Villa Park, IL 341 Apartments for Rent

Villa Park, Illinois, was home to the Ovaltine factory until 1988. The town was actually built so that factory employees could easily get to work.

Although Villa Park is technically a suburb of Chicago, it's also a village in its own right. This gives you the best of both worlds. Not only are you conveniently located so that you're close to all the amenities and entertainment that a big city has to offer, you also get the opportunity to live in a close-knit community, where you know your neighbors on a first-name basis and can get involved in the day-to-day goings on of your village.

Renting in Villa Park

Villa Park has a fairly high amount of owner-occupied homes, which means that there may not be huge amounts of rental property on the market at any one time. But don't get your panties in a bunch just yet because this shouldn't be too much trouble; all you need to do is allow yourself a little extra time to find those perfect home rentals. Start looking for properties around six to eight weeks before your intended moving date, just to make certain that you find a home you love. It's always going to take longer if you have specific rental needs -- for instance if you're looking for pet friendly apartments. If you have more of an easy-going approach to finding a new home, it might take you much less time to get a place to rent. Before you can move in, most landlords will ask you to pay one whole month's worth of rent upfront, plus, you'll usually need to put down a sizable security deposit.

Neighborhoods in Villa Park

As Villa Park is a fairly old town, you'll find a big difference between its neighborhoods. Some parts of the village have a lot of historic properties, whereas other are filled with newer houses and apartments. You'll notice that some areas are more convenient in terms of proximity to shops and restaurants.

Downtown Villa Park: It's not hard to guess that living in this neighborhood will put you in a convenient location for many of the town's amenities. However, most properties are smaller and have less in the way of land. You're more likely to find a rental apartment than a large house.

Ovaltine Court: This neighborhood is in the historic district, surrounding the old Ovaltine factory (which itself has now been turned into loft apartments). Most of the properties here are older, primarily built before the 1940s.

Summit: Homes in this neighborhood are generally medium-sized or large with bigger plots. It's a little way outside of the downtown area, with its own shops and eateries.

Life in Villa Park

You can find plenty going on in Villa Park. A whole load of community events take place throughout the year, which you can simply attend or even get involved with planning. Highlights include the annual Run for the Kids sponsored walk and run and the Earth Day cleanup and celebrations. There's a weekly French Market on Sundays between May and October -- held on Park Boulevard -- where you can buy locally grown or crafted items. While there might not be any French products available, the name comes from the desire to foster a sense of community such as that found at French markets. History buffs rejoice, because Villa Park Historical Museum contains a range of artifacts relating to this history of the village. There are 19 community parks in the town, totaling around 100 acres. There are also two public swimming pools, plus the nine-hole Sugar Creek Golf Course. Although many residents drive for convenience, you can get by without a vehicle, as the town has decent public transit links. The village has its own railroad station with a service that heads west in the direction of Elburn, Illinois, and east to downtown Chicago.