Neighborhood profile: Kylemore Greens

Kylemore Greens sprouted up in the early 1990s on one of the last undeveloped pieces of land in Des Plaines when The Kennedy Group purchased the property from the Archdiocese of Chicago.

It's the only newer, good-sized subdivision in Des Plaines, said Bill Farrell, broker-associate with RE/MAX Suburban. “It attracts people from Skokie and Morton Grove who want that subdivision feeling without moving too far out.”

Everything clicked for Jason and Debbie Lensink when they bought a home in the subdivision about six months ago. The couple got a decent price for their older home near downtown Des Plaines, and the home they eventually purchased in Kylemore Greens came on the market about the same time.

So after looking in several suburbs for a home for themselves and their two young children, the couple ended up staying in Des Plaines.

“We liked the area, the house itself, and its affordability,” Jason Lensink said. “It's a good size home with about 3,200 square feet of space, which is good for a growing family. And there's a nice neighborhood park down the street.

“We hear there were 15 kids lined up at the bus stop when people began moving into the subdivision, and now those kids are in high school or college. But when our kids start kindergarten, we'll find out where the younger kids live.

“Everyone here is nice and friendly. And it's a good location, convenient to shopping and easy to get to work.”

Kylemore Greens features more than 100 luxury homes comprised mostly of two-stories and a few ranches with about 2,000 to 3,200 square feet and two- to three-car garages.

Typically the two-story homes feature four bedrooms and 2½ baths while the ranches tend to have three bedrooms. They offer modern amenities such as vaulted ceilings, walk-in closets and nice master baths. And most homes have basements, Farrell said.

“Some of the lots along the railroad tracks were sold off from Kennedy to individual builders, so some of those homes were custom built,” he said.

The park district's redeveloped and improved park in the subdivision provides an accessible playground built to standards of the Americans with Disabilities Act. A walking path connects to the playground via a ramp that makes it accessible to all. The park includes a picnic pavilion and basketball half court.

Situated on Wolf Road north of Central Road, the subdivision is far enough from O'Hare International Airport that residents are free from air traffic noise, Farrell said.

The location is near the new Randhurst Village, a redevelopment of the Randhurst Shopping Center site, which was built in 1962 and was the first regional mall in the Chicago area.

The new open-air shopping center features national and regional retailers, several restaurants, offices and a state-of-the-art AMC Cinema with 18 screens. Many stores are open for business while more are scheduled to open next year. The center offers an inviting streetscape, and giant sand sculptures are on display through Nov. 13.

Commuter residents of Kylemore Greens can board the train at the nearby Cumberland train station on Northwest Highway in Des Plaines.

Listing sheet

<b>Price range:</b> $400,000 to $500,000

<b>Age of homes: </b>20 years

<b>Schools: </b>Euclid Elementary and River Trails Middle schools in Des Plaines Elementary District 62 and Maine West High School in Maine Township High School District 207

<b>Parks:</b> Des Plaines Park District