Neighborhood profile: Park St. Claire in Schaumburg
The upscale Park St. Claire subdivision in Schaumburg sits on property that was once farmland owned by candy heiress Helen Brach.
As development spread west into Schaumburg, the farm remained undeveloped until the early 1990s when Buz Hoffman built more than 300 houses at the northwest corner of Meacham and Schaumburg roads.
“Park St. Claire is more of a high-end subdivision with homes priced from $500,000 to $800,000,” said Royal Hartwig, Realtor with Keller Williams Team Realty. “You've got beautiful homes in there.
“And it's in a perfect location. The subdivision is right in the middle of everything — Woodfield Mall, great restaurants, movie theater, improv comedy club, businesses, expressways. Anything you need or want to do is right there.”
The ideal location, along with a nice, reasonably priced traditional home, attracted Charles and Joan Falk to the subdivision 19 years ago.
“It gave us a chance to have a new home and do it our way instead of buying an existing home,” Charles Falk said.
“The home is well designed and we like the traditional style with current features. We have a main-floor study, which was important to us. And the home is large enough to accommodate our older children when they visit.”
With architectural standards set by the homeowners association, the couple was assured there wouldn't be any weird home designs in the subdivision. “People have different tastes; we're basically traditional people, and wanted to see the subdivision stay that way,” said Falk, who serves on the board of directors of the association.
The association takes care of the perimeter plantings and the common areas and keeps the appearance of the community up to snuff, he said.
“People here are very nice and come from diverse backgrounds. We're friends with many different folks here and get involved in a lot of their rites and traditions. It's nice being exposed to different cultures. It's interesting and educational.
“We also like the convenience to the road system and access to shopping. We say if you can't get it in Schaumburg, you can't get it.”
Park St. Claire features traditional-style homes including Colonials, Georgians and American four-squares, with 2,500 to 4,000 square feet, two- or three-car garages and features such as cathedral ceilings, skylights, hardwood floors and first-floor laundry. Many homes have been updated with stainless steel appliances and granite countertops.
This is a newer area compared with some of the other family homes in Schaumburg, Hartwig said. “It's a great neighborhood, and kids attend top-rated schools.”
A nice feature in the subdivision is Park St. Claire Park, which has more than 30 acres of wetlands straddling the West Branch of Salt Creek. The area includes planted prairies with a paved bike and walking trail that winds through the park. Just east of the site is Russ Parker Park with more wetlands, a playground, picnic gazebo and recreation areas.
Other attractions in the area include the Prairie Center for the Arts for quality theater, music and dance performances and the Spring Valley Nature Center, where visitors can see a working farm with live animals.
The Falks didn't know much about Schaumburg when they moved to the area, but they say it turned out to be a great place to live. The village gives attention to what needs to be done in the community, Falk said.
“They've done a great job of greenscaping and dressing up things that were unattractive. (Mayor) Al Larson has done a masterful job of developing the community.”
Listing sheet
<b>Price range: </b>$500,000 to $800,000
<b>Age of homes: </b>20 years old
<b>Schools: </b>Fairview Elementary and Keller Junior High schools in Schaumburg Township Elementary District 54 and Conant High School in Palatine-Schaumburg High School District 211
<b>Parks: </b>Schaumburg Park District