Then and Now

Orland Park, Illinois is a large suburban community located about 25 miles southwest of downtown Chicago in Will County. Although the town seems inherently tied to the automobile (mostly because there are so many auto dealers on the 159th Street commercial strip), it actually got its start in the early 19th Century when rail traffic was introduced to the area. A train station was established in the center of town in the 1870s, putting Orland Park on the map, and drawing people who would have otherwise settled for Chicago. Before the train was built though, the town was populated by English settlers, who were soon followed by Irish immigrants that came to America fleeing the potato famine. And by the 1840s, the British and Irish settlers were jointed by immigrants from Luxembourg and Germany.

The Saint Louis & Pacific Railroad built a rail line that passed through Orland Park in 1879, and in that same year a man named John Humphrey purchased a large tract of land adjacent to the new rail line and successfully petitioned the railroad company to change the name of the station from the original name of “Sedgwick” to “Orland Park.” Humphrey later became known as the founder of Orland Park, and he went on to have a successful career in state politics. The original settlement and the industrial and commercial core that was built around it remained intact as the population expanded from fewer than 1,000 residents at the turn of the 19th Century to a population of more than 50,000 at the time of the 2000 census. Now, Orland Park consistently ranks in Money magazine’s “Best Places to Live” list.
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Park is the Place

The town of Orland Park boasts more than 500 acres of park land and green space, all of which are maintained by the town’s Recreation and Parks Department. In addition to those parks, though, Orland Park also features an extensive network of “bikeways,” totaling more than 30 miles of existing bike paths and sidewalks. Those trails are also expected to be expanded in the future, as plans have been introduced to increase the size and scope of Orland Park’s bikeway network by about 50 percent.

Orland Park’s biggest and most-used park is Centennial Park (15600 West Ave, 708-349-4386), a 230-acre village park that features several baseball/softball fields, soccer fields, as well as an extensive path system. In the summer, one of the most popular features of Centennial Park is that parks Aquatics center, which has been open for more than 15 years. The Aquatic Center features a few water slides (and a tube slide), a platform jump, a lazy river, lanes for swimming laps, and even a “zero depth” pool for children. And the feature of the Recreation and Parks Department that’s most appealing to the town’s teenage population is the Grinding Edge Skate Park. The ramps and half-pipes were built by professional skaters and local teens that were aided by professional architects. It only costs a couple of dollars to get into the skate park, and it costs about $30 dollars for a year-long membership.

After Centennial Park, the town’s John Humphrey Sports Complex (708-403-7275), which is named after John Humphrey, the “father” of Orland park, and it contains more than 20 acres of lighted baseball softball and football fields. In addition to the park’s sports facilities, the Humphrey complex has a concession stand, restrooms, and a large playground for children. And one of Orland Park’s newest facilities, the Village of Orland Park Sportsplex (11315 W 159th St, 708-645-7275), is an enormous 90,000-square-foot indoor sports complex that was completed in 2001.
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Hit the Links

Orland Park is no stranger to the game of golf, as there are more country clubs here than just about any other country club in the Chicago suburbs. There are two 18-hole golf courses in Orland Park – the Crystal Tree and Silver Lakes country clubs. The Crystal Tree Golf and Country Club (14500 Crystal Tree Dr, 708-403-3010) is the town’s only private golf club, and it has been serving the area for almost 20 years. Crystal Tree’s 18-hole course is one of the most challenging and visual pleasing courses in the area. And in addition to the par-72 course, Crystal Tree also provides members with use of the gorgeous Tudor-style clubhouse that includes a bar and grill, and main dining room, a private dining room and a fitness center and pro shop.

The Silver Lake Country Club (14700 S 82nd Ave, 708-349-6940) also affords the opportunity for a good day of golf, with 9- and 18-hole courses on site. The 18-hole “south” course is a long par-70, which has a number of challenging features including water and several sand bunkers. The other course at Silver Lake, the 9-hole Rolling Hills Golf Course is much more beginner-friendly. In addition to golf, silver lake offers a fitness club and indoor racquetball courts, which get plenty of use in the winter when the golf course is out of commission.

