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Lack of space worth living close to North Lakeshore, northern suburbs include Glenview, Lincolnshire, Buffalo Grove, Lake Forest, older homes, overgrown trees, downtown Chicago appeal
I was curious to see what people would say to the following question:
Is it worth living close to the North lakeshore?
Some northern suburbs have been included in my growing list: Evanston, Glencoe, Lake Forest(I wish), Libertyville, Mundelein, Glenview, Lincolnshire, Buffalo Grove...
From previous threads, north shores seems to lose some space in land and homes with the amount of money you spend. As a person who personally loved Geneva, Naperville, and Wheaton, I crave the quaint communties, downtown, and style of older homes and glorious overgrown trees. However, my darling man is a californian and simply must have his water/shores-needs met. Thus, the northern suburbs seems like a great space close to older towns, trees, and closer to forest perserves not to mention a bit closer to Wisconsin's recreational activities to boot. Plus, the closeness to downtown Chicago has appeal if the need of the skyline arises. The southwestern suburbs, with all it's wonderful traits, seem far away from major roads of travel and far from significant bodies of water. (Perhaps maybe another question would be just how much space is lost really in a home or land as well?)
So, would it make sense to seek the northern suburbs to balance my cravings and his?
I'd say it's worth it. But of course it depends on a few things....such as your budget, your lifestyle, your preferences, your demographic & background. Depending on all those factors, I'd be able to tell you for sure whether giving up some space is worth heading north for. And let's keep in mind that some of those communities that you listed are further away from Chicago and a bit more west from the lakefront (ie. Mundelein, Lincolnshire, Buffalo Grove, Libertyville). Libertyville does have a nice little lake inside its city limits known as Lake Minear (and some wonderful homes overlooking this lake on a road called Sandstone), but it's definitely not Lake Michigan, lol. You'll find that some of the North Shore's most expensive homes are located on or near Sheridan Road in the suburbs that border the lakeshore. Out of the towns you listed, Glencoe & Glenview are the closest to downtown Chicago. Glencoe is further north, but borders the lake, while Glenview is a little further south, but also further west. If you're looking at those towns and you have money to burn you may as well also have a look at Northfield, Winnetka, Wilmette, etc. (aka the New Trier Township suburbs) Good luck! And you mentioned Lake Forest as a top choice if possible. You may be able to afford a "quaint" home up there, particularly closer to Lake Forest High School (between McKinley Road & Edgewood Rd) or in the southern section of town (closer to Winston Rd, Wooded Ln, Northmoor Rd, Greenview Pl, Greenbriar Ln, etc.....this neighborhood appears to be more affordable than other parts of Lake Forest). And if you're looking at Lake Forest, you may as well have a look at Lake Bluff as well. Lake Bluff like the other lakeshore towns, has a nice little beach overlooking Lake Michigan called Sunrise Beach. Good luck!
Quote:
Originally Posted by deegers
I was curious to see what people would say to the following question:
Is it worth living close to the North lakeshore?
Some northern suburbs have been included in my growing list: Evanston, Glencoe, Lake Forest(I wish), Libertyville, Mundelein, Glenview, Lincolnshire, Buffalo Grove...
From previous threads, north shores seems to lose some space in land and homes with the amount of money you spend. As a person who personally loved Geneva, Naperville, and Wheaton, I crave the quaint communties, downtown, and style of older homes and glorious overgrown trees. However, my darling man is a californian and simply must have his water/shores-needs met. Thus, the northern suburbs seems like a great space close to older towns, trees, and closer to forest perserves not to mention a bit closer to Wisconsin's recreational activities to boot. Plus, the closeness to downtown Chicago has appeal if the need of the skyline arises. The southwestern suburbs, with all it's wonderful traits, seem far away from major roads of travel and far from significant bodies of water. (Perhaps maybe another question would be just how much space is lost really in a home or land as well?)
So, would it make sense to seek the northern suburbs to balance my cravings and his?
