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Consider the Commute

When selecting a new home, so many factors come into play. The cost, that’s a given. The home’s layout and location, of course. Community amenities, the local recreational scene, and safety features also tend to loom large.

One thing prospective homebuyers would be wise to consider as well: the commute to work.

In a recent survey from professional staffing firm Robert Half, 45 percent of people called their trip into the workplace too long, a 15 percent climb from a similar Robert Half survey conducted two years prior.

And those long commute times can have a real impact on one’s well-being. Half the survey’s respondents reported that their commute to work is stressful, a feeling that has implications for individuals’ mental and physical health, their professional productivity, and their sense of a positive work-life balance.

That’s why accessibility to expressways and commuter train stations as well as the health of local employers is something Gallagher and Henry champions at its new home communities across Chicago’s southwestern suburbs.

The Farmingdale Village community in Woodridge, for instance, sits adjacent to two major Chicago area highways in I-55 and I-355. Covington Knolls in Lemont as well as Gallagher and Henry’s two Homer Glen communities Kingston Hills and Goodings Grove – also sit within a short drive of the fast-moving I-355 southern extension. Radcliffe Place in Tinley Park, meanwhile, resides immediately north of I-80. This proximity to major highways provides residents of these Gallagher and Henry communities convenient access to areas across Chicagoland.

Residents in Covington Knolls as well as Radcliffe Place can also utilize their town’s respective commuter train stations for swift and comfortable Metra rides into Chicago’s downtown core.

A strong local business base can also help residents score jobs closer to home and reduce commuting times. In Orland Park, Woodridge, Tinley Park, and Homer Glen, Gallagher and Henry builds its award-winning new homes in some of Illinois’ best cities for jobs, according to an extensive study from Wallet Hub.

The combination of access to key transportation lines – be it road or rail – as well as a vibrant local job market can help individuals savor a more seamless commute. In Gallagher and Henry communities across Chicago’s Southland, residents can enjoy a higher quality of life both at home and the office.

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Opportunity Cost: Just how expensive is renting in the Chicago area?

Want to know the real cost of renting in the Chicago area?

HotPads, a rental and real estate search site owned by Zillow, analyzed U.S. government data from the Census Bureau and the Bureau of Labor Statistics as well as its own rental data to determine how many years each generation spent or will spend renting in their lifetime.

The results paint an expensive portrait.

Millennials in the Chicago area will rent for an average of 12 years, HotPads reports, and devote $239,700 to rent during that dozen-year period with a median monthly leasing rate of $1,630.

For Gen Z, the post-Millennial generation now beginning to enter the working world, that number will be even greater. Though HotPads predicts Gen Z will rent for 11 years, one year less than Millennials, this youthful generation will pour an estimated $270,000 into the coffers of Chicago area property owners.

While it would be unfair and overly simplistic to say renters receive nothing for that sizable investment – housing, after all, is a life necessity – the truth is that money devoted to rent builds the landlord’s equity, not the tenant’s.

With every mortgage payment as a homeowner, you’re that much closer to owning the home. And as your home value will most likely increase in value over time, you can reap the rewards of appreciation down the line. The median sales price in Cook County jumped nearly 4 percent from 2018 to 2019, according to RE/MAX data.

Homeowners also reap tax advantages that renters do not. Property taxes and mortgage interest, for instance, are both tax deductible. That’s real dollars and cents that renters do not see.

Beyond those financial benefits, homeownership provides other appealing lifestyle advantages as well. There are the comforts of privacy, the squelching of restrictive landlord covenants, and the freedom to appoint your home however you deem fit. If you want to paint the walls bright green, have at it. If you want to play your drums, pound away. If you want two Great Danes, enjoy. It’s your home and your plot of land.

Combine the pluses of homeownership with mortgage rates still hovering near historic lows – traditional 30-year fixed mortgages continue swarming around the 4 percent mark – and it’s a perfect storm to leave the renting game for good and put that $200,000 to better use.

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8 Notable Trends in Flooring

Though residing under your feet, flooring should nevertheless be top of mind when you’re building a new home. After all, flooring holds immense importance to both the design and function of a home.

From the increasing prevalence of hardwood to new tile options and carpeting’s enduring reign as a viable choice, Gallagher and Henry sales staff identify eight notable trends in flooring.

