Frankfort

Luxurious, recently developed homes and standout access to distinctive parks are a fixture of daily life in Lakeview Estates, a neighborhood on the southeast reaches of Frankfort. But locals are also never too far from the charms of the village’s downtown area, which sets itself apart with unique businesses like a playfully pink taco bar and a music store specializing in top-of-the-line acoustic guitars. A football championship-winning high school and lively events throughout the year in Frankfort add further to the charm of this refined community. Wide, meandering roads weave their way across the residential plains of Lakeview Estates, where straight driveways and precisely cut lawns lead to luxurious custom homes with a new traditional aesthetic. Properties here share a distinctive 21st-century flair: the earliest homes date back to 2003, and the most recent homes were established in 2024, with further development in the works. Brick and stone exteriors, arch and column-led entrances and three-car garages are common elements. High-end interior touches include floor-to-ceiling windows, gas fireplaces and hardwood flooring. Four and five-bedroom floorplans are the most common options here, though a few three-bedrooms are also available occasionally. Home values typically start at $513,000 and can reach up to $775,000. Northwest of the neighborhood in downtown Frankfort and Mokena, folks can find a mix of local restaurants, mainstream shopping destinations and small businesses. Specialty shops in downtown Frankfort include Hammar’s Mercantile, which sells antiques and home décor. Down Home Guitars specializes in acoustic instrument sales and maintenance, offering high-end guitars, mandolins and supplies, as well as music lessons for a variety of disciplines. “How young we start lessons depends on the student, but from there we’ve got everyone from 5 to 85. Most music schools do get a lot of kids, but we teach a lot of retirees and working adults too,” says Molly Rose, a music instructor at the shop. To the north along LaGrange Road, Jewel-Osco and Mariano’s are close by for grocery trips. Alsip Home & Nursery has seasonal decorations, gardening supplies and a pet center, while Evilena’s Red Dresser is a consignment store with women’s apparel and furniture. Banners of the noble houses of Westeros and Hogwarts are on the walls at Amazing Fantasy Books & Comics, a local hub for collectibles and tabletop games. Chicagoland favorites in downtown Frankfort include Fat Rosie’s Taco & Tequila Bar, which started in town in 2015 as the first location of an eventual six. Décor themed around the restaurant’s mule mascot and lightbulb-lit letters shouting “HOLA” hang over the cocktail bar. Kup A Joe Café offers espresso drinks and a cocktail bar alongside brunch specialties, while Cultivate Community Table has a curated menu of sandwiches. Roman and Tuscan flavors are served at Francesca’s Fortunato, one of the numerous spinoffs of the original Francesca’s restaurant in Chicago. Younger public school students in the neighborhood attend schools within Frankfort School District 157-C. Grand Prairie Elementary School holds a B-plus grade on Niche. Chelsea Intermediate School and Hickory Creek Middle School both hold A grades. Lincoln-Way East High School’s 28 athletic programs include the varsity football team, which has won three state championships and made three additional appearances in the state finals from 2005 to 2024. The school earns an A-plus grade on Niche. An abundance of options for outdoor recreation are within walking distance for locals. Timbers Edge Park sits at the corner of Pineview Lane and Oakfield Drive. Kids can ride the swings or explore the playground, and folks of all ages can practice their at-bat skills on the baseball diamond. On the west side of the neighborhood, Lakeview Park is an outdoor retreat fit within the residential areas and split into two areas. The park’s north and south sections each offer their own play areas, picnic shelters and fishing ponds, and connect to each other with a walking trail. Frankfort’s largest park, the 60-acre Commissioners Park, sits just north of the neighborhood. Unique draws to the park include a lighted sledding hill for wintertime fun, the Frankfort Bark Park for outings with the pups and a community-built play area with a splash pad. Residents heading into town from Lakeview Estates can get there via West Sauk Trail, just north of the neighborhood; the village's downtown area is about 3 miles away. From there, U.S. 45/LaGrange Road or U.S. 30/Lincoln Highway both sit to the north for additional shopping options. Commuters headed northeast into Chicago can take Laraway Road to hop onto Interstate 57. Folks can expect a 36-mile journey for commutes or day trips into the Windy City; the Metra commuter rail is an alternative option for longer trips, with the Richton Park station about 6 miles east. For emergency services, Franciscan Health Olympia Fields Hospital is about 9 miles northeast of the neighborhood. Locals traveling beyond Chicago can catch flights out from Chicago Midway International Airport, about 35 miles north. While a quiet, private lifestyle awaits at home, downtown Frankfort offers a variety of events. Annual gatherings include the Frankfort Bluegrass Festival in the summer, which brings locals together for two days of food, arts and crafts and a full schedule of live music from local and international bluegrass bands. The Frankfort Fall Festival lands in town each Labor Day weekend, highlighting local craftspeople and restaurants. The festivities also include a parade and a carnival. Breidert Green Park is a hub for events like Ghost Stories on the Green, a kid-friendly Halloween celebration, and the Concerts on the Green series of shows in the summer. Each holiday season, Christkindl Weekend includes train rides, meet and greets with Santa and caroling. Year-round things to do include monthly open mic nights and weekly jam sessions at Down Home Guitars, encouraging local musicians to take their work to the stage. Cultivate Community Table hosts its own weekly open mic nights, along with pop-up menus on special occasions. Old Plank Trail Tavern offers billiards, beers on tap and a cozy atmosphere made complete by an old-school dresser and china cabinet.

