Burr Ridge

Burr Ridge West forms almost half of the Village of Burr Ridge, a suburban bedroom community partly located in one of Chicagoland’s “collar counties.” Burr Ridge occupies an area that was once largely farmland. The village got its name from the Busby family farm, which was named “burr ridge” due to the large stand of bur oak trees there. The bur oaks still exist and the village went from just a few hundred people in the early 1960s to just over 11,000 residents in about 4,000 homes now. Going by the slogan “A Very Special Place,” the area stands out with some large and elegant homes on spacious lots and distinguished townhouse communities. “It still feels a little rural. It’s not congested with takeout restaurants or gas stations. It’s mainly housing. Housing or parks,” says Lavonne Campbell, Superintendent of Recreation for the Burr Ridge Park District. “It’s close to downtown, but it doesn’t feel that way. I always think this area has a bit of a downtown mentality because a lot of people who live here work downtown or go downtown, or have roots in the downtown district of Chicago. But they live in the suburbs.” The village still has a commercial sector comprised of both shopping and office parks. An example of that is the upscale Burr Ridge Village Center area located right outside the northeastern pocket of Burr Ridge West. “The Village Center has a really concentration of restaurants in that area, and that’s something we’ve never had before,” Campbell says. “Burr Ridge is turning into a cool little town. There’s a lot of effort by the park district, the village, to do community events. They have a concert series in the summer that’s highly attended. It’s developing its own identity.” A number of ponds are scattered across Burr Ridge West and many of the single-family homes here occupy spacious lots, some of which are buffered by small field spaces partially populated by trees. A number of these homes feature driveways that loop around a front lawn with decorative garden beds and planters overlooked by trees. That can be seen in subdivisions like the affluent Madison Club on the western end. There are many traditional style houses — and some Colonial Revivals with some Greek Revival touches — on lots that can range from a half to nearly full acre. Price points for these homes can go from the lower $700,000s to around $1.3 million, with those that are more than several thousand square feet found in the upper half of that range. There are some smaller builds, too, like ranch-style houses that can run between $320,000 and $400,000, depending on overall house and lot sizes. Townhouses can go from $400,000 for one under 2,000 square feet to around $740,000 for those over 4,000 square feet. The main shopping and dining destination is the Village Center area around County Line Road. The center features the Village Green, a small park in a median surrounded by brick multi-story residential buildings with business spaces on the ground floor. Often a community meeting point, the Green features a fire place pavilion where shoppers can gather and on the outdoor chairs placed around the fixture. The dining options around here include Capri Ristorante, which serves Mama Capri’s traditional family recipes with a twist to authentic Italian cuisine. The sophisticated and low-lit setting provides an ideal spot for occasions like anniversary dinners, but there’s also a bar for those who want to catch the game. The nearby Dao Sushi and Thai is an upscale Asian fusion restaurant that includes a hibachi room. Right across the street from the Green’s fireplace pavilion is the Topaz Cafe. The urban-chic restaurant, which has an outdoor patio, serves up seasonal and contemporary American fare. Groceries can be found in this area at the Brookhaven Market. The main recreation destination in the village is Harvester Park just north of Interstate 55. The park encompasses 37 acres, 17 of which is comprised of wetlands and a riparian and prairie buffer. The park is home to the Burr Ridge Community Center, which hosts programs and can be rented for events. Children during the summer can also enjoy the splash pad at the center. The park’s other amenities include baseball and soccer fields and courts for those who want to get in a few tennis matches and some pickup basketball and volleyball games. Park goers can also take to the trails to go through the wetlands, where they’ll also find fishing docks and a pond. Whittaker Park, which is actually within Burr Ridge West, is another outdoor option that features a basketball court, playground and big wheel racetrack. Schools that serve the community include Anne M. Jeans Elementary School, Gower and Burr Ridge middle schools and Hinsdale South high School, all of which received grades of C-plus or higher from ratings site Niche. Gower Middle, which received an A, offers various activities like art, environmental and geography clubs. The village hosts a number of community events in the Village Center area. They include a Concerts on the Green series during the summer that occur on the Green. Other notable events in this area include Armed Forces Day in May at the Burr Ridge Veterans Memorial just off County Line Road and the Annual Car Show during the fall at the Village Center. Residents on this side of the village are close to I-55, which cuts right across Burr Ridge and goes directly into Chicago. The highway connects to Interstate 90, which goes toward downtown Chicago. The sits 20 miles west of the Chicago Loop. I-55 also runs past Chicago Midway International Airport, which is about 13 miles east of Burr Ridge. The Willow Springs Metra rail station is located about 3 miles southeast of Burr Ridge. The village is located several miles south of both UChicago Medicine AdventHealth Hinsdale and UChicago Medicine AdventHealth La Grange.