WestRidge in Bartlett is neighborhood of the week

Lindi and John Walters enjoy spectacular views of prairie and wildlife from their WestRidge home that overlooks the James “Pate” Philip State Park in Bartlett.

While living in town and loving Bartlett, Lindi Walters went on a country bike ride and happened upon construction of the new subdivision on the far west side of the village. She liked the idea of living farther west surrounded by wide-open spaces.

“As the subdivision developed, I saw a lot of younger people with children about the age of ours moving there,” Lindi Walters said. “And I loved the new larger homes with sidewalks and curb and gutters.” It wasn’t long before Walters and her family purchased a home in the new subdivision.

WestRidge is a popular neighborhood because buyers get a lot of house for the money, and newer Nature Ridge Elementary School is right in the center of the subdivision, said Susan Camiliere, real estate broker with RE/MAX Central.

Built by Centex Homes, WestRidge features more than 600 single-family homes — mostly two-stories with a few ranches — that range in size from 1,600 to more than 2,600 square feet.

It’s a very nice kid-friendly community with a lot of activities right in the neighborhood. You see a lot of kids outside at the parks and playground, riding their bikes or walking to and from school or sports activities, Camiliere said.

The community is adult-friendly, too. “Everyone is nice, friendly, and we all help each other out,” Walters said. “While walking home from school, a little girl was crying and her books were falling all over. I helped her with her books and walked her home. She thought her mother was going to pick her up from school, but there had been a miscommunication.”

Walters’ home is well-known in the neighborhood as the Halloween House because she gives out full-sized candy bars and puts up lots of awesome Halloween decorations.

Residents enjoy a bounty of recreation including the state park, which borders the subdivision on the south. The park offers a visitor center with educational programs through the Bartlett Park District and nearly 10 miles of hiking and riding trails.

Also, WestRidge is located only a half mile east of the Illinois Prairie Path’s Fox River Trail, with more than 90 miles of walking/bike path that wind around the picturesque Fox River from Aurora to Crystal Lake.

One of the finest golf courses in the area, the village-owned Bartlett Hills Golf Course, is a popular destination for golfers from miles around, while the Villa Olivia Country Club features golf, skiing and banquet facilities.

Besides its abundance of recreation, the Bartlett Park District promotes cultural activities such as community theater and summer concerts in the park, while the community arts council presents a fine arts fair each year.

Nearby shopping includes retail spots lining Route 59, Stearns Road and Army Trail Road, which is just five minutes away, Camiliere said.

Or residents can head to Bartlett’s Town Center, which is bringing life to the village with new restaurants and retail establishments and drawing more people to the downtown area.

For major shopping, resident have a choice of three indoor malls: Charlestowne Mall in St. Charles, Stratford Square in Bloomingdale and Woodfield Mall in Schaumburg.

The subdivision offers easy access to I-90 and the Elgin-O’Hare Expressway for travel to O’Hare International Airport and downtown Chicago.

Listing sheet

Price range: $225,000 to $325,000

Age of homes: 15 to 19 years old

Schools: Nature Ridge Elementary, Kenyon Woods Middle and South Elgin High schools in Elgin Area School District U-46

Parks: Bartlett Park District