The Changing Face of the 'Burbs

Left to Right: Kelly Michelson, Realtor, Coldwell Banker Primus; Katie Podl, Area Sales Manager, Centex Homes; Lynn Dubajic, Executive Director, Yorkville Economic Development Corp.

There was a time when living in the city meant fine dining, upscale retail shops and multiple entertainment options, and living in the suburbs meant sitting on your front porch and taking in a movie before meeting up at the local McDonald’s. Those days are gone.

The suburbs of Chicago are undergoing an aggressive revitalization. The small, Mayberry-like town surrounded by a few subdivisions and a couple of banks, schools and churches has given way to a thriving community feel, rich with culture and activity. Chicago Agent samples a few up-and-coming suburbs to highlight exactly how the ‘burbs have changed, and why many homebuyers are giving these enhanced and inviting areas a second glance when determining where to plant roots to raise a family.

CRYSTAL LAKE
“John Coleman, the weatherman from Channel 7, used to call Crystal Lake the ‘super super super super boonies,’” recalls Kay Wirth, broker with RE/MAX Unlimited Northwest and president-elect of the Illinois Association of Realtors. “Now we’re a regular Chicago suburb.”

Crystal Lake is well deserving of its new distinction, given the specific improvements to certain services and amenities that enhance the community overall.

“People come here for the schools,” says Rick O’Connor, a Realtor/broker and resident of Crystal Lake’s McHenry County for more than 20 years. And with good reason: Its elementary school District 47 and community high school District 155 are some of the best in the region, according to the city’s official Web site. That may be one of the reasons why this northwestern Chicago suburb has seen a 57 percent increase in population from the 1990 to 2000 U.S. Census; today, more than 38,000 people call Crystal Lake “home.”

Even those without school-aged children are finding the suburb’s amenities appealing and educational. “Our typical customers are young professionals and people looking for single-family homes,” says O’Connor. For the entertainment enthusiast, the Raue Center for the Arts, a downtown performance venue, plays host to acts such as comedian George Carlin, classic crooner Pat Boone and multi-disciplinary artist Leonard Nimoy. In general, the downtown area is experiencing an ongoing revitalization. Its many locally owned boutiques and shops, in contrast to the national stores found on “the strip” (Route 14) between Route 31 and Dole Avenue, satisfy a shopper’s wants with more than 2.3 million square feet of retail space.
Wirth says places like the Downtown Bank Club and 1776 give Crystal Lake a “Chicago” feel.

“1776 is known for their wines and tapas dinners,” says Wirth. In addition, the Mario Tricocci spa attracts those looking to get beauty treatments and pampering.

But the most distinctive draw to this particular suburb lies in its namesake: the Crystal Lake. “You just can’t get anything like our lake in the city,” says O’Connor. The Crystal Lake Park District, which includes the 238-acre lake, provides more than 1,000 acres for indoor and outdoor recreation, like golf, tennis, fishing and ice skating in the winter. Seven hundred acres of parkland are set aside for future development. Kay Wirth agrees with O’Connor’s pick for biggest attraction in the suburb. “The lake is the best thing about Crystal Lake,” says Wirth.

DEERFIELD
Big businesses populate this seven-mile village along the North Shore. Consumer interface company APAC Customer Services, medical products and services company Baxter International Inc., restaurant chain Cosi and drugstore chain Walgreens house their headquarters in this affluent Chicago suburb. Though area residents surely find employment with these corporations, Deerfield’s proximity to Chicago (about 30 miles), along with various transportation options, help to enhance Deerfield.

The pastimes of city folk are easily available within Deerfield. “The North Shore is full of fun stuff,” says Emery Moorehead, an agent who has worked in Deerfield for more than 20 years. Deerbrook Mall, Deerfield Center and Deerfield Square are only a few of the shopping options open for those in search of new wares. Other destinations unique to Deerfield include the Tooth Fairy Museum and the Sheri Berto Center, where the NBA’s Chicago Bulls practice. “Deerfield’s location is key,” Moorehead says. “You’re close to the lake and downtown. People return to their roots here.”

ELGIN
“Suburb” is becoming an outmoded title for Elgin. Its population surpassed 100,000 in 2005 and has continued expansion and development. “City” seems to be a more appropriate way to describe the eighth-largest city in Illinois, according to the 2000 U.S. Census.

Brian Murphy, senior VP of operations for regional developer Town & Country Homes, has worked in the Elgin area for the last year. Some of his customers used to live in the city, but are moving out and buying homes for the first time.

“People are moving from the city to enjoy a better cost and quality of living,” says Murphy. “You don’t give up the shopping, fine dining or the diversity of a city. You are just without the traffic.”

Abundant housing incentives attract new residents to the area. Revitali-
zation efforts, such as the Multi-Family Housing Conversion Program, Restoration Grant Program and the Great Unveiling Program allow for homeowners of historically designed houses to improve the current home and enhance its original construction.

For those uninterested in making the old new again, Elgin’s River Park Place offers condominiums and townhomes in a prime location to many amenities, such as The Centre of Elgin, the Gail Borden Public Library and Festival Park.

If you want to be entertained but loath getting lost in a crowd, Elgin has several options. The Hemmens Cultural Center provides a 1,200-seat venue that hosts local musicians such as the Elgin Symphony Orchestra. Other entertainment highlights include the Grand Victoria Casino and the Highlands of Elgin golf course.

Frank Celarek, an agent with Elgin’s Starck Realtors, believes city-side pastimes can be had within suburban limits. “I moved here in 1989, and Elgin is a microcosm of Chicago,” says Celarek. “You can find what you need in the Elgin area. Is it like shopping on Michigan Avenue? No. Is there a mall? Yes. It’s all there, just in a different flavor.”

