Hawthorn Woods

With the rural landscape and the options for taking lessons for horseback riding on a farm, it’s hard to believe that the East Hawthorn Woods neighborhood is only 40 miles northwest of downtown Chicago and only a 10-minute drive to a Metra commuter rail station. “We’re a more outdoorsy community,” says Kim Stewart, Communications Coordinator for the village of Hawthorn Woods. “Lakes and parks surround us. Boating, biking and horseback riding are big activities.” Hawthorn Village is also a Dark Sky Community after the village passed a lighting ordinance in 2019 that would limit the amount of light pollution and make the night sky conducive for stargazing. Along Gilmer Road are a few multi-acre farms where horses are boarded, and lessons are given to those who want to learn horseback riding. Red Coat Farm has two indoor arenas, a large outdoor arena where lessons occur, and Red Coat Farm Show Team practices. The team competes at national and international events. There are no horses, but horsing around in the pool within reason can happen at Hawthorn Woods Aquatic Center, with two water slides, multiple lanes for lap swimming and availability for group and private swim lessons. It’s also the site of the annual tree sapling distribution drive-through to encourage families to plant in their yards. That happens every Arbor Day. Further south near the intersection of Old McHenry and Midlothian Roads is Hawthorn Woods Community Park, the home of the Friday evening summer concerts from 6:30 to 8 p.m. Diamond Lake Beach is a few minutes to the north, in the village of Mundelein, and has a sandy beach area on the shores of Diamond Lake. There are also kayaks, paddle boats and paddleboards available for rent. Rambling Hills Park has 10 acres of picnic areas, sports fields and a playground. Colonial Revival, Cape Cod, ranch style and Georgian are some styles in the neighborhood, with prices ranging from $500,000 to around $1 million. Those in the upper part of that range are on lots around 1 acre. Some homes are part of subdivisions, like Indian Creek Club, where the monthly fee is about 130 dollars a month, which includes lawn care and insurance for the subdivision. The home buyer is responsible for their homeowner’s insurance expenses. Homes in the neighborhood are spacious, with most ranging from 3,000 to 6,000 square feet. While most homes were built in the 1990s and 2000s, there are houses as old as the 1940s. Homes that are close to Indian Creek in the eastern part of the neighborhood are susceptible to flooding from extreme rains. Homes in the northern part of the neighborhood are close to railroad tracks and could hear the occasional passing train. Elementary school students who choose to attend public schools could find themselves going to multiple schools through fifth grade. Fremont Elementary, which teaches students through second grade, and Fremont Intermediate Schools both get B-plus grades on Niche. Both are located on Fremont Center Road and across the street from the next step in the process, Fremont Middle School. That school gets an A-minus and has over 750 students in grades six through eight and a 15-to-1 student-teacher ratio. Stevenson High School receives an A-plus and is rated the fifth-best high school in the state out of over 700. It’s the only high school in the country to receive the U.S. Department of Education’s Blue Ribbon Award five times for excellence in education, most recently in 2019. Pizza, sandwiches, appetizers and a bar open past midnight every day. Gilmer Road House has classic pub grub and TVs on the wall. Little Joey’s Pizza and Pasta has been in business for over 20 years, offering deep-dish pizza, homemade lasagna, and sandwiches. A bit off Gilmer Road is the White Barn Bakehouse, a business run out of a house. The bakery is open on Fridays and Saturdays and features various sweet treats using locally sourced ingredients. ALDI is about a 10-minute drive north for groceries, while the same distance south will lead to Mariano’s. Retail options are plenty at Hawthorn Mall, a 15-minute drive from the neighborhood. Due to the neighborhood's rural characteristics, homes are on large lots, and there are generally no sidewalks. A car is needed to access public transportation, including the Mundelein Metra Station, the closest commuter rail station, which is about 10 minutes to the north. A car is also needed to access the nearest public Pace bus stop, which has stops in the village of Mundelein. East Hawthorn Woods is considered a safe and quiet neighborhood, getting a 1 on the CAP crime score level, far below the national average of 4.

