Smaller suburb Winfield tucked away amid heavily wooded areas

With a bounty of parks and forest preserves, Winfield is paradise for those who enjoy nature, wildlife and outdoor recreation.

More than 20 miles of footpaths and trails wind through the Blackwell Forest Preserve where visitors can enjoy its scenic beauty by foot, bike, horseback, cross-country skis - or even dog sled.

In the preserve, the 62-acre Silver Lake, formerly a quarry, is a popular spot for boating, canoeing, fishing and ice fishing in the winter.

"You can't live in Winfield without owning a bike or walking shoes because there are prairie paths everywhere," said Daniel Czuba, broker-owner of Daniel and Associates Real Estate. "People here value the parks and frequent them."

Until the 1920s, Winfield was mainly populated with German-speaking farmers drawn to the area by its rich rolling prairie, grazing lands and beautiful groves of timber (for fuel and building). People can get a glimpse of farm life in the late 1800s at Kline Creek Farm where workers in historic dress demonstrate farm activities such as canning, planting, harvesting and sheep shearing Children can even be a "farmhand" for a week at a summer day camp.

Suburban growth came with the toll roads after 1960. Thus, many Winfield homes were built in the 1960s and '70s, said Cindy Banks, realtor associate and team leader with RE/MAX Cornerstone. "You can still buy a house in a walk-to-train location at a reasonable price, and that's a big hook. You can't do that in every community."

Homebuyers are likely to find something in town within their price range.

"Homes range from good starter homes in the low- to mid-$200,000s up to beautiful homes by premium builders that exceed $1 million," Czuba said, adding there are other advantages to living in a small, quaint town.

"People aren't paying quite the taxes that other communities pay, yet they can jump in the car and visit all those places," he said.

Those who want to connect with a community group have several options including the Newcomers Club, Junior Woman's Club, Lions Club and Historical Society.

"People like the small town feel, and they get involved," Czuba said. "Everybody knows everybody. It's that kind of town. Many families have been here for several generations."

Winfield is home to Central DuPage Hospital, one of the largest hospitals in the Chicago suburbs and the city's largest employer. "It's growing by leaps and bounds and getting in great services, big groups from downtown," Banks said.

The hospital is rated as one of the top 100 hospitals in the country by Thomson, a national health-care information company

Winfield is also home to John's Buffet, one of the oldest taverns in the Chicago suburbs, founded in 1921 by Polish immigrant John Karwoski, grandfather of the current owner John Karwoski.

"Everyone knows about John's Buffet. It's a favorite haunt for many people," Czuba said. "It's always packed." Don't be fooled though, there is no buffet at John's Buffet.

The Hedges Station train depot, built in 1849, was the first building in Winfield and now is the oldest remaining depot in the state. The Winfield Historical Society was formed to save the station from demolition, which it moved to Oakwood Park in 1981. For many years, the group has been restoring it as a period depot museum.

The depot has served as a post office, tavern, general store and the home of the Besch family for more than 75 years. It is named Hedges Station honoring John Hedges, the first stationmaster.

Winfield is revitalizing its downtown area with a new town center at the corner of Jewell and High Lake roads, which will give the community a nice central focus. The plan includes several downtown improvements.

For even more recreation, the Winfield Park District maintains the Charles R. Beggs Activity Center, 15 park sites, baseball and soccer fields; and basketball, tennis and sand volleyball courts.

"The (Oakwood) park on Winfield Road has a lot of things going on - skate park, basketball courts lit at night, and people like that," Banks said.

"I think Winfield's small town feel, location and affordable housing make it attractive to home buyers."