News of new architectural plans are broadcasted in the Prestwick Homeowners Association newsletter. With four winding, secluded drives amid and south of Prestwick Country Club offer limited available land for custom homes, each new home adds more character to an already-eclectic collection. “One thing about Frankfort is that it’s full of newer developments and subdivisions,” says Stefanie Campbell, broker with @properties Christie's International Real Estate. “One awesome thing about Prestwick is that it has more architecturally interesting homes.” Many homeowners are also members of the country club, and the community curated by its staff is apparent to both residents and visiting golfers and wedding parties. A stately white clubhouse anchors Prestwick Country Club and the 1.4-acre golf course. “What's awesome about the proximity is that members that live around the course walk to the club or take their golf cart,” Campbell says. As the chairperson of the membership committee for the club, she often receives inquiries about the relationship between the club and homeowners. “Plenty of homeowners aren’t members, they just enjoy the aesthetics,” she says. Living in Prestwick doesn’t automatically mean membership, but those who secure a sponsorship play golf or tennis, and swim in the heated pool. Residents head across West Sauk Trail to reach Commissioners Park for Little League games at the ball field or afternoons at Fort Frankfort, a sturdy wooden play zone with rickety bridges, climbing towers and tire swings. The splash pad is open throughout the summer, and kids often run back and forth between the fortress and the water. On the other side of St Anthony Catholic Church is the Sauk Trail Bike Path, a one-mile route proximal to Sauk Trail Reservoir, which comprises close to 250 acres of preserved land including wetlands and part of Hickory Creek. Stone signs and flower beds mark each of the four Prestwick section entrances: Aberdeen, Prestwick Drive, Shetland, and Highland/Saint Andrews Way. None of these winding drives have sidewalks, but walkers still have safety when out and about as traffic is not a concern. “It's all one way in, one way out,” Campbell says. Homes close to the club may have four to six bedrooms within 4,000 square feet to 6,000 square feet of space and price points from about $550,000 to $750,000. Each home is custom and the Prestwick Homeowners Association is flexible, so modern farmhouses, Tudor-style timbering and Dutch-Colonial elements like gabled roofing all sit on the same street. Two-to-three-bedroom condos are also available, often in classy Colonial-style buildings, and priced between $200,000 to $300,000. More modest ranch-style homes and New Traditionals of less than 3,000 square feet are priced at around $525,000. Though those south of the course don’t have the same view, they enjoy the same shade from maples, hickories, oaks and lindens. The homeowners association keeps track of new custom homes added to the community, as well as additions and alterations to existing homes. Sheds, greenhouses and other detached additions are not permitted, though homes have plenty of driveway space for all vehicles. Shoppers sift into Jewel-Osco and Mariano’s parking lots at the corner of Illinois Routes 45 and 30, about 5 miles west of Prestwick alongside chain restaurants. The local scene is a few miles south in Franfort’s village center, where residents leave their cars in one of several lots and stop into boutiques, vintage shops and curated home goods stores with walls of candles and locally-made jewelry. Customers sit amidst vibrant colors as they enjoy you-pick-three taco plates at Fat Rosie’s Taco & Tequila Bar, named after a rotund donkey that chef and proprietor Scott Harris met during a trip across the border. Cultivate Community Table offers an award-winning, farm-to-table dining destination with vegan and gluten-free options. They can finish off with coffee, ice cream, or chocolate covered foods from oranges to bacon at Short & Sweet-Tasty Treats. The doors of Prestwick Country Club are sometimes closed for private events, a service open to members and non-members to celebrate weddings and hold banquets in the clubhouse dining rooms. In the day-to-day, members and their families look to their event committee for social opportunities that take place throughout the year, from holiday brunches and wine tastings to Independence Day fireworks and regatta races in the pool. The club also hosts junior leagues in golf, water polo and tennis, as well as a swim team, and children can join as long as they have a family member with a membership. Locals who aren’t country club members gear up for events hosted by the Village of Frankfort, advertised with flyers in local businesses and on the village website. Students in Prestwick are zoned for Grand Prairie Elementary School, which scores a B-plus rating from Niche and serves kindergarten through second grade. Chelsea Intermediate, for third through fifth grades, is a 2022 National Blue Ribbon School and Hickory Creek Middle