Haryan Farms is a classic suburban neighborhood
Eighteen years ago, Leslie and Eliot Lipps sought a neighborhood with a sense of community where people mingle in front of their houses and kids are outside riding their bikes and playing baseball.
Haryan Farms reminded Leslie Lipps of the neighborhood where she grew up in Glenview, and she wanted their kids to be in a similar environment.
“We believed the Haryan Farms neighborhood would ground our kids and give them the sense of community we wanted,” Lipps said.
Grayslake itself has a good sense of community, and Lipps is involved with the farmers market, which draws people from all around, not just Grayslake residents.
“We’re right on the Metra line, which makes it easy to get downtown,” Lipps said. “That was important to us. We don’t use the train even weekly, but it was important.
“It’s also nice that the kids can walk to the grade school and high school, the park, train, Tastee Freez and the library, which has been a great component of living here.”
Situated on Washington Street just west of Route 83, Haryan Farms features 234 homes on quarter-acre lots with 1,842 to 2,900 square feet of living space and typically four bedrooms, three baths and a two-car garage.
“It’s not only great for young kids, but teenagers, too, for whom living in a small town can be a challenge. But here, they’re not dependent on being driven everywhere,” Lipps said. “And with Gray’s Lake, there’s a wonderful little beach and water activities for everyone.
“Haryan Farms is a great place to raise a family and enjoy your neighbors.”
Homes are nicely sized with open floor plans. The houses are also and at a good price point for their size and nice neighborhood, said Jim Starwalt, broker-associate with RE/MAX Center in Grayslake.
“These homes and homes in adjacent West Trail have typically been the larger and more expensive areas of Grayslake, so when pricing starts to go back up, they will have a nice appreciation,” Starwalt said.
The subdivision has sidewalks and is nicely laid out with winding streets and cul-de-sacs, rather than in a grid fashion. It has attractive architecture, well-kept homes and mature trees. Starwalt said it’s a nice place to walk in the evening, and you can even walk downtown where there are so many fun things to do.
“A lot of people stay; they like the area,” he said.
The old-fashioned downtown features attractive antique lighting, quaint shops and good restaurants.
The downtown is part of the Village Center, which includes a family aquatic center, skate park, community garden plots, the park district’s 40-acre Central Park with playground, baseball diamonds, football and soccer fields and walking trails.
“In the water park, there’s a sprinkler area — like a big car wash — where young kids can just walk through and splash around in the water all day,” Starwalt said. “It’s pretty cool.”
The middle and high schools, library and senior center are also part of the Village Center.
Grayslake features an extensive communitywide bike trail system, which the village, park and school districts have expanded to allow greater access to and from neighborhoods, schools, downtown, parks and other amenities.
“We have a fantastic park district,” Starwalt said. “There’s something for everyone; it’s not just built around soccer and baseball.”
Grayslake’s central location in Lake County puts residents within a 15-minute drive to major regional shopping centers, several golf courses, the Chain of Lakes and Lake Michigan marinas, beaches, state parks, hundreds of acres of forest preserves, winter skiing and snowmobiling, and Six Flags Great America Amusement Park.
The village is also home to the Lake County Fairgrounds, which hosts the county fair and offers space for year-round exhibits and events such as the RV and Camper Show.
Listing sheet
Price range: $219,000 to $285,000
Age of homes: 20 to 25 years
Schools: Woodview Elementary and Grayslake Middle schools in Grayslake School District 46 and Grayslake Central High in Community High School District 127
Parks: Grayslake Park District