North Suburbs and Jewish community (Chicago, Evanston: neighborhood, school districts, living)

[rada475]

My husband and I are looking to move to the north suburbs soon. We are currently looking at Highland Park, Deerfield, Northbrook and Glenview. We don't want our kids to go to New Trier because it is too big, same with Stevenson.

We are both Jewish and while we like the idea of a diverse suburb, but we also want a strong Jewish community. I know that Deerfield, HP and Northbrook have strong Jewish populations, but I've heard mixed reports about Glenview.

Does anybody know if Glenview has a decent size Jewish community and if people don't know where else can we try and find this information?

Thanks a lot for all of your help.

[ahava]

Well, all of the people I know who live in Glenview are Jewish, but I only know 4 people who live in Glenview. I don't see why the Jewish community wouldn't be strong there. There's a high concentration of Jewish people living all over the North Shore.

[vester72]

You will have a very, very strong Jewish community in any of those suburbs - throw in Winnetka, Wilmette and Kenilworth also.

[Steve-o]

Is Skokie still heavily populated with Jews?

[reppin_the_847]

Skokie still has a large number of Jews, but percentage-wise it's a lot less I think than it used to be at one time. There are so many other ethnicities represented in large numbers in Skokie these days that it's more of a United Nations type of spot than a Jewish dominated enclave. Look at the large Filipino, Indian, some Russians, Middle Eastern, and all the other ethnicities in Skokie. And yes, still a decent amount of Jews.

I think a lot of the Jews migrated further north to pricier areas that have better performing school districts. In the Northwest suburbs, the king of this area is probably Buffalo Grove, which in the Lake County portion is located in the Stevenson district. And in the north I'd agree that it's that cluster from Deerfield & Highland Park north of Lake-Cook Road, down to Glencoe & Northbrook south of Lake-Cook Road. And yes, of course Wilmette has a very good amount also, and is very close to Skokie's shopping in Old Orchard (and ethnic shopping further into Skokie, Lincolnwood and Chicago's Rogers Park neighborhood).

Originally Posted by Steve-o

Is Skokie still heavily populated with Jews?

[rada475]

Originally Posted by vester72

You will have a very, very strong Jewish community in any of those suburbs - throw in Winnetka, Wilmette and Kenilworth also.

Unfortunately we aren't interested in New Trier (where all of the communities above go to) or Stevenson.

Also after doing a bit more research it also seems that Glenview's Jewish population is very small. It does seem that HP, Deerfield or Northbrook will be our best bets.

[NYrules]

Originally Posted by Steve-o

Is Skokie still heavily populated with Jews?

YES! They don't even put up any or very little Xmas decos anywhere in the town because of it. I guess its viewed as being offensive.

[x-evanstonian]

"The North Shore" in general, is a very ethnic. The farther you get away from the lake, the population becomes a lot less diverse....

[ahava]

Originally Posted by x-evanstonian

"The North Shore" in general, is a very ethnic. The farther you get away from the lake, the population becomes a lot less diverse....

Right, that's why Winnetka, Kenilworth, Lake Forest, Lake Bluff (suburbs on the lake) are all over 90% white and Northbrook, Glenview, Buffalo Grove, Vernon Hills (suburbs not on the lake) are not...

[reppin_the_847]

Yes, "x-evanstonian" was incorrect in his/her statement. The North Shore areas are MORE ethnic & diverse further away from the lake generally (ie. Skokie, Glenview, Buffalo Grove, parts of Northbrook, and definitely Vernon Hills). The only east lakeshore areas that could potentially be considered ethnic, and that is only if people of Jewish descent are considered ethnic, would be Highland Park & Glencoe. I'd argue that the eastern portion of just about all the other North Shore suburbs, except arguably parts of Wilmette & Evanston, are pretty much old money WASP territory (White Anglosaxon Protestant), lol.

Originally Posted by ahava

Right, that's why Winnetka, Kenilworth, Lake Forest, Lake Bluff (suburbs on the lake) are all over 90% white and Northbrook, Glenview, Buffalo Grove, Vernon Hills (suburbs not on the lake) are not...