#1: Hardwood Flooring – and More of It
In the past, homeowners largely limited hardwood to certain rooms of the home, particularly family rooms and dining rooms. Now, hardwood is the preferred flooring selection in most rooms around the house, including kitchens, laundry rooms, foyers, and powder rooms.

#2: A twist to Traditional Hardwoods
Though the traditional 2¼-inch hardwood strip remains hardwood flooring’s standard-bearer, there is accelerating appetite for wider 3-inch and 4-inch planks. The wider planks carry more visual interest and can even make a room seem larger.

#3: Hardwood Look-Alikes
Even when homebuyers elect not to go with hardwood, many still want the hardwood look. Leading the charge: wide-plank porcelain tiles that emulate hardwood’s natural colors and grain. Such tiles have become increasingly popular in kitchens, bathrooms, laundry rooms, and basements because of their waterproof quality and the vast array of color options available.

#4: Cool – and Neutral – Grays
While dark, rich, and warm colors reigned for much of the 2010s, cool colors, primarily those in the gray family, enter 2020 on the upswing. Gray tones, in particular, offer immense versatility, working just as well with a rustic design as an industrial look. Yet more, the neutral nature of gray serves a more simplistic backdrop if homeowners decide to add more texture or color to walls, as in the case of shiplap or patterned wallpaper.

#5: Carpeting Retains its Place – at Least in Two Noteworthy Spaces
With the accelerating embrace of hardwood flooring and its look-alike brethren in main living areas of the home, it would be easy to assume carpet’s demise. Far from it. Many homebuyers still choose carpeting for bedrooms and basements for its warmth and softness, while a swelling array of patterns, designs, and colors has helped carpeting stay relevant in an era of hardwood dominance.

#6: Calculated Touches of Softness
With the prevalence of hard flooring surfaces in new construction, a healthy marketplace has blossomed for area rugs and carpet runners. Area rugs, for instance, add warmth, color, and texture to a family room lined with hardwoods, while carpet runners up a staircase deliver safety, visual contrast, and sound control.

#7: Black-and-White Tiles
Bold black-and-white tiles in floral or geometric patterns prompt nostalgic feelings. These vintage tiles make a bold statement and add an undeniably artistic element to bathrooms, mudrooms, or laundry rooms, effectively bringing an unexpected splash of design to otherwise utilitarian spaces.

#8: Playing with Patterns
With their hardwood or tile flooring, some homebuyers are opting to punch up their designs with a pattern. Ditching the traditional vertical or horizontal layout for a chevron or herringbone pattern provides an unexpected twist to room design and creates a more customized look.

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Winter Selling Tips

Unlike bears, the real estate market doesn’t head into hibernation with winter’s arrival.

Though the Chicago area real estate market traditionally slows as Mother Nature unleashes her wintry wrath upon the region, there are always people moving, relocating, and actively looking for homes regardless of the season. In fact, those trekking through cold temperatures, snow, and other frosty conditions to view properties tend to be some of the most motivated buyers – and that’s an undeniable positive for sellers.

If you’re selling your home this winter and are eager to move onto your next destination, stand out from the crowd and corral one of those motivated buyers with these savvy tips:

Be prepared. Rather than lamenting the inevitable slowdown in traffic that winter will likely bring, adopt an opportunistic approach and consistently put effort into distinguishing your home from others on the market. Don’t discount any showings and be prepared at every turn to highlight your home’s best attributes.

Keep up the cleanliness and staging. As winter’s elements can make it tough to gauge the home’s exterior, the interior of the home becomes that much more relevant and critical. Apply key staging principles, such as decluttering and removing as many personal items as possible, so prospective buyers see a clean home and one they can envision themselves inhabiting.

Leverage the season’s strengths. The winter months conjure up thoughts of warmth and family. Don’t run from those good vibes. Kick on the fireplace. Deck the halls, albeit tastefully. Light candles. Stage a board game on the kitchen table. Create an inviting, joyous, and warm atmosphere that makes your house feel like a home.

Light it up. With sparse daylight hours, the winter months can be dark and dreary. “Manufacture” light by switching both interior and exterior light bulbs to a higher voltage and turn on the lights during showings. This will create brightness and vibrancy amid an otherwise drab time of the year.

