With its shoreline cottages along a 250-acre spring-fed lake, Lake Zurich was a popular summer retreat for Chicagoans in the early 20th century for boating, fishing and swimming.
The affluent teed off at the private Lake Zurich Golf Club on the north shore of the lake. Among its members was Chester Gould, creator of the Dick Tracy comic strip.
But the tourist town buzz wore off years ago.
“People don’t come here anymore for the resort atmosphere,” said Village President Suzanne Branding.
The lake is still the heart of this village in southwest Lake County, but mostly for the pleasure of residents living around it. Homeowner associations have private beaches and docks.
Not just a bedroom community, Lake Zurich has a large industrial park on its northeast side. Branding described the village as “exurban but with all the amenities of the suburbs. It’s an upwardly mobile, middle-class-plus village surrounded by North Barrington, Hawthorn Woods, Kildeer and Deer Park. It feels like a small town, but we actually have the largest population in the surrounding area: 19,600.”
Branding, who grew up in Lake Zurich, recalled a much smaller village and a simpler time when residents rarely locked their doors and left keys in cars with the engines running.
The village is unique for its European connection, and is so named because the region reminded an early settler of Switzerland.
In the 1960s, the village started encouraging Alpine-style architecture. That theme caught on, resulting in several buildings with a Swiss look. Examples of the architecture still survive on the facades of several structures, including the village hall.
Branding assessed the state of the village: “We’re doing better financially, but we’re at a crossroads that might require us to make some employee and service cuts. One of our goals is to redevelop the original downtown, or uptown as we call it. But that project has been held up by the economy.”
On the positive side, Daniel Peterson, the village’s director of building and zoning, reported: “Lake Zurich has seen a slight uptick in residential construction. Red Seal Development has started to build at Coventry Creek Estates, a failed Dartmoor Homes subdivision. We’ve worked with Red Seal to spur construction by allowing a better product line with a smaller footprint and not requiring that impact fees be paid upfront.”
Peterson noted that the village has approved eight new houses this year, more than last three years combined.
Also under construction is Zurich Meadows Senior Apartments, a 95-unit complex near the public library. Targeted at low-income seniors, it is scheduled to open in the spring.
History
Originally a farming community in the 19th century, the village was founded in 1836 and incorporated in 1896. One remnant of the farming days is the cattle-crossing underpass at Rand Road that allowed thirsty herds to access the lake for a drink.
Lake Zurich’s summer resort craze took off in the early 20th century, but then waned as more exotic destinations became popular.
“In the 1960s, this was a sleepy village with a population of about 350 that had a volunteer police and fire department,” said Henry Paulus, village president from 1969 to1989. “Over the years it has changed from blue-collar German to pretty much everything. But it’s still friendly and blessed with good schools and excellent restaurants. Cars are the only thing you can’t buy in Lake Zurich. We have no dealerships.”
Things to do
The lake is a recreational hot spot, especially during the summer. Two of the village’s 32 parks have beaches. Powerboats, with and without water skiers, skim across the lake, as well as kayaks and fishing boats.
The biggest special event of the year is Alpine Fest, held annually on the third weekend of July. Organized by the Lions Club, this mix of food, entertainment and carnival rides takes place at Lions Park in the downtown area. Its parade is said to be the largest in Lake County.
A major lure on the west side of town is 40-acre Paulus Park, named to honor the longtime village president. The wooded green space slopes down to the lake. Besides its beach, the park has a children’s play area, picnic tables and a skate park.
For shoppers, the bulk of retail activity is concentrated at the strip malls and big-box stores on Rand Road (U.S. Highway 12).
“That’s our economic engine,” Branding said.
Popular spots for dining include Fritzl’s European Restaurant & Pub, Di Piero’s Ristorante, D&J Bistro and Hackney’s, to name a few.
Housing
Before refrigeration, an ice company owned the lake, but the company sold parcels around the water when electricity reached the area. Since then, a mixed housing stock has been built in the village. Dating from old resort days are large houses overlooking the lake and smaller cottages. Many of the summer cottages have been winterized for year-round use.
The bulk of residential construction took place during the housing booms from the 1970s through 1990s.
Gy Sathe, a real estate broker at the Prudential Starck office in Lake Zurich, described it as a mostly single-family community, with prices ranging from $150,000 to $799,000.
“Now, there are 159 single-family homes on the market, at an average price of $318,289. The average price of the 24 multifamily units for sale is $224,591,” she said.
Two properties are for sale on the lake, said Cherie Smith Zurek, a real estate broker with Re/Max Unlimited Northwest. One is a ranch that is listed as a short sale at $380,000. It was originally purchased in 2005 for $554,000. And a newly constructed house with a lake view is on the market for $750,000.
Transportation
Lake Zurich is about 40 miles from downtown Chicago. The major arteries running through the village are north-south U.S. Highway 12 and east-west Illinois Highway 22. In nonrush hours, the driving time to Chicago’s Loop is about an hour. Traveling to O’Hare International Airport takes about 45 minutes. Access to Metra rail stations in Barrington and Palatine gives commuters an alternative to sitting in traffic.
Schools
The village is served by Lake Zurich Community School District 95, which operates a high school, two middle schools and five elementary schools.
