Talbots Mill in neighborhood profile

Talbots Mill is a desirable townhouse and single-family home community with winding streets, mature trees and beautiful landscaping that sits on the east side of Elk Grove Village near four major expressways.

When the subdivision was newly built, it was popular with people employed by the airlines because it was just a straight shot down the street to O'Hare International Airport, said Gary Christensen, real estate broker with NW Village Realty.

Built by Kimball Hill, Talbots Mill offers a variety of home designs and prices. There are single-family homes, Colony homes with a two-car garage, Loft homes with four units to a building where all the residents have an end unit, and Country homes with eight units to a building.

Townhouses typically offer two bedrooms, one to 2½ baths, and a one- or two-car garage. The community offers a lot of green space and a small park for residents.

"The Colony homes are nice because they include a ranch townhouse. There's a big demand for this style townhouse, and we just don't have enough of them," Christensen said. "When people downsize, they like the ranch where there's no one above them, and when these units come up for sale, they sell quickly. Also, when people that grew up in Elk Grove Village move back to their hometown, this is often the style they want.

"A big draw to the community is that you can get a nice townhouse for less than $200,000 here, which is a good value for the money."

Wanda Raymond had lived in the Elk Grove-Schaumburg area for most of her life. When she and her husband looked for a townhouse, the appeal of Talbots Mill was the attractive architecture, neighborhood feel and the mature trees and landscaping that offer privacy.

Raymond loves her bright and sunny residence with huge windows. The couple originally lived in a small townhouse until three years ago when they moved into a larger model. "We didn't want two-level living anymore," she said. "We love this design where we have a private entrance, go up the stairs, and live on one level.

"This is a friendly neighborhood. I'm still close with our neighbors in our first place and have picked up new ones here. It's a community where people tend to bond."

Situated on Devon Avenue east of Route 53, Talbots Mill offers easy access to Route 355. "It's nice because the expressway is right here, but we can't see it," Raymond said.

Residents like the convenient location just ten minutes from the Woodfield Mall in Schaumburg with plenty of shopping, restaurants, a movie theater and other entertainment. They are also close to Alexian Brothers Medical Center and Busse Woods Forest Preserve.

Area Elk Grove Village amenities include a great library and nice town square with concerts in the summertime and the 110,000-square-foot Pavilion with all kinds of recreation and classes. The facility includes a fitness center, indoor playground, racquetball courts, two gymnasiums, indoor and outdoor swimming pools and a climbing wall. The 28-foot indoor carousel is a favorite for families and a destination for birthday parties.

The Rainbow Falls water park with a tropical theme and several pools and rides, including a huge four-way slide, is also a popular attraction in the summertime.

For those who enjoy nature and the outdoors, the Busse Woods/Ned Brown Forest Preserve features more than 6,600 acres of preserved forests, rivers and lakes, picnic spots, bike trail, boating dock and the well-known elk herd.