“Spacious” and “suburban” aren’t always terms that coexist when talking about neighborhoods in Chicagoland. But West Hawthorn Hills gives its residents both qualities. As a neighborhood of subdivisions on the west side of the Hawthorn Woods village, some streets brim with forests thriving around mid-century ranch homes, while others still have the smell of new construction on the horizon. But one common thread is that residents are never left wanting for breathing room, be it through large homes or the space around them. Another unifying trait: locals’ connections to the nature preserves and parks of Hawthorn Woods and the Lake Zurich area. Homes here offer privacy, community and the beauty of nature, all in one package. "You see a lot of people with families, and a lot of people are moving here with little kids. People tend to be quite friendly with their neighbors," says Jane Lee, a Realtor with Re/Max Top Performers. Many of West Hawthorn Hills’ homes have new traditional elements, in line with design trends from the 1970s to the 2020s. Large four-bedroom homes are the most plentiful, and common traits include brick or vinyl-focused exteriors, wide layouts and low- to medium-pitched roofs. Select 1960s homes have ranch and split-level floorplan styles, and a few properties from the 1980s implement features like exposed beams and open living space areas for a contemporary flair. Home prices start at about $290,000 and can reach upwards of $1 million; most homes sell between $600,000 and $800,000. Open lots of about 1 acre generally sell between $100,000 and $140,000. Some areas in the neighborhood may have higher flooding risks, according to the Risk Factor Index. Kids in West Hawthorn Hills can attend schools within the Lake Zurich Community Unit School District 95. Spencer Loomis Elementary School and Lake Zurich Middle School North both earn A grades on Niche. Clubs and activities at Lake Zurich High School include the React and EDvironment clubs for green-minded students. Bear Strings Sinfonietta and the Tri-M Music Honor Society give students opportunities to extend their musical knowledge beyond traditional band and orchestra classes. The school also earns an A grade on Niche. Most of West Hawthorn Hills’ convenient choices for shopping are to the south near Lake Zurich. Familiar retailers like Jewel-Osco, Kohl’s and Target are available along Rand Road, and Mariano’s offers an alternative grocery pick for residents on the east side of the neighborhood. For dining nearby, Tacos el Norte has a rotating cocktail menu and classic Mexican dishes, with Talavera-styled murals adding bright colors to the space. Well-known chains like Panera and Culver’s are also available nearby. To the north toward Wauconda, J&D’s Bar and Grill is a local favorite. Food and drink specials fill a large chalkboard menu situated between TVs, and locals gather at the pub to enjoy American classics while watching the game. Locals can get to know their Illinois surroundings at the parks in West Hawthorn Hills and the surrounding area. Close to the east side of the neighborhood, residents take boats out on Lake Naomi and Leo Lake. On the south side, Brierwood Nature Preserve is a 12-acre park that was left untouched by development projects over several decades. Dedicated as a preserve in 2017, today residents can walk the trail and watch as monarch butterflies migrate through the area in the spring and autumn. Heritage Oaks Park is just northeast of the neighborhood. Youth sports programs have a huge presence at this park, which offers ball fields, pickleball and basketball courts and trails used for cross-country running. Hawthorn Woods Community Park sits east of the neighborhood, and offers amenities like a field hockey rink and a dedicated sledding hill alongside traditional options like a playground and picnic areas. West Hawthorn Hills is bounded by Rand Road on the west side and Fairfield Road on the east side. Old McHenry Road runs through the center of the neighborhood. Residents are about 3 miles west of the central Hawthorn Woods area and 3 miles north of Lake Zurich. The Chicago Loop is about 43 miles away, and commuters can catch Metra trains into the city at the Mundelein station, about 7 miles northeast. Advocate Good Shepherd Hospital is about 8 miles southwest for medical emergencies. For travel beyond the Chicagoland area, Chicago O’Hare International Airport is 27 miles southeast. The village of Hawthorn Woods hosts the annual Party in the Park each September at Hawthorn Woods Community Park. This end of summer celebration has live music, food and beer for sale and attractions like a petting zoo and kid-friendly games. In Lake Zurich, locals gather each December for the Miracle on Main Street, a day of family activities where guests can participate in the tree lighting ceremony, meet Santa Claus and watch performances by Lake Zurich High School’s show choir program.

