Neighborhoof profile: Sun City Huntley

Sun City Huntley, an active-adult community with more than 5,000 homes set on 2,000 beautiful acres of land, offers a lifestyle package for a healthy mind, body and spirit — the essence of a Del Webb community.

The community's social hubs are its 100,000-square-foot Prairie Lodge and the smaller Meadow View Lodge that offer amenities galore. Residents can also enjoy the Whisper Creek Golf Course, an abundance of open spaces and green areas; Wildflower Park, a scenic setting for picnics and fishing; and four miles of landscaped paths for walking and biking.

“Sun City is the best retirement community in the Midwest,” said Tom Hall, managing broker-owner of Huntley Realty. “There's nothing like it.

“I've been selling there since it was dirt,” Hall said. “It's very satisfying to have people come into the office and say they feel like they're at a five-star resort. Some say they're waiting for someone to slip the bill underneath the door.”

Sun City Huntley offers 59 floor plans to fit almost any budget and is comprised of single-family homes, condominiums, triplexes, quads, six-plexes, club homes and manor homes. Single-family homes range from 1,130 square feet to the largest home at 3,200 square feet, and offer open floor plans with large family rooms.

The two-bedroom, two-bath home with den has been popular, Hall said. People like the privacy of the split design with the master on one side of the home and the guest room on the other.

Marty and Marsha Kapchinski, residents of Sun City Huntley for five years, say they live in a “Leave it to Beaver” neighborhood. “We know our neighbors,” Marsha said. “They're back door neighbors where they'll come over and say, ‘Do you want to go to dinner?' Our neighborhood is fabulous; we couldn't ask for a better place to live.”

The couple enjoys the many amenities the community offers. Marty uses the fitness center every day, and in the summer they both walk on the trails. Marsha used to belong to the tap group, but she and her husband started traveling, and she couldn't keep up with it.

“We always say if you're bored out in Sun City, then you're boring because there is so much to do here,” Marsha said. “We have a tennis club, railroad club, woodworking — every kind of club you can imagine.”

Marty and Marsha live on a cul-de-sac with a view of the lake and think they have the most beautiful lot in Sun City.

They visited several Sun City retirement communities throughout the country. “Everyone said you'll be thrilled living here,” Marsha said. “And we are.”

Many people settle in Sun City because they have friends and family in the area, Hall said. The Kapchinskis have a daughter, grandchildren and relatives nearby.

Del Webb received a lot of requests from people to build a retirement community in the Midwest because people wanted to stay near their kids and grandkids, Hall said. “And Del Webb did a phenomenal job in Huntley.”

Sundays are big family days. People like having brunch at Jameson's Charhouse in the Prairie Lodge; they play golf, tennis, go for bike rides. You'll see grandparents driving their grandkids on golf carts to the Baskin Robbins or 7-Eleven for a Slurpee.

Jameson's serves lunch and dinner seven days a week. In the attached sports pub, residents can opt for more casual dining and cheer on their favorite sports team or visit Casper's Café at Whisper Creek to grab a sandwich during a round of golf.

For even more recreation, Huntley has an awesome park district. Deicke Park hosts many community events while grandparents can take the kids just a mile away to the Stingray Bay Family Aquatic Center, where the kids will have a blast, Hall said.

Area shopping includes Huntley's charming downtown with its public square, gazebo and brick paved Woodstock Street. Prime Outlets Mall attracts shoppers from miles around. Huntley also has some strip malls.

Sun City Huntley is located 45 miles from downtown Chicago, one mile north of I-90 on Route 47, with easy access to the Northwest suburbs, Woodfield Shopping Center, and Rockford and O'Hare International airports.

Listing sheet

<b>Price range: </b>$130,000 to $500,000s, single-family; $89,000 to $160,000, attached single-family

<b>Age of homes: </b>1998 and newer

<b>Parks: </b>Huntley Park District