Mundelein

Golf courses, main roads and suburban subdivisions connect the villages of Libertyville and Mundelein. Places of interest in the two towns sit between long stretches of farmland in North Mundelein, lending the area a sense of breathing room that contributes to a Midwestern countryside feel. “The whole area is surrounded by small lakes and farm areas. It’s a great place to live,” says Stephen Kovac, a realtor with Century 21 Circle. North Mundelein offers a broad range of home styles in multiple subdivisions such as The Fields of Ambria, Winchester Estates and Kenloch Park, reflecting the area’s development and growth from the 1950s to the 2000s. Early homes from the 1950s to the 1980s include influences from Tudor, midcentury modern, ranch and split-level designs. The area’s largest housing boom came in the 1990s and early 2000s. Homes from this era offer a new traditional style with elements of the Colonial Revival look, including faux shutters, vinyl lap siding and partial brick exteriors. Single-family home prices range from about $252,000 to $600,000. A few properties just north of the Pine Meadow Golf Club run from about $575,000 to $789,000. A select number of duplex homes from the 1990s are also available near Winchester Road and Midlothian Road in the area and share similar new traditional stylings to their single-family counterparts. Prices for these typically range from $295,000 to $375,000. North Mundelein’s large area places residents within several of Lake County’s school districts. Depending on location, public school students may be assigned to schools within Fremont School District 79, Mundelein Elementary School District 75 or Libertyville School District 70 from kindergarten to eighth grade. Older students are assigned to Mundelein Consolidated High School District 120 or Libertyville Community High School District 128. For students in the Libertyville districts on the area’s east side, the elementary-level Butterfield School and Highland Middle School both earn A-minus grades on Niche. Libertyville High School offers more than 30 athletic programs and earns an A grade. North Mundelein residents have access to an abundance of shopping and dining options thanks to the area’s connections to the Mundelein and Libertyville communities. Southwest of the neighborhood near Mundelein and Ivanhoe, Target, T.J. Maxx and other big-box businesses anchor the Mundelein Crossing shopping center. For dining nearby, Crossroads Restaurant & Bar offers a sand volleyball court and in-ground pool on the patio for summer leisure alongside an all-day menu of casual eats. For residents on the neighborhood’s east side near Libertyville, Sunset Foods offers a local spin on the grocery shopping experience. Guests can order draft beer selections to sip as they shop, and the store also has a grill with made-to-order sandwiches and salads. Austin’s has been a neighborhood stop for pizza, burgers and other American fare in Libertyville since 1990. On the west side, Keith Mione Community Park is one of Mundelein’s premier parks. Year-round amenities include tennis and pickleball courts and a fishing pond. The park also hosts a winter ice rink and the Barefoot Bay water park in the summertime. Multi-use trails in the neighborhoods along Midlothian Road connect to Asbury Park, a cozy neighborhood park with a playground and fields for baseball and soccer. The neighborhood also shares Mundelein’s convenient options for golf; the Village Green Golf Course has a mid-sized layout of about 6,000 yards, while Pine Meadow Golf Club offers more than 7,000 yards over its 18 holes. Both courses are semi-private and offer open tee times. On the neighborhood’s east end in Libertyville, Jo Ann Eckmann Park offers a small playground and green space near the homes of Winchester Estates and Interlaken. The Libertyville Township Soccer Complex is a local hub for Greater Libertyville Soccer Association youth soccer games. State Route 60, Ivanhoe Road and U.S. Highway 45 connect North Mundelein to the greater Chicago area. Residents are about 2 miles north of the heart of Mundelein and 3 miles northwest of central Libertyville. Residents commuting into Chicago can expect a 43-mile trip southeast. Metra rail lines are available at the Mundelein station, 2 miles south of the neighborhood, and the Libertyville station, 3 miles southeast. Pace bus stops are available along U.S. Highway 45, Winchester Road and Butterfield Road in the neighborhood. For medical emergencies, Advocate Condell Medical Center is about 4 miles southeast. Locals traveling beyond Chicago can catch flights at Chicago O’Hare International Airport, 28 miles south of the neighborhood, or Chicago Midway International Airport, 55 miles south. Pace bus services are available along Highway 45. Residents can enjoy a variety of events in both of the area’s neighboring communities. The Impact Fuel Room, located within Austin’s on the Libertyville side of the neighborhood, brings live musicians from across Chicagoland to a warehouse-style venue. To the south in downtown Mundelein, seasonal celebrations include Mundelein Days during the Fourth of July weekend and Mundelein Winterfest during the holiday season.

