Any suburbs with homes available on small sport lakes? (Chicago: condos, townhomes)

[TaraNicole07]

Hello,

I am moving from San Diego to Chicago due to husband's job, but I am originally from Michigan, specifically, West bloomfield. I love where I grew up, on a small lake. We had a boat dock in the backyard and we were able to go out on the lake to swim, ski, etc. whenever we wanted. I have been searching everywhere, but cannot find a suburb of Chicago with lakefront homes available! Can anyone help me out? I'd like to be at most an hour out of the city. We are looking at prices up to $600,000 and we'd love to have a downtown area at least fairly close to go out to dinner, bars, etc. Just FYI--we are both in our late 20's!

Thank you!!

[Iggs]

The only one that I know of off hand is actually in NW Indiana. It is in the town of Valparaiso and is called Shorewood. I know a family that moved there for that very reason of having lake access. The husband commutes one hour to Chicago. Their home is beautiful.

[HOWELL_STREET]

Very similar to what you want and also what 'IGGS' has mentioned is available at Cedar Lake, Indiana. And that is closer to Chicago.

I would estimate that the lake is approximately two miles in length by perhaps one or 1.5 miles across.

Since there is no railroad commuter service from downtown Chicago to Cedar Lake, your transportation would be automobile only. Of course if you owned your own small private plane, perhaps you could figure out a way to commute faster.

During the 1960s, I spent seven summers at Cedar Lake working for a Church Camp.

Carter Glass,
Wheaton, IL &
Cortland, IL

[nanannie]

Check out the 'chain o lakes' area.( Fox Lake, Pistakee lk.,) There is much activity for young adults there. Also, Waucanda is an active lake community, and parts of Barrington has small lakes. There are also homes/boating on areas of the Fox River, (Fox River Grove, McHenry,Algonquin,St Charles,Geneva have water front property)

[NYrules]

How about the river communities??? Like St. Charles, Geneva, Batavia, Aurora, and all of them. I know there are homes that abut right up to the water and you can go boating on the river and fish it if you wanted. Some of those towns even put in running trails along the river. True its not a lake, but still its water and its nice. Not to mention that you can boat the river system for hundreds of miles if you really wanted to vs. only a 10 square mile lake area.

[rgb123]

Definitley Northwest Suburbs, there are tons of lakes, just look around!

[OakBrookMom]

Most of the lake, river and boat communities are at least an hour out of the City. The metra takes over an hour from the Fox River areas of Batavia, Geneva & St. Charles and by car even longer. Riverfront properties are typically estates and most will be over your budget however there are pockets of riverfront communities with shared launch areas or communities piers. Up the river to Algonquin you will find more substantial homes directly on the river in your price range. As far as lakes are concerned, the McHenry county side of the chain of lakes area will probably fetch you the most substantial lakefront property in areas like Johnsburg however commuting every day to Chicago will take longer than an hour each way. For that reason there are many affordable smaller cottages and even condos/townhomes on the lakes, rivers and channels which many people have used for decades as weekend cottages, living closer into the city or even in the city in a primary residence. Some cottages use the local launch and dock at a community pier or marina, others have docks and lifts on their property. The population of these towns and lakes explode on the weekends as do most of the lake areas in Indiana, Southern Michigan and Wisconsin where many Chicagoans own property. Communities like Crystal Lake have more full-time residents and are more developed. Closest to the City of Chicago would probably be the Lake Zurich and Barrington Areas which are not weekend areas but true suburbs but you will need to make sure the waterfront is not on a quiet or no wake body of water if you want to waterski and tube. This area is also more expensive than the chain of lakes. Barrington's metra train would get you to the city in less than an hour but remember you have to drive to the station and park and walk from the metra station downtown to your office so that may put you over the hour mark but it's about as close as you will get. An extra ten minutes may be worth it for the lifestyle but an extra 30-40 minutes on top of your preferred hour commuting time like you would have up in the chain and it might make more sense to look into the boatslip, cottage or townhome idea and get the best of both worlds.

[deegers]

Originally Posted by OakBrookMom

Most of the lake, river and boat communities are at least an hour out of the City. The metra takes over an hour from the Fox River areas of Batavia, Geneva & St. Charles and by car even longer. Riverfront properties are typically estates and most will be over your budget however there are pockets of riverfront communities with shared launch areas or communities piers. Up the river to Algonquin you will find more substantial homes directly on the river in your price range. As far as lakes are concerned, the McHenry county side of the chain of lakes area will probably fetch you the most substantial lakefront property in areas like Johnsburg however commuting every day to Chicago will take longer than an hour each way. For that reason there are many affordable smaller cottages and even condos/townhomes on the lakes, rivers and channels which many people have used for decades as weekend cottages, living closer into the city or even in the city in a primary residence. Some cottages use the local launch and dock at a community pier or marina, others have docks and lifts on their property. The population of these towns and lakes explode on the weekends as do most of the lake areas in Indiana, Southern Michigan and Wisconsin where many Chicagoans own property. Communities like Crystal Lake have more full-time residents and are more developed. Closest to the City of Chicago would probably be the Lake Zurich and Barrington Areas which are not weekend areas but true suburbs but you will need to make sure the waterfront is not on a quiet or no wake body of water if you want to waterski and tube. This area is also more expensive than the chain of lakes. Barrington's metra train would get you to the city in less than an hour but remember you have to drive to the station and park and walk from the metra station downtown to your office so that may put you over the hour mark but it's about as close as you will get. An extra ten minutes may be worth it for the lifestyle but an extra 30-40 minutes on top of your preferred hour commuting time like you would have up in the chain and it might make more sense to look into the boatslip, cottage or townhome idea and get the best of both worlds.

Great suggestions which were probably going to be my suggestions as well.

And then, there' always just over the border of Wisconsin, but then you got a far commute. But they have more reasonable prices, and I think larger bodies of water???

Check out lake in the hills too...

[rgb123]

I used to commute on the Metra from Fox Lake...it really is not that bad, and you can sleep on the train

Wauconda and Lake Zurich also have lakes...Wauconda is closer in but doesn't have a good metra stop.

At least if your in Fox Lake the metra is right downtown, and there are several metra's nearby --long lake and ingleside (both have several lakes as well). Boating is a lifestyle in that area.

Antioch as well...and they also have a metra.

[Coddie]

Lakeland Club in Plainfield. Not sure of the prices but it's pretty close to Naperville's restaurants and nightlife.