Thanks! I understand what you mean by some of the towns I listed a little more west. However, from where I grew up in Bloomingdale, they are much closer. LOL Growing up, the northern suburbs were a world away. hehe. It's good to know which are the more expensive like you said similar to Lake Forest and such.
More for your buck has been consistant with thes western suburbs, but the commute to anything recreational seems a big effort over there. I used to live in Wheaton so I know the areas well. There seems to be more lakes up north that you can do more than just walk around. Are they as congested as the western suburbs? I guess that may be a silly question since chicagoland is congested in general eh?
I really feel like once you're in that eastern North Shore bubble, ESPECIALLY east of Waukegan Road, the congestion really isn't that bad, particularly if you are able to avoid the highways during rush hour (ie. Skokie Highway/Hwy 41 & Edens 94 Expressway). There's something about these areas and the way they were designed that really buffers them from all the corporate traffic out on busy roads such as Waukegan Road (even in western Lake Forest), Lake-Cook Road, and retail & corporate traffic on roads such as Town Line Rd/Kennedy Road aka Route 60 (connects Lake Forest to Vernon Hills), Skokie Boulevard in Skokie, etc.
Once you're out east by Sheridan Road, it really feels like you're on an island, away from all the traffic, congestion, retail strip malls & corporate parks. You do end up paying a hefty price to afford real estate near this area though.
Quote:
Originally Posted by deegers
Thanks! I understand what you mean by some of the towns I listed a little more west. However, from where I grew up in Bloomingdale, they are much closer. LOL Growing up, the northern suburbs were a world away. hehe. It's good to know which are the more expensive like you said similar to Lake Forest and such.
More for your buck has been consistant with thes western suburbs, but the commute to anything recreational seems a big effort over there. I used to live in Wheaton so I know the areas well. There seems to be more lakes up north that you can do more than just walk around. Are they as congested as the western suburbs? I guess that may be a silly question since chicagoland is congested in general eh?
I really feel like once you're in that eastern North Shore bubble, ESPECIALLY east of Waukegan Road, the congestion really isn't that bad, particularly if you are able to avoid the highways during rush hour (ie. Skokie Highway/Hwy 41 & Edens 94 Expressway). There's something about these areas and the way they were designed that really buffers them from all the corporate traffic out on busy roads such as Waukegan Road (even in western Lake Forest), Lake-Cook Road, and retail & corporate traffic on roads such as Town Line Rd/Kennedy Road aka Route 60 (connects Lake Forest to Vernon Hills), Skokie Boulevard in Skokie, etc.
Once you're out east by Sheridan Road, it really feels like you're on an island, away from all the traffic, congestion, retail strip malls & corporate parks. You do end up paying a hefty price to afford real estate near this area though.
I believe I remember that being the case back when I used to work for Clark Mosquito Control. I had a few clients in the area and it was a pain to drive through those streets, but man, I loved looking at those houses as you got into the nice neighborhoods. I'm afraid you are right in the hefty $$$. Sometimes, I just don't know how so many people can afford those numbers.
A lot of those mansions near the lakeshore (near Sheridan Road, etc.) in the North Shore suburbs are owned by people that have enormous amounts of capital I'd say. Some of these folks are veteran Chicago lawyers, others are Fortune 500 CEO's, others inherited massive amounts of money from previous generations, some may own very successful businesses/companies that aren't even quite Fortune 500, but are yielding very healthy profits, there are certainly a few surgeons & physicians sprinkled into the mix. Others might have made a ton of money down at the Chicago Board Of Trade / Chicago Mercantile Exchange. I'm sure there are other interesting people that reside in these areas. Generally these people tend to have families I think. Their counterparts that don't have children whether empty nesters, or wealthy yuppies would be more likely to reside in area like Chicago's Gold Coast or Lincoln Park neighborhoods. The nice thing about a lot of the North Shore suburbs though is that it's usually a quick car ride or train ride into the city. From areas such as Winnetka, Kenilworth, Wilmette & Evanston, one can reach the city in about 30-40 minutes pretty easily. Obviously the further north you go, the more difficult the city commute becomes.
