Real Housewives and Road Rage: Patch's Most Read Stories of 2011

Let's cut right to the chase.

The following were the most read Hinsdale-Clarendon Hills Patch stories of 2011, based on page views. Click on the links for full stories.

Check back on Friday for the Editor's Choice list, which will highlight important stories this year that might not have enjoyed quite the popularity of these ones.

Enjoy! 

1.  (March 10)

Hinsdale resident Eric Makstenieks was named in March the winner of the 2011 Home and Garden Television Dream Home. The home (pictured above) is nestled among the ski slopes of Mt. Mansfield in Stowe, Vt. Makstenieks and his wife were at home with their children when HGTV’s Monica Pedersen knocked on the door to surprise him with the news.

2.  (April 18)

Hinsdale native Julie Kallas gave a controversial take on the Facebook phenomenon, Real Housewives of Hinsdale. The column was one of the most commented-on pieces of content in 2011 and also one of the most timeless—it still gets views in December! 

3.  (Nov. 1)

4.  (May 10)

5.  (May 10)

Kelly Sopel opened Simple Privileges, a downtown Hinsdale second-floor boutique, in May after several years of personally manufacturing pillows with designer scarves. Kelly's husband, former Blackhawks defenseman Brent Sopel, partnered with his wife to open the shop. 

6.  (Oct. 28)

Because of Indian Head Park's close proximity to Hinsdale and Clarendon Hills, the Kelli O'Laughlin murder saga drew huge attention from Patch readers. 

7.  (Nov. 1)

Hinsdale 15-year-old Renee Zubko ran away from home and went missing around the same time that O'Laughlin was murdered, so naturally it attracted a lot of readers. Thankfully, Zubko was found unharmed at a friend's apartment in Westmont. Police sought charges against those persons who sheltered Zubko and provided false information about her whereabouts.    

8.  (Sept. 7)

9.  (Nov. 22)

10.  (Aug. 17)