Terramere in neighborhood profile
Lois Agran knows how to grab a little bit of calm in a world of unrest. "I love looking out our kitchen window at the tree and bushes in our yard. It's very peaceful to look outside."
Lois and her husband, Martin, have lived in the Terramere subdivision in Arlington Heights for 37 years. They purchased their home new after looking at blueprints.
"We liked that we were getting quality new construction by Kennedy Builders, which had a good reputation," Agran said. "It was also nice because when we first moved here there were 60 preschool kids on our block.
"The neighborhood has been enriching for my entire family. We've made new friends; our children have made lifelong friends, and I love my neighbors," Agran said. "A lot of young people are moving in, which is nice; they organize our block party where the street is blocked off. Everyone brings a dish, and it's really friendly and nice."
Situated west of Arlington Heights Road and south of Lake-Cook Road, Terramere features 12 different home designs, typically with four or five bedrooms, 2½ to 3½ baths, a basement and two-car garage. There are also some beautiful custom homes on a lake with walkout basements and three-car garages, said Linda Goland, real estate broker with Baird & Warner in Arlington Heights, who is also a resident of the neighborhood.
"Terramere means land and water," Goland said. "The subdivision has trees and water and a lot of green space - a nice combination."
Goland, an original owner and one of the first residents of the subdivision, wanted to live in an over-the-fence community where neighbors are outside visiting and walking their dogs, and kids are playing outside with their neighborhood friends, she said. Terramere was that kind of neighborhood, and Goland and her family have enjoyed it for many years.
"A lot of people here are putting major money into their homes on renovations and putting on additions," Goland said. "When residents are making this kind of investments in their homes, you know it's a community where they want to stay."
There are a lot of young people moving into the subdivision - newlyweds and couples with babies - and a lot of kids who grew up in Terramere are moving back into the subdivision, Goland said.
A great aspect of Terramere is recreation within the neighborhood. "There's a beautiful seven-acre lake and park in the middle of the subdivision, which is a gem, with swimming, boating and fishing," Goland said. "There's always something going on at the lake - kids playing together and neighbors visiting with one another. There is also the small Sunset Ridge Park on Walnut (Avenue), so there's always a place for kids to play close to home.
"This is a great neighborhood. We have block parties in the summer, and in the winter you can walk across the street to the forest preserve and go snowmobiling."
Golfers enjoy the Nickol Knoll Golf Club that sits nearby. The site is on land that was formerly the hill where the Bears' running back Walter Payton trained.
Terramere's walk-to-schools location with easy access to shopping and transportation and 15 minutes to Woodfield Mall and downtown Arlington Heights is a big draw for the subdivision.
Residents also enjoy the village's thriving downtown area with an eclectic mix of restaurants and pubs, live theater performances, outdoor concerts and shopping at boutiques, specialty shops and galleries.
Listing sheet
<span class="fact box text bold">Price range:</span> $400,000 to $600,000
<span class="fact box text bold">Age of homes:</span> 32 to 38 years
<span class="fact box text bold">Schools:</span> Longfellow Elementary and Cooper Junior High schools in Wheeling Township Elementary District 21; and Buffalo Grove High School in Northwest Suburban High School District 214.
<span class="fact box text bold">Parks:</span> Arlington Heights Park District