With a population of 30,000, North Chicago provides a small-town feel 40 miles from Chicago. “It’s a big, small town,” says city of North Chicago Information Coordinator Hombre Darby. “When you go out to events, people know one another. It’s a place where we take care of our residents. Neighbors help one another.”
Largely a bedroom community to the bigger city to the south, the city is best known for Naval Station Great Lakes, the only training command for U.S. Navy recruits. Aside from the naval base, most commute to work. As a result, public transportation through the Metra rail station is prominent. When locals stay local, they have access to several parks, a nature preserve and a beach overlooking Lake Michigan.
North Chicago has a wonderful public beach at Foss Park.
North Chicago residents can catch the Metra at the local station.
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Homes priced lower than national median
The median home sale price is about $210,000, lower than the Chicago median of $360,000 and about half the national figure. A large portion of the homes were built between the 1900s and 1950s; but many have been remodeled. Toward the south, Great Lakes Central is an upscale suburban neighborhood with larger homes on sprawling lots. Homes in Argonne Park and adjacent Argonne Heights are comparatively more affordable. Architectural styles include Cape Cods, bungalows and colonials.
The Navy is the biggest employer in the area, occupying about 1,600 acres on both sides of the Bobby Thompson Expressway (Illinois Route 137) and supporting more than 20,000 military and civilian workers. Another big employer is AbbVie, a pharmaceutical manufacturing facility.
North Chicago features a number of homes with solar panels.
North Chicago single family homes often have a connected garage.
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Parks, beaches and golf courses
Foss Park provides access to Lake Michigan, which borders the community to the east. “We have a beach on Lake Michigan. We have multiple parks throughout the community,” says Darby. “We have forest preserves with walking trails — lots of places to walk. There is also a walking trail that goes through Lake County and North Chicago.” Foss Park is next to the neighborhood’s public beach but also includes a skate park, playground and ball fields. Foss Park Golf Course is a public 18-hole course open seven days a week for all ages. Several miles of hiking and biking trails thread through the Greenbelt Forest Preserve.
The city is also home to the National Museum of the American Sailor, located onthe military base.
A man admires the beauty of Lake Michigan at Foss Park beach in North Chicago.
North Chicago has a highly rated golf course nearby that residents love.
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American comfort food staples and locally sourced produce
A mixture of local shops, restaurants and national chains dot Green Bay Road and Martin Luther King Junior Drive. One of the most popular spots is 5 Points Restaurant, serving American comfort food favorites and retro vibes. Common cuisines throughout the city include Mexican, Thai, Italian and Caribbean. “For our military residents, we have a commissary. You can do a lot of shopping there,” says Darby. “Outside of that, you typically have to go outside of the community in Waukegan.”
Those looking for locally sourced produce can visit the North Chicago Farmers Market, open on Sunday afternoons in the summer.
North Chicago residents love to get a dog at 5 Points.
North Chicago residents can grab a quick bite at Panda Express.
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to downtown Chicago and back
State Route 137, State Route 131 and U.S. Route 41 run through the city, providing direct routes to downtown Chicago. The neighborhood has many opportunities for those needing to commute as there are two Metra Stations. “We have a very busy Metra rail station that takes a person right into downtown Chicago in about 30 minutes,” says Darby. “They could be in Chicago and Milwaukee in the same amount of time of 35 to 40 minutes. We have a convenient bus system right in the middle.”
Community Days and Fiestas Patrias
Community Days is a weekend summer festival that features food, music, movies and a parade. A new tradition is the Fiestas Patrias, a Mexican Independence Day parade. This unique event includes traditional Mexican foods and drinks, as well as a surprise performance artist.
The North Chicago School District No. 187
The North Chicago School District No. 187 serves the city's students, scoring a D-plus on Niche. The district supports six elementary schools, three middle schools and one high school.
Rosalind Franklin University of Medicine and Science is a private graduate institution serving about 2,000 students. The school is best known for its physician assistant program, which, according to U.S. News and World Report, ranks No. 8 in the Best Physician Assistant Programs in America.
North Chicago residents go to North Chicago Community High School.
North Chicago's Neal Math & Science Academy has a brand new facility that is state of the art.
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Crime and climate
With snow a winter staple, the city maintains a strict policy of plowing roads when 2 inches or more have fallen, whether or not the snow has stopped falling. Main streets and highways get priority over secondary and residential roads.
According to FBI data, the rates of reported violent crime and property crime in North Chicago are lower than the Illinois average and national average.
Ryanne sees her role beyond brokering a real estate transaction and concentrates on life transitions that buying/selling a house creates. She is there every step of the way to ensure her client's goals, dreams and the challenges of change are addressed, and that each client feels as though she has their back, because she does.
Ryanne joined @properties in 2005 bringing with her over a decade of sales and marketing experience. Her love for technology paired with @properties marketing prowess and innovative approach to real estate gives her clients that competitive edge to stand apart from all else.
Ryanne has been named Top Producer by her local real estate boards from 2007- present. She attributes her success to a high level of service and an unwavering work ethic until her client's goals are realized. Her clients praise her for being honest, forward looking, consistently going above and beyond, and even adding a little stress-free fun and humor in the process. She strategically maintains a level of business between buyers and sellers to ensure that her quality of service is never compromised.
Ryanne has lived in many of Chicago's diverse neighborhoods for 15 years before moving her husband, two kids and Labrador to Northbrook. Through her own experiences and expertise, she has helped many others make the transition from city to suburbs and vice versa.
"I know the mindset of the city buyer, and their desires for needed space and great schools along the North Shore. I also know the seller wanting to downsize and the struggle of where that might be and what that might look like." Because of this, her outreach in the real estate community is more flexible and innovative than most.
When Ryanne is not servicing the needs of her clients, she leads the Northbrook Circle for Women Belong (a women's business networking group), serves on the Board for All Kids Play, is President of Timber Lane Improvement Association, and very active at Meadowbrook Elementary School where her children attend.
A fun fact about Ryanne: she was Captain of her Division 1 college soccer team, at Southern Methodist University, leading them to the Final Four in 1995, and went on to play Professional Soccer in Munich, Germany.
Disclaimer: Certain information contained herein is derived from information provided by parties other than Homes.com. Our sources include: Accuweather, Public Records and Neustar. All information provided is deemed reliable, but is not guaranteed to be accurate and should be independently verified.
