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Beaver Brook offers 'country living'

At Beaver Brook, located near Lake Robinson in Taylors, South Carolina, just outside of Greenville,  residents say their subdivision's gentle hills, mountain skyline and tranquil atmosphere is the perfect laid-back escape from city life.

"You would describe it as country living," said Lisa Delk, as she sat on the front porch watching her two children play in the yard.

Delk, a resident of Beaver Brook for 41/2 years, moved to Taylors from St. Louis with her husband, Louie, her son, Louie, 4, and 2-year-old daughter, Laurel.

At first, Delk said, moving from the big city to their rural subdivision created a bit of a culture shock, but the low traffic volume and peaceful surroundings of Beaver Brook have made raising a family a little less worrisome.

"I love living on a dead-end street," Delk said. "It's a safety issue."

The Delk children, like many at Beaver Brook, frequently spend their afternoons outside. Wooden swing sets, plastic tricycles and basketball hoops characterize the neighborhood.

And when the kids tire of their own back yards, Lake Robinson beckons just across the street.

"The kids like to run around, go fishing," Delk said. "My husband has a small fishing boat."

Other residents find it difficult to resist the outdoors Beaver Brook offers, mainly because of the scenery. The subdivision's lots, which average half an acre, are complemented by a winding creek hidden in the foliage.

Since moving to her Beaver Brook home almost a year ago, Linda Bojanowski has spent much of her time preserving the look of the property's natural surroundings through landscaping.

"We're leaving the woodsy look, not cleaning out some of the islands, leaving the old trees and underbrush," Bojanowski said. The back of her Colonial home showcases a three-level deck and a walk-out basement that leads to the natural landscape and a newly planted vegetable garden.

"In the summer we spend a lot of time outside," Bojanowski said.

So do B.G. and Carl Koontz, or at least the couple spends a lot of time feeling like they're outside. The couple's sun room doubles as a scenic overlook to their sloping, wooded corner lot on Otter Lane, scattered with hostas, hollyhocks, ivy and lily of the valley, which came with the Koontzes from Ohio when they moved to Beaver Brook nine years ago.

"We really like the privacy," Carl Koontz said. "The trees line the property."

B.G. cares for the eclectic bunch of plants growing on their grounds, including the cacti blooming with bright pink flowers that greet visitors upon turning into their driveway.

"The neighbors across the street planted some," B.G. Koontz said. "I asked her where she got it, and she gave me a couple pieces. It's just fun to do something different."

While B.G. tends to the landscape, Carl escapes to his full basement, which serves as his woodworking shop.

"That's why we don't fight," he said. "I go down there."

Established in 1995, the subdivision has about 200 homes. The houses, which include ranches, colonials, bi-levels and cape cods, are distinct; no two seem quite alike. Most have three bedrooms, a bonus room and two bathrooms, and many residents say they had a choice in the design of their house, like the Koontzes' inclusion of their sun room.

Lisa Delk enjoys her fenced-in yard and open floor plan. "The kitchen, living and dining rooms are all connected, with the bedrooms on the other side of the house," she said. "We can be up and not bother the children."

The best part of Beaver Brook, residents say, is the neighbors. Bianca Jamison, who lives with her husband and two sons on Pearl Brook Lane.

"This is actually the first neighborhood where I've gotten to know the neighbors," she said. "They're helpful, kind, will do anything to help you out."

For Jeff and Karen Hiott, the first to move into the subdivision nine years ago, Beaver Brook has been a symbol of safety and hospitality. Both say that people take care of each other - even each other's pets, like the Hiotts' dog Pepper.

"Pepper's queen of the neighborhood," Karen Hiott said. "People look out for her."

"There's nothing nobody wouldn't do for anybody," said Jeff Hiott, who has been president of his street's neighborhood association for six out of the nine years he's lived in Beaver Brook.

The location of the neighborhood carries a lot of meaning for Karen Hiott. Her family used to own the property her house sits on now, and her parents, brother and sister still live in the area.

"We're all right here within five minutes of each other," she said.

The only disadvantage to living in Beaver Brook, residents said, is the fact that the subdivision is far away from modern conveniences. It takes about 10 minutes to drive to the nearest grocery store.

But even the distance from the city has its advantages.

"It's a major plus that it's not inside the city limits," said Rita Lutz, who lives with her husband Randy on Sourwood Brook. "We don't pay city taxes."

And the area is building up: A 1,000-home subdivision under construction off Groce Meadow Road will incorporate businesses and retail into the community. A new Burger King recently opened a few miles away, and Rock's Country Store a couple minutes down Groce Meadow currently serves as the local hangout.

Many of the subdivision's residents said wouldn't trade their bit of the country for convenience; they just love it too much.

"I'll drive 15 to 20 minutes if I need to," Jamison said.