Reece Robertson roamed around the playground as far as her little legs could go. With her mom, Curry, right by her side, she toddled along the bed of wood chips and then took a ride down a small slide. The 1-year-old smiled, showing off her baby teeth, obviously satisfied with her achievement.

The family atmosphere of Kilgore Farms in Simpsonville SC, with its playground and other amenities, is one thing Curry Robertson loves about her neighborhood.

"Everybody is just so friendly," she said.

Located at the intersection of Woodruff and Jonesville roads in Simpsonville SC, Kilgore Farms is a neighborhood of custom-built homes, each distinctively different. To date, 90 homes have been built and 160 more homes are planned, said Paul Hogan, marketer for the neighborhood's builders and the broker in charge for Hogan Properties, the developer of Kilgore Farms real estate.

"All the builders are local. ... They're all custom homes," Hogan said. "That's one of the attractive features. There's a diversity of style and exterior finishes. You won't have any cookie-cutter look in the subdivision at all."

The size of homes ranges from 2,400 to 3,200 square feet. A few are ranch, but most are two-story, he said.

Robertson said she and her husband, Bradley, were attracted to the style of homes.

"We wanted a new neighborhood," she said. The young couple also was looking for more space. Their previous home had three bedrooms while their current home has four.

"It's an open floor plan, which we like," she said. "My husband has an office, so he can work from home some."

Neighborhood amenities include adult and kiddie pools, a cabana with cookout facilities and the playground.

The location is prime real estate for residents, who say it's close enough to stores and restaurants but far enough away from lots of traffic.

"I like the location because it's not as congested as opposed to the other part of Woodruff Road," said Kelly Rush, who has lived in Kilgore Farms for a year.

There's also a neighborhood social committee, said Amanda Graham, resident and mother of two. There are playgroups for the children. There was a breakfast with Santa during the holidays, and on the calendar this month are Super Bowl and Valentine's parties, Graham said.

"We all sort of look out for each other. Everyone here is kind of like family," she said.

That feeling is greatly appreciated by residents like Marnie Fischetti, a stay-at-home mom and former marketing coordinator.

"We don't have to go out and do stuff," said Fischetti, citing activities planned for residents in her neighborhood. "There are a lot of women who do stay at home with their kids, so that makes it nice. We have play dates."

There's also a Web site for residents where a calendar of activities is posted, along with pictures of events, said Bob Kanto, who spearheads the site. "It's a very social neighborhood."

Van and Beverly Rubenstein, who moved from San Diego to be closer to their four grandchildren, said they are enjoying their stay at Kilgore Farms.

"People here are so friendly. I know it's a cliche, but it's delightful to have so many friendly neighbors."

They cited two neighbors in particular -- Bob Kanto and his wife, Polly -- who brought them dinner one recent evening.

"They brought a casserole," Mrs. Rubenstein said. "They brought a salad. They brought dessert and vegetables. Can you believe it?"

By Cheryl P. Allen, STAFF WRITER the Greenville County News