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Neighborhood spotline shines on Oakview

Oakview, known as the first subdivision in Lisle, was completed in 1956, the same year the village was officially incorporated within Lisle Township.

In 1958, Barbara Roake and her husband moved to Oakview where they raised their three children.

They liked the small town atmosphere, good schools and location near town and close to the train station. They had friends that lived up the street, and Roake's husband didn't want to drive into the city to work.

Why has Roake stayed so long in one place?

"When I get my feet stuck in the mud, I stay there, and I don't like moving," she said. "I still enjoy it here, so why should I move someplace else where I wouldn't be half as happy.

"The neighbors are wonderful, and people around me have been here for a long time. A couple houses have turned over. There are a few new families with small children, which I like. It's good to see kids around."

Situated east of Route 53 and north of Maple Avenue, Oakview is now bordered on the east by I-355's on and off ramps, which gives residents easy access.

"Oakview's very convenient location is a big draw to the subdivision," said Erene Panos, broker with RE/MAX Action.

"It's wonderful for commuting. The library is right there, and the elementary and junior high schools are housed in the subdivision. You can walk to downtown Lisle without crossing a busy street. Kingston (Avenue) goes all the way to the tracks, makes a curve and goes right to Main Street."

Originally many smaller homes were built in Oakview with some larger houses replacing teardowns later. Homes sit on nice-size lots with mature trees, so you can put up a new home and have a nice yard.

"There's a little of everything there because homes were built in the '50s, '60s and '70s - all the way to today. Today homes on the market range from $199,000 to $549,900 with new construction going up," Panos said.

Roake still likes her home, and enjoys getting outside and walking up and down the street with her walker when the weather is nice.

Roake has always been a go-getter and was instrumental in starting the local library. When she had a boy in junior high and one in high school, they went to the library in either Downers Grove or Naperville.

"That became a pain to take them there and then pick them up," she said. A good friend and I had to figure something out." The result was a library, and Roake served on the library board for 31 years.

"I have nothing against the electronics, but there's nothing like holding a good book. We have a wonderful director that has done a lot of new things to bring people into the library, and once they're in, they get hooked."

Roake not only enjoys her neighborhood, but the whole community of Lisle. The park district always has interesting things going on. There's the car show, and the Lisle Women's Club, she said.

"We have a diversified group and do a lot of interesting things together. We had a fundraiser with wonderful local gardens, and we have other small fundraisers throughout the year," she said. Roake was the first president of the Lisle Women's Club.

Area attractions include Lisle's signature event, The Eyes to the Skies Hot Air Balloon Festival, as well as the renowned Morton Arboretum and many park district events

Today the village of Lisle is a community rich in natural beauty that blends technology and business with hometown appeal.

  Oakview is considered the first neighborhood in Lisle, which became a village in 1956. The subdivision has a mix of older and new homes along wide streets. Photos by Paul Michna/pmichna@dailyherald.com
  There are many mature trees in Oakview, including these on the 800 block of Inverness Road. Paul Michna/pmichna@dailyherald.com

Listing sheet

<span class="fact box text bold">Price range:</span> $175,000 to $340,000

<span class="fact box text bold">Age of homes:</span> 1954 to current

<span class="fact box text bold">Schools:</span> Schiesher or Tate Woods Elementary, Lisle Junior High and Lisle High schools in Lisle Unit District 202

<span class="fact box text bold">Parks:</span> Lisle Park District

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