Neighborhood profile: Country Club Estates

Bloomingdale's Country Club Estates, a magnet for homebuyers looking to downsize, offers well-built townhouses with open floor plans and a central location near shopping, recreation, restaurants and entertainment.

“A lot of people have sold very high-end homes to move into a townhouse in Country Club Estates,” said Branka Poplonski, real estate broker with Century 21 Lullo.

“It's a quiet, established area with two ponds and a lake around which people like to walk and ride their bikes,” she said.

Situated between Schick Road and Lake Street west of Bloomingdale Road, the community features two-story and ranch-style townhouses, ranging from 1,500 to more than 3,000 square feet. Most homes offer three bedrooms, 2½ baths, a basement and two-car garage.

“Homes have open floor plans, a gourmet kitchen open to the family room with a fireplace, lots of windows, and the master bath is really luxurious,” Poplonski said. “When you walk in, you feel warmth and character.”

Joe and Judy Lewandowski, two of the neighborhood's earliest residents, moved from a big house in a neighboring suburb and purchased a one-level townhouse in Country Club Estates in 1986.

“We love it here,” Judy Lewandowski said. “We noticed right off the bat that the construction by Don Morris was very good. He's a very reputable local builder. And we didn't want a place with tennis courts, a pool or elevators because they increase your assessments.”

Judy said she and her husband like the townhouse's design.

“I have a window over my sink, so I can look out and see the sun and the birds, and I don't feel confined. And I like the layout where you walk in the front door and you're not right in the living room. We have a tiled hallway, and rooms are off that. Another nice feature is the walk-in shower with built-in seat. You don't have to step into a tub and worry about breaking your neck.”

Country Club Estates is the kind of neighborhood where people look out for each other. Although there are a few families with children, residents are mostly seniors.

When Lewandowski plants flowers in her yard, she also plants some for her 92-year-old neighbor. And when people bring in their trash cans, they pick them up for everyone in the court, Lewandowski said.

The association fee covers major maintenance — snow plowing right up to your front door, lawn maintenance, even the flower beds. The association paints every six years and seal coats asphalt drives every other year, Lewandowski said.

For recreation, Springfield Park sits west of Country Club Estates off Springfield Drive. The 44-acre park includes 20 acres of wetlands, fishing, walking path, tot lot, basketball courts and baseball, softball and soccer fields.

The location is ideal with Stratford Square Mall very close, and down Gary Avenue and Army Trail Road there are all kinds of stores — Costco, Target, Best Buy, Wal-Mart and restaurants galore, Poplonski said.

“Immediately across the street is the Hilton Indian Lakes Resort with a golf course,” she said. “And we have the Bloomingdale Golf Club and Country Club.”

For other shopping, Old Town Bloomingdale at the intersection of Lake Street and Bloomingdale Road is a collection of small businesses and shops located in restored buildings at the site of the village's first settlement.

With all its retail activity, Bloomingdale boasts having one of the lowest property tax rates in DuPage County.

Listing sheet

<b>Price range: </b>$219,000 to $399,000

<b>Age of homes: </b>21 to 25 years

<b>Schools: </b>Erickson Elementary and Westfield Middle schools in Bloomingdale Elementary District 13 and Lake Park High in Lake Park High School District 108

<b>Parks: </b>Bloomingdale Park District