In Which "MICRO-communities" of Lake Forest/Highland Park/ Glencoe Would You Most Like to Live In and Why?

[chicagobound?]

I wish I could come and visit--but alas, I am here in San Francisco and due to give birth in the next two months. Our visits to Chicago are postponed until mid-summer and so I was just doing a little research (ie: getting locals' opinions) before we got there. I do agree, of course, that in the end we need to choose the place that's right for us. Just wondering what other people think for now...

[Calidreemer]

I hope I didn't offend anyone with my previous post and I apologize if I did. I only wanted to share my opinion.

Chicagobound I would agree with your assessment of Wilmette. Again, the other communities are really lovely, but as Nanannie said only you will be able to determine what is right for you. You may visit and not be able to relate to anything I wrote.

To answer your question we moved to Deerfield - Deerfield is not considered a Northshore community. It is the community West of Highland Park. We still have the amenities we had in Hubbard Woods - walk to Metra, shops, but our neighborhood feels like a better fit for us for now.

You are welcome to email me if you have any other questions. Best of luck to you and your family. It sounds like the next few months will be very exciting for all of you!

[brenty]

If I were you I would live in Glencoe.

1) Small Town of 9,000

2) Great Architecture

3) Nice Quaint Village Center

4) Skokie Lagoons Bike Paths

5) Best Beach!!!!! Glencoe Beach!!!!!

6) Lakefront Park

7) Brian Griese and Fred Miller reside here

8) Great Schools

9) Lots of Beautiful New Construction

10) Close to the City

[butterfly11]

My only response is, I lived in Glencoe for three years and my fiance and I made about $200.000 per year. If you have the resources you should live as close to the lake as possible. It is beautiful and if you have children, I would lean towards a Wilmette, Glencoe or any area in the New Trier school district, it's the best in the state. I am now back in Northern California and I would move back to one of the villages in a heartbeat. Just check the tax rates before you buy, Evanston is very high...check the water tables in the area due to the basement flooding we experienced in our home in Glencoe, some areas are worse than others. There are a lot of very wealthy people on the North Shore....that's why they are there and you just have to decide..if you can afford to live there, live in the best area you can afford that you will enjoy.

[LadyPleiades]

My parents live near Gillson Park in Wilmette and it is great to load the kids into a wagon and walk down to the beach. If you live in Lake Forest, you just load the kids in the car and pay just a bit more to get the beach token. We live in Evanston and you still have to load the kids in the car even though our beach tokens are less than non-residents.

I have a good friend in Lake Forest and I would consider their likes to be more "private" and, dare I say, blue blood.
In terms of schools, the New Trier district is the best, so Glencoe from your list. My niece and nephew live in Wilmette as well and go/went to New Trier and, for them, they consider the Jewish kids in Glencoe to be the rich kids. so, go figure.

Downtown Highland Park has great shopping and pretty good restaurants although Evanston restaurants are better. You can easily drive to Evanston from Wilmette, Glencoe, Winnetka. Each of these little downtown areas are nice: Highland Park, Glencoe, Winnetka, Hubbard Woods. Great libraries but you find yourself going to each for different things. My son's pediatrician is in "downtown Winnetka" although we live in Evanston. I love the shops in "downtown Hubbard Woods" and the public library in "downtown Glencoe"

You do have a very lovely dilemma

eta: about the beach foot traffic in the summer. It is not horrible and it is one of the little inconveniences you face to live so close to the lake.