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Real Estate

Aside from the beautiful landscape and excellent schools, the Orland Park, Illinois real estate market is what really drives most people here. In 2006, Orland Park was included in Money magazine’s top 50 places to live in America, which came as no surprise to most residents. The composition of Orland Park is a good mix of residential and commercial property, with the latter providing many jobs to area residents. The town’s population is slightly more than 50,000 people, and there are about 20,000 separate homes and units to house them all. In addition, residents of Orland Park are solidly middle class, with the majority of Orland Parkers working in the retail and manufacturing industries, as well as insurance and the finance industry.  In terms of home styles, there is a vast selection of ranch-style one- and two-story homes, as well as attached condominiums and townhomes in Orland Park.

Orland Park 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
$413,220	81	412	8%	117%

Source: Multiple Listings Service of Northern Illinois
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What's on the Menu?

When it comes to elegance and fine dining, 94 West (15410 S 94th Ave, 708-364-9494) is at the top of most people’s list in Orland Park. The place specializes in steak and seafood, and by most accounts, their’s is the best around. It’s hard to figure exactly what is different about the steaks that you get here when compared with other places, but for some reason they just have that melt-in-your-mouth quality that you look for in a steak. The steak menu runs the gamut, with a porterhouse, New York strip, filet mignon, and rib eye, and you should expect to pay for them, as prices range from about $25 for the smallest filet to more than $65 for the very shareable porterhouse.

Orland Park has an excellent dining scene with a number of great restaurants, but the one thing that seems to draw people from outside of Orland Park more than anything else is the town’s brew pubs and wineries. And the one that sticks out the most is Cooper’s Hawk Winery & Restaurant (15690 S Harlem Ave, 708-633-0200), mainly because it’s the only winery in the Chicago area. Illinois doesn’t really have a wine country because it isn’t the right climate, but that doesn’t keep the enterprising folks at Cooper’s Hawk from making wine. Most of the grapes that are used at Cooper’s Hawk come from California and Oregon, and you can take a tour of the production area and learn all about the fermentation process. The restaurant at Cooper’s Hawk draws just as many people though, as some of the best food in Orland Park is served up in the 300-seat dining room. Steak and seafood are the specialties at the restaurant, starting with the blackened blue steak salad and progressing to the pistachio crusted grouper or the blackened ahi tuna. 

Keeping with the winery/brewery theme is Harrison’s Restaurant and Brewery (15845 S La Grange Rd, 708-226-0100), a casual brewpub in Orland pub that – in addition to brewing some of the best beer west of Goose Island – serves up some excellent food at the restaurant. In fact, the emphasis at Harrison’s is more on the restaurant and dining experience than it is on the bar or brewpub. They have a complete selection of steaks, ribs and chops, and several other pasta and chicken entrees. And there’s also an extensive bar menu with “finger food,” if you’re just in the mood for some bar food to go with your beer. And although Harrison’s is locally owned, the national chain Rock Bottom Restaurant and Brewery (16156 S La Grange Rd, 708-226-0021) is actually the more popular brewpub, due mostly to their excellent beers. All of the beer at Rock Bottom is brewed on site, and it’s arguably better than that of Harrison’s. To go with your beer, there’s a generous selection of finger food, bar food, and full-size dinner entrees as well. The fish and chips are always a safe bet; but if you’re not in the mood for a whole meal, we suggest asiago cheese dip with beer bread.

For a more traditional Chicago-style steakhouse, head over to Bogart’s Charhouse (17344 Oak Park Ave, 708-532-5592), which, on most nights, is the most popular place in town. If you go to Bogart’s, expect to eat a lot of food, or to take some home with you. However, although the steaks at Bogart’s are among the heftiest in town, the place’s reputation is staked on its moderate prices, which means that you won’t have to empty your wallet for a good meal here. Steaks typically come with potatoes, salads, and daily vegetables.

After Bogart’s Buca di Beppo (15350 S 94th Ave, 708-349-6262) is one of the Orland Park restaurants that fills up on most nights. Sure, it’s a national chain, and it feels like one with the red-checkered tablecloths, but that doesn’t mean that they the food here is inauthentic. One word of advice: bring your appetite. Buca di Beppo has a reputation for serving up enormous portions, and this location doesn’t disappoint. However, most of the dishes are sharable, so you don’t necessarily have to feel pressured to eat more than is comfortable.
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Best Shopping Stops

If you ask some of the locals where you can go to do some shopping in town, odds are that they’ll all point you to one place: the Orland Square Shopping Mall (288 Orland Square Dr, 708-349-6936). Orland Square is the largest mall in Chicago’s south suburbs, and it has just about everything you’d expect to find in a good suburban mall. The mall’s main anchors include JC Penny, Macy’s, Carson Pirie Scott, and Sears, but those aren’t the only attractions – there are more than 100 smaller boutique-style stores in the mall as well. Some of the most popular shops include The Limited (708-349-6464), Express (708-460-6824), and Gap (708-349-3135), while the younger crowd will flock to the specialty stores like The Disney Store (708-460-2635). And speaking of specialty stores, there are several jewelry and music stores to choose from as well, in addition to the Gamer’s Paradise (708-460-8477).
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Showtime!

