Carillon Lakes

Carillon Lakes is a private, gated 55+ active adult community in Crest Hill, Illinois, built by Cambridge Homes between 2000 and 2007. The community takes its name from the small lakes at its center and comprises 1,113 ranch-style homes — a mix of single-family houses and attached townhomes arranged in quad (four-unit) and six-plex (six-unit) configurations. Floor plans range from roughly 1,107 square feet on the smaller townhomes to over 2,300 square feet on the largest single-family models, with one to three bedrooms, one to two-and-a-half bathrooms, and attached two-car garages. Some single-family models include basements, dens, walk-in closets, covered porches, and breakfast nooks. With every home built on a single level, the community is designed for easy, low-maintenance living. The heart of Carillon Lakes is an 18,000-square-foot clubhouse, open from 5:00 a.m. to 11:00 p.m., that serves as the community's social and recreational hub. Inside, residents find a grand ballroom with a dance floor, a fireplace lounge, a state-of-the-art fitness center with locker rooms, an aerobics and dance studio, an indoor heated pool with a therapeutic whirlpool spa, a billiards room, a ping pong/table tennis room, a card and poker room, arts and crafts studios for ceramics, stained glass, and painting, a library with computer stations, and multipurpose meeting rooms for clubs and gatherings. Step outside and a large veranda wraps around the back of the clubhouse, overlooking an outdoor adult pool and sundeck, plus a separate pool designed specifically for visiting grandchildren. Outdoor recreation is equally impressive. Residents have free use of a 3-hole, par-3 golf course with a practice area, along with tennis courts, pickleball courts, bocce ball courts, and horseshoe pits. Three stocked fishing lakes sit directly behind the clubhouse — Lake Melody is the largest at about 12 acres — and have been seeded by the Illinois Department of Natural Resources with bluegill, largemouth bass, and catfish (fishing is catch-and-release with an Illinois license). A network of walking and biking trails winds around the lakes and through the neighborhoods, with benches, swings, gazebos, and picnic areas scattered throughout the community's parks. Gardening plots and a fishing pier round out the outdoor offerings. The social calendar is a major draw. A full-time activities director organizes a deep roster of clubs and events including book clubs, bridge, poker, ceramics, sewing, photography, gardening, genealogy, stained glass, painting, a ladies' chorus, Friends of Italian Americans, veterans and singles groups, Bible study, aqua strength and balance classes, golf, pickleball, and tennis leagues. Regular programming includes seminars, classes, day trips to Chicago museums and theaters, and social gatherings. The HOA fee covers weekly grass cutting, snow removal (two inches or more), driveway seal coating every three years, mulch replacement every three years, and access to all amenities. Attached-home owners pay a higher fee that also includes roof and siding maintenance. Pet-friendly up to four combined dogs and cats per household. Carillon Lakes is located on Renwick Road, half a mile west of Weber Road in Will County, with easy access to I-55 and I-80. Residents are roughly 30 miles from Midway Airport and 37 miles from O'Hare and downtown Chicago, with St. Joseph Ascension Medical Center just 7 miles away and Silver Cross Hospital nearby. Daily shopping is close at hand along Plainfield Road and Weber Road — Jewel-Osco, ALDI, Fresh Thyme Market, Walgreens, and CVS are all within a short drive, along with a strong lineup of restaurants and retail in Crest Hill, Joliet, Romeoville, and Plainfield.