Evoking the spirit of the namesake historical novel by Sir Walter Scott, Ivanhoe offers the refined charms of country club living on the north side of Mundelein. The namesake Ivanhoe Club opened in 1991, turning the existing Smith estate on the grounds into one of Lake County’s premier social destinations. The coming decades would bring homes, expansions to the golf course and PGA Tour affiliated events to the neighborhood, making it a prestigious choice on the northeast end of Chicagoland. Life beyond the grounds would also grow as the village of Mundelein entered the new millennium and became desirable as an alternative to the bustle of the city. "One thing that residents appreciate about Mundelein's location is that it's only 35 miles from Chicago. But there's also a lot to do in Mundelein as well. We have weekly farmer's markets, art fairs, and summer festivals," says Scott Adams, president of the GLMV Chamber of Commerce. Contemporary properties in a new traditional style are abundant in Ivanhoe, which includes the Grand Dominion active adult community and the gated areas near the namesake country club. Most of the properties in the neighborhood were built between the late 2000s and today, and feature common exterior features like white trim, vinyl siding and asphalt roofing. Townhomes in the area start at about $332,000 and top out at about $617,000, while a typical single-family house runs between $340,000 and $780,000. Stately homes with large footprints in the area draw from an eclectic mix of influences, including new traditional, French and Queen Anne styles. They feature complex, high-pitched rooflines, elongated entryways and anywhere from 3,000 to 7,000 square feet of living space. Prices for these properties typically range from about $670,000 to $985,000. Kids in Ivanhoe can attend schools within Fremont School District 79 and Mundelein Consolidated High School District 120. Fremont Elementary School and Fremont Intermediate School both earn B-plus grades on Niche. Students at the A-minus-ranked Fremont Middle School can participate in clubs like Wildcat Page Turners for avid readers, Stock Market Club for future business professionals and Juggling Club for those interested in testing their dexterity. Mundelein High School earns an A grade on Niche. Many of Ivanhoe’s most convenient shopping and dining options are just east of the neighborhood along Mundelein’s major roads. The Mundelein Crossing shopping center includes anchors such as Target, T.J. Maxx and HomeGoods, while Jewel-Osco offers groceries closer to the center of the village. Dining options nearby include Crossroads Restaurant & Bar, which offers a pool and beach volleyball on the patio during the summertime alongside traditional pub grub. Members at the Ivanhoe Club can also dine at several on-site options at the country club, including the Thorngate Room for straightforward meals, the Stadium Pub for casual sports bar style dining and the Ivanhoe Room for formal meals. The Ivanhoe Club is the neighborhood’s premier leisure option, offering 27 holes of golf across three courses. The club hosted the Rust-Oleum Championship in the PGA Tour’s developmental division between 2016 and 2018. Members can also enjoy an outdoor pool and four clay tennis courts. To the south, Countryside Golf Club and Steeplechase Golf Club offer more variety for days on the green. Woodlands Park sits just east of the neighborhood and has a small play area for families to enjoy. Sheldon Woods residents have access to a neighborhood playground on Kessler Drive. State Road 60 and Maple Avenue are the main thoroughfares connecting Ivanhoe to Mundelein and the greater Chicago area. Residents are about 5 miles away from the center of the village. The Chicago Loop is about 44 miles southeast of the neighborhood. Locals traveling into the city or other areas can catch Metra trains at the Mundelein station, about 4 miles east. Advocate Condell Medical Center is about 7 miles east of the neighborhood for medical emergencies. Residents traveling beyond Chicagoland can catch flights at Chicago O’Hare International Airport, about 27 miles southeast of the neighborhood. Chicago Midway International Airport is 53 miles southeast. To the east in Mundelein, the Mundelein Farmers Market lets residents check out wares from vendors across Lake County from June to September. The annual Mundelein Days festival brings carnival-style attractions, fireworks and music to the village’s heart around the Fourth of July. Mundelein Community Connection also hosts the annual Winterfest celebration each December, which includes the village’s tree lighting ceremony, meet and greets with Santa Claus, ice sculpting and more.