If you’re looking to catch a movie, then look no further than the Marcus Orland Park Cinemas (16350 S La Grange Rd, 708-873-1900), which has 14 auditoriums, all of which have stadium seating. If, however, you’re more in the mood for live theatre, the Orland Park Theatre Troupe is one of the most popular acts in town, and they perform a number of different productions throughout the year, most of which are performed at town and parks district facilities.
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School's in Session

Carl Sandburg High School - 13300 La Grange Rd (708) 671-3100
Centennial School - 14101 Creek Crossing Dr (708) 364-3444
Center School - 9407 W 151st St (708) 364-3242
Century Junior High - 10801 W 159th St (708) 364-3500
Fernway Park Elementary School - 16600 88th Ave (708) 349-3810
High Point Elementary School - 14825 West Ave (708) 364-4400
Liberty Elementary School - 8801 151st St (708) 364-3800
Meadow Ridge School - 10959 W 159th St (708) 364-3600
Orland Park Elementary School - 9960 143rd St (708) 364-3900
St. Michael School - 14355 Highland Ave (708) 349-0068
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Basic Needs

Dining

American Cuisine
94 West 15410 S 94th Ave (708) 364-9494
Cooper’s Hawk Winery & Restaurant 15690 S Harlem Ave (708) 633-0200
Famous Dave’s Bar-B-Que 15657 S Harlem Ave (708) 532-7855
Fox’s Orland Park Restaurant 9655 W 143rd St (708) 349-2111
Harrison’s Restaurant & Brewery 15845 S La Grange Rd (708) 226-0100
Patio Restaurant of Orland 7830 W 159th St (708) 429-7575
RC Mulligan’s Restaurant 8801 W 143rd St (708) 460-1620
Rock Bottom Restaurant & Brewery 16156 S La Grange rd (708) 226-0021
Sam Maguire’s traditional Irish Pub & Restaurant 39 Orland Square Dr (708) 460-1771

Asian Cuisine
Ichiro Japanese Restaurant 15866 S La Grange Rd (708) 364-1234
Jewel of Siam Restaurant 14249 Wolf Rd (708) 349-9922
Taj Mahal Indian Restaurant 14812 S La Grange Rd (708) 460-5800

Italian Cuisine
Buca Di Beppo 15350 S 94th Ave (708) 349-6262
Papa Joe’s restaurant 14459 S La Grange Rd (708) 403-9099
Palermo’s Restaurant & Pizzeria 11255 W 143rd St (708) 364-6700

Pizza
Aurelio’s Pizza 15901 Oak Park Ave (708) 429-4600
Barraco’s Pizza & Restaurant 18040 Wolf Rd (708) 478-1500
Connie’s Pizza 16310 S La Grange Rd (708) 226-8099
Ed & Loe’s Pizza 17332 Oak Park Ave (708) 532-3051
Gino’s East of Chicago 15840 S Harlem Ave (708) 633-1300

Seafood
Canoe Club 15200 S 94th Ave (708) 461-9611

Bars/Nightlife

Bar Louie 14335 S La Grange Rd (708) 873-9999

Golf Courses

Crystal Tree Golf & Country Club 14500 Crystal Tree Dr (708) 403-3010
Silver Lake Country Club 14700 S 82nd Ave (708) 349-6940

Grocery Stores

Trader Joe’s 14924 S La Grange Rd (708) 349-9021

Pharmacies

CVS Pharmacy - 11201 143rd St (708) 364-1466
Dominick’s Pharmacy - 15080 S La Grange Rd (708) 460-7210
La Grange Road Pharmacy - 17495 La Grange Rd (708) 226-7100
Osco Drug - 9352 W 159th St (708) 460-8212
Walgreens - 15052 S La Grange Rd (708) 460-2021

Shopping

Orland Square Shopping Mall - 288 Orland Square Dr (708) 349-6936
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