About 30 miles southwest of Chicago lays the quiet suburb of the Village of Bolingbrook. Started in the 1960s on farmland linked to the Windy City by part of the old U.S. Route 66, Bolingbrook’s lazy neighborhoods are draped around substantial public parklands east of Springbrook Prairie Forest Preserve. The small hometown feel coupled with convenience to commerce and the city lights are big reasons why 60,000 residents now proudly call Bolingbrook home.
Bolingbrook, Illinois real estate is primarily within the steps of Will County real estate, with portions edging DuPage County real estate. Real estate options in Bolingbrook include single-family detached homes, estate properties, condominiums, townhouses and land lots set between popular Naperville real estate and Woodridge real estate. With still quite a bit of undeveloped land to the west, Bolingbrook calls itself “A Place to Grow.”
And there are lots of options to accommodate growth. The Village operates more than 30 publicly operated parks, with several more in planning phases. Facilities include playgrounds, picnic areas, ball fields, a sports complex, trout farm, aquatic facility and even a fitness center and spa. The park district also manages classes and activities for all ages, from dancing to rock climbing to arts and crafts.
The Hidden Lakes Historic Trout Farm offers the opportunity to fish or just enjoy the lush scenery. A variety of animals frequent the site, including deer, fox, beaver, heron and raccoons. Even if you miss the animals, you’ll still be able to enjoy the vegetation. Wildflowers and dense and varied trees create a beautiful setting year-round for visitors to enjoy. Guided tours of the entire site are available. For those who prefer to enjoy nature in solitude, the nearby DuPage River Greenway is a popular route for bikers, walkers and joggers.
Many residents love golfing and the local courses are favorites for people all around. Designed by Arthur Hills, the Bolingbrook Golf Club has been chosen by Golf Magazine as a “Top Ten You Can Play” boasting open fairways, fast greens, water hazards, and bunkers. Another public course, Boughton Ridge Golf Course, is great for challenging water hazards and sand traps. Next door in Wheaton (15 mi.), the Cantigny Hills Golf Course features nine holes at Woodside, nine at Lakeside, and nine at Hillside that can be played in any combination. In 1998, the Woodside/Lakeside combination made it to Golf Magazine’s “Top 100 Courses You Can Play in the U.S.” It’s best to practice up before you try it out!
Another type of popular destination near the course is Cantigny Park, a 500-acre facility with gardens and museums. Once the home of the publisher of the Chicago Tribune, Colonel Robert R. McCormick and now the McCormick Museum, it displays his Beaux-Arts style home and a marvelous collection of antiques and artifacts from around the world plus 15 acres of lovely gardens and an activity area for children. Additionally, the property hosts the First Division Museum commemorating the First Division of the U.S. Army. The entire complex is well worth a day trip for the entire family.
The average commute to Chicago is only 33 minutes and people can take I-55, IL-53, I-294, and I-88 to go about every direction to take advantage of diversified work sectors offered locally and in neighboring communities. Employment stretches through many industries: educational, health and social services, manufacturing, retail trade, professional, scientific, management, administrative, and waste management services.
Education is as diversified as the crops that only half century ago sprouted from the acres underfoot. Students grades K-12 are served by one of six local school districts and there are a wide variety of colleges and universities close by, from community colleges to world-class universities such as DePaul nearby.
