Barrington

South Barrington is the bottom half of the village of Barrington and is comprised of everything below Main Street. Centered around Hough Street, the community is a mix of Barrington’s downtown restaurants and shops and streets lined with custom-built homes. Even living so close to the village’s downtown, residents have no shortage of green space and parks for a mix between small-town charm and recreational activities. South Barrington residents just have to head down Main or Hough Streets to find the village’s best restaurants. Francesca’s Famiglia curated a rustic atmosphere that pairs nicely with their Roman cuisine. Shakou Restaurant has a more modern and minimalist vibe, serving sushi to the community. For something more casual, Canteen Restaurant is known for its slow-cooked briskets. The closest Jewel-Osco is just 0.5 miles away on the other side of Main Street from South Barrington. On the same side of the village, Heinen’s Grocery is only 0.7 miles away. Many of South Barrington’s parks and outdoor spaces are centered around Northwest Highway. Avid golfers can practice their swing on the green at Makray Memorial Golf Club or stop in the clubhouse for a social event. Across the highway from the golf green, Baker’s Lake Forest Preserve offers hiking trails throughout its 219 acres. The lake is closed for fishing and boating because it is an important habitat for herons, but this also makes it a birdwatcher’s paradise. The eastern side of South Barrington features the sprawling 2,000 acres of Deer Grove Forest Preserve, where people can hike, bike and horseback ride through the wetlands and prairies. In the winter, the space is popular for sledding, ice skating and cross-country skiing. South Barrington features a mix of housing styles. “South Barrington has stately homes and average lot sizes of about half an acre,” says Realtor Melanie Parsons with Keller Williams Success Realty. “Some homebuyers are looking for more interior square footage in this area, especially since there are so many parks and outdoor areas nearby.” Closer to Hough Street, custom homes with French and Colonial influences on manicured, landscaped lawns list from $975,000 to $1.3 million. A bit farther out, people strolling down the sidewalk might find Cape Cods between Colonial Revivals and ranches. These homes often list between $475,000 and $650,000. Trees shade the sidewalks in many parts of South Barrington, but some places are more open where there are more telephone wires hanging over the homes. Students can attend Grove Avenue Elementary School, which earns an A-plus from Niche. Barrington Middle School-Prairie Campus receives an A from Niche. Niche grants Barrington High School an A-plus ranking and lists it as the 13th-best college prep public high school in Illinois. Students here can enroll in Career and Technical Education (CTE) courses for fields like nursing, culinary arts and horticulture. During the summer, residents can gather downtown for Thursday Night Out for live music and classic cars. Touch A Truck lets residents get up close to construction vehicles like dump trucks and excavators but also uses the event to collect food for local food pantries. Every Memorial Day weekend, the Barrington Art Festival features over 125 artists and offers live painting classes. When navigating Barrington, Hough Street runs north to south, connecting the two halves of the village and residents with downtown. Northwest Highway is lined with shops and chains, along with the community’s parks. Even though residents are so close to downtown Barrington, those needing to leave the village can take the Metrarail to downtown Chicago, 38 miles away. For drivers, I-90 is just 5 miles south, linking to downtown Chicago and Chicago O’Hare International Airport, 24 miles away. Advocate Good Shepherd Hospital is just under 5 miles away, located to the north of South Barrington.