serves sixth through eighth grade students. Both score A grades from Niche, while Lincoln-Way East High School finishes strong with an A-plus and the number 1 spot for Niche’s best high schools for athletes in Illinois. Among the wide range of athletics at Lincoln-Way East are girls’ and boys’ swimming, golf and tennis teams, each honored with multiple state championship medals from many years of Griffin pride. Prestwick is about 33 miles from downtown Chicago. Though located a bit too deep into the south suburbs to have Pace suburban bus connections, drivers are well-situated for their commutes and errands. “Another nice thing is you’ll be close to 57, the expressway,” Campbell says, referring to the most popular thoroughfare into the Windy City. Those who want to skip the traffic each morning can choose from the Matteson and Richton Park Metra stations about 6 miles east, each part of the Metra Electric line to Millennium Station downtown. Many of the essentials are closer to home in Frankfort, like Physicians Immediate Care, 4.4 miles away, or Franciscan Health Olympia Fields, the closest hospital 6.5 miles away. As for commercial flights, Prestwick is about 24.5 miles south of Chicago Midway International Airport.

About 30 miles south of downtown Chicago, with access to Interstates 80 and 57, Frankfort Square is about 4 miles northeast of the suburb of Frankfort. “Frankfort Square is part of Franklin, but it’s a separate entity,” says Marge Cahill, a real estate broker with @properties, with about 25 years of real estate experience. “It provides more of a collection of starter homes than what you would find in Frankfort, and the homes are a bit smaller.” The suburb of Frankfort is on many lists as one of the best suburbs south of Chicago. The attraction of Frankfort Square is the school chain that feeds into an A-plus high school. Elementary schools in the Summit Hill School District 161 are split between younger students heading to schools like Frankfort Square Elementary School, with an A-minus Niche grade. Students through fourth grade have the option of attending here. Walker Intermediate School is also rated an A-minus and has a 12-to-1 student-teacher ratio. This school serves fifth and sixth graders. Summit Hill Junior High is also rated an A-minus and has almost 700 seventh and eighth graders. Lincoln-Way East High School is part of the Lincoln-Way Community High School District Number 210. The school is rated an A-plus and has a 97% graduation rate. “The fact that people can move into an affordable house and have access to a school like Lincoln-Way East is a big reason why Frankfort Square is attractive,” Cahill says. The oldest houses in this area are from the 1970s and are priced between $230,000 and $320,000. Some condos and townhouses can be under $200,000 but have under 1,000 square feet of living space. Monthly fees range from $150 to over $200, including lawn care and snow removal. Single-family homes are primarily three to four-bedroom split-level, ranch and raised ranch styles. Some of the larger homes are around 3,000 square feet. Although part of the village of Frankfort, Frankfort Square has its own independently run park district that oversees green space in the neighborhood. Frankfort Square Community Park has a fishing pier and walking trails around the large pond. There are a few pickleball courts, a playground and a picnic shelter. There are more outdoor recreation opportunities, like a splash park at Island Prairie Park that will be operational during the summer when the temperature is at least 78 degrees. There are more fishing opportunities. The park district community center is located at this park, and it’s the site for live music during the summer on most Tuesday and Thursday nights from June through August. Indian Boundary South Park is close and includes a disc golf course. The Frankfort Square Park District also owns Square Links Golf Course for those who want a more traditional round of golf. A practice center features a natural grass putting green and a practice sand bunker. There are a couple of small restaurants in Frankfort Square that residents won’t have to travel too far to enjoy. My Taco is a Mexican Restaurant on Lincoln Highway in a strip mall near the intersection with 80th Avenue. It’s a small place with limited seating that gets rave reviews for its steak tacos, tamales and salsa. Pete Mitchell’s Bar & Grill, commonly known as PM’s, is a quaint watering hole that serves food. Sporting events are also on the multiple screens in the bar. Larger dining establishments in Frankfort, like the Dancing Marlin Restaurant, have steak and seafood items and a popular Sunday brunch. Some neighborhood streets have sidewalks, but a car is needed to get to other means of transportation. It’s about a 5-mile drive to the west to get to the Mokena Metra station, where it’ll be about a 50-minute train ride into downtown Chicago. Public bus transportation can be accessed a few miles north, with the Pace suburban bus service having multiple stops along 183rd Street.

