Wood Dale never far from the action

Situated in the heart of the O'Hare corridor, Wood Dale sits in a sweet spot close to the airport, Chicago and major interstate highways, as well as regional shopping areas, restaurants and night life.

Wood Dale's proximity to these regional sites draws people to its borders, said Mary Ann Snick, Realtor with Prudential American Heritage. "This is a big plus for the small little town."

Besides being near everything, Wood Dale has its own assets. It is surrounded by three golf courses and acres of forest preserves. It has a Metra station, two major hotels and several restaurants and nightspots.

Daniel Macahon says he weighs in at 270 pounds only because of all the awesome restaurants around. "We have some top-notch restaurants here with amazing food," said Macahon, broker-owner of RE/MAX Advisors.

"There's Helen's Polish deli, Thornwood's; Gina's, a famous hot dog place that has been here forever and written about; White Cottage Pizza, a Wood Dale staple. There's a Japanese steakhouse we go to all the time; my kids beg me to go there."

The small town is also known for its strong schools, outstanding park district and award-winning police department. The park district offers a recreation center, fitness studio, water park and programs and activities for all ages. Several summer camps and the Water Rats swim team offer summertime fun. Many neighborhood parks dot the town and provide established open space.

Wood Dale is home to many civic organizations that residents can join, including an active garden club.

The community boasts a nice mix of industry and residential neighborhoods. Wood Dale offers a variety of housing, including affordable condominiums, luxury townhouses and single-family homes.

Many older neighborhoods have nice big lots, and houses aren't right on top of each other. Before the housing market downturn, the town was experiencing rejuvenation with teardowns and new homes going up on those lots, Macahon said.

Wood Dale has a lot of nice condos, manors and townhouses around the golf course in an area known as Elizabeth Park, Snick said. "A lot of seniors like living there. Some units face the golf course and some face open areas. There's a nice parkway there."

Although you can get an affordable home for $200,000 or less, there's also some new construction in an area south of Irving Park Road that remarkable, Macahon said. "There are some 5,000-square-foot homes at more than $1 million. They look as though they're right out of a magazine.

"Then in an area south of Irving Park Road, there are patches of very expensive homes, and homes a few years old on the north side."

Many longtime residents live in Wood Dale, and people take a lot of pride in their community. The administration does a good job maintaining streets and parks, Macahon said.

The Green Scene, created by the Wood Dale Clean Air Counts Committee, is a citywide effort to bring all residents together to not only think green, but to live in a more environmentally friendly way.