Along the banks of the Fox River, Pigeon Hill is an Aurora neighborhood that combines access to the city’s parks and its restaurants. With downtown across the river, Pigeon Hill has a distinctly residential feel, with streets shaded by older trees and a mix of homes built throughout the early to mid-20th century. Still, residents are just a short walk or drive away from Aurora’s green spaces and a sprinkling of long-term restaurants.
Cape Cods, Nationals and ranch-style homes line Pigeon Hill’s streets, many sitting on small hills, like the community’s name implies. Concrete steps connect front walkways with the sidewalks, which are shaded by occasional outcroppings of mature trees that rise far above the roofline. Some younger trees are also planted along the sidewalk, adding a touch of color, especially in the summer and fall. Single-family homes across the neighborhood typically sell between $150,000 and $350,000, while condo units in some of the multi-family properties in the area sell for between $125,000 and $175,000.
Pigeon Hill sits along the Fox River, giving residents convenient access to the water. Off Illinois Avenue, Veterans Memorial Island Park features a memorial for Aurora’s veterans and members of the military with the Fox as its backdrop. The peaceful trails wind through the island, while the parking lot offers a boat launch ideal for kayakers wanting to access the water. A bit upriver, dog owners can take their pets to Gregory Island Dog Park, where dogs can run and play off-leash and even swim along the banks of the Fox. There is also a small fenced-in area for smaller dogs, but the wide-open space around the island means there’s plenty of room for dogs. On the eastern side of the neighborhood, Simmons Park might be landlocked, but it offers a playground, pickleball courts and a paved walking path where people can stretch their legs.
At the center of Pigeon Hill, Banana Split is a neighborhood staple, located in a yellow-and-brown shack with googly-eyed soft-serve cones painted on its wood panel walls. The ice cream shack serves classic soft-serve in vanilla, chocolate and strawberry, and patrons can get flavors swirled or dipped. The joint also offers old-fashioned ice cream sundaes, like banana splits and ice cream floats. With the neighborhood so close to downtown Aurora, residents can also head downriver to restaurants like Two Brothers Roundhouse. Housed in a historic building with a tavern feel inside, the pub next to the Aurora train station offers its own brews and entrees like ratatouille and chicken piccata. The outdoor beer garden inside the circular-shaped building also hosts live music regularly. On the east side of the neighborhood, Zapata Plaza features a Family Dollar and Supermercados El Güero, a Chicago chain with a section of imported Latin American goods. Aldi is just over 2 miles south, while Cermak Fresh Market is 1.5 miles away, on the other side of the river. Chicago Premium Outlets has major retailers, like Express, Coach, Cole Haan and Nike, all about 3 miles away. “It’s a really great place and a premier shopping destination,” says Amy Pearson, a Realtor with @Properties. “It gets quite busy during the holidays. During Christmastime, the highway gets backed up.”
Students in Pigeon Hill can attend Hermes Elementary School for kindergarten through fifth grade, before continuing to C.F. Simmons Middle School. Niche gives both schools C-minus rankings. East Aurora High School offers one of the largest Navy Junior Reserve Officers Training Corps programs, with nationally recognized teams for academics, marksmanship, drill and color guard. The school receives a C-plus from Niche.
Though downtown Aurora is on the other side of the Fox River, it’s still just 2.5 miles from Pigeon Hill, with Broadway and the New York Street bridge connecting the community with the events and restaurants there. Pedestrians and cyclists can also cross the river without navigating alongside motor vehicles via the RiverEdge Pedestrian Bridge near the train station. Indian Trail Road serves as the neighborhood’s northern border, and also connects to the other side of the Fox, for an alternative route. Residents can take this thoroughfare to get to Ascension Mercy Hospital, about 2 miles away. Just about 2 miles away along Broadway, the Aurora Metra can connect commuters to downtown Chicago, nearly 40 miles away. While the station being so close to Pigeon Hill means a more convenient commuter option, the tracks do run along the southern side of the community, so some residents might hear the commuter rail as it passes. For those traveling beyond Illinois, Chicago O’Hare International Airport is 34 miles from Pigeon Hill.
In June and July, RiverEdge Park along the river hosts Ravinia, an annual concert festival. “For Ravinia, you can just sit on the lawn and listen to the music,” says Aurora native and broker Dave Richert with Exp Realty. “Listen with a drink.” John C. Dunham Pavilion stage has hosted famous acts, from Styx to Flo Rida, at various events and concerts. On Saturday mornings from June to October, the Aurora Farmers Market meets downtown, offering fresh produce, baked goods and food trucks while live music plays. Richert also highlights that many gather downtown for First Fridays, where the city showcases different local businesses and art and music venues with different activities and shops open throughout the evening.
Stella Schening
HomeSmart Connect LLC
(224) 222-1296
68 Total Sales
1 in Pigeon Hill
$145,300 Price
Veronica Rosales
Keller Williams Infinity
(630) 934-2056
43 Total Sales
1 in Pigeon Hill
$252,000 Price
Victoria McCoy
RE/MAX In The Village
(708) 905-2512
55 Total Sales
2 in Pigeon Hill
$185K - $251K Price Range
Hillary Lafferty
Charles Rutenberg Realty of IL
(630) 656-9154
163 Total Sales
1 in Pigeon Hill
$285,500 Price
Haydee Rosas
Coldwell Banker Realty
(708) 905-8427
135 Total Sales
3 in Pigeon Hill
$150K - $335K Price Range
Rebecca Sayad
Illinois Real Estate Partners Inc
(224) 328-1585
23 Total Sales
1 in Pigeon Hill
$240,000 Price
Interested in learning more about homes in this area? Reach out to , an experienced agent in this neighborhood.
On average, homes in Pigeon Hill, Aurora sell after 96 days on the market compared to the national average of 70 days. The median sale price for homes in Pigeon Hill, Aurora over the last 12 months is $415,000, down 41% from the median home sale price over the previous 12 months.
Interested in learning more about homes in this area? Reach out to , an experienced agent in this neighborhood.
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Quiet riverside suburb, 40 miles west of Chicago
Suburb a mile east of downtown Aurora, with midcentury housing
Historic houses in an established neighborhood east of downtown Aurora
Old-school homes meet contemporary spirit in central Aurora
Suburban living with immediate access to riverfront, parks and cultural events
An up-and-coming downtown in Illinois’ second-largest city
