Family pleased with 'desirable neighborhood'
Seventeen years ago, David and Julie Brown wanted to move their growing family from a townhouse to a single-family home. A good school district, large home sites and beautiful interior finishes by Landmark Homes attracted the couple to the Dover Pond subdivision in Deer Park.
Amenities in their home include the builder's signature white moldings and an abundance of windows through which the family can enjoy nature, Julie Brown said.
One of Brown's favorite rooms in the house is the kitchen. "I love my kitchen," Brown said. "It's bright and airy. I get sun all day long and can see sunsets from the room every day."
The whole family, including the family's yellow Lab, enjoys the large home site -- more than one acre of land. "It was unusual to find a lot this large in the Barrington area," Brown said. "When the boys were younger, there was plenty of room for them to play sports in the yard. There are a lot of dogs in the neighborhood, and they have plenty of room to roam.
"Our home is comfortable for parties inside and out," Brown said. "We have a brick and stone fire pit area in the back, which is really nice when we have friends over.
"We also like that we're a little bit removed. This is a very private and quiet neighborhood, yet it's close to Deer Park Mall," Brown said. "I like walking up to Starbucks with the dog. It's a couple miles there and back, but it's a nice walk. There are bike paths along Long Grove Road, so it's safe for walking and biking."
Homes in the upscale subdivision feature open floor plans, large rooms and lots of windows. Homes have three or four bedrooms, large kitchens and three-car garages. Many have two-story foyers and family rooms, and one has a bonus room upstairs. Homes are on a minimum of one-acre home sites, and the neighborhood features a pond and mature trees.
The neighborhood is located just south of Long Grove Road and west of Quentin Road. Residents have a Barrington address and are in the Lake Zurich school district.
"Dover Pond is a very desirable neighborhood, and the location is incredible," said Jessica Paxton, real estate agent with Coldwell Banker Residential Brokerage in Barrington. "It has easy access to highways and is close to Deer Park Mall.
"People get to know their neighbors, especially with the playground and tennis courts and people out walking their dogs. When residents are transferred and move out of Dover Pond, they usually want to move back when they return to the area. So houses sell very quickly," Paxton said.
For recreation, parks offer many facilities including tennis courts, baseball and soccer fields and children's playgrounds. There are several public and private golf courses and country clubs in the area.
Residents can enjoy a variety of natural areas. Cuba Marsh and Ela Marsh attract bird-watchers and nature-lovers throughout the year, while attractions at the historic Vehe Farm include restored prairie and wetlands, a bluebird trail and a butterfly garden. A national natural landmark, the Volo Bog includes an open-water bog, marshes, prairie restorations and woodlands.
The Deer Grove Forest Preserve, south of the village, has picnic areas, a baseball diamond, 5-acre fishing lake, bike and hiking trails, ski trails and a toboggan hill.
Deer Park is 37 miles northwest of the Loop in an area of rolling open countryside with a number of ponds and lakes throughout the area. Drive time to the Loop and Midway Airport is an hour, while O'Hare is 30 minutes away. Commuters reach the Loop in 64 minutes from the Metra station in Barrington.
Price range: $700,000 to $740,000
Age of homes: 18 to 20 years old
Schools: Quentin Elementary, Lake Zurich South Middle and Lake Zurich High schools in Lake Zurich Unit District 95