Hazel Crest

As the name suggests, Stonebridge provides a solid avenue to pursue the best parts of both urban and suburban lifestyles. This southern Chicago suburb offers residents a sought-after convenient lifestyle with immediate access to everyday essentials and U.S. Interstate 57 for a quick 26-mile commute toward downtown Chicago. The location attracts many individuals into the area, offering easy access to both Advocate South Suburban Hospital and Hazel Crest Center while maintaining outdoor recreation opportunities, like fishing at Dolphin Lake Park. “Stonebridge offers an incredibly convenient lifestyle with immediate access to major highways and shopping centers less than five minutes from the community,” says long-time local Chanan Dozier, Managing Broker at Dior Realty Group. And with the Calumet Metra Station nearby, day trips into the windy city are less than an hour from the tranquil suburbs of Stonebridge. Many residents in Stonebridge are within walking distance of Hazel Crest Center, which offers local grocers, like Sesi African Groceries and Teddy's Fruit And Meat Market. While other stores, like Wal-Mart, Jewel-Osco and Target can also be accessed nearby. Larger department stores, like Kohl’s, The Home Depot and Ross Dress for Less can be found at Park Place Plaza 4 miles from Stonebridge. When dining in the area, locals can head to Los Angeles Restaurant for all-American classics and their signature breakfast skillets. Or check out Flavor Brunch And Bar for chicken and waffles and a fruity beverage served in a Mason jar. For traditional Chinese cuisine, visit Wing Wah Restaurant for a wide menu of hearty portions that has served the community for over 30 years. Every summer, The Village of Hazel Crest hosts the family-friendly Hazelnut Festival at the Village Hall Grounds. Kids can enjoy carnival rides, while adults are compelled by live music, local artists, and a variety of vendors. Activities range from a talent show to a wing cookoff competition and a car show. The weekend kicks off with a parade on Saturday at 11:00 am and is concluded with a fireworks display at dusk. Streets in Stonebridge are wide and lined with paved sidewalks for increased walkability within the community. While single-family homes dominate the area, multi-family condos are also available in areas like Stonebridge Valley. Homeownership is also common here. Stonebridge features a variety of home styles ranging from Colonial Revivals and bi-levels to traditional Ranch-styles and multi-family condos. With a median sales price of $187,000, homes here range from around $50,000 for a one-bedroom condo to upwards of the low $300,000s for a five-bedroom two-story Colonial-style with an attached garage. “Most of the homes here were constructed around the 2010s and offer more affordable single-family options to similar properties in areas like Flossmoor,” says Dozier, who has been selling in the area for over a decade. Homes here are well-maintained, have brick and stone exterior accents and come equipped with attached two-car garages. Lawns are typically mid-sized with enough room for shrubbery and a few trees. Students in Stonebridge can attend schools, like Mae Jemison, Prairie-Hills Junior High and Hillcrest High School, which have respectively earned ratings of C-minus, D-plus and C-minus from the educational review site, Niche. Mae Jemison School serves over 300 students and offers a student-teacher ratio of 14:1. Prairie-Hills Junior High School serves Grades 6 through 8 and offers 10 clubs and after-school programs, like band, chorus and Junior Honor Society (JHS). Hillcrest High School offers an advanced curriculum with 16 Advanced Placement (AP) courses to prepare students for higher education. Private schooling options like Infant Jesus of Prague School are also common here. When seeking time outdoors, some Stonebridge residents are within walking distance of Stone Hollow Park at the center of the community. Visitors can stroll along the paved paths here and take advantage of the large open green space perfect for playing fetch with the family dog. Cast a line off the fishing pier at Dolphin Lake Park, or prepare an outdoor lunch under the pavilion while children climb on the jungle-gym. Fishing is permitted to only individuals with both Dolphin Lake and Illinois State fishing permits. Golf enthusiasts are in luck with the public Ravisloe Country Club nearby, offering clubhouse amenities and an 18-hole course available for tee-time reservations. Stonebridge residents rely on Kedzie Avenue and 175th Street for access to I-57 and neighboring areas like Hazel Crest and Homewood. When seeking public transportation, residents can hop on the Metra at the Calumet Station nearby, which offers the ME Line toward downtown Chicago every hour. Those interested in traveling further outside the community can head to the Chicago Midway International Airport 20 miles away. For healthcare, some Stonebridge residents are within walking distance of Advocate South Suburban Hospital, which provides emergency medical care and borders the community.

