Oak Brook

Brook Forest is a charming and active community in the Village of Oak Brook, an affluent suburb located about 20 miles west of downtown Chicago. Scenes here include community events where children can be seen in lush parks excitedly jumping in bouncing castles or taking turns going on pony rides. “People move to Oak Brook because it’s very centralized. The express way is there, whether you’re going east or south. And the lots are nice and spacious,” says Savina Angileri, a Realtor and broker with Coldwell Banker Realty, who’s made a few sales in Brook Forest. “In Brook Forest, there’s a grammar school there, and the kids can often ride their bikes to the school. The neighborhood is very family oriented. There are a lot of families with kids who live there, and there’s a very nice park. Brook Forest Elementary is highly rated. It’s a public school, but the curriculum is on par with a private school.” The Brook Forest community is located right across Kingery Highway from the Central Park, a 105-acre multipurpose space located in the heart of Oak Brook. Several recreational facilities that include aquatics and recreation centers call this outdoor destination home. “It’s just a lovely suburban neighborhood with great shopping, restaurants and parks nearby,” says Anna Fiascone, a broker with Berkshire Hathaway Home Services Chicago, who’s several sales in Brook Forest. “Residents especially like that there are no real estate taxes assessed for village operations, so property tax bills are a lot lower than nearby suburbs.” Brook Forest’s suburban blocks feature many stately homes — some of which include balconies — fronted by spacious yards and clusters of mature trees lining portions of the roadways and providing shade to certain properties. A number of homes here also feature looping driveways where cars can be parked right in front of the house entrances. Many front yards feature decorations like flowerpots and professionally trimmed plantings. There were once more 1960s era ranch-style houses here, but they have been torn down over the years and replaced with many two-story homes measuring several thousand square feet. Styles represented here include Colonial Revival, styled ranch-styles, split-levels contemporary, traditional and Mansard — a build with a distinct French-originated roof design that is quite common in certain suburban Chicago area neighborhoods. Price points, depending on overall size and lots, can run between the lower $800,000s to around $1 million for a townhouse or half-duplex located in a ranch-style or split-level build. Then, depending on house and lot sizes, style and age, price points for the more stately two-story properties can run from just over $1 million to around $3 million. The go-to destination for many Brook Forest residents, and the village in general, is Central Park, the primary site in the Oak Brook Park District. Users can take part in a multitude of activities that include jogs or walks along the ponds, fishing at the pier in Ginger Creek and games on the sand volleyball court, natural turf fields and tennis center. Additionally, they can go for a swim at the Family Aquatics Center or continue to get some runs in during Illinois winters at the Family Recreation Center’s indoor track. Children will particularly find much fun at The Sandlot universal playground, and the Community Ice Rink is a popular winter time spot. For avid golfers, there’s the Butterfield Country Club just wet of Brook Forest’s bounds. The venue features a 27-hole course designed by renown golf course architect William Langford. Brook Forest is served by some highly rated public schools. They include the neighborhood’s Brook Forest Elementary School, which received an A from ratings site Niche. There’s also Butler Junior High School and Hinsdale Central High School, each of which received an A-plus from Niche. Drone and Lego robotics clubs are among Brook Forest Elementary’s more than 23 clubs and activities. Brook Forest is located just south of the Oakbrook Center, considered one of the most prestigious outdoor shopping malls in the in the Chicagoland area. The center features several major department stores and over 160 upscale shops and restaurants. Many colorful gardens and planters, some open lawns and fountains occupy the open spaces between the buildings. Among the many dining options here is Antico Posto, a wine bar that serves Italian classics. The choices include plates that come with house-made pasta, brick oven pizzas and house-churned gelato. Not far from Antico Posto is Violi, a Greek restaurant in an upscale setting. Just a few of the choices are slow roasted lamb gyros, chilled oysters and Maine lobster linguini. Residents can also choose from a number of grocery shopping options, from a Costco Wholesale just north of Brook Forest to a Trader Joe’s south of the neighborhood on Ogden Avenue. Located in Oak Brook, Brook Forest residents have quick access to many community events within the village. A major one is the Taste of Oak Brook in July, which features live music, a beer garden tent and numerous vendors. Other community events include Easter egg hunts in March, one of which challenges participants to find them underwater at the Family Aquatic Center on Forest Gate Road. For young athletes, there’s the Cori’s Kids Triathlon in early June. The event, divided into three age groups, takes place in the multipurpose recreation area around the aquatics center and Family Recreation Center. Although they’re not in Brook Forest or Oak Brook itself, there are a few Metra rail stops located a few miles south of the village. Otherwise, Intestate 88, which runs along the neighborhood’s northern bounds, connects to other interstates to provide a connection to both the Chicago Loop to the east and Chicago O’Hare International Airport to the north. The community is located within a few miles of Advocate Good Samaritan Hospital to the west, UChicago Medicine AdventHealth Hinsdale to the south and Elmhurst Hospital to the north.