Interlochen

Conveniently located about 5 miles from downtown Arlington, Interlochen surrounds a 12-acre lake with five channels, allowing homeowners to live on or near the water.

“It is just a great place to live,” says Mary Ann Heugatter, a Realtor with Ebby Halliday Realtors and an Interlochen resident. “Living on the lake provides many homes with tranquil views, and with the active homeowner’s association, there is a huge community feel.”

Interlochen’s homestyle inventory has many architectural styles, including Craftsman-style bungalows, Millennium Mansions, split levels and Tudors along tight-winding streets. Properties feature compact and manicured front yards and oak trees scattered across each property. With more room in the back, yards are usually gated and sometimes feature private pools to combat the summer heat. Buyers can expect a three-bedroom, three-bathroom split level to sell for about $360,000, while a five-bedroom, four-bathroom Millennium Mansion home will rise to around $750,000. “The market always remains strong in Interlochen because it’s a desirable, known neighborhood throughout Arlington,” Heugatter says.

A 40-year tradition, Interlochen Holiday Lights has been the neighborhood's claim to fame, and “people come from miles and miles away each year,” Heugatter says. Nearly every house participates by decking their homes and yards from foundation to roof for the thousands of cars that parade through the neighborhood each holiday season. This is just one of the many examples of the neighborhood’s active HOA. The group also puts on a boat parade along the lake each Independence Day. It has smaller gatherings, such as its women’s group, Interbrook, and other community dinners throughout the year.

Children will attend the Arlington Independent School District, which scores a B+ on Niche and serves 60,000 students, making it the third-largest school district in Texas. Most Interlochen students attend Pope Elementary, Shackelford Junior High and Lamar High School. Pope Elementary serves kindergarten through eighth-grade students and scores a C-plus on Niche, while the junior high and high school score a B. Lamar offers academic dual credit courses with Tarrant County College for students pursuing college or a career after high school.

Named for the Interlochen’s developer and active Arlington citizen, Bob Findlay Linear Park is 35 acres and features some of the same beauties as the neighborhood. Parkgoers can take advantage of natural areas, fish, or take a moment to enjoy some scenic views. Bikers and hikers have about a mile of paved trails through some of the park's wooded areas. On a larger scale, Village Creek Historical Area has 135 acres of outdoor space and history. Artifacts on the site date back almost 9,000 years to some of Texas’ first residents. The park features other standard amenities with a biking trail, pond for fishing, athletic fields and picnic areas.

“It is an easy 10-minute drive to downtown Arlington, and the neighborhood sits directly between Dallas and Fort Worth,” Huegatter says. Downtown Arlington is a Texas sports fans' dream as they can see their Dallas Cowboys play at AT&T Stadium or the Texas Rangers at Globe Life Field. While downtown, you can grab some Mexican fare from Cartel Taco Bar or drink around the world at one of the 50 rotating taps at On Tap. If you are not up for driving the 10 minutes, you can head to the Lakewood Shopping Center and pick up your weekly needs from Aldi, start the morning at Dutch Bros. Coffee or get some Mediterranean food from Fattoush.

Boasting some waterfront and water-view properties, Interlochen is a centrally located Arlington neighborhood with a lot of holiday spirit.