Residential lanes, shopping centers and a robust health district are all part of the day-to-day lifestyle in Chateaux-Versailles. Anchored by the Advocate South Suburban Hospital and two of Hazel Crest’s key shopping centers, this community offers an approachable suburban feel at the core of the village with easy trips to other areas when needed. “Most towns are within a 15-minute drive of each other, which means those who don’t want to leave the community don’t have to,” says Margaret Banks, the managing broker at Home Sellers Realty. Banks has sold homes in the southern suburbs of Chicago for almost 30 years. Medium-sized roads weave through the southern segment of Chateaux-Versailles. The streets sit under the shade of elm trees, with enough space for curbside parking when guests are over and extend past the driveways. Small to mid-sized 1970s single-family homes with three to four bedrooms are the area’s most plentiful option, with a selection of split-level and ranch-style properties. Exteriors use a variety of materials, with brick and asphalt roofing being the most common; aluminum, vinyl and wood siding are also present, depending on the house. Most properties have one- to two-car attached garages. Prices generally fall between $120,000 and $280,000. The elementary-level Chateaux School and Prairie-Hills Junior High School both hold D-plus grades on Niche. Hillcrest High School students can choose from any of 39 extracurricular activities and clubs. Offerings range from a scholastic bowl team and yearbook club to service organizations like Key Club and Interact Club. The school earns a C-minus grade on Niche. Chateaux-Versailles’ connections to Kedzie Avenue and 183rd Street places residents near several casual restaurants and convenient shopping options. Easygoing brunch vibes are the order of the day at Los Angeles Restaurant. This daytime meal spot has classic diner platters and its own spins on crepes and eggs benedict. Faye & Joe’s Southern Bowl specializes in soul food. Fried chicken and short ribs are available daily, alongside weekly specials like smothered pork chops and oxtails. Wing Wah Restaurant is a staple for Chinese take-out, with a counter-serve setup and a straightforward menu of combo platters. Familiar fast food stops like Popeyes and McDonald’s are also available near Kedzie Avenue. Options for grocery shopping nearby include a Jewel-Osco on the south end of the neighborhood. On the north side, Teddy’s Fruit & Meat Market specializes in local goods, and Family Dollar is available for everyday items next door. Big Lots and Dollar General offer additional essentials to the west in Country Club Hills. Residents can also stop by the Goodwill Donation Center nearby to drop off clothing and household items. Neighboring areas offer the closest parks and open spaces for residents to get some fresh air. Homewood Estates Park offers familiar amenities like a playground and baseball field to the neighborhood’s east, while The Clubhouse at Dolphin Lake Park is a close venue for weddings, baby showers and other get-togethers. Pinewood Park offers prime spaces for soccer and sand volleyball games to the south. For those who prefer to get their exercise indoors, an Anytime Fitness gym is available near Kedzie Avenue and 183rd Street. Advocate South Suburban Hospital sits directly north of most homes in Chateaux-Versailles. In addition to its convenience for urgent and emergency care, the hospital is one of Hazel Creek’s largest employment centers. Locals can reach the medical complex and the neighborhood’s residential areas from Kedzie Avenue, the main north-south thoroughfare. Other major roads include 175th Street and 183rd Street, which handle east-west traffic. The neighborhood is about 25 miles south of the Chicago Loop. For commutes across the area, the Homewood Metra station is 2 miles east of the neighborhood. Residents can also use Pace bus stops along 183rd Street and Kedzie Avenue for local travel. Flights out of the Chicago area depart from Chicago Midway International Airport, 17 miles north of the neighborhood. Crabs & Cocktails offers events like karaoke, live music and bingo on the neighborhood’s north side. Guests can also stop by for brunch on Sundays or seafood boil dinners throughout the week. West of the neighborhood near 183rd Street, the Country Club Hills Amphitheater is a hub for live music in the summertime. The venue’s annual concert series includes performances from R&B, soul and gospel artists from the springtime to early fall. The Grande Prairie Public Library on the neighborhood’s south side offers informational classes for all ages, including device help sessions for seniors, gardening classes, and science activities for kids.

Village West is a tucked-away community near the south suburban Chicago village of Hazel Crest. “It’s a pocket that people don’t normally think of,” says Zelia Cato, a Realtor with RE/MAX 10 with nearly 30 years of experience. There are palatial houses in this area used as duplexes, multi-level townhouses and an exclusive 55-plus community.” Pair that with access to an elite high school, which is a place where people want to stay, less than 30 miles from downtown Chicago. One of the draws to living in the neighborhood is access to an A-rated high school. Homewood-Flossmoor High School has a 14-to-1 student-teacher ratio and A grades for the quality of administration and teachers, as well as clubs and activities. The school also has a 97% graduation rate. The schools that feed into the high school are part of the Flossmoor School District Number 161. Flossmoor Hills Elementary School is rated a B-minus and has a 9-to-1 student-teacher ratio. Parker Junior High School is rated a C-plus and releases a quarterly newsletter called The Parker Press with school news produced by students. The Grande Prairie Public Library serves the communities of Hazel Crest and County Club Hills with youth, teen and adult programs. The facility hosts occasional family movie nights and adult programs, like yoga and help navigating technology. The Village West subdivision is primarily a townhouse development that started in the 1970s. The oldest stock of townhouses has three to four bedrooms and is priced between $150,000 and $300,000. “One of the unique things about the neighborhood is that there are large estates that look like single-family homes, but they’re