'Pastoral nature' lends flavor to River Woods
Having a "pastoral nature" is how resident David Barclay describes his community of River Woods, set along the DuPage River Park on the southeast side of Naperville.
• A look at River Woods
• City-Data.com: 60565 zip code
"I like that it’s very accessible, yet it’s not at all commercial. There are a lot of places to walk.”
Patty Levitsky, resident 15 years
“We liked the location and the schools. We wanted District 203.”
Russ Alber, resident 2 years
"One of our favorite things about the park was the undeveloped part on the east side of Washington Street," said Barclay, who moved in 1998 to the neighborhood for its schools, the "beautiful houses" and the river. Barclay is a member of the River Woods Homeowners Association Board.
The community began in 1987, when builders Springwood, Krugoff, Debarr and Kobler started making the partially custom-built homes, said Kathrine McKinlay, secretary for the homeowners association. The homes were completed in four phases and bound by Royce Road, Washington Street and Naper Road, she said. Approximately 450 homes make up the neighborhood, said Ingrid Burchfield, who also serves on the board.
McKinlay said the people are what make River Woods an excellent place to live.
"Personally, the reason why I love living here is the close proximity to a top-rated elementary school and the people in this community," McKinlay said. "We are a very close-knit group and look out for each other."
Realtor Lindsay Mikita added, "We love our neighbors and the obvious sense of pride the homeowners have in their homes. Because we have houses up to 22 years old, we are seeing a lot of renovations being done."
Barclay is among residents concerned with preserving the atmosphere of the neighborhood and preventing over-development.
"River Woods is a very nice place to live and we'd like it to stay that way," Barclay said.
1. The Dorothea Weigand Riverfront Community Park is named for Dorothea Weigand, commissioner for the Illinois Association of Park Districts in the early 1970s, and vice president of the Naperville Park District board, when Naperville earned one of five national Gold Medal Awards for excellence in park and recreation management in 1972. The Dorothea Weigand Riverfront Park is made up of 18.31 acres along a scenic river view. The park is complete with a parking lot for vehicles and a bench to sit and enjoy the view. How to get there: The park is at 2436 S. Washington St., between Ring Road to the north and Naper Boulevard to the south.
2. Riverwoods Park is a popular destination for walkers and hikers in or around River Woods. The park has 25.94 acres, according to the Naperville Park District Web site. The park follows the DuPage River's west branch along the west side of the River Woods neighborhood. How to get there: 2283 River Woods Drive, where Riverwoods Park is located, can be reached by River Woods Drive inside the River Woods subdivision or at the intersection of Washington Street and Ring Road, south of 75th Street.
3. River Woods Elementary School is a District 203 K through 5 school with the Red Bird for its mascot. River Woods Elementary School had a 2008 enrollment of 524 students, according to the Illinois School Report Card. Also according to the ISRC, average class sizes ranged from 19.7 to 28.7. Students at the school feed into Madison Junior High School and Naperville Central High School. How to get there: From 75th and Washington, go east on 75th Street to Naper Boulevard and make a right (south). From there, proceed past Farmington Park until you reach Alexandria Drive, and make a left. Continue to the intersection of Alexandria Drive and River Woods Drive, where the school is at 2607 River Woods Drive.
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