Lake Forest vs other north shore suburbs

[chet everett]

I generally assume that most the lakefront runners / bicylists prefer the crowds...

I know that in Oak Brook (which is too far from Waukegan to help the OP with relocation...) the popularity of the trails / pathways is a function of how likely one is to encounter other runners. Folks tend to avoid the parts of the trails that are more isolated.

That said I do agree with cubsoxfan that Lake Co and most North Shore suburbs do have LOTS of good options for runners and bicyclists, it is just that you will have a hard time getting close enough to the lake to get more than a quick glimpse except maybe near the Wilmette harbor area or at the redeveloped Ft. Sheridan site...

[cohdane]

Don't forget your kid in this equation. Some of these suburbs, the only people you see outside in the summer are the "help."

If you have time to plan, I'd visit each on a sunny summer weekend and see how the community & kids look at the beach, parks, sidewalks, library, etc.

Keep in mind, the further apart the homes, the more isolated from neighborhood kids.

For what it's worth, I like Lake Bluff a bit more than Lake Forest and Wilmette more than Winnetka for what they offer in terms of kids and community spirit.

[Chrysa]

In our experience, the test scores often reflect genetics more than teachers' ability. New Trier is a very good school, but look at the population it serves: highly educated parents who value education. I cannot speak to the quality of Lake Forest as a school environment, but I do know the athletic facilities are a Taj Mahal compared to many in other parts of the North Shore. That tells me the district is willing to put money into the school (or the pools and gyms, at least).

We moved here from the Washington, DC, area, where we we led to believe (because we knew nothing else) that we lived in a World Class school district. We have found our new district (Highland Park/Deerfield) to be far superior in course offerings, learner support, education level of the teachers, and many other things. HPHS has more diversity than many of the schools on the North Shore because it draws from Highwood and Ft. Sheridan. Our interactions with kids and parents from the Glenview area suggest those schools are high quality, but you would be giving up the Lake.

One thing we have noted, and this will be important to you as you plan to stay home with baby, is that many of the kids are being raised by nannies. My kids have friends at Evanston, NT, and HPHS who still have live-in nannies. In fact, my daughter dated one boy for many months and only met his nanny, not the parents. Make sure that you are buying in a community that suits your lifestyle in every aspect.

[chet everett]

Chrysa is not a frequent poster, but as I recall she looked at quite a lot of north / northwest / North Shore burbs. I further believe that she is comparing her experience with her kid(s) moving from a DC area high school to the high school that serves Highland Park.

I agree that it is a VERY good school, probably better in most ways than Lake Forest (mostly for reasons that I already stated) yet not as good as New Trier. The staff / administration / BOE for the district that serves Highland Park & Deerfield does make an effort to "bench mark" themselves against other schools in the area, including New Trier and they do a good job.

I have to disagree with the assertion that "genetics" is the reason for New Trier's succes as the same kind of "gene pool" of healthy, well off, successful people is present in other North Shore towns as well as places like Hinsdale Central, Barrington and the towns served by Stevenson. The reason that NT has success rates on AP test over 90% is because of competition and the quality of instruction. There are more teachers that really do aspire to give their best at NT in a lot of ways. I believe a similar "legacy of success" is fostered to a certain extent at Northside and Payton Prep in CPS and the mix of students there does a signficantly different "genetic makeup"...

[kschpak]

After taking these comments into consideration, and hubby's passionate plea to not move to Lake Forest, we've decided to rule that out. So we are now narrowed in on Glencoe, Highland Park, Winnetka, Wilmette, Kenilworth, and Evanston. For us, New Trier would be a plus, but I think we'd feel comfortable with the schools in any of these towns, though it seems notable that Evanston is serious notch down.

What are your thoughts on the attitudes and demographics of Highland Park? Also, is Glencoe more diverse and less elite than the other North Shore towns? While I love the idea of the best school, I value a down to earth people.


Highland Park seems to be a great suggestion as well. How do Glencoe and Highland park compare to K

[847mom]

Wow, I do not even know where to start, but I will try my best. I have lived on or near the North Shore all of my life, and the description of down-to-earth and north shore really does not go together, lol. Now, don't get me wrong, there are snotty people everywhere in the world, as well as down-to-earth people. However, as a whole, I would say that the only one of the aforementioned suburbs that you could really describe as a down-to-earth place would be Evanston. Even in Evanston, that will vary a bit depending on the neighborhood. Evanston is just so much more diverse than the others. No offense to the Glencoe people (which include some of my friends and relatives) but I do not find it laid back at all. Parts of Wilmette are and some parts of Highland Park, but that really would not be my scene either, although they have an awesome downtown. I personally find that Winnetka is fairly down-to-earth, which I realize will make some people think that I am nuts. That is just my opinion from my own experiences. Kenilworth is tiny, and I only have limited experience with it.

I noticed that Glenview is not on your list. I find it more down-to-earth and a little more diverse than the others and part of Glenview actually feeds into the New Trier district, so you might want to check it out.

you will really need to visit all of the above to get a better feel, as even though these burbs are all adjacent they each have different vibes. I am sure that there will be other opinions on the above. Down-to-earth can be a bit subjective! Good luck.

[Sarah H.]

Do a search on this forum for Highland Park. There are some posts about people being clicky and unwelcoming. Actually there are probably posts on all the suburbs mentioned about them being clicky. Read all the posts but form your own opinion. I've gotten the clicky feel and the welcoming feel from each of these areas.

Here are some positives about each:

Lake Forrest (Even though your hubby vetoed it) is beautiful and has nice shopping areas. It's more spread out and homes are generally on larger lots.

Glencoe is smaller and has a strong community feeling. I find those who live there to be very well educated and a little on the crunchy side.

Highland Park is larger and has a bigger shopping district. While the downtown is losing it's small town feel it sports 2 movie theaters.

Winnetka residents seem to be preppy and I see a lot of bows on little girls' heads. The parents dress well too.

Wilmette is a little mix of Winnetka and a little Glencoe/Evanston in crunchiness.

Kenilworth is nice but is known to be more "old money".

Evanston is more urban and is a hip college town.

Hope this is helpful!

[ks-man]

My family looked at many of these suburbs a few years ago and had many of the findings that are being mentioned. We ruled out the New Trier suburbs b/c we felt the school was just too big. Don't forget that the competition doesn't only pertain to performance in academics but in the ability to participate in clubs, sports teams and other extra-curricular activities. In the last few years we have heard numerous (well three to be fair) individuals from different families who left New Trier for private schooling due to difficulties the kids were having in the New Trier environment. Granted this can happen anywhere but I've heard it more frequently associated with New Trier. Don't misunderstand, it is a fantastic school and most students do just fine and come out of school well prepared for an elite college but there are certainly struggles along the way.

We chose Deerfield and were also considering Highland Park. We don't get the benefit of being as close to the lake and people on these boards will crucify a poster if they mention the word "North Shore" in the same breath as Deerfield (or Glenview, Northbrook etc). I certainly would echo what some other people have said about looking to Forest Preserves for bike and running paths as they have much to offer as well (though admittedly different from Lake front cruising).

$1MM in Winnetka will not go very far. You certainly will have homes to choose from but you may be shocked if your expectations aren't prepped. Kenniworth will get you even less. Unless you are determined to stay close to the Lake I would take a look at some towns a little further West. Your $$ will go much further and you can find something close to 94/294 to make the commute to Waukegan bearable. You will have to cut over East but during much of the ride you will get Highway speeds rather than dealing with the slower residential traffic of Sheridan road or lights on 41.