divided into duplexes,” Cato says. “They’re three-bedroom, two-and-a-half-bath spacious houses.” The Water’s Edge Condominium Complex is part of this development, a 55+ community with an outdoor pool. Units are priced between $150,000 and $200,000. Outside that community is the Dynasty Lakes subdivision, which has custom-built contemporary houses from the 1990s and early 2000s, with prices between $350,000 and $475,000. Just south of the neighborhood is an 18-hole public golf course owned and operated by the Homewood-Flossmoor Park District. The Coyote Run Golf Course has water hazards on 11 of its 18 holes, and there’s a large practice area with a lighted driving range. A paved walking trail goes through the southern and eastern edges of the Village West subdivision. There is also a small clubhouse, tennis courts and a swimming pool in The Club townhouse development off Village Drive. While not exactly in the neighborhood, the village of Hazel Crest has a one-day festival in early August called the Hazelnut Festival. Hazelnuts are important to the village's name, originating from the abundance of hazelnut bushes. A family-owned restaurant specializing in Southern Soul Food is along 183rd Street. Faye & Joe’s Southern Bowl is named after the family's parents, who passed the recipe for their concoction to their children, who all have specialty skills in the kitchen. The food is reminiscent of when families gathered to share a meal and stories around a table. Some of the food includes meatloaf, ribs and smothered pork chops. Maria’s Pancake House serves breakfast, brunch and lunch. Jewel-Osco is at the corner of Kedzie Avenue and 183rd Street. The owner of a regional food truck lives in Village West. Brandi King is the founder and owner of Slide NNZ Gourmet Sliders. She has resided in the south suburbs for 25 years and says the best thing about the community is the openness. “It’s ever-growing and up and coming. We embrace newness, and we are accommodating to entrepreneurs.” Public transportation options include the Pace bus service, which stops along 183rd Street. The line runs from Harvey to the north of Hazel Crest and to the west to Tinley Park. It’s a couple of miles northeast to the Homewood Metra station and the same distance to the Flossmoor station to the southeast. Both stations are about an hour ride away from downtown Chicago.

Hazel Crest Proper offers easy access to major expressways, attractive housing prices and restaurants that are deemed community pillars. “The community is convenient for accessing Highway I-80 and I-294, plus the Metra; however, the most principal aspect of living here are the buying options,” says local Realtor Margaret Banks with Home Sellers Realty Inc. “For those looking to purchase starter homes, this would be a suitable market to search.” The wide well-kept residential roads display diverse selection of modest home styles, including bungalows, worker’s cottages, split-level, ranch-style and townhouses. Most homes boast hardwood floors and updated kitchen, with lot sizes ranging from a quarter to half-acre. Homes that need extensive rehab work range between $60,000 to $120,000. Well-maintained turnkey homes with three bedrooms and over 1,500 square feet can hit the market for $250,000 or more. The average listing price in the community is $115,000 and most houses were built in the early-to-mid 1900s. For some fresh air, residents have a few green spaces to choose from. Oak Hill Park offers a modest creek that runs parallel to paved walking paths. Throw down a blanket and relax in the large, plush grassy fields or watch an informal baseball game or two. Kids can enjoy the mulched play areas, as guardians watch from resting benches nearby. Lions Field Park is a straightforward outdoor area with similar amenities. It also features a mulched playground, with a small stream adjacent to a pedestrian path. James O. Setnes Sports Complex is a 21-acre complex that sits at the end of Crescent Drive. Like the other parks, Setnes also has a baseball field, soccer field, more play areas for kids, plenty of parking and resting benches, all at the edge of a prairie. All three parks are nestled within the community, acting as an extension of residents’ backyards. After taking your pet for a walk in one of the area’s dog-friendly green spaces, purchase a treat from Paw Paws Pet Bakery. Offerings include peanut-buttered-flavored cookies and liver-flavored muffins. Students in Hazel Crest Proper attend public and private schools, including Jesse White Learning Academy, which provides Pre-K through 8th-grade curricula. This school earns a C-minus overall grade from Niche and serves around 400 local learners. Older students can attend Thornwood High School, which earns a C overall rating with a B-plus grade on its extracurricular activities. During the summer, students can sign up for summer camp at through the Hazel Park District, which offers classes from June to August. The Hazel Crest Center is the site of The Hazelnut Festival. The free event has carnival rides for kids and live music, local artists, and vendors for adults. Hazel Crest Proper’s culinary scene is consistent, reliable and comforting. Many of the local spots are long-time community staples. Some residents have ordered their favorite meatball sandwiches and beer-battered onion rings from Oasis Beef Hut since they were kids. The owner, Ms. Ruby, has provided indoor and outdoor dining to the community for over 30 years. Glo Jean’s Kitchen offers takeout and delivery only for classic American pub fare. The salmon burgers and Houston’s Hot Dog are favored menu items, but for those who prefer meatless, Glo Jean’s has you covered. Order vegan barbecue tips or the fried eggplant sandwich for flavorful plant-based goodness. When residents need to stock their pantries, Teddy’s Fruit & Meat Market has fresh and organic produce and specialized cuts of meat, like oxtails, catfish and chicken. Teddy’s is located in the Hazel Crest Center strip mall, along with Sesi African Groceries which serves up Nigerian dishes for takeout or catering. For retail shopping, Heritage Plaza and Flossmoor Plaza are just a short drive away. Residents are just a 40-minute drive south of downtown Chicago, which can be accessed via Interstate 55. Folks can also take the Metra from Hazel Crest to Chicago's Millenium station, which is also around a 40-minute trip.