Be an accommodating host. The winter can bring nasty weather, so be mindful of catering to buyers’ needs. Prioritize accessibility by keeping walkways and driveways clear of snow and ice so buyers can safely enter the home. Inside the front door, provide a place for visitors to hang coats and offer a seat for guests to remove wet shoes and boots.

Showcase what can be enjoyed. If a foot of snow covers the ground, that outdoor patio, big backyard, or colorful garden will be – quite literally – buried. Combat this by displaying photos of the home’s exterior features and amenities that shine during spring, summer, and fall.

With some thoughtful planning and earnest commitment, your home can shine during the winter months and win points with prospective buyers. Do that, and you might be well on your way to life’s next adventure.

 

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What Goes Into the Price of a Gallagher and Henry Home?

Gallagher and Henry offers a reputation for quality homebuilding in southern Chicagoland and beyond. Since 1954, there’s been one mission: to build the best homes in the best communities. As you’ll see, that mission and reputation are backed up by each detail of every Gallagher and Henry home. Everything you will read about below is standard.

Some features here might be offered as upgrades by other builders. One specific included feature – Anderson 400 Series Windows, simply stand out from the competition. It all adds up to a home that’s more than the sum of its parts.

A Place To Call Home

Gallagher and Henry offers many choices of floor plans, but the most exciting part is customizability available within each design. Plans are just a starting point. You can add/or remove a closet, change a dining room into an office, add a second ensuite in order to accommodate an aging parent or caregiver. Any number of unique customizations are available. All in all, it’s a far cry from the experience of tract built housing which offers a very limited number of options.

With semi-custom homes, you also receive a higher quality product — quality that extends from the foundation to the rafters. Here are some of the included construction features:

  • Full basement in all two-story homes
  • 10” thick foundation walls and footing for durability and stability
  • 16-inch-spaced 2” x 8” roof rafters
  • Celotex blown insulation
  • Concrete driveway

Curb Appeal

People say it’s what’s inside that counts. In terms of your home, but appearances matter, too. Apart from the tasteful, custom designs, here are some standard exterior offerings from Gallagher and Henry:

All the Necessities

What does it take to make a house a home? It’s different for everyone. Here are a few examples of elements that are included with a Gallagher and Henry home (and may be optional upgrades with others).

  • Hardwood floors in Foyer, Kitchen, Dinette, Mudroom and Powder Room
  • High-efficiency furnace and air conditioner
  • 50-gallon power vent water heater and laundry tub
  • Moen faucets
  • Ceramic tile in shower and tub areas
  • Granite countertops and quality wood cabinets
  • Water line to the refrigerator
  • Overhead lights in bedrooms
  • Lighting above kitchen islands
  • Premium homesites in established communities

Your home will be built from your choice of the best. The details may change over time, but you can rest assured that you are always choosing from the finest options available. That’s because you don’t just buy a house from Gallagher and Henry — you buy a home. Please contact a Gallagher and Henry sales professional today, to start exploring your options.

Gallagher and Henry

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Gallagher and Henry Introduces New Ranch Home Floor Plan

Prospective homebuyers spoke. Gallagher and Henry listened and responded.

Fielding a swelling number of calls for ranch homes, Gallagher and Henry has unveiled its latest one-level design: the Fremont, a three bedroom, two-bathroom ranch packed with modern conveniences and an open layout as grand as any in the Gallagher and Henry library.

The award-winning, family-owned homebuilding firm has begun construction on a Fremont spec home this summer in the Farmingdale Village community in Woodridge. Slated for completion by early 2020, the residence is available for sale immediately.

“We’re excited to introduce the Fremont, a brand new home plan that shows we’re listening to our buyers and responsive to what they want,” Gallagher and Henry principal John Gallagher says.

Pragmatic and unpretentious, ranch homes have surged in popularity in recent years driven by buyers young and old. Millennials, for instance, have turned to ranch homes as a “rightsized” option dominated by usable spaces while Boomers have embraced ranch floor plans that allow them to age in place.

At Gallagher and Henry, the Amberwood, a ranch home the company debuted to much fanfare in 2010, has become one of the homebuilder’s most popular plans and numerous buyers have leveraged Gallagher and Henry’s construction experience to put their personal stamp on the home.

“Interest in the Amberwood has been quite amazing and demonstrated the high demand for ranch plans built with a 21st century spin,” Gallagher says.