North Frankfort is a residential area neatly divided by two major roadways. It’s a quiet area named in many publications as one of the more desirable suburbs of Chicago. Its historic downtown carries charming restaurants and many small businesses. Community engagement thrives as it hosts nearly two dozen events annually. All of this adds to North Frankfort's nickname, the “Jewel of the South Suburbs.” North Frankfort comes with a comforting mixture of housing styles. “You have a mix of Victorian-type homes and farm-style houses as well as contemporary,” Murphy says. “A mix of old and new construction.” Brick townhomes from the early 2000s are also common sightings. Mediterranean and Georgian-inspired stone mansions can be spotted around the neighborhood’s edges. More than half of residents have homes that lead to sidewalks. Exteriors carry manicured front lawns and attached garages. Prices come in a wide range. Townhouses can be priced at $350,000, then a large mansion can hit over $2 million. Little ones can start their education at Grand Prairie Elementary from kindergarten through second grade. This B-plus-rated school adopted a “School within a School” concept. This means students stay within a colored-assigned community through their three years. Grades three through five are done at the A-rated Chelsea Intermediate School. This school continuously updates its building. Their newest renovations include new and improved classrooms and collaborative learning spaces. Hickory Creek Middle has an A on Niche. The school offers 13 clubs and activities. Diplomas can be earned from Lincoln Way East High School, which has an A-plus on Niche. Outside the classroom, the school has a competitive athletics program, with many of its 28 sports earning championship titles. La Grange Road and Lincoln Highway hold most dining and retail establishments. “It’s more the charm of it. There are some nice restaurants within walking distance,” Murphy says. “Unique, small, family-owned store. A nice, charming area, not a lot of chains.” Enjoy a simple meal at KupAJoe Café. While sipping on morning brew, chow on an array of wraps, sandwiches, or salads. Dancing Marlin is on the north end of La Grange Road and specializes in steak and seafood. Sunday is a popular spot for them thanks to their “All you can Munch Brunch.” Get the grocery haul done at Jewel Osco and Mariano’s. Residents have several options for parks and outdoor recreation. Old Plank Road Trail is a popular spot for locals to hike, bike or jog. The 21-mile recreation trail is known to have some rare nature species such as snowy campion, scurfy pea, or savanna blazing star. Main Park on the southwest end holds several fields for various sports. Then, the kiddos can enjoy their time on the playground. Indian Boundary Park has a baseball field, playground, and skate park. Kiddos can use their imagination at the KidsWorks Children Museum, which has several exhibits and weekly programs. North Frankfort hosts several community events year-round. Walkers and runners can participate in the four 5k/10K runs. Frankfort Bluegrass Festival was awarded in 2019 by the International Bluegrass Association as “Event of the Year.” The two-day events include arts and crafts, workshops, and, of course, jamming tents. “Get Hooked on Frankfort” Fishing Derby is a day event in June that engages little ones in fishing while enjoying some of downtown Frankfort restaurant favorites. The Frankfort Fall Festival has been going on for over 55 years and draws 250,000 visitors around Labor Day weekend. Those who must commute into the city can hop on the Metra at the Hickory Creek stop. From there, it’s about an hour's ride into the city. “Route 30 goes coast to coast; that’s Lincoln Highway,” Murphy says. “Route 45 goes to Wisconsin.” There, these routes connect to Interstates 80 and 57. Once on 57, it’s a 30-mile drive to the city.