Rolling Meadows

Looking at the Busse Woods neighborhood on a map, there’s a lot of green space. That's because the Ned Brown Forest Preserve, also known as Busse Woods, is roughly three-quarters of the neighborhood. Everything south of State Route 58 is open space for outdoor recreation. Above the wilderness, the neighborhood is also a bustling area filled with shopping centers, business parks, restaurants and residential properties. The Endeavor Health Northwest Community Hospital provides healthcare to the area, while the Arlington Lakes Golf Club adds more adventure. Residents of Busse Woods can live a comfortable city lifestyle while still having unlimited access to outdoor amenities. One of the biggest draws of Busse Woods is the natural preserve that carries the same name. The 3,558-acre Ned Brown Forest Preserve has a seemingly endless forest with ponds, lakes and a protected elk pasture for the wildlife to roam. Visitors can explore the preserve along 13 miles of paved trails that wind throughout the territory. Go hiking or biking through the natural scenery, or dive into the water recreation and go boating, fishing or kayaking. The Busse Lake Boating Center offers rentals for water transports, such as canoes and motorized boats, for those who don’t have their own. In the wintertime, visitors can even go cross-country skiing, ice skating and snowmobiling throughout the area. Large meadows and groves are perfect for picnicking with friends and family. In addition to the Busse Woods preserve, residents of the neighborhood can play a round of golf at the Arlington Lakes Golf Club. All ages and levels of skill are open to the 18-hole course. “We have good ties with the community, so we really try to provide excellent services for the residents nearby,” says Bryan Cox, general manager of Arlington Lakes Golf Club. “One of the interesting things that we offer are three-hole and six-hole rates, so if people want to come out during lunchtime or do not want to come out for long, we have options.” The club also offers leagues, lessons and tournaments throughout the year. Despite the neighborhood’s small residential area, there is a large variety of housing types in Busse Woods. The majority of the detached, single-family homes are modest ranchers and split levels that range from 1,000 to 2,000 square feet and cost between $330,000 and $450,000. There are also a handful of traditional multilevel homes that come with a garage and can get up to $600,000. These properties all have maintained lawns and vary in age. Those who want something a bit smaller can invest in one of the many condominiums or townhouses in the area. There are both old and new construction properties to choose from – newer townhouses with balconies, and luxurious brick condos with Colonial architecture. Residents can live in a one-bed condo with 1,000 square feet for around $155,000 or a 3-bed one with 1,8000 square feet for $270,000. For a neighborhood that has more greenspace than developed land, Busse Woods still hits the mark with providing everyday necessities for its residents. "There's not a traditional downtown area here, but there are a lot of strip malls for shopping," says Kostas Giannikoulis, a local realtor with @properties Christie’s International Real Estate, who has over 20 years of experience. At the junction between Golf Road and West Algonquin Road, there is a large commercial space with shopping centers that have retailers like Walmart and Meijer. The area also has several fast-food and restaurant chains to choose from, like Raising Cane’s and Panera Bread. Those who want to go local can eat at the family-owned Taqueria Los Laureles with its authentic Mexican cuisine. There’s also Chef Ping, serving modern Chinese and Asian dishes. Between West Algonquin Road and Interstate 90, there are several business parks with commercial businesses, hotels and private medical practices. For more options, residents can head less than a mile east of the Busse Woods preserve to Woodfield Mall, where there are name-brand stores, department stores, restaurants and numerous entertainment options. Thanks to the abundance of highways in the area, traveling in and around Busse Woods is easy. Interstate 90 is the main roadway in the neighborhood, cutting between the nature preserve and the residential area and going east to west. There’s also State Route 62, State Route 58 and State Route 72 going through the neighborhood. Residents can easily hop on and drive into Downtown Chicago for The Loop. State Route 58, also known as Golf Road, has several local bus stops along it for those who use public transportation. Roughly 11 miles away, the Chicago O’Hare International Airport can take residents across the country on commercial flights. Willow Bend Elementary School is where most children living in the neighborhood will start their education. Earning a B-plus grade on Niche, Willow Bend incorporates interactive technology in every classroom and offers intermural clubs and sports. From there, students can attend Carl Sandburg Junior High School, with its B Niche grade. Rolling Meadows High School is located in Busse Woods and is known for its excellent academics. Maintaining an A-plus Niche grade, Rolling Meadows offers 16 different focuses in its Career Pathways Program and has multiple early college credit opportunities.

Come one, come all: in the early 1800s, Creekside was attracting ambitious farmers from the East Coast. But fast forward to the 1950s, when developers purchased land around Salt Creek, then broadcast their plans for model homes in the local press. There was a vision: give blue-collar workers at chance at the American Dream. By 1955, people were arriving in droves, and 700 houses were sold. Crawford’s, the largest department store in the northwest suburbs, moved in as well. Western Electric, the famous manufacturer, also took root there. Evolving from an agricultural community into a booming business center, today Creekside is thriving suburb where 24,000 people have established a home. Indeed, top employers include Northrop Grumman, Verizon, Capital One and Walmart. Residents even have a flashy name for a strip of these big businesses: the Golden Corridor. “There are so many diverse jobs here,” says Realtor Wendy Lee. “So the economy doesn’t slow down if one industry suffers.” Condos are a popular lifestyle option in Creekside, and prices generally start in the low $200,000s. Look for low-rise buildings from the 1970s, some of which have modern appliances inside. But you can also find plenty of single-owner houses here as well. Once you crest into the $500,000s, you have access to a variety of move-in ready homes. Strongly represented is the midcentury modern style. Look for brick ranches on half-acre lots, which feel like a piece of pure suburban charm. At Plum Grove Junior High, roughly 850 students are enrolled in grades 7 and 8. The school has an array of clubs, from robotics to anime to dance and drama. You’ll find the school near Euclid Avenue, where you can run quick errands at CVS. Routes 53 and 62 run through Creekside, giving you ample transportation options. These are also your commercial corridors where you’ll find entertainment, dining and everyday amenities. At the Coach House Bar & Grill, listen to local music while chowing down on a burger. If you prefer an upscale experience, Chicago Prime Steakhouse promises white tablecloths and a fireside patio. Or, just head over to Aldi and grab ingredients for dinner – the Shoppes at Prime Village conveniently cluster all these businesses together. You can merge from these routes onto Interstate 90, giving you access to downtown Chicago within half an hour. But if you want to spend some time out of the car, no worries. Many of the neighborhood roads feature cul-de-sacs and are fit for walking. Indeed, several parks are accessible directly from these residential streets. Try Plum Grove Park, where you can laze around on 8-acres of open green space, or step inside the banquet hall that has a rustic ambiance. There’s a skate park attached, too, if you feel like cutting loose. Overall, Creekside is more than your average suburb. It’s a place where business can thrive, and where all the basic necessities are within arm’s reach. Maybe you’re not a farmer, and maybe you’re not a former factory worker at Western Electric. But if you check out Creekside, you could find yourself in a midcentury modern paradise.