Rolling Meadows hearkens back to a simpler suburban time
In Rolling Meadows, you can step back six decades in time by entering a replica of an original Kimball Hill home with authentic furnishings, appliances and accessories. The home depicts suburban family life in the 1950s, down to such details as a Singer sewing machine, S&H green stamps and Lincoln Logs.
The home and educational center comprise the town's Historical Museum, which shows how Kimball Hill built small, affordable ranch homes after World War II and named his new development Rolling Meadows.
With assembly line production of 20 houses a week, Hill sold 700 houses by 1955. He did more than build homes, however. He donated $200 per home for a school system, then built and equipped the first elementary school. He also founded the Rolling Meadows Homeowners' Association to create community spirit, donated land for parks and funded the Clearbrook Center, a home for people with developmental disabilities.
Today, many original homeowners remain in their Kimball Hill houses up and down tree-lined streets with mature landscaping. Because many of the small ranch homes are still affordable, they make great starter homes for families moving into the area.
"It's so wooded; the whole town is full of trees," said Diane Golin, Realtor with Century 21 Elm. "People don't move out; it's a family-oriented town close to (Route) 53, and people have been here from day one. There's a lot of camaraderie; it's like an old-fashioned neighborhood.
"We've lived here for 17 years and don't want to move. People now are putting second floor additions on their homes because they want to stay here. It's going to be the next teardown community, and home values will go up."
Real estate broker Sally Ide and her Realtor husband Jerry Ide, both with Coldwell Banker Residential Brokerage, are 25-year residents of Rolling Meadows. They like the small-town, homey feel. They frequent a number of local shops, grocery and drugstores on a daily basis and have their favorite restaurants, including Pappadeaux, Absolutely Chinese and Portillo's for Italian sandwiches.
The Ides also enjoy complementary amenities in the surrounding towns and their proximity to Route 53 and Woodfield Mall.
People have a lot of pride of ownership here, Sally Ide said. "When you drive through the neighborhoods, they present a good appearance, and people keep their homes looking nice. It's amazing that when I'm showing properties, neighbors who are out stop and chat and give you any information you want about the neighborhood."
Housing in Rolling Meadows runs the gamut from the Kimball Hill older section, newer condos and townhouses and more upscale single-family homes on wooded lots where you have a country feel.
Sally and Jerry Ide appreciate all the services the city provides for residents. "They have outstanding snow removal, weekly garbage and yard waste pickup, which is unlimited, weekly recyclable pickup, branch pickup several times a year, well-maintained streets, and excellent fire and police protection," Jerry Ide said.
For recreation, the Rolling Meadows and Salt Creek Rural park districts offer all kinds of programs, classes and sports activities. The West Meadows Ice Arena offers skating instruction, youth hockey and men's hockey leagues while both West Meadows and the Sports Complex are open for public skating.
"Our children participated in everything you can think of - baseball, dance, tumbling. Anything they wanted I could find at one of the park districts," Sally Ide said. "And I've taken a number of classes myself."
The city is home to William Fosser's award-winning Opera in Focus, which presents scenes from well-known operas with puppets manipulated from below a stage floor. A demonstration of the operation of the puppets and a backstage tour follows each performance at the park district theater.
Other area attractions include the Medieval Times Dinner and Tournament with a live performance by medieval knights and Arlington Park Racetrack, both in neighboring communities.
Located near O'Hare International Airport, public transportation and expressways, Rolling Meadows offers a desirable place for corporations as well as small businesses. Tall business towers to the south on Golf Road are home to many Fortune 500 companies and part of the booming Golden Corridor.