9.63 sq miles. Chicago's central business district, The Loop, lies 30 miles to the north, a 45-minute drive by car. The county capital Joliet can be reached in around 40 minutes. The southern end of the Illinois Route 394 is located in this city. Crete is known for its low crime rates, excellent schools and more than half a dozen golf courses in the area. If you're looking for an apartment to rent in Crete, then its proximity to the Windy City should serve as a major encouragement. Crete's economy is on a sound footing and its growth has been pegged at more than 29 percent for the next ten years.

Moving to Crete

Real estate in Crete consists overwhelmingly of owned properties. Around 14 percent of the properties are available for rent. This is less than half the national average. Looking up apartment rentals here definitely requires preparation on your part. Give yourself time for house hunting. Visit as many open houses as you can and cross-check your information with locals. Also, learn about city ordinances and laws related to relocating to Crete. For example, the city's ordinance for pets rules that no more than three dogs or three cats can be kept per household, and needless to say the pets have to be licensed. Oh, and the city administration frowns upon running antique shops, day care centers with more than six kids, restaurants, funeral homes and such assorted businesses from home.

Keep the documents ready

Before you sign the apartment rental lease document, you will need to furnish a few documents as a part of the rental application process. These include pay stubs or employment letters that will serve as proof of employment, your present address, current lease agreement, renter insurance and perhaps your bank details. Having documents ready can often be the difference between snagging an apartment of one's choice and losing it to the guy who comes better prepared to the open house.

Housing options in Crete

A wide range of housing options are available in the city. Choose from small, midsize and large single-family homes, town homes, condominiums, apartment complexes and even mobile homes. The median age of property in Crete is 33 years, nearly 12 percent of the houses date from after 2000. Older homes may require keener inspection of plumbing for leaks, condition of walls and ceilings, heating equipment and infestation.

A very walker-friendly city

Crete has a very respectable Walk Score of 75, and that can only be good news for apartment seekers. Proximity to schools, grocery shopping, banks, bus stops, restaurants, theaters and markets are requirements on which renters judge prospective neighborhoods. In Crete, you are never far from any convenience. You may want to check out property rentals in the area where Main St. and W. Exchange St. intersect. This area is rich in eating options such as Cals Chicken City, Jason's Pub, and Aurelio's Pizza. Crete Elementary School and Illinois Lutheran Elementary are two schools on either side of W. Exchange St. Chicago Road is yet another part of town that you should check out; it offers rich pickings when it comes to quick access to facilities.

Neighborhoods in Crete

The city of Crete is made up of four main neighborhoods.

E. Steger Road: Go to E. Steger Road for the lowest vacancy rates and some of the highest rents, not just in the city, but in the state. Choose from apartment complexes, high-rise apartments, and single-family homes. There are many Pace Bus bus stops in the neighborhood for easy access to neighboring communities.

S. Klemme Road: This is a rural neighborhood and the largest in the city. Town homes and single-family homes dominate the real estate here.

Crete City Center: A suburban neighborhood with mainly owner-occupied, single-family homes, a number of which have been constructed after 2000. This area attracts residents with its low rents.

Faithorn: Studio apartments, small single-family homes and apartment complex dot the landscape in Faithorn, a suburban area. Many constructions are old and established, going back to 1969 and before.

Living in Crete

Much as its famed namesake Crete, the largest island in Greece, owns unique cultural traits, so does this beautiful town in Illinois. The cultural influence of Chicago can be felt in Crete but by no means does it dominate the local culture. For 53 percent of the population, the workplace is less than a 30-minute drive by car. Sanger Airport in Monee and Lansing Municipal Airport in Chicago are about six and seven miles away, respectively.

If you're feeling lucky and are in mood for a night of excitement and fine dining, then go to Balmoral Park, lay a wager and watch your horse win. The place is known for its excellent buffets.

Crete Park and Veterans Memorial Park are just two of the many parks that are maintained by the city. When it comes to sports, citizens of Crete are among the luckiest in America, because some of the best sporting action on earth happens close by, in Chicago. If the Chicago Bulls aren't taking on Miami Heat in the NBA then it's the Chicago White Sox playing against the Arizona Diamondbacks.

Crete offers different cuisines satisfying the most conventional palate as well as the most intrepid one. Northwoods Saloon and Mini's Kitchen are just two of the eating houses that the locals swear by.

Crete scores impressively on all parameters that define a cool place to live in.