Lake Villa

Located to the left of Loon Lake, the Regency neighborhood is surrounded by green grass and trees with various colored leaves. "It's Lake Country; all of the small lakes make it an ideal location for hobbyists," Aaron Kohlmeier with Welcome Home Real Estate Group says. Kohlmeier has more than 15 years of real estate experience. Residents primarily get around by car since there are few public transportation options. However, the Antioch Metra Station goes up to Milwaukee and Kenosha and south towards Joliet. The parks, waterfronts and outdoor recreation opportunities are a significant part of local's daily lives. "The lake is definitely the area's biggest attraction; people love to go out on the lake for fishing and boating," says Kohlmeier. Loon Lake is the central waterfront area, with several docs for boats and some beaches for residents to enjoy the sunshine. East Loon Lake is directly across from the lake and offers the same amenities. The Northern Illinois Conservation Club is a stone's throw away from Loon Lake and provides education for hunters, fishermen and campers. Sun Lake Forest Preserve allows locals to explore the outdoors and nature beyond the lake. Depending on the season, they will find trees and flowers that are more than a foot tall. A walking bridge lets them cross Sequoit Creek, which flows downstream into Sun Lake. Trail walkers have a chance to see wildlife, including deer and geese. Many homes in the area sell for between $300,000 and $400,000, with some homes in the $100,000 to $200,000 range. Homes in the neighborhood come in various shapes and sizes, many being Tudor and Split-Level homes with a back and front yard. Most homes have a driveway or a garage, if not both, but have limited options for street parking. There aren't any sidewalks in the neighborhood, but the streets are wide enough to accommodate a person walking and a vehicle passing by. Students will start their educational journeys at Emmons School, which receives a B-plus grade from Niche. Emmons is a kindergarten through eighth-grade school that offers clubs, including STEM, arts and crafts and a gaming club. Teenage students will attend Lakes Community High School, an A-graded institution that provides after-school clubs, including archery, student council, diversity ambassadors and science club. They have an athletics program with several sports each season, including football, bowling and lacrosse. Lake Villa Restaurant offers locals a place to get all their favorite breakfast and brunch favorites, including eggs and French toast. Sammie's is known for their burgers, gyros and sandwiches, giving residents a place for lunch or dinner. Looney's Pub is where people go for a few drinks and pub food, including wings and nachos while offering indoor games like Giant Jenga. Head over to Sockman's Meat Co. butcher shop for deli meats for home meals. Locals then travel a few miles north to Antioch to stop at Jewel-Osco or Piggly Wiggly for their produce and pantry essentials. Great Lakes Antique Boutique offers one-of-a-kind antiques and creations from local artists and more than 120 different vendors.

South Lake Villa is a community just 2 miles east of Chain O’ Lakes' central portion and sits along Interstate 83. Once a summer getaway for Chicago vacationers, the neighborhood's small-town feel turned its visitors into permanent residents. Since then, South Lake Villa has maintained its quiet nature, with proximity to nearby lakes and minimal commercial development. This has fostered a strong sense of community pride, and thanks to highly rated schools and shopping opportunities in nearby towns, residents don’t have to go far to enjoy suburban amenities. “We don’t have a bowling alley or a big supermarket, but we do have our community and a beautiful quality of life,” explains Chicky Johnson, Realtor with RE/MAX and Village of Lake Villa native. “We go elsewhere for modern conveniences, so we don’t have to sacrifice our small-town features.” Lehmann Park is the most frequented outdoor space in South Lake Villa, largely due to its access to Cedar Lake, its beach and a free public boat launch. “It’s popular for families,” explains Jake Litz, assistant to Lake Villa's administrator. “People spend time on the lake riding their boats or stand-up paddle boards.” Many in the area enjoy catching sports games, frequenting Friday night football games to cheer on the Knights at Grayslake North High and supporting the little league batters at Lake Villa Township Baseball Complex. Its curved residential streets are characterized by narrow sidewalks on both sides, a sprinkling of white oak and the occasional streetlight. Residents enjoy spending outside, practicing shots in driveway basketball hoops, or grilling atop backyard patios, which many homes feature. The community is filled with new traditional and ranch-style homes built from the late 1990s into the early 2000s, with a handful popping up in recent years. As it is comprised of several subdivisions, homeowners associations and their adjoined fees are slightly different depending on where in the community one lives. Depending on size and condition, homebuyers can expect a price range from $300,000 to $480,000. A number of highly rated schools serve the neighborhood. Young students can attend classes at William L. Thompson