Living near 'spirit' water

Located on the banks of Bangs Lake, Wauconda offers natural beauty, lakeside recreation and a resort-like atmosphere.

Holly Arnold, managing broker with Century 21 Roberts & Andrews, believes Bangs Lake and the Lakewood Forest Preserve are the town's two biggest attractions for potential buyers.

"Bangs Lake is one of the cleanest lakes and the best fishing lake in Lake County," Arnold said. "Three restaurants on the lake have docking, so you could have your boat there, and you can water ski or jet ski. There's a public beach right next to Lindy's Landing, and two or three subdivisions have beaches where you can have your boat."

Tradition says Wauconda was named for an American Indian chief who is buried on the southern bank of Bangs Lake where the town hall was later built. Translated, the word means Spirit Water, Arnold said.

The Lake County forest preserve borders the village on the east and offers all kinds of recreation, including fishing, hiking and horse-riding trails, picnic facilities and a dog park. During winter months, snowmobiling, cross country skiing, sledding and ice skating take over.

"We have the Millennium Trails that go to Mundelein or Volo, which will be expanded to go even farther. And the forest preserve is also home to the Lake County Discovery Museum with hands-on interactive exhibits for the whole family, special events and programs," Arnold said.

Before World War II, the lake was popular with Chicago residents for family picnics on weekends, and they built weekend homes and summer cottages here. Since then, year-round homes have circled lake. Today, executive homes, mid-size homes and small cottages with varying price tags overlook the water.

Several condos and townhouses on the lake run from $150,000 to the low $500,000s in newer developments such as Aspen Shores and Honey Hill, said Yolonda Moenning, Realtor with RE/MAX American Dream, who grew up in Wauconda and is now raising her own family here.

"We have some nice starter homes for first-time buyers. For $120,000 to $180,000 you can get in a nice townhouse or condo development; and you can buy a single-family home for $150,000 in an older neighborhood," she said.

East of town, Hubbard's Woods is an established neighborhood with 1950s ranches and some newer homes ranging from $150,000 to $400,000. In northeast Wauconda, a few newer neighborhoods sit on land that was formerly the Wauconda Apple Orchard, while south of town are established areas with homes on a half to one-acre lots, Moenning said.

"The older historical homes have lots of character with wraparound porches. Even if people renovate or add on, they maintain the character of the home," Arnold said.

"I think Wauconda is a nice place to live because it's affordable, and it has a little of everything. It's more of a residential area where people help each other out, and it has a warm, friendly feeling and is a great place for kids."

In Wauconda's charming downtown area, you can go antiquing, have coffee or lunch, and there are several spots that are popular with locals, Moenning said.

"They like to go to the Honey Hill Coffeehouse, which is really great. There are a couple restaurants on Main Street - the Lakeside Inn where you can dine on their porch for lunch and Lindy's Landing, which is actually on the water, and that's very attractive. Doc's is also a popular place for locals," she said.

Park district facilities include Cook Memorial Park, the district's largest park with five ball fields, picnic shelter, two soccer fields, fishing, sand volleyball court, walking path and skate park. The park plays host to the annual Wauconda Fest each June.

Beach Park, a one-acre park on the shores of Bangs Lake, holds the district's marina operations and is home to the only public beach on the lake.

The community has many festivals and events that bring people together. "The Wauconda Fest draws a lot of people every year; they have a great turnout for the Wauconda Rodeo, which is pretty exciting, and the Fourth of July fireworks were great this year," Moenning said.

"Wauconda is a kid-friendly place with wonderful schools, great park district and library and lots of parks, which are big attractions for families with children," Moenning continued. "For a small town, Wauconda has a lot to offer."

Holly Arnold

Century 21 Roberts & Andrews, Wauconda

Call: (847) 526-1121

E-mail: c21realty@msn.com

Selling in Wauconda: 13 years

Favorite hangout: Lakeside Inn