Cherbourg in neighborhood profile

Eight years ago, Flora Chia moved from Atlanta to a townhouse in the Cherbourg subdivision in Buffalo Grove because of a job transfer.

Chia was so impressed with her new home's spaciousness. "Many townhouses are too small, but this is like a single-family home without the upkeep of a house," she said.

Cherbourg offers a diverse assortment of floor plans that are very functional and will fit anyone's needs, said Anne Kaplan, real estate broker with Coldwell Banker Residential Brokerage. Ranches are large with soaring, volume ceilings and a wide open floor plan, and the two-story design offers a traditional Colonial with a nice sitting area and large master bath, Kaplan said.

Every home has a basement, which you don't always find in townhouse communities, she said.

"The community is well laid out where people are not on top of each other. And it's extremely well maintained with a nice curb appeal that attracts a lot of people," Kaplan said.

Located off Route 83, north of Lake-Cook Road, Cherbourg was built in 1988 by Pulte Homes and features 210 townhouses with 1,353 to 2,258 square feet of space, one to three bedrooms, one to 2½ baths, basements and two-car garages.

An attractive feature of Cherbourg is that it offers a lot of open green space with two large ponds. The ponds attract rare birds, and you can see gorgeous cranes there, Kaplan said.

"It's a nice serene setting, and a lot of people like sitting on their deck overlooking the pond. It's a real pretty spot."

The quietness of the neighborhood and the beautiful views of the pond from her townhouse was another draw for Chia.

"This is a very friendly neighborhood where you always see people walking with their pets around the neighborhood and the pond because there is so much open space. The neighborhood meanders into two other subdivisions, so it's not isolated, and it's easy to move from one subdivision to another," Kaplan said.

"In nice weather, you can walk around after dinner, and there's a walking trail where I do some running," Chia said.

Cherbourg offers a convenient location close to the Buffalo Grove Town Center, grocery shopping and I-294. Chia likes being close to everything she needs on a daily basis.

Award-winning schools, including Stevenson High School, are also a huge draw to the area.

The excellent park district offers many amenities including a state-of-the-art fitness center, skate park and the Happy Tails dog park, which gets rave reviews from residents. The park district also offers a variety of programs and classes for every member of the family, such as a dog show, fishing derby and movies under the stars.

For golfers, the Arboretum Club, which is owned and operated by the village, opened in 1990 and features a clubhouse, pro shop, snack shop and bar and restaurant, along with its professional golf staff.

Many community events bring people together, including Buffalo Grove Days, a five-day community picnic that draws people from all around. The Buffalo Grove Symphonic Band performs classical, Broadway, jazz and pop for audiences, and the Buffalo Grove Fine Art Festival features 150 artists at the Town Center.

Dotted with forest preserves and natural areas, Buffalo Grove offers a bit of a country atmosphere along with convenient shopping, dining, culture and entertainment.

Listing sheet

<span class="fact box text bold">Price range:</span> $250,000 to $450,000

<span class="fact box text bold">Age of homes: </span>28 years

<span class="fact box text bold">Schools:</span> Tripp Elementary and Aptakisic Junior High schools in Aptakisic-Tripp Elementary District 102 and Stevenson High School in Stevenson High School District 125

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