Our Neighborhood: Cherokee Estates
Tracey Crook and David Hancock share why they chose and love Cherokee Estates neighborhood.
Photo Kevin O'Riley
The Crook-Hancock family loves the yard of their Cherokee Estates home.
“A mature neighborhood was on the top of our list because we like trees. With new construction there is a feeling that you will meet new families and that everyone is in a mood to get to know one another, but we just didn’t like that the only choice was deciding what side of the house your garage is built on. Having a basement was very important to us, too. We have always lived in homes with basements and wanted one for the safety and extra space for the girls to spread out.
“We concentrated on the south side of Springfield to be close to both of our jobs. Since we couldn’t find a place to live where we could walk to work, we settled here. At the time we bought, National Avenue wasn’t quite as built-up as it is now.
“Our agent [Wanda Peabody of Coldwell Banker] showed us a lot of homes, but we fell in love with this one. The houses were kept up in the neighborhood, and the yards were neat. This house had tons of charm, including dormer windows, and not everything was covered in wallpaper. The previous owner had done a great job decorating. It had a cottage-like feel to it.
“Before we bought the home, we would drive through the neighborhood looking for people walking or kids playing outside. It’s smart to look at a neighborhood during different times of the day. Cherokee Estates also had a neighborhood association, a tennis court and a pool with a lifeguard, which is great for the girls. Even though the girls go to Catholic school, we would joke with friends in St. Louis that we really bought the house since it is in the
Kickapoo district and that we really wanted to make sure we were in Brad Pitt’s high school.
“Our house would have cost almost twice as much if it were new. We have almost 3,000 square feet and an attached garage. And we can’t put a dollar figure on the charm of the place. We have done a lot of work on the house, including converting a porch on the back of the house into an office.
“The downside of the neighborhood is that the sidewalks were not built throughout the subdivision. But living in an older neighborhood has meant that we have built-in babysitters, which is great.
“When the oak tree on our front lawn is changing colors it is just breathtaking. And in the summer when the crabapple tree is in full bloom, we take the girls and have a picnic under it. The neighbors bring their food and join us since it is so pretty. We call it the ‘Tree of Heaven.’”
Tracey Crook and David Hancock moved to Springfield five years ago. Tracy works as a cardiac nurse at CoxHealth, and David is the manager of the IT department at JP Morgan Chase. Prior to their current careers, Tracey and David worked for TWA in St. Louis, where they met. Tracey flew as an international flight attendant for 13 years, and David worked in various management positions, as well as an international flight attendant, for 16 years. They live in Cherokee Estates with their two daughters, Emma, age 7, and Claire, age 5, and their 2-year-old shih tzu, Teddy Bear.
