North Shore refinement and suburban style converge in Northbrook, a community in the upper region of the Chicagoland suburbs. Access to well-regarded schools, fine dining and convenient shopping is universal here, but residents enjoy a broad range of options for life at home, too. "If you want a super friendly environment with kids running around, then Northbrook has that in a place like the Highlands, where you'll find block parties and community," says Connie Dornan, a Realtor with @properties Christies International Real Estate. "If you want more space with a big lot, Bridlewood is a great place for that.”
Northbrook is a thriving town in Illinois that's close to Chicago and Lake Michigan.
Willow Festival Shopping Center has many great retail and dining options in Northbrook.
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20th century homes and more recent townhouses
The earliest single-family homes in Northbrook date back to the 1920s, but development in the area took off between the 1950s and 1970s. Properties built from the 1980s onward are rarer and usually cost more. The area’s median home value of $790,000 sits far above national and state levels, but is comparable to median values in nearby communities like Northfield and Glenview. Townhomes and condos round out Northbrook’s home selections, with a similar balance between larger luxury units and smaller properties. Most of these properties are newer than their single-family counterparts.
Large estates in Northbrook resemble French Countryside architecture.
Some older homes in Northbrook the 1920's are built in the Colonial Revival style.
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Top-notch learning at Northbrook public schools
Elementary and middle school students are split between several local districts within Northbrook and the surrounding area. These include Northbrook Elementary School District No. 27, Northbrook School District No. 28 and Northbrook-Glenview School District No. 30, which all hold A grades on Niche and have individual schools with grades of A-minus or higher on the platform. Most of the community’s older students are served by the A-plus ranked Glenbrook North High School.
Middlefork Primary School is a highly rated public school in Northfield serving grades PK-3.
Glenbrook North High School was ranked 48th-best public high school in the US by Niche.
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Golfing and events at the local parks
The village’s park district includes 23 parks and a variety of additional facilities. "Village Green Park is popular," says Dornan. "There are always festivities there over the summer." Popular parks