North Aurora's quaint Chesterfield has good sense of community
Ten years ago, Kevin and Christie King were the first people to move onto their cul-de-sac in the Chesterfield subdivision of North Aurora.
“It was a new subdivision, so quiet, so lovely,” said Kevin King. “And as we came to find out, our neighbors are great. A neighborhood is about community, and that's what we have here. We're very excited about it.
“Most families who bought a new home in the subdivision still live here and have made a long-term commitment to stay.”
Chesterfield is a small, quaint neighborhood with a good sense of community, said Barbara Daly, Realtor with Keller Williams, Fox Valley Realty.
“You see kids playing outside, people doing yard work. It's a typical all-American neighborhood. They have sidewalks and streetlights, which is nice for the kids playing outside in the evening.”
Newer homes with good value and a convenient location near highways are popular features of the neighborhood.
“You can get a nice home with all the bells and whistles and with more than 3,000 square feet, which is a good value for the money,” Daly said.
People like that homes are new enough to feature modern styles and layouts. Two-story homes typically feature four bedrooms and 2½ baths, while ranch homes offer three bedrooms and two baths. Most feature basements and two-car garages, with a few houses having three-car garages.
An elegant entrance and parkway set the tone for the community, which sits on the far east side of the village south of Butterfield Road and just west of Mitchell Road.
Many buyers say the neighborhood's location and convenience to highways are important to them, Daly said. The subdivision is situated between River and Kirk roads, major north-south streets in the area, so residents have easy access to I-88, which is a big plus for commuters.
“I think this is the best location in the Western suburbs, just minutes from I-88 and the (Chicago Premium) outlet mall,” King said.
Another nice feature of the community is its configuration where many homes don't back directly up to other homes but to green space, prairie or wetlands. This concept makes the subdivision different from many others.
King likes the neighborhood arrangement and open spaces. “We live in the south part of Chesterfield and back up to the cornfields,” he said.
“This is a great neighborhood. People are friendly and have a high regard for each other. It's been a fantastic run for us for 10 years. There's a sense that we want to make this the best possible place to live.”
The homeowners association plans a lot of activities, and the community has always been well run in terms of the association, King said.
“For recreation, (residents) have a really nice lake where I've seen kids fishing, and an adjacent park,” Daly said.
Also, the village sits on the banks of the Fox River, which offers scenic views, several parks and bike trails that connect with regional trails so that people can cycle to DuPage and Lake counties.
The park district operates the Red Oak Nature Center, which offers a variety of hands-on learning opportunities, classes and lectures. Bird watchers and nature observers enjoy the center's natural inhabitants.
Shopping abounds in the area, and downtown is very cute with a hometown feel, Daly said. North Aurora also hosts the 10-dealer Auto Mall near I-88 and Orchard Road.
Listing sheet
Price range: $200,000 to $290,000
Age of homes: 6 to 10 years
Schools: Schneider Elementary, Herget Middle and West Aurora High schools in School District 129
Parks: Fox Valley Park District