The village whose population was once too small to be incorporated as a village, Round Lake experienced a population boom of double just during the first decade of the 21st century.
The inhabitants of Round Lake have consistently been trying to grow the village. The late 1800's saw landowners working hard to convince the railroads to come through, and farmers even gamed the system to become a village in the early 1900's when there weren't enough residents to do so. Even now, village leaders are working on an annexation program, and the population of the area is expected to exceed 20,000 by the year 2020. All signs show that Round Lake is moving toward a good destination. The mesh of nature, social life,and just good old living makes Round Lake an all-around great village.
Moving to Round Lake
Round Lake is truly a terrific place, and there's no need to add any extra icing on the surface. The village is already sweet enough. With crime rates that are a third of the Illinois' average and an abundance of lakes around to enjoy, you best believe that this is a land on the radar of many folks. You'll even find that there is competition for a studio apartment for rent in Round Lake. After deciding to move to this village, you'll definitely want to consider a few things and make necessary preparations.
When to Start Looking
Now, if not sooner. Yes, we understand that you can't start looking before you start looking, but you definitely should have. Round Lake is an excessively popular area, and although roughly one-fifth of the properties are being rented, it doesn't mean that there are an abundance of condo rentals, apartment complexes or even mobile homes to go around. Seriously, look at a map of the place. Do you see how many lakes are around? If you don't start looking one to two months in advance, you might as well start looking into campsites.
When to Make the Move
In reality, you need to go ahead and make the move as soon as you can. Did you even read the last section? If you don't jump on a place, it'll likely be taken from right out under your feet. Apartment homes don't sit on the market for too long. Sure, you can waste time looking for an all-utilities-paid apartment in the area, but once again, you might miss out. Come on, you're living near a ton of lakes; you've got to be flexible on what kind of home you want if you want to get something that's good in a timely manner. If by some stroke of luck you can choose when to make the move, you should avoid the winter; average daily high temperatures can be below freezing during these months. Go in the late spring or summer if you are able, as this time in Round Lake offers more openings; people like to move when the weather's nice, didn't you know that?
What to Bring Along
Bring your A-game, in every sense of the word. Due to the popularity of this area, landlords can afford to be picky. So don't show up in your mothball ridden Metallica shirt and crummy tennis shoes. Come looking spiffy and with references from previous landlords prepared. Though the application fee is likely going to go towards a credit check, you can make yourself stand out from the pack by bringing one along in the first place. Oh, and that low crime rate? They want to keep it that way, so come bearing a background check. Oh, and if you're wanted for espionage or something, have a good excuse. Also, don't forget to prepare dough for one month's rent and the deposit.
Round Lake Neighborhoods
If you can manage, you'd be smart to grab up the first one-bedroom apartment for rent or three-bedroom house that you come across, but if you've got the luxury of time, you can spend it looking at which neighborhood will meet your needs best. Yes, saying "this area has a lake" will become excessively redundant considering lakes surround the city, but in reality, there's a host of other great features in each Round Lake area as well.
North Wilson Road: You'll find various parks around North Wilson Road. The best part is that there's the option of everything from large apartment complexes to lake houses in the area.
Village Center: There's not much that you won't love about living in Village Center. Seriously, try to find something. You've got Nippersink Forest Preserve if you want nature, and you're right next to the village's namesake: Round Lake. Add that to the train station and various shopping outlets, and you've picked out a great place to live.
North Cedar Lake Road: This is a relatively small area just north of Village Center, but it's still got lots of appeal. The Alpine Country Club is located here right on the banks of Round Lake. You'll also have lots of bus stops, plenty of residential areas and just about any shop or restaurant you could possibly need.
South Round Lake: There's literally no reason you should ever want to leave the area around Round Lake, but in case you do, you're right next to Campbell Airport in this neighborhood. Additionally, there are various parks and waterways, but South Round Lake is mostly residential if you like that sort of thing.
Living in Round Lake
Round Lake is extremely popular for several reasons, and with such popularity, don't you think they'd put some awesome things around the village? Okay, maybe the awesome stuff is why it's so popular, but that's pretty much a chicken-egg debate. Either way, there's no denying that living in Round Lake is one piece of adventure after another.
A Short Drive to Awesomeness
Sure, people usually are only worried about what's actually within the city, or village, limits, but not in this case. Six Flags Great America is literally only 20 minutes away. Don't forget your Coke can coupons... or do they even do that anymore?
Plenty of Parks
If you're looking for a low-cost way out of the house for the day, the variety of parks around Round Lake will keep you occupied. Head to green spaces like Bright Meadows Park, Viking Park, Kingsbury Park, Cranberry Lake Park, Parkside Park and we don't have enough server space to type all of them out. That's a slight exaggeration, but only a slight one.
Lots of Nightlife
There are a variety of clubs, bars and other hotspots when you're ready to head out with your new pals. Or you could just go catch a flick up north at the Regal Round Lake Beach 18 Stadium theater. Either way, as long as you're not a lazy bum who sits at home all day, you'll have lots of stuff to enjoy.