Frederick Law Olmsted's immaculately designed "Village in the Forest"
In 1836, the Forbes family first settled in Riverside, followed by a few other fortunate families who heard of its serene riverbanks and beautiful forest areas. In 1869, the Riverside Improvement Company was incorporated and decided to develop "a perfect village in a perfect setting." They hired Frederick Law Olmsted to design the community, and he began building expansive green parkways, gas-lit street lanterns and curvilinear streets that are still intact today. Aside from its unique design, impressive architecture and scenic setting, its local government, first established in 1875, really makes the community stand out. "We have a great public works department," says Realtor Karen Arndt, who has over 40 years of experience in the Riverside area. "After a big snow, they are always efficient in getting the roads back up and running and communicating with residents in the process," an act merely representative of the care and attention with which the Village of Riverside serves its community.
Stained glass of town founder located inside of the town library.
Riverside is known for its winding maze of roads.
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Stately, well-maintained homes in a variety of architectural styles
Housing in Riverside doesn't tend to be uniform – a walk down one street can find styles from sleek contemporary to cozy Craftsman, and perhaps a Regency-inspired home in between. This range in styling offers diverse options for potential residents and gives the community a unique charm. Here, lawns are ample in size and well-manicured to suit the stateliness of the homes. Most homes went up in the early to mid-1900s and have either been well-maintained or experienced interior renovations; however, there has been a surge of new construction post-2000. With a wide range of housing options comes a wide range of prices, with price tags starting around $200,000 for a two-bedroom condo and sometimes exceeding $1 million for a sprawling estate. The median price is about $500,000, though, and for most single-family homes, buyers can expect to spend around $400,000 to $700,000.
Riverside is known for its magnificent homes from the early 20th century.
Riverside offers a number of great homes for small to large families.
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Highly rated schools in Riverside School District 96
Riverside students attend schools in Riverside School District 96, which has four elementary schools — Ames, Blythe Park, Central and Hollywood — and one junior high, Hauser, all of which received A ratings on the educational review site, Niche. They then attend Riverside Brookfield High School, which also received an A. Both Riverside Brookfield High School and Riverside Schol District 96 schools offer special education services. Riverside is also home to St. Mary School, a Catholic school for preschool through eighth-grade students. It's an education-oriented community, and many teachers live here, Arndt notes, and continue to live here after retirement.
Central Elementary School is a highly rated school in Riverside.
Riverside Brookfield High School has a large facility and sports fields.
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Community parks and the Riverside Golf Club
Riverside has small community parks, like Big Ball Park, Guthrie Park and Blythe Park, woven into the residential streets. On the south end of Riverside, residents can explore walking trails along the Des Plaines River, and just north of the community, residents can join the Riverside Golf Club, a historic, 1893-established 18-hole course designed by William Langford.
Riverside has wonderful natural features that residents love.
Riverside Country Club offers an amazing experience for residents of Riverside.
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Shopping and dining in and around Riverside
Riverside residents eat at local restaurants in and around the community, like Lalo’s Restaurant, known for its jumbo margaritas; Connie's Family Restaurant, a cozy diner with all-day breakfast; and La Barra Riverside, a Riverside resident-owned Italian restaurant. Locals get groceries at the Tony's Fresh Market and Costco north of the community and shop at North Riverside Park Mall, an indoor shopping mall with a movie theater and retailers like H&M, JCPenney and Old Navy.
Riverside residents can get great meals at Lalo's.
Riverside has a number of great places to eat like La Barra.
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Walking around Riverside and a nonstop Metra ride to downtown
Metra's BNSF Line leaves the Riverside station every hour for a 25-minute nonstop ride to downtown Chicago. The community is about a 30-minute drive to O'Hare International Airport, and it's less than two miles from the nearest medical facility, MacNeal Hospital. Riverside was designed to be a walkable community, so residents can get to parks, restaurants and friends' houses without a car.
Riverside features a historic train station with access to the Metra.
Riverside residents can commute downtown at the Riverside Metra Station.
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Community programming at the Riverside Public Library
According to Arndt, Riverside has an "awesome" new library, complete with maker spaces, study rooms, and community programming. These programs include toddler story times, new parent support groups and a BYOB book club.
Visit the Riverside public library and check out some great books.
Riverside residents are known to enjoy the waterfront next to the Riverside Public Library.
John Sommese has enjoyed 31 years of successful business in the real estate industry. He holds both a broker's license in real estate as well as mortgages.
The majority of John's business comes from referrals of past customers as well as 1st time buyers and Veterans.
John has recently expanded his area of mortgage service to include 46 states throughout the country and has helped individuals with loans on primary, investment and 2nd home properties.
Real Estate Sales over the years has resulted in sales in excess of 800 transactions in the Chicagoland area and surrounding suburbs. If you are looking for a knowledgeable agent in both the real estate and mortgage industry, John would be the guy to call.
Disclaimer: Certain information contained herein is derived from information provided by parties other than Homes.com. Our sources include: Accuweather, Public Records and Neustar. All information provided is deemed reliable, but is not guaranteed to be accurate and should be independently verified.
