Barrington savors its small-town heritage

Barrington, an affluent Northwest suburb, offers a charming historic downtown, excellent schools, quality development and a friendly neighborhood feel.

A village priority is preserving its small-town heritage. Downtown you'll see early 19th century architecture including the Octagon House and Catlow Theater, both listed on the National Register of Historic Places. The Catlow Theater is one of the few remaining single-screen theaters in the area.

You can order a sandwich at Boloney's Sandwich Shop (inside the theater building) and eat in the theater or at a table before the show, said real estate broker Pam Jacobs at RE/MAX of Barrington. "There's a real feeling of familiarity and community there."

People like the quaint downtown that features an attractive shopping area - specialty shops where you can fine one-of-a-kind items and a good selection of restaurants and coffee shops. In the summertime there's plenty of outdoor seating.

There's more shopping at the Ice House Mall, a brick structure that served as an commercial dairy icehouse for 68 years, which now houses a collection of local specialty and gift shops.

Barrington is a family-oriented community and a great place to raise kids, Jacobs said. "The high reputation of (Barrington Area Unit) District 220 schools is a big draw for families - so that's huge. And we have a lot of blue ribbon elementary schools with a lot of parent involvement.

"I think a huge draw is having only one high school in the community. Kids play sports growing up and then end up playing sports at the same high school. Most of the parents know the kids' names. That's a really big thing. And kids don't need to leave town to participate in recreation sports and travel teams."

Smaller lots and subdivisions at the center of the village also give the town a neighborhood feel. Yet the village's large estates that remained in families for decades protected Barrington from densely packed residential development that came to neighboring communities in the 1950s and '60s.

Barrington offers a diverse mix of housing, said Michael Battaglia, real estate sales manager with ERA Countrywood Realty Inc. in Barrington. "You'll see cottages from many years ago that were summer homes for people in the city that have been converted to year-round residences, to new construction with teardowns and people building big new homes on the same site."

What about home sales? Home sales are up in Barrington this year, Jacobs said. "Prices are still dropping, but not so much as in the past. Buyers are getting off the fence and starting to buy.

"As housing prices increased, it had almost become cost prohibitive for young families to move to the area. But now those people are able to buy a house here. A lot of people I'm selling houses to attended Barrington High School, and they're buying here because this is one of the Northwest suburbs that has a real sense of community."

Homes at the higher end of the spectrum haven't been that affected. They're selling within a 30-day period in good condition, Battaglia said. "I have an offer on property that has been on the market for two or three weeks, and they had multiple offers."

Barrington offers an abundance of recreation including equestrian trails in the surrounding forested areas, while many art, dance and music programs are available in town.

The park district maintains Citizens Park, Langendorf Park, Miller Park and Ron Beese Park. Langendorf features tennis courts, playgrounds, outdoor and indoor basketball courts, baseball fields; and Aqualusion, a water park that includes a zero depth pool, lap pool and diving area.

Excellent transportation is another plus for homebuyers. With Metra running through town, many people can walk to the train, while for others, it's only a short drive. Route 53 and I-90 offer quick rides to other suburbs.