Quote:
Originally Posted by deegers
I believe I remember that being the case back when I used to work for Clark Mosquito Control. I had a few clients in the area and it was a pain to drive through those streets, but man, I loved looking at those houses as you got into the nice neighborhoods. I'm afraid you are right in the hefty $$$. Sometimes, I just don't know how so many people can afford those numbers.
To answer your immediate question, personally, living near the lake was one of the reasons we chose to live on the north shore, and the trade off has been worth it. We liked the feel of the towns along the lake and the easy access to the beach (we can walk to a public beach in about ten minutes). Yes, we could have had a pretty big house, with a big yard in another community, but we like being able to walk downtown and very rarely have to get into suburban type traffic, unless we want to go to Home Depot or a mall.
If you are choosing a town primarily to be close to the water, I wouldn't move to Buffalo Grove, Libertyville, Mundelein, Lincolnshire, etc. because though you are closer to the water than some suburbs, the feel isn't the same, and you still have to get into your car to get there. Those are all nice towns with plenty to offer, but I wouldn't consider them easy access to the lake.
I don't know what your budget is, but many of the communities along the Lake do have some "affordable" (and I know affordable is relative) homes. I think another poster mentioned the areas of Lake Forest that are affordable (around downtown and LFHS). The west side of Wilmette is generally more affordable, as is the area bordering Evanston. Highland Park has the area around Sunset Park, Ravinia and some parts of west Highland Park. In Glencoe a small home will be hit or miss, as will Winnetka. For the most part, Kenilworth is out, however there is a pocket there that has some smaller, more affordable homes, just west of Green Bay.
I disagree with so many that say the north shore is just people with giant homes with gobs of money. If you're on Sheridan Road, that may be the case, but there are many pockets of the area that have smaller homes and families with pretty decent, yet not astonomical, incomes.
In terms of getting to Wisconsin, it isn't too bad. You do have the option of Hwy 41 and I-294 for high traffic times. It's always going to be tough at certain times (Friday evenings for sure) but generally, getting to WI from the north shore isn't bad.
To answer your immediate question, personally, living near the lake was one of the reasons we chose to live on the north shore, and the trade off has been worth it. We liked the feel of the towns along the lake and the easy access to the beach (we can walk to a public beach in about ten minutes). Yes, we could have had a pretty big house, with a big yard in another community, but we like being able to walk downtown and very rarely have to get into suburban type traffic, unless we want to go to Home Depot or a mall.
If you are choosing a town primarily to be close to the water, I wouldn't move to Buffalo Grove, Libertyville, Mundelein, Lincolnshire, etc. because though you are closer to the water than some suburbs, the feel isn't the same, and you still have to get into your car to get there. Those are all nice towns with plenty to offer, but I wouldn't consider them easy access to the lake.
I don't know what your budget is, but many of the communities along the Lake do have some "affordable" (and I know affordable is relative) homes. I think another poster mentioned the areas of Lake Forest that are affordable (around downtown and LFHS). The west side of Wilmette is generally more affordable, as is the area bordering Evanston. Highland Park has the area around Sunset Park, Ravinia and some parts of west Highland Park. In Glencoe a small home will be hit or miss, as will Winnetka. For the most part, Kenilworth is out, however there is a pocket there that has some smaller, more affordable homes, just west of Green Bay.
I disagree with so many that say the north shore is just people with giant homes with gobs of money. If you're on Sheridan Road, that may be the case, but there are many pockets of the area that have smaller homes and families with pretty decent, yet not astonomical, incomes.
In terms of getting to Wisconsin, it isn't too bad. You do have the option of Hwy 41 and I-294 for high traffic times. It's always going to be tough at certain times (Friday evenings for sure) but generally, getting to WI from the north shore isn't bad.
good to know. I know some of the towns I listed weren't as close as the lakeshore. It's still a benefit to be closer than say Naperville. Lots of good advice. Keep it coming!
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