Then and Now

Prospect Heights is a city of 17,000 inhabitants located approximately 25 miles northwest of Chicago. Initial development of the area began in the mid 1930s when two partners envisioned a planned community that would cater to families trying to build their way back up after the Depression. After a year there were only six houses in the new development but that was only the beginning.

The Prospects Height Improvement Association (PHIA) was created in 1938, which acted as the unofficial governing body of the suburb until 1976 when the growing community became too much for the PHIA to manage. A major population boom in the 1960s was what really pushed Prospect Heights into full-on city status, proving more than a single civic organization could handle on its own. So they had a vote and the majority of Prospect Heights citizens decided in favor of incorporation. Since then, the bedroom community has diversified its development to include multiunit residences, schools, a library, and an expanding number of commercial and service businesses.
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Park is the Place

Prospect Heights residents have their choice of outdoor recreation spots that provide a variety of activities, sports, leisure pastimes and family-oriented fun.

If you're just looking for a place to let the kids run around and play, there are quite a few neighborhood parks with modern jungle gyms and grassy areas, plus benches for parents to relax a bit while the little ones expend some energy. Here's a list of kid-friendly Prospect Heights playlots: Jaycee Park, Claire Lane Park, East Wedgewood Park (also has half-court basketball), School Street Park, Country Gardens (also has a picnic shelter, soccer fields, tennis and basketball courts).

The Gary Morava Recreation Center (110 W Camp McDonald Rd, 847-394-2848) is a multipurpose facility with an outdoor pool (open seasonally), fitness gym, dance studio, spa locker rooms with hot tub and sauna, and an assortment of athletic fields/courts. Meeting rooms with kitchens and picnic shelters offer residents excellent private party spaces that can be rented out for special occasions. Connected to the Morava Recreation Center is Lions Park (11 N Elm St). The scenic grounds are equipped with a fenced-in baseball field and tennis courts. The newly updated Izaak Walton Park (201 N Elmhurst Rd) is a serene setting for large group events - the picnic pavilion is ideal for get-togethers and that need to go on rain or shine.
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Real Estate

Prospect Heights originally began as a planned residential community with affordable housing for Depression-scarred families. Property values in the area have appreciated immensely over the years and now the suburb offers a good selection of single-family homes between $250,000 and $1 million+. There is also a supply of condos and townhouses for sale in Prospect Heights with listing prices between $70,000 and $400,000.

Million-dollar residences in Prospect Heights are basically mansions on sprawling lots with elegant floor plans and three-car attached garages. Less costly real estate presents mostly single-story and split-level houses with two, three and four bedrooms. Some of these are older homes, but many have been renovated and rehabbed to provide like-new accommodations for new home buyers. Ranches and '60s style architecture is common in Prospect Heights, due to a boom in construction around that time period. Mid-priced real estate here includes some larger, two-story abodes with generous-sized lots and beautiful front and back yard trees.
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Prospect Heights Residential Real Estate Info for Single-Family Detached Homes

Average Sale Price 2005-2006	Average # of Days on the Market	Number of Sales 2005-2006	One Year Price Change	Price Change Since 94
$518,168	79	64	13%	155%

Source: Multiple Listings Service of Northern Illinois

School's in Session

Prospect Heights School District #23 is prepared to serve its student population with four public schools that enroll roughly 1,400 children per year. The teacher to student ratio for this district is 14.4:1.

Anne Sullivan Elementary School (3rd - 5th Grades) 700 N Schoenbeck Rd, 847-870-3865
Betsy Ross Elementary School (K-5th Grade) 700 N Schoenbeck Rd, 847-870-3868
Dwight D Eisenhower Elementary School (K-5th Grade) 700 N Schoenbeck Rd, 847-870-3875
Macarthur Middle School (6th - 8th Grades) 700 N Schoenbeck Rd, 847-870-3879
Harper College 1375 S Wolf Rd, 847-925-6000
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