Elementary School, which maintains an A-minus on Niche and keeps guardians updated with Tiger Tales, the school’s news source. Meanwhile, older students will head to Palombi Intermediate School, which has a B-plus, before attending Grayslake North High School, which holds an A rating. The high school’s student council holds several Craft and Vendor Shows, hosting over 80 vendor booths and food trucks for the community. According to Johnson, Cedar Avenue is home to Timothy O’Toole’s Pub Lake Villa, a local hub. Here, friends get together to watch a sports game and catch up over traditional pub fare. Within eyeshot is the relatively new Harbor Brewing Company, which serves several local beers. For groceries, residents head to Butera Market, and while the community isn’t home to many retailers, residents have their pick of perusing the stores at Gurnee Mills, 7 miles southeast, or 12 miles north to the local shops of downtown Antioch. South Lake Villa’s sense of community is felt at local events like the Celebration of Fall at Lehmann Park. “We close the roads downtown, and the parks are with activities for kids,” says Litz. “There is live music, and then we end the night with fireworks.” The park also hosts a walking Christmas lights experience and the community’s annual Holiday Parade & Tree Lighting ceremony. Interstate 94 is 9 miles east and carries drivers to Chicago and Milwaukee, 51 miles from the community, and Chicago O’Hare International Airport, a 37-mile trip. Commuters can also take advantage of the Lake Villa Metra station for commutes into Chicago but will have to hop a line if aiming for Union Station. Meanwhile, IL-83 cuts through the center of the community, leading to the College of Lake County – Grayslake Campus, a 6-mile drive south, and Hospital Northwestern, an 8-mile trip in the same direction.

Where suburban comfort meets lakefront living, Fox Lake Hills is a quaint and quiet community, just south of the Illinois-Wisconsin Border. Hugging the shores of Fox Lake, this unincorporated community is home to a variety of housing prices and styles, lush natural areas and a close-knit, small-town vibe. <br><br>“Fox Lake Hills is a wonderful community for those looking to live on the waterfront,” says Peggy Seiling, a community resident and Realtor with Lakes Realty Group. “Those who live right on the waterfront enjoy private lake access, while others just have to pay a small annual HOA fee to use the community marina.” <br><br>Fox Lake is one of 15 basins that make up the Chain O’ Lakes, meaning local boaters have easy access to thousands of acres of open water to explore. Fox Lake Hills is home to over 100 waterfront homes, all of which feature picturesque views and private docks. The average listing price in the area is $290,000, and the market has options for those with a wide range of budgets. For $190,000, you can find two-bedroom, one-bathroom ranch-style homes built in the mid-to-late 20th century. On the market’s higher end is a luxurious, 21st-century, six-bedroom home with warm-toned interiors 10,000 square feet and an open, 7-acre lot listed for $4.5 million. The average house here has four bedrooms and sits on a quarter-acre lot. While there are no sidewalks lining the streets, the lack of traffic makes the area ideal for walking, running and biking. <br><br>Olive C. Martin Elementary School serves 700 local kindergarten through fifth grade students and has an average student-teacher ratio of 14-1. For the next three years, students can attend Palombi Middle School, where they can participate in after-school enrichment programs, with topics including gardening, sign language and web gaming. Lakes Community High School boasts an impressive A overall grade and is ranked the 65th best public high school in Illinois, according to Niche. High schoolers will find a variety of unique electives to consider, including apparel design and construction and creative foods. <br><br>Fox Lake Hills is situated just four miles northeast of downtown Fox Lake, where you’ll find shops like Val’s Fresh Market and Jewel-Osco. Along with the numerous shops and restaurants downtown, you can find local eateries sprinkled around the community. Fairmont Shores is a waterfront restaurant and bar where patrons can enjoy sunset views while indulging in Carolina-style ribs, a mushroom and onion burger or an Alaskan pollack fish sandwich. A mile east is Roost 59, a Chicago-style grill serving up burgers, gyros, chili dogs and more. <br><br>“It’s a friendly community,” Seiling says. “People move here because they like to enjoy the outdoors, so neighbors often meet one another and socialize on walks or at annual events like the neighborhood easter egg hunt and our community-wide yard sale. <br><br>The community is bordered to the east by the Grant Woods Forest Preserve, where native flora and fauna are in abundance, including a stand of wild Kentucky coffee trees. Seven miles of trails wind through woodlands and open fields, that are popular among local hikers, bikers and cross-country ski. On the preserve's south end, you can launch your canoe or kayak for a peaceful drift on Long Lake. <br><br>Fox Lake Hills is 50 miles north of Chicago’s city center, and is conveniently located between two Metra stations, so commuters and day-trippers can take the 90-minute train ride downtown.