The Fremont also represents the newest addition to Gallagher and Henry’s Lifestyle Series. Designed to meet the most prevalent desires of contemporary homebuyers, all six Lifestyle Series home plans feature in-demand elements such as open floor plans, three-car garages, flexible spaces and luxurious master suites.

The Fremont is no different.

At 2,280 square feet, a pinch larger than the Amberwood, the Fremont’s defining characteristic is an ultra-open floor plan characterized by a kitchen, great room and dining room encompassing some 700 square feet.

“While the Amberwood has an open floor plan, the Fremont takes open-concept living to the next level with absolutely clean sight lines throughout,” Gallagher says.

Recognizing the kitchen’s role as the heart of the home, the Fremont’s kitchen hosts two islands, one of which includes a sink and dishwasher, as well as a spacious walk-in pantry and chef’s desk.

The Fremont carries its contemporary feel into the master suite, which features a tray ceiling, two walk-in closets, a 6-by-4-foot shower with a seat and a double bowl vanity.

“As with all of our Lifestyle Series homes, we’re creating plans that have the elements our homebuyers most want already baked in,” Gallagher says.

The exterior of the Fremont, meanwhile, features an 11-by-15-foot covered side patio, which buyers can elect to convert into a screened-in sunroom, as well as three distinct front elevations, including two farmhouse-style looks that add dimension and character.

With a three-car garage, mudroom and expansive basement, the Fremont boasts ample storage as well, something today’s buyers have consistently and enthusiastically told Gallagher and Henry they prize.

“We’ve been building homes for 65 years now and our mission has always been to create happy homeowners,” Gallagher says. “Combining Gallagher and Henry’s long-standing history for high-quality construction with dynamic home plans like the Fremont positions us to offer something truly special in the marketplace and homes our buyers will be happy to call their own.”

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The Rising Popularity of Flex Rooms

Media room. Study. Office. Flex room. Regardless of the label architectural renderings assign to these “TBD” spaces, homebuyers are welcoming the opportunity to transform available square footage on their home’s main level into something that fits their precise needs.

“Flex rooms offer options and flexibility, and that’s something buyers crave in their homes today, as it allows them to craft spaces that work for them now and down the line,” says John Gallagher of award-winning Chicago area homebuilder Gallagher and Henry.

A kitchen, after all, is a kitchen. A flex space, however, can be, well, just about anything.

Among the six homes in Gallagher and Henry’s Lifestyle Series, five plans feature dedicated “flex spaces” that homebuyers have used to accommodate children, adults, and guests alike.

Sandie Kanakes, sales manager at Gallagher and Henry’s Farmingdale Village community in Woodridge, has watched buyers turn their flex rooms over to children. For households with younger children, the flex spaces have become play areas consumed by Legos, dolls, and other little-kid favorites. Unlike a finished basement playroom, the flex room play space puts children close to adults in the kitchen, family room, or another main-level living space. Others have turned the flex room into a comfortable study for school-aged children, spots where tweens and teens can tackle schoolwork and parents can more easily supervise computer usage.

Kanakes had one young couple transform their flex room into a wine bar area adorned with plush seating and a pub-style table and chairs. A few buyers, meanwhile, have added extra windows and transitioned the flex space into a sunroom, creating a peaceful in-home spot for cozying up to a book or enjoying a morning coffee.

In Homer Glen, Kingston Hills sales manager Alice Burgston recalls helping one buyer add additional windows to the flex room to create a vibrant art studio.

Other Gallagher and Henry buyers have turned their flex rooms into game rooms, home offices, and craft or hobby rooms. Still others have utilized the square footage as a breakfast area or second dinette, a move that, in many plans, enlarges the home’s family room. There’s even those who have converted the flex room on two-story plans such as the Briarcliffe and Calysta into a related living bedroom to accommodate long-term guests as well as those with mobility issues.

“Homebuyers are getting creative and using these spaces to drill down on their precise needs,” says Laura Ritchie, sales manager at Gallagher and Henry’s Covington Knolls community in Lemont. “They’re taking the flexibility these spaces offer and running with it.”

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In the Spotlight: Tinley Park

Incorporated in 1892, Tinley Park is among the Chicago area’s oldest suburban communities. But don’t mistake its historical roots for complacency in the modern age.

