Elk Grove Village

It would be understandable to look at the quiet streets and peaceful parks of Elk Grove Village East and assume that it was just a sleepy suburb. But underneath that cozy exterior is a buzzing hive of industry, with thousands of companies doing business in its many corporate parks. First incorporated in 1956, Elk Grove Village's eastern section represents its earliest days, with many families putting down roots for generations. This has led to a friendly, community-driven place to live. "It's like living in Mayberry," says Lori Christensen, a broker with N. W. Village Realty and Elk Grove Village resident since 1968. "There's a great mix of culture and community. Everyone looks like you, and no one looks like you. It's terrific." In its early boom during the 1950s, planned communities in Elk Grove Village East flourished, with ranch-style homes dominating the landscape. Though it's still easy to find those classic homes, other styles have gained popularity in the years since, including split-level, arts-and-crafts, and Tudor. Prices start in the high $100,000s for condos and extend into the $300,000s for ranch and split-level style homes. More modern construction can reach as high as the $700,000s. Local neighborhood sidewalks are typical, particularly in the older sections of town, where pedestrians are a regular part of the landscape. "It's a wildly popular area for walking the dog or jogging," says Christensen. Public schools are determined by zone, and many students can expect to attend Clearmont Elementary School, which scored a B with Niche, before enrolling in Grove Jr. High School, which has a C-plus. From there, many will attend the A-rated Elk Grove High School where principal Mark Kelly was named 2018's Illinois High School Principal of the Year by the Illinois Principal's Association. “The district utilizes a modern, standards-aligned curriculum that has yielded some of the highest student growth scores in our area over the past three years,” says Ben Grey, Assistant Superintendent for Innovative Learning and Communication. “Our district is proud of our diversity, and we strive to help every student develop their goals, passions, and natural talents.” Stretching across the northwestern border of Elk Grove Village East is the Busse Woods, a forest preserve of over 3,500 acres of ancient trees, natural waterways, and sites for fishing, hiking, and skiing. Even an elk pasture makes Elk Grove Village more than just a clever name. Residents are never more than a few miles from shopping mainstays like Jewel-Osco and the Elk Grove Town Center. With different daily specials like strip steak or parmesan-crusted whitefish, the Rose Garden Café is a popular choice for dinner in the community. On the south side, Tata's Pierogi offers steaming plates of Polish comfort food. Chicago is 26 miles from Elk Grove Village East, and Interstate 290 makes for convenient road trips. O'Hare International Airport can be found 7 miles southeast for trips further afield. Elk Grove Village offers several annual events, the most popular of which might be the Mid-Summer Classics Concert Series. Throughout July, residents can enjoy a rotating list of outdoor musical acts featuring the likes of KC & the Sunshine Band, the Beach Boys, and All-American Rejects.

Residential living close to the highway A half hour’s drive west from Chicago, Elk Grove Village West provides its residents with a suburban atmosphere, events spotlighting area history and holidays, local businesses and a bevy of parks for recreation. “There’s a lot of commerce and industrial buildings there,” says Sarah Leonard, broker and team leader of the Sarah Leonard Team and owner of Legacy Properties. “There’s a lot of jobs in that area, too, which is wonderful. It’s more affordable than and adjacent to Schaumburg, with an incredible location that’s closer to the city and downtown Chicago.” Classic home designs along with townhouses Elk Grove Village West is located immediately south of East Schaumburg and the two neighborhoods’ home styles are quite similar. Elk Grove Village West does have more ranch homes, often smaller, and townhouses are also popular in the neighborhood. Prices can range anywhere from $230,000 to $450,000 but will typically fall around the $300,000 mark. Split-levels, modern homes and traditional designs are popular here, and stone or brick accenting can be seen along the residential streets of Elk Grove Village West. Excellent education for grade-school students Adolph Link Elementary School is one of two such educational institutions located in Elk Grove Village West, graded at an A-minus from Niche’s rating system. After sixth grade at Link Elementary, students then graduate to Margaret Mead Junior High School, which serves seventh and eighth grade and gets an A score from Niche. James B. Conant High School concludes Elk Grove Village West students’ educational journey, given an A-plus by Niche and considered by the service to be in the top 20 high schools in Illinois. Sports offered at Conant High include swimming and diving in the fall, basketball in the winter and lacrosse in the spring. Numerous parks within the neighborhood There’s no shortage of recreational opportunities throughout Elk Grove Village West, which offers nearly two dozen parks within its purview. Lindbergh Park is right alongside Link Elementary and has a soccer field on its grounds near the center of the neighborhood, while Powell Park and Hampshire Park are the farthest north green spaces in Elk Grove Village West. Shenandoah Park is one of the southernmost parks and features a playground. Farther north, parts of the Vera Meineke Nature Center at Spring Valley cross over into Elk Grove Village West, which features the nature center itself and more amenities on more than 100 acres. To the northeast, Busse Woods unfolds over nearly 4,000 acres and offers trails and opportunities to spot wildlife. Restaurants in and around Elk Grove Village West Woodfield Mall, the largest in the state, is a few minutes away from the neighborhood. “There’s a lot of businesses and it’s adjacent to Woodfield, so it’s really close,” Leonard says. “It’s so close to that area, so there’s the convenience of a short drive without the price tag. There isn’t much dining, but there are some strip malls.” Few restaurants are located within the neighborhood, but those that are include MazMez Middle Eastern Grille near the center of Elk Grove Village West. Middle Eastern fare can be found within its doors, while bubble tea is minutes away at Bobar. Just down Meacham Road from both establishments are a Walmart and an Aldi for grocery needs. Annual events throughout the calendar Elk Grove Village West’s events are a prime point of interest for its residents. The Mid-Summer Classics Concert Series has recently featured such artists as the Beach Boys, Neon Trees and Martina McBride, and each fall the neighborhood celebrates its local pride by holding a Hometown Parade. Seasonal and holiday-themed gatherings include a tree lighting ahead of the Christmas season, a Fourth of July fireworks celebration and Oktoberfest late in the year. For Chicago Cubs fans, Wrigley Field is only about half an hour east on the north side of the city. Venturing beyond Elk Grove Village West “It’s only about three minutes to get access to the tollway to head downtown,” Leonard says. “People can access Biesterfield Road, Interstate 290 and it’s close to Route 53.” The convenience to major thoroughfares is a perk of living in Elk Grove Village West, as Interstate 290 flashes along the eastern edge of the neighborhood before making a sharp turn east as it rolls all the way to downtown Chicago.