For Tullamore residents, convenient leisure options can be as close as the backyard. That’s not an exaggeration – residents on the east side of the neighborhood are just a few feet out from Leo Leathers Park, where disc golf and basketball courts exist in harmony alongside houses from the subdivision’s late 20th century establishment. Suburban tranquility and modern convenience meet in this community, which sits on the northwest end of Mundelein. Beyond the community, golf courses, village events and easy connections to greater Chicago make the neighborhood a go-to for the Lake County lifestyle. The most plentiful homes in Tullamore are new traditional properties built from the 1970s to the 1990s. Earlier properties have elements of split-level and raised ranch styles, while later homes hearken back to an early Colonial Revival style. Common elements include brick or vinyl siding, attached garages and faux window shutters. Single-family properties in the area start at about $300,000 and top out near $530,000. Select townhouses are also available in the area, typically selling between $255,000 and $300,000. Public school students in Tullamore attend schools within Fremont School District 79 and Mundelein Consolidated High School District 120. Fremont Elementary School and Fremont Intermediate School both earn B-plus grades on Niche. Fremont Middle School earns an A-minus grade. The A-ranked Mundelein High School offers more than 70 clubs and athletic programs, including the computer science-focused Byte Club, the Puertas Club for Latino cultural experiences, water polo and gymnastics. Immediately north of the neighborhood, the Mundelein Crossing shopping center offers mainstream retail stores such as Target, T.J. Maxx, HomeGoods and Dollar Tree. To the neighborhood’s east, Jewel-Osco is a mainstay for groceries. Casual dining options like Quiznos, Jimano’s Pizzeria and Taco Bell are also available nearby. The signage at Crossroads Restaurant & Bar may mention menu items like chicken, burgers and pasta, but locals also love the neighborhood restaurant for its drink selections and the patio’s pool and sand volleyball pitch. To the south at Country Bumpkin Garden Center, guests can purchase fresh produce, shop for garden supplies and pick pumpkins from a thriving nursery. Additional picks for shopping and dining are available to the east in the downtown Mundelein area and Vernon Hills. Leo Leathers Park is a 21-acre park connected to the northeast end of the neighborhood. Residents can walk down the park’s path to reach the basketball court, disc golf, fishing pond or playground. The park also connects to Mundelein High School’s campus, which offers tennis courts, a track and football field, and multiple diamonds for ball games. Woodlands Park offers a smaller park experience with a play area just north of Tullamore. East of the neighborhood, Countryside Golf Club and Steeple Chase Golf Club are public 18-hole courses situated along Hawley Street, giving residents easy access to one of Mundelein’s most popular pastimes. Maple Avenue and State Road 60 are Tullamore’s primary connections to the rest of Mundelein and the northern Chicago suburbs. The main thoroughfares meet at the neighborhood's northwest corner. Residents are about 2 miles away from downtown Mundelein and 42 miles northwest of the Loop. While the local Pace bus system doesn’t have stops in the neighborhood, residents can request rides through the area with the Pace on Demand or Ride Lake County services. Commuters taking the Metra into Chicago can catch trains at the Mundelein station, 2 miles east. Advocate Condell Medical Center is about 5 miles east. For travel beyond the Chicago area, Chicago O’Hare International Airport is 25 miles south of Tullamore, while Chicago Midway International Airport is 51 miles south. "Mundelein hosts engaging festivities for residents to fellowship and help to foster a sense of community,” says Scott Adams, president of the GLMV Chamber of Commerce. Each summer, the Concerts in the Park series brings rotating musical acts to the gazebo at Kracklauer Park, and the annual Craft Beer Festival gathers beer, wine, cider and food vendors from across Chicagoland each June. The Community Days festival brings fireworks, carnival attractions, vendors, and performances to downtown Mundelein during the weekend of the Fourth of July.

