Painted Lakes featured in neighborhood profile
Fifteen years ago, Jodi and Jim King moved into a home in the Painted Lakes subdivision in Lake Villa, which is surrounded by natural beauty, open space and wetlands.
"We came from an older home that needed a lot of work, and this new area was so pristine and fresh; it was really attractive to us," Jim King said.
"We built a deck as soon as we moved in, which gives us a nice private, peaceful spot outside. I put on the music, read the paper and relax in a beautiful setting where we see some wildlife.
"This is a nice family neighborhood where people would do anything for each other."
Situated on Deep Lake Road north of Route 132, the Painted Lakes subdivision features 218 single-family homes and 134 townhouses built by Centex in the mid- to late '90s. Kennedy Homes built some larger homes in the north part of the subdivision.
Houses, ranging in size from 1,600 to about 3,000 square feet, feature two-story floor plans and one ranch design with two to four bedrooms, 2½ baths and two- to three-car garages. Some homes have basements. Townhouses feature three to five units per building with two to three bedrooms and two-car garages.
Painted Lakes sits adjacent to the Sun Lake Forest Preserve with walking and biking trails that connect to Frank Loffredo Park and the Lake Villa Baseball Park. This is a big attraction for homebuyers. King especially enjoys the forest preserve trails.
"The village's parks and recreation are incredible, and the nature preserves and parks are very nice," he said.
Leslie and Kurt Nauta are residents of the subdivision as well as real estate brokers with Coldwell Banker Residential Brokerage. Their house backs to the 14-acre nature preserve where they see egrets, cranes and an occasional deer.
Leslie Nauta said Painted Lakes is designed with a lot of courts, which draws many young couples with children because parents feel comfortable with their kids playing outside around the cul-de-sacs.
Painted Lakes also offers a location close to an elementary school, and Lakes High School is almost across the street. King was unsure about the quality of the schools before he moved into the subdivision, but says they found all the schools to be very good. "The kids received a good high school education and are off to college," he said.
For recreation, there are two parks in the neighborhood, each with a tot lot and one with a basketball court, Nauta said.
Also, the subdivision offers a great location for residents to enjoy all the popular summer and winter sports in the area, including boating, fishing, snowmobiling and ice-fishing tournaments. It's also 10 minutes from the Chain 'O Lakes where a lot of people like to go camping and boating.
Lehmann Park on Cedar Avenue offers swimming in Cedar Lake, a boat launch, volleyball, a picnic shelter, horseshoe pits and playground. Many people consider Lehmann Park a jewel of Lake Villa. The park hosts various events and is the focal point for community activities.
With a country feel, but still convenient to everything, Painted Lakes is just 10 minutes from the train station and 15 minutes from the I-94 tollway and shopping in nearby Grayslake, Gurnee and Antioch.
Listing sheet
<span class="fact box text bold">Price range:</span> $190,000 to $300,000 for single-family houses
<span class="fact box text bold">Age of homes:</span> 14 to 17 years
<span class="fact box text bold">Schools:</span> Oakland Elementary and Antioch Upper Grade schools in Antioch Elementary District 34 and Lakes Community High School in Antioch-Lake Villa Area High School District 117.
<span class="fact box text bold">Parks:</span> Lake Villa Parks and Recreation Department