Hazel Crest - that's a nice name for a city isn't it? It got that name in 1900 due to all the hazelnut bushes that grew on a crest to the south of the town at that time. It was 12 years later that the city was incorporated, and since then, many of the original families who lived there still have descendants in the area.
Nowadays, the city has a little over 14,000 inhabitants and about 5,000 homes split among them. It's found in Cook County, Illinois, only about 25 miles south of Chicago, with the towns of Markham, Harvey, East Hazel Crest, Homewood and Flossmoor surrounding it. This gives the local people plenty of opportunity to find work in the city itself and its more populous surrounding regions, with a lot of the people commuting to Chicago where they work in higher-earning jobs. For 25 consecutive years, Hazel Crest has been named a Tree City USA, proof that the people there are forward thinking and passionate about the preservation of forests in the region, as well as their continued maintenance and growth. It is, in fact, the only city in the Chicago Southland that has been given this award for such a length of time.
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Moving to Hazel Crest
Lots of people who work in the Chicago region move to Hazel Crest to step out of the bustling city and experience a quieter way of life. With great transport links into Chicago and the surrounding areas, it's easy to enjoy the best of both worlds: working in a higher population area with more employment opportunities and living somewhere quieter with a slower pace of life.
Above-Average Vacancies
The good news for home seekers is that there tend to be plenty of rentals available in this area. Finding a property in the city shouldn't be as tricky as some of the bigger urban areas.
A Good Mix of Housing Options
Everyone comes to a new city with their own idea as to what they're looking for and what sort of home they want to create. Some will be after rental apartments with a single bedroom. Others will be looking for a larger home for rent to move into, while others will be looking to buy and set down some roots. Hazel Crest is made up of about 75% detached houses, and over 20% apartments in high rises and complexes. The other homes are split between attached houses and row houses, with a few mobile homes thrown in for good measure. Detached housing and apartments, therefore, are ripe for the picking.
How to Secure a Property
In order to get your hands on a property, you're going to have to prove your income, show references for previous places you've lived, go through a credit check and put down a security deposit. If you don't have employment, this can be a problem, but you can always use a guarantor to cover your back if necessary.
Neighborhoods in Hazel Crest
It's good to drive around the neighborhoods in any city or town before you decide on where you might want to live. Once you know the place a bit better, you can narrow down your options when it comes to viewing properties. Here are a few notes about the neighborhoods of Hazel Crest.
Village Center: Tennis courts and basketballs courts are available over in Independence Park, with most of the neighborhood taken up by residential streets with three- to four-bedroom rental homes and owner-occupied homes. There is a hospital here as well.
Crawford Avenue / W 167th Street: If you're someone who likes to bulk-buy their groceries, the Walmart here will be a welcome sight. A local community park has four baseball fields and a football field with athletic's track around it, so you'll find plenty of youngsters down here playing ball. George W. Dunne National Golf Course is a short drive to the west.
Longfellow Avenue / 175th Street: Rent is steeper around here, but that's generally owing to the larger detached housing in the area. Kinda makes sense with the neighborhood being littered with pretty parks and a couple of golf courses out to the east -- Calumet Country Club and Ravisloe Country Club. This is a perfect place for golfers.
Wood Street / W 167th Street: You'll find more townhouses for rent in Hazel Crest here, and you'll get easy access to the local train station that goes straight up towards Chicago. Good location for commuters who use the rail.
Living in Hazel Crest
There are lots of beautiful wooded regions around Hazel Crest that the locals love to explore on weekends. These open lands contain more than 53 acres of woods and wetlands, with plenty of running, hiking and biking trails to enjoy. Keen fans of wild animals will be able to spot deer, raccoons, skunks, chipmunks, owls and many others types of animals.
For those who enjoy the social side of things, there are plenty of opportunities to eat and drink in Hazel Crest as well. There are dozens of restaurants offering different types of food at different prices. Oasis Beef Hut, Sabrina's, Wing Wah Restaurant, Ariston Restaurant and plenty of others are there to satisfy your culinary needs. And if you just want a drink, you'll find places like Kios' Tavern and Choppers Tap offer you all you need. Or, if you're craving something a bit more crazy, remember that Chicago is only a short train or car ride away!
Speaking of which, transport links around and out of the city are great. Commuters find the going really simple when trying to get to Chicago or any other local town, with easy driving routes along Interstates 80, 294 and 57. The metro station has a large parking lot as well, with 144 spaces available for commuters, so leaving your car there isn't a problem, either. And how about getting around town itself? Well, that's simple too, because there are plenty of routes linking all areas of the city. Really, it couldn't be any more convenient than it already is.