Cress Creek: 'A nice, open space'
"A nice, open space" is how one resident, Linda O'Dea, describes Cress Creek, a community divided into three conjoined neighborhoods: Cress Creek Estates, Cress Creek Commons and Creekside. O'Dea, whose husband, Brian, is a member of the Cress Creek Estates Homeowners Association board, pointed out that someone driving through the neighborhoods might not make the distinction between the three neighborhoods. Instead of isolated neighborhoods, however, she emphasized the close-knit community feeling that pervades in Cress Creek.
"We just love our neighbors. It’s a wonderful neighborhood. (Cress Creek residents) are very supportive of one another."
Gwen Hull,
Cress Creek Estates resident for 22 years
"It seems pretty safe (here). I’m an avid jogger, and I can go jogging through the neighborhood and not feel like I’m going to get run over by a car.”
George Dwyer,
Cress Creek Commons resident for two years
"It's a fantastic place to raise a family," O'Dea said. "(There's) just a really great feeling of neighborhood."
"One of the things that attracted us was that (Cress Creek) was a more mature neighborhood, more established," O'Dea said.
Another resident, Gwen Hull, liked the location and schools.
"We knew we wanted to be on the north side of Naperville," Hull said of her choice to settle in Cress Creek. "We knew we wanted those two schools, Jefferson and Naperville North."
Proximity to downtown drew George Dwyer, resident of Cress Creek Commons. Funny, then, that skeptics originally thought "no one would want to live that far from downtown Naperville" during planning, according to the Cress Creek Homeowners Association Directory. The 1,774 residents of Cress Creek Estates alone seem to suggest otherwise.
1. Cress Creek Country Club: With an 18-hole private equity golf course, a pool, golf shop and banquet facilities, the club is part of what makes Cress Creek one of the original golf communities of Naperville. The backyards of many of the original Cress Creek homes back up to the golf course. Special features of the golf course include 6,600 yards of golf from the longest tee for a par of 72. The course opened in 1972 and was designed by David Arthur Gill. How to get there: Take Ogden west from Washington Street, past Mill Street, and make a right on Royal St. George Drive. The street will wind north until you see the club on the left at 1215 Royal St. George Drive.
2. Cress Creek Park: The park features 1.63 acres of land, in addition to one basketball court and playground. Soft mulch covers the ground by the playground, providing a safer atmosphere for children. Set in the heart of Cress Creek, the park is centralized for easy access. How to get there: The park is just north of the Country Club at 1311 Royal St. George Drive. Take Ogden west from Washington and hang a right on Royal St. George Street. The park will be on the left-hand side.
3. Naperville North High School: Just a stone's throw from Cress Creek is Naperville North High School. Part of District 203, North was initially constructed in 1970 and has grown to more than twice its original size in terms of square feet, accommodating last year's enrollment of 3,086, according to the Illinois School Report Card. In 2005, Newsweek ranked Naperville North in the top fifth percentile of high schools in part for its 99 percent graduation rate. Almost three-quarters of the staff earned master's degrees. The mascot is the Huskie. The average class size is just more than 22 students. How to get there: Naperville North High School is at 899 North Mill St., at the intersection of Mill and Ogden, west of Washington Street.