Today the broad vistas of Loch Lomond’s shoreline may be hard to imagine as a landscape of hills and canyons. But before the Mundelein neighborhood’s establishment in the mid-1950s, the lake that lends the area its name was little more than an idea. Local builder Arthur McIntosh took inspiration from his family’s Scottish roots when developing the neighborhood; this included its name, which nods to its famed counterpart north of Glasgow. Early brochures for the fledgling community pointed to convenience, privacy and spaciousness as reasons to consider moving in. While the area’s surroundings in Mundelein and greater Chicagoland have evolved, residents can still enjoy the lakeside beaches, waterfront living and suburban convenience that the neighborhood has had since its earliest days. “What draws people there is the lake setting. The rolling terrain and oak trees are just absolutely gorgeous,” says Stephen Kovac, a realtor with Century 21 Circle.<br><br>Most of Loch Lomond’s properties were built between the 1960s and 1970s and feature single-family ranch or split-level designs in line with the popular home architecture of the era. Waterfront homes nestled along the lake are the most popular option in the area, but homes on the land in the surrounding area have lower asking prices while still providing access to the area’s private beaches. Prices generally range from $300,000 to $400,000 for non-waterfront homes and $425,000 to $665,000 for homes on the lake. Some properties in the neighborhood, both on the water and in the surrounding area, may have higher flooding risks, according to the First Street Risk Factor index. Residents are required to join the Loch Lomond Property Owners Association when purchasing a home in the area; the local homeowners association handles maintenance like weed removal, pest deterrence and water quality.<br><br>Families can send public school students to schools within Mundelein School Districts 75 and 120. Kids can enroll at Washington Early Learning Center from kindergarten to second grade. The school earns a B grade on Niche. Students can continue at Mechanics Grove Elementary School from third to fifth grade before moving on to Carl Sandburg Middle School; both schools earn B-minus grades on Niche. Mundelein High School offers more than 70 athletic and extracurricular programs to extend students' experiences beyond the classroom. The school earns an A grade on Niche.<br><br>Loch Lomond’s vacation-style atmosphere comes with the conveniences of suburban life thanks to the community’s connections to the Mundelein area. A Jewel-Osco store is immediately west of the neighborhood for everyday grocery needs. To the south in downtown Mundelein, Los Perez Supermarket offers supplies for Latin meals at home and a taqueria for ready-made tacos, tortas and burritos. Specialty retailers such as Classic Violins and Ron’s Hobbies also await in the village’s center. For meals beyond the kitchen table, Luke’s is a local standby for Chicago-style beef sandwiches, hot dogs and fast food fare. Tina G’s takes influence from Italian trattoria restaurants and American steakhouses to create a distinctive dining experience.<br><br>Recreational options are plentiful nearby, including private areas on the lake reserved for Loch Lomond residents and nearby public facilities in the Mundelein Park & Recreation District. South Beach is Loch Lomond’s primary social hub and recreational area. Residents of the neighborhood can enjoy the area’s private boat launch, playground and volleyball. Residents looking for a quieter retreat near home can visit North Beach, which offers a fishing pier and a demonstration garden brimming with aquatic plant life. The area is also home to Loch Lomond’s Pooch Paddle nights, where dog owners are invited to socialize and bring their furry friends to the beach three nights a week. To the neighborhood’s north, Keith Mione Community Park is one of Mundelein’s largest recreational areas. The 153-acre park offers an ice rink in the wintertime, courts for basketball, pickleball and tennis, and a community garden. Additional spots in the area for time outdoors include Lincoln Park and Banbury Park.<br><br>The neighborhood’s location at the intersection between North Lake Street/U.S. Route 45 and Maple Avenue/State Route 176 provides convenient connections to Mundelein and the greater Chicago area. Residents are about 2 miles north of downtown Mundelein and 43 miles north of the Chicago Loop. The closest Metra station is 2 miles southeast of the neighborhood in Mundelein, though residents may be able to catch more direct trains from the Libertyville station, 4 miles northeast. The nearest hospital, Advocate Condell Medical Center, is about 5 miles east of the neighborhood. Residents traveling beyond Chicagoland can catch flights from Chicago O’Hare International Airport, 29 miles south of Loch Lomond, or Chicago Midway International Airport, 57 miles south of the neighborhood.<br><br>Residents can enjoy a mix of entertainment programming hosted in Loch Lomond and the surrounding Mundelein area. Each summer, the Loch Lomond Property Owners Association hosts Lochfest on the lake’s South Beach, where families can enjoy games, concerts from neighborhood musicians and a potluck on the beach. Additional events include the annual Father’s Day Fishing Derby each June and the Fall Boat Parade in September, and households can also reserve the beach for private picnics. Close to the neighborhood in Downtown Mundelein, the Mundelein Days festival happens around the Fourth of July and offers carnival games, rides and fireworks alongside local vendors and food trucks. The Mundelein Winterfest rings in the holiday season with a tree-lighting ceremony and meet-and-greets with Santa.

