The Crest at Linton Hall
Bristow, Virginia
Batavia, Illinois
What It Is Like to Retire in Batavia
Batavia, Illinois, is a vibrant small town in Kane County with a population of about 26,000, and is located just 45 miles west of Chicago. Known as the “Windmill City” it was once home to several farm windmill manufacturing companies during the late 1800's, and today is proud of its windmill heritage with a collections of windmills displayed within the city, and a museum dedicated to its history. A popular Windmill City Festival is a held annually with parades, music, and the arts. The neighboring towns of Geneva and St. Charles share the Fox River, and they offer a similar experience to Batavia.
The town also boast a beautiful RiverWalk along Fox River which offers unique recreational areas and miles of riverside bike trails. Batavia made BusinessWeek's list of 50 best places in America to raise kids (2007), and CNN Money recognized it as one of the top 100 Best Small Towns in the nation (2009). Batavia also won the Governor's Award for Excellence in Downtown Revitalization in 2013. Pictures are of the River Walk which runs through the town, the Saturday Famers Market, and the AW Gridley House designed by Frank Lloyd Wright, and built in 1906. See the article we wrote on our visit to Batavia (and other Midwest towns).
Watch this short Youtube video of Batavia's AW Gridley House prepared by Northern Sky Designs:
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Where to Retire in Batavia and Home Prices
Zillow reports the median home value to be $343,385 in mid-2021.
What Is Special about Batavia
Batavia is a scenic town located in the Fox River Valley and offers many parks, trails and activities and festivals. Having a large city nearby (Chicago) is a plus for cultural events, medical care, and transportation. The town is public spirited and has won much recognition for its revival of the downtown and riverfront areas.
What Is Not Special about Batavia
Winters are cold and snowy, and property taxes are high.
Who Will Like Retirement in Batavia
Batavia is a small town with a quaint and walkable downtown. The town has a farmers market, great library, health care, a low crime rate, and is bicycle friendly.
Local Economy Is Driven by
Windmills are no longer manufactured in Batavia, and a main employer now is Fermi National Accelerator Labratory, a high energy physics lab. Aldi grocery stores has it's headquarters here.
Climate and Physical Environment
The average January temperature here is 25 degrees, with July's average at 73 degrees. Batavia receives about 30 inches of snow during the winter months, and although it is not in Tornado Alley, it has seen some severe storms.
Restaurants & Cultural Scene
Batavia is a family orientated community with a very active Parks District that offers an abundance of outdoor recreation, a Riverwalk, and many programs including those involving the arts and the environment. The City of Energy, as it calls itself, has a museum, a new and enormous library right in the center of town, and a home built by Frank Lloyd Wright which he referred to as the "Ravine House" due to its wildflower ravine. In 1993, the house was recognized by the National Park Service with a listing on the National Register of Historic Places. The Moose fraternal organization has a major presence in the community.
For great restaurants and the cultural scene, Chicago only about 40 miles away.
Crime
The crime rate here is low.
Medical facilities
Northwestern Medicine provides an outpatient facility in Batavia, and there is medical care of all types in nearby Chicago.
Transportation
Bus transportation is provided by Pace; the nearest Metra train station in nearby Geneva or Aurora; the nearest large airport is O'Hare in Chicago about 40 miles away; in 2013, Batavia was recognized as a Bike Friendly Community by the League of American Bicyclists.
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