Quite the opposite, in fact. The spirited, family-centric village of some 60,000 residents is among the Chicago area’s most ambitious and active. Far from a sleepy bedroom community, Tinley Park, which is located about 25 miles southwest of downtown Chicago, pairs its growing residential base with diverse retail and industrial sectors, a packed community calendar, and non-stop recreational and cultural activities to create one of the Chicago area’s most lively and dynamic communities.

Award-winning homebuilder Gallagher and Henry is proud to build in Tinley Park with single-family homes at Radcliffe Place available starting at $426,500.

The nation’s top place to raise children…

BusinessWeek previously named Tinley Park “America’s Best Place to Raise Your Kids.” The magazine cited the village’s “top-rated schools, low crime, beautiful parks, relatively affordable houses, and easy access to jobs” as distinctive features worthy of praise and the lofty national honor.

…and one of America’s safest cities

In 2017, the National Council for Home Safety and Security ranked Tinley Park among the top 50 safest cities in the U.S. – and the safest city (population above 50,000) in Chicago’s Southland.

For the music lovers…

A village-wide rebranding effort called “Life Amplified” has positioned Tinley Park as one of the state’s premier music hubs. Through a combination of existing assets, namely the 28,000-capacity Hollywood Casino Amphitheater and award-winning bands from local schools, and the addition of new features led by an indoor music facility and the Harmony Square downtown plaza, Tinley Park will become a place where the power music is heard and celebrated.

…and the art lovers

For more than a decade, amateur and professional artists have been inviting Tinley Park’s downtown visitors to take a seat in style. From May-October, the village’s annual “Benches on the Avenue” program peppers the downtown area with various colorful, imaginative, and functional benches revolving around a given theme. The 2019 theme is “Prized Page Turners” and will feature depictions from some of history’s most popular books.

For the people, by the people

A communal spirit weaves throughout life in Tinley Park, where residents actively contribute to the community’s vitality. This reality exists in more than a dozen commissions comprised of volunteer citizens who help guide decisions in such areas as planning, economic development, and senior services.

Coming soon

In March, Tinley Park officials held a groundbreaking ceremony for Harmony Square, a 40,000-square foot outdoor plaza in downtown Tinley Park designed to host live music and theater, food festivals, a splash pad, and other community revelry. Plans calls for Harmony Square to host public programming at least 250 days each year.

3 for Your Calendar

1. Visit the Downtown Tinley Farmers Market from 7:30 a.m. to 12:30 p.m. Saturdays from June 1st to October 12th every year in Zabrocki Plaza for the best selection of fruits, vegetables and fresh flowers!

2. The Hollywood Casino Amphitheater’s 2019 schedule includes The Who, Zac Brown Band, Dave Matthews Band, and Florida Georgia Line among other headline acts.

3. On December 8, the village will host its 22nd annual Parade of Lights. At the holiday-themed parade, local businesses, nonprofits, and community organizations decorate floats in holiday décor to kick off the holiday season in style.

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A Color Guide for Your Home

And the 2019 Color of the Year is… Night Watch.

PPG Industries, the parent company of Glidden paints, called Night Watch “a rich, luxurious, and classic shade of green [that] emulates the feeling of lush greenery and the healing power of nature.” A bold, dark color, PPG says Night Watch “has the ability to almost act like a neutral,” though it is also “intense enough” to stand as a feature color on either interior or exterior walls.

PPG’s selection of Night Watch as “Color of the Year” follows its 2018 recognition of Black Flame, another dark, nature-inspired hue designed to promote a restorative, mind-clearing feel.

According to color psychologists – yes, there is such a professional trade that studies the effects of color on human behavior and emotions – shades of green like Night Watch represent growth and renewal, largely spurred by green’s strong ties to nature. Those positive attributes make green a popular choice for virtually any room in the home. Rich, darker hues like Night Watch can deliver composure and calm to a home office or sitting room, while softer greens with hints of blue can produce a soothing effect in a master bathroom.