Countryside is a neighborhood on the western fringes of the village of Mundelein. The area offers the opportunity to have a house near a golf course or a large lake. While the golf courses are in the northern section of the neighborhood, and some houses back up to them, most are in the southern part near Countryside Lake or Sylvan Lake. The neighborhood name of Countryside is fitting as some houses are on large lots with up to two-and-a-half acres. Part of the country feel of the neighborhood is the presence of an 18-acre facility that provides horse riding lessons and boarding facilities. “There are a lot of people in this area who board horses here,” says Nancy Zeis, head trainer at Infinity Farm. “Ever since COVID, people have had increased interest in learning how to ride, mainly because it’s an individual rather than a team activity.” Lessons happen in any weather with indoor and outdoor jumping arenas. Other recreation options include Orchard View Park, where there’s a playground designed for younger children and a walking path. Wortham Park’s playground is shaded and geared toward older kids. There’s also a tennis court and a baseball diamond. The largest subdivision within Countryside is the Countryside Lake Association, which comprises four separate housing developments. All lots within this area are at least one acre and surround Countryside Lake. Swimmers can enjoy the beach at the lake, where a lifeguard is on duty. The lake's maximum depth is 10 feet, which is shallower than most large lakes. Lakefront ranch-style houses from the 1950s through the ‘80s are priced between $600,000 and $800,000, while a custom-built estate with over 6,000 square feet is priced close to $2 million. Some houses surround the smaller Sylvan Lake, where an older model on the lakefront is between $300,000 and $500,000, and a more contemporary home built in the early 2000s is between $700,000 and $900,000. Other houses that back up to the Steeple Chase Golf Club, a public course, were built in the 1990s and are between $600,000 and $900,000. Located side by side on Hawley Street, the Steeple Chase Golf Club and the Countryside Golf Club are divided by Chevy Chase Road, running north and south. Both are public courses. The Countryside Golf Club comprises two 18-hole courses, Prairie and Traditional. The Prairie Course is a bit more challenging, with more tall grass obstacles. The Traditional Course has fairways surrounded by trees and smaller greens. Steeple Chase Golf Club’s course has hills and lakes to navigate, and there’s an indoor simulator in the clubhouse for beginners or experts who want to hone their skills. Public education options include Fremont Elementary and Intermediate Schools, which are in the same area but in separate buildings. Fremont Elementary teaches children through second grade, and Fremont Intermediate School houses grades three through five. Both get B-plus grades on Niche. Fremont Middle School has over 750 students in grades six through eight. The school receives an A-minus overall grade. Mundelein Consolidated High School is rated an A on Niche, and students can join various clubs and organizations, such as Girls Who Code and the Broadcasting Team. Little Joey’s Pizza & Pasta is at the corner of Midlothian and Gilmer Roads and has been serving Chicago-inspired Italian food for more than twenty years. Its menu includes deep-dish pizza, homemade lasagna and a variety of sandwiches. Country Bumpkin Garden Center started as a modest produce stand in the 1980s, and today it’s a large garden center with annuals, perennials and experts on site offering tips and advice. The garden center store has chairs, benches and even a play area for the kids. ALDI is the closest grocery store to meet everyday home needs. Mundelein Crossing Shopping Center is north on Route 60 and has a TJ Maxx and Target. Car dependency is one of the aspects of living in the Countryside. It’s about a nine-minute drive to the Mundelein Metra station that leads into downtown Chicago. The neighborhood also has a low walkability score, as many neighborhoods have no sidewalks.