Golf course views, refined social amenities and comforting privacy characterize the Hawthorn Woods Country Club area, a semi-gated community with recently built homes on the northwest side of Chicago’s suburban landscape. While the area’s a prime choice for quiet, luxurious living and connecting with neighbors, locals are surprisingly close to shopping, dining and entertainment options in nearby villages. “The people who choose to live here are the ones who really embrace the lifestyle. Every time you stop by the clubhouse, you’ll run into somebody you know,” says Maria Etling, a broker with Berkshire Hathaway Home Services Chicago and a 38-year resident of the area. Colonial Revival touches and new traditional design elements define the look of the Hawthorn Woods Country Club area. Almost all of the area’s homes include two to three-car garages and feature partial or full brick exteriors. The area’s oldest homes date from the late 1980s and early 1990s, while later properties were established in the 2010s and 2020s. Some homes are within the gated country club subdivision, while newer developments are open access. Single-family homes range from about $535,000 to $900,000 or more. Townhomes in the area share new traditional elements typical of the area, such as vinyl siding and decorative shutters. These properties generally sell between $340,000 and $430,000. Buyers can generally expect home values of about $660,000. The Hawthorn Woods Country Club lends the community its name and acts as a major social hub for area residents. Amenities include an Arnold Palmer-designed championship golf course, tennis and pickleball courts, and a pool designed for all-ages leisure. Locals living on the country club’s property are required to maintain a membership, and residents in neighboring subdivisions can also join at their discretion. "It's a lifestyle vs. just a neighborhood. It's what I'd consider a very active community," says Kim Alden, a licensed real estate broker with the Kim Alden Team at Compass. Alden has sold homes in the upper Chicagoland area for almost 20 years. Additional choices for outdoor leisure nearby include neighborhood parks such as Meadowlark Park and Countryside Park. Close to the area’s south end, Heritage Oaks Park provides 45 acres of recreational space, including walking trails, baseball and softball fields and a playground. Hawthorn Woods residents can enjoy outings on the country club grounds and in neighboring villages such as Lake Zurich and Mundelein. Events at the country club include annual Easter egg hunts, pool parties for Labor Day weekend and periodic wine dinners featuring curated menus. Members of the club can also rent the clubhouse for personal events, like weddings and baby showers. Southwest of the neighborhood in Lake Zurich, Copper Fiddle Distillery is a cocktail bar that hosts weekly open mic nights. Locals can also stop by Paulus Park in the summer for food truck socials and farmers markets. To the east in Mundelein, annual celebrations include the Mundelein Craft Beer Festival and the Community Days festival in the summertime, the Arts Festival in the fall and Winterfest celebrations during the holiday season. Most of Hawthorn Woods County Club’s most convenient shopping options are in neighboring areas such as Lake Zurich, Vernon Hills and Mundelein. The Lake Zurich area offers familiar mainstream brands to the west, including Jewel-Osco, Trader Joe’s and Costco. To the east, additional mainstays such as Target, HomeGoods and T.J. Maxx are available in Mundelein, and Vernon Hills provides the area’s largest variety of shopping options within open-air developments such as Mellody Farm and Rivertree Court. Dining options close to home include Gilmer Road House, a friendly pub with broad beer selections and casual surroundings, while Little Joey’s Pizza and Pasta offers thin-crust and deep-dish pies for carry-out and delivery. Students in the Hawthorn Woods Country Club area are zoned for two school districts. Fremont School District 79 serves students in the north side of the community, while Lake Zurich Community Unit School District 95 covers the southern portion of the area. Spencer Loomis Elementary School has a student-teacher ratio of 14:1 and earns an A grade on Niche. Lake Zurich Middle School North earns an A grade. Lake Zurich High School offers more than 40 extracurricular activities, from a literary magazine and musical ensembles to culture clubs and STEAM programs. The school earns an A grade on Niche. Major roads in the neighborhood include Gilmer Road on the east side and Fairfield Road on the southwest end. Both roads connect via the centrally located W Schwerman Road. Mundelein is a 6-mile drive east of the neighborhood, while Lake Zurich is 5 miles west and the Chicago Loop is about 42 miles southeast. Commuters can also catch the Metra train into the city from the Mundelein station, 5 miles east. The nearest hospital, Advocate Condell Medical Center, is 9 miles away in Libertyville. For travel beyond the Chicago area, Chicago O’Hare International Airport is 28 miles south of the neighborhood, while Chicago Midway International Airport is 48 miles away. Some properties in the Hawthorn Woods Country Club area may fall within zones with scores of 3 feet or more on the Flood Factor index, indicating a higher risk of flooding during inclement weather conditions. Buyers are advised to check on properties’ adherence to current safety codes and verify home insurance policies while deciding on a property.