Barrington Hills

Forty-five miles northwest of downtown Chicago, land spreads out far and wide. North Barrington Hills is in the Chicago metropolitan area, but it’s a neighborhood with some rural characteristics. “This neighborhood is serene and tranquil,” says Rob Morrison, a broker at Coldwell Banker Residential with almost 20 years of experience. “If you have property on at least 5 acres, you can own livestock. Many people in this neighborhood have horses.” Several places can board horses for residents and even provide lessons for those who want to learn to ride. It’s common to see people on horseback in this area with private trails maintained by The Riding Club of Barrington Hills riding organization. The all-volunteer group maintains the traditions of people getting around on horses. There are trails that club members can use between Spring Creek and Algonquin Roads. Public trails are available at Spring Lake Forest Preserve, a few miles south, with over 4,000 acres to explore. The Barrington Hills Polo Club has indoor and outdoor polo matches year-round. The LeCompte Kalaway Cup is a popular draw, with two polo matches every September. Also, it features the Parade of Hounds, where foxhounds come onto the field along with riders in traditional red hunting coats. Some landowners in the area also allow riding trails across their property during the event. Deerwood Farm is one of the many boarding facilities in the neighborhood. “Some people will board their horses because they don’t want to deal with the extra maintenance on their property,” Morrison says. There are also riding lessons available. If it’s not a love of horses that draws people to this neighborhood, then the schools that are part of the Barrington Community School District Number 220 will. The district receives an A grade on Niche. Countryside Elementary also gets an A and has a student-teacher ratio of 11-to-1. Barrington Middle School Station Campus gets an A-plus Niche grade for the quality of teachers and an A grade overall. Barrington High School has Advanced Placement courses in Chemistry, Physics and Environmental Science at the A-plus rated school. St. Anne Catholic School is a private school option for preschool through eighth grade. “When homebuyers consider North Barrington Hills, many seek the security of a gated community, country club lifestyle and estate living with ample land,” says Melanie Parsons, Realtor with Keller Williams Success Realty with nearly 20 years of experience. But that’s not all that’s available. The types of houses range from a modest bungalow built in the 1930s with two bedrooms and less than 1,000 square feet to a sprawling estate with seven bedrooms and 15,000 square feet on over 30 acres of land. The price range goes from $400,000 to the multi-millions. Some houses sit on 5-acre plots of land, the minimum for keeping livestock. Some are on smaller tracts, around a quarter of an acre. Ranch style and Colonial Revival are a couple of prominent architectural styles. Consisting of 45 acres, Citizens Park has a pavilion that can be rented out for wedding receptions or business meetings. Tennis and basketball courts, picnic shelters and a playground are also scattered around the grounds. An amphitheater is home to occasional concerts with seating up to 200 spectators. It’s home to weekly Wednesday evening concerts in July and part of August from 7 to 8:30 p.m. The Pepper Family Accessible Treehouse is also at Citizens Park and can be rented out for birthday parties. It’s open from April through October. Barrington Hills Country Club has been around for over 100 years. It’s a private club, and current ones must invite prospective members. Shakou is a Japanese restaurant with a trendy and eclectic interior. The name means ‘social life’ in Japanese. The sushi bar is the restaurant’s centerpiece, and popular outdoor seating on the upper terrace is available. Ciao Baby! is a locally owned Italian restaurant that makes its meatballs and is a popular place for private parties. For food shopping, Heinen’s is a locally owned regional upscale supermarket chain with an in-store butcher. Jewel-Osco is a Chicagoland grocery store staple. Although the houses on multiple acres may seem very rural, the Barrington Metra station is a few minutes away. It’ll take about 30 minutes to get to downtown on the express train and a 45-minute trip on a train with all the stops. Other stops north of the Fox River are at Cary and Fox Grove.