In the Chain O’ Lakes area in northern Illinois, about an hour from downtown Chicago, is the appropriately named Petite Lake, one of the smaller bodies of water within the 15-lake chain. The lake, however, is home to a lot of activity, including the sandbar, which attracts boaters, especially on holidays. “The sandbar is about 3 to 5 feet deep, and people just park their boats there and create an alleyway, and some people even grill,” says Amanda Urban, the president of Cypress Resort and Marine on the shores of Petite Lake. She’s also lived around the lake her whole life. It’s not just holidays - people start heading out there as soon as the weather gets warm.” If homes are not right on the lakefront, they’re within walking distance in the Petite Lake neighborhood. Homes not on the water range from $200,000 to $400,000 and are ranch-style, Cape Cod and Colonial Revival, and have between 1,000 and 2,200 square feet. Some are on quarter-acre lots. Prices for homes on the water can vary from $600,000 to $1.5 million. Most homes have porches, patios or decks with a prime lake view. Sprawling estates and ranch-style houses on the water could have more land between the front door and the shoreline. “It’s a mix of primary and secondary residents,” says Pat Smarto, managing owner and broker for Lakes Realty Group with over 15 years of experience. “They come here as their getaway house during the year.” The CAP crime score of the Petite Lake neighborhood is 2 on a scale of 1 to 10. 4 is the national average. Living close to a lake provides a variety of recreation, whether by sea or land. Cypress Resort and Marine on the western shore of Petite Lake has various cottages for rent on the water. “We also have the largest beach on the chain,” Urban says. “It’s about 50 feet long and 20 to 25 feet deep and dog friendly. We decided to allow dogs on the beach after COVID, and it’s been very popular.” In the winter, the fun doesn’t stop at the lake - ice fishing, snowmobiling, and snowboarding are just some activities. There’s plenty to do on land, including playing 18 holes at the Valley Ridge Golf Course or the picnic pavilion and play equipment at Vern Thelen Park. There are plans for even more improvements at the park in the future. Close to the water but off the main roads is Max & Boyd’s Hideout, with daily specials including Taco Tuesday and baby back ribs on Thursday. They’re open every Sunday morning for breakfast at 8 a.m. It’s a few miles from the Sandbar Bar & Grille on the banks of nearby Lake Marie for a dining spot on the water. The menu is classic American bar food, and they’re open until at least 1 a.m. every night. Hop and Hen is a store that sells soaps and lotions in a farmhouse. In addition, they offer classes that educate people about goats and chickens, and they sell free-range eggs and goat milk. The nearest large grocery stores are in Antioch, about 3 miles away in the village of Antioch. Jewel-Osco and Piggly Wiggly are some of the options. Grass Lake Elementary School has an 11-to-1 student-teacher ratio and a B overall grade on Niche. The school has just under 200 students in prekindergarten through eighth grade. Antioch Community High School is part of Community High School District 117. The school is rated an A on Niche and has an in-house College and Career Center with financial aid workshops available and the ability to set up college visits. Chain O’ Lakes is a popular retirement area, but some people still rely on public transportation to get into downtown Chicago. The nearest Metra station is in Antioch, about a 4-minute drive north, which provides commuters with an hour-and-35-minute ride to Union Station. The closest hospital is Vista Medical Center -Lindenhurst in nearby Lake Villa, less than 10 minutes east.