Here’s how other colors play in the home:

  • Pick BLUE if you want … a relaxing, calm, and serene feel. Blue stands a particularly popular choice for bedrooms and bathrooms, spaces where people venture to relax and rest.
  • Pick BROWN if you want … a sense of warmth, comfort, and reliability. Brown’s various earthy hues are calm and inviting and, as such, a great choice for living rooms, home libraries, or bedrooms.
  • Pick GRAY if you want … sophistication and versatility. Given its neutrality, gray works throughout the home and can be paired with other colors to evoke certain emotions – red, for instance, to stir drama or navy blue to reassure.
  • Pick ORANGE if you want … energy and warmth. Orange is often used in areas of the home designed to be more dynamic and exciting, such as an exercise space or sun room.
  • Pick PURPLE if you want … to inspire feelings of luxury and creativity. Purple, the traditional color of royalty, is often used to make a statement, which often makes it a great choice in an entry way or formal living room.
  • Pick RED if you want … to heighten the senses and manufacture energy. Given red’s intensity, it’s best reserved for common areas designed to be lively and stimulating, such as a kitchen or dining room.
  • Pick WHITE if you want … a room to feel fresh, simple, and spacious. The most neutral of all colors, white can be used anywhere in the home where cleanliness and purity is particularly prized, including bathrooms and laundry rooms.
  • Pick YELLOW if you want … a space to be cheery and bright. As yellow is said to increase energy, spark creativity, and stimulate the nervous system, it’s a popular choice for kitchens and family rooms.
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In the Spotlight: Lemont

Once a 19th century stop for laborers constructing the Illinois-Michigan Canal, Lemont is now one of Chicagoland’s most prized and rooted suburban communities. Located approximately 30 miles southwest of downtown Chicago, the southwest suburban village pairs its natural beauty and historic downtown with a family-centric vibe rich in community spirit, recreational opportunities, and award-winning schools.

Now claiming 17,000 residents, Lemont’s population has jumped more than 25 percent this century, a hearty nod to its desirability among homebuyers.

To date, hundreds of homebuyers seeking entry into Lemont have turned to Gallagher and Henry’s Covington Knolls community, a collection of some 440 single-family homes located on 127th Street.

The Heart of Lemont

Seemingly cut from a Norman Rockwell portrait, Lemont’s historic downtown features a mix of independent restaurants, small businesses located in century-old buildings built from locally sourced limestone, and various old-timey charms, including a Metra train station and antique signs. The downtown area plays host to regular community events, including the village’s annual St. Patrick’s Day Parade & Festival, youth open mic nights, and historic walking tours.

Beyond Downtown

Over the years, Lemont leadership has intentionally worked to situate much of the town’s major commercial development on the edges of town. A major retail center on Archer Avenue in the village’s southern tip, for instance, features a Target, Kohl’s, HomeGoods, and OfficeMax. This strategy has allowed central Lemont to avoid being gobbled up by big-box commercialism and to retain its homey, residential feel.

A Family-Friendly Feel

A family-friendly character dominates Lemont, where one-quarter of the population sits under the age of 18. The village features high-achieving schools headlined by Lemont High, a National Blue Ribbon school; includes a park district that hosts over 4,000 special events each year; and has earned plaudits from the National Council for Home Safety and Security as one of the state’s safest cities.

A Home to High-End Science

Argonne National Laboratory calls Lemont home. A science and engineering research laboratory aligned with the University of Chicago and the U.S. Department of Energy, the sprawling scientific campus tackles a range of cutting-edge work in areas such as clean energy and supercomputing. Argonne’s most notable claim to fame, however, was the work carried out in the 1940s and 1950s by Enrico Fermi. The so-called “architect of the nuclear age,” Fermi worked on nuclear reactors at Argonne as part of the Manhattan Project.

Halloween – Lemont Style

As Halloween approaches, Lemontster Days takes over Lemont. Offering fun for those of all ages, Lemontster Days’ dynamic calendar of events includes a masquerade ball, craft beer tasting event, movie in the park night, witches walk, haunted hay ride, hoedown, and scarecrow festival.


3 for your 2019 calendar

  • A staple of the Lemont calendar since 1991, Heritage Fest features live music, bingo, kids entertainment, and more, assuring fun for all ages in historic downtown Lemont. Heritage Fest is slated for July 13, 2019.
  • Downtown Lemont becomes a Winter Wonderland with the village’s Hometown Holiday event slated for December 1, 2019. The annual event includes visits from Santa and the Grinch, caroling, bands, a Kris Kringle outdoor market, Christmas tree lighting, and more.
  • The Sunset Soiree Summer Concert Series brings free live music to downtown Lemont. Set for five Thursday evenings this summer (June 13, June 27, July 18, July 25, and August 1), the Sunset Soiree connects neighbors and friends in a fun and lively environment.