In addition, there is something in the Elgin water (or, perhaps, there is something not in it) that makes it truly distinctive. The tap water of Elgin has been noted for its great taste. So take a sip while drinking in the numerous opportunities in Elgin.

GLEN ELLYN
The Village of Glen Ellyn has many natural and man-made wonders to offer to its community.

“There is some revitalization of existing housing stock,” says Marv Ritter, partner and co-founder of Glen Ellyn’s Rite-Way Custom Homes. Ritter and his colleagues at the 26-year-old company communicate the significance of an elegant look with modern updates by building custom homes with these tenets in mind.

Sherwood Kraemer, Realtor associate with Glen Ellyn’s Coldwell Banker for 11 years, has seen a change in the housing market in the last half decade. “Up until five years ago, most of the housing in Glen Ellyn was existing structures,” says Kraemer. “As builders began buying properties and creating homes on a spec basis, the buyers came. Like the old ‘Field of Dreams’ saying, ‘If you build it, they will come.’”

Kraemer adds that some of the new construction has been made in the style of the homes already there. “We’re very successful at building houses that look old on the outside,” says Ritter.

Ritter lives and works in Glen Ellyn because of the active, close-knit community and the beautiful surroundings.

“Residents are focused on keeping the town vibrant,” says Ritter. “And the rolling hills are nice.”

The hills lend themselves to the area’s parks, golf courses and other recreational venues. The Park District has 29 parks that include playgrounds and sporting fields.

Kraemer says Lake Ellyn is also a draw. “The Lake is definitely an attraction of Glen Ellyn,” he says. “It makes people happy.”

The numerous restaurants in the downtown area, including some of Kraemer’s picks — Figo, Shannon’s Irish Pub, Cabernet and Co. and Alfie’s — will make former city slickers happy. But the city is only a short ride away from Chicago by car or train, Kraemer says.

“It’s easy to visit the city from here,” says Kraemer. “You don’t have to give up the city if you live in Glen Ellyn.”

JOLIET
Accentuating the positive has paid off handsomely for the residents of Joliet. In the 1980s, an ambitious plan to revitalize the downtown using the riverfront as an attraction is proving to have been a great idea, as Joliet is one of the fastest growing cities in the state and nation.

Leigh Nevers, VP of marketing for the Chicago-area branch of Lennar, sees the diversity of Joliet as a draw to the city. Lennar, a national homebuilder, has Greywall, a community in the city of Joliet that provides a variety of housing.

“Part of the reason we were attracted to Joliet is because you can get a lot more home for your money,” says Nevers. Lennar offers townhouses, ranch duplexes and multi-family units for almost every housing need.

Many entertainment options, including the Rialto Square Theater, the Bicentennial Park and the upcoming completion of the Broadway Greenway are just a few things that offer pleasant diversions to Joliet residents and visitors.

In addition to these, there are plenty of dining and sports opportunities in Joliet. “The mall in Joliet is huge,” says Nevers.

“There’s a club called Sapphire,” she continues, “and they’re also building a comedy club called Crabigale’s.” Joliet is also home to a 75,000-seat NASCAR/IRL raceway.

YORKVILLE
“It’s a unique town with a lot of small-town characteristics,” says Lynn Dubajic, executive director of the Yorkville Economic Development Corp. “There’s a hometown feel with the accessibility to the entire Chicago metropolitan area.”

Dubajic understands the benefits to this suburb tucked in Kendall County. The new residential and commercial developments in the city, along with facilities like the Yorkville Public Library, make the community a premier place in which to live.

Kelly Michelson, a Realtor with Yorkville’s Coldwell Banker Primus, has lived in the Yorkville area for about 23 years. Michelson remembers that when she first moved to Yorkville in 1983: “It was a small town — about 6,000 people total. There was a small, mom-and-pop-type grocery store, and you had to drive for a half hour to go to a department store.”

Though times have certainly changed, Michelson says, “Yorkville still has a small-town feel to it, and that’s what people want.”

Michelson moved to Texas for a short time, but returned when she “realized we were caught up in the hustle of bustle of too many houses on top of each other.” She says Yorkville is attractive because of the amount of space available for homeowners.

“We have really large lots, even in the subdivisions. That way, you can be close to your neighbors but have your own space.” In addition, Michelson adds, “We have connections to a lot of major highways. Here, people can get more home for their money and still get to their jobs quickly.”

Katie Podl, north area sales manager of Centex Homes, has worked in the Yorkville area for more than a year, and she says her company was attracted to Yorkville for its location and great value. “It’s close to I-88, there’s a quaint downtown and the big retailers are close by,” she says.

Yorkville’s location to Chicago makes it an easy commute for work, but there is also a lot of industry available within the town. Wrigley Manufacturing, a confectionary production facility, and F.E. Wheaton, a producer of building materials, are two of the largest employers in Yorkville.

But Yorkville isn’t all work and no play. The retail options in the community include the Countryside Center shopping district and more than 8,000 square feet of retail space to come, says Dubajic.

Even in the short time that Centex has been in Yorkville, the suburb’s offerings have definitely changed, says Podl. “New restaurants have opened, including a steakhouse and another pizza restaurant offering delivery,” she says. That, in addition to a new public water park and the recreational amenities specifically built for Centex Homes’ neighborhood clubhouse, makes Yorkville a fun place for any activity before, after or even during the workweek and day.

“Most people consider Yorkville the ‘land of opportunity,’” Dubajic says. “Investments here can increase significantly. It’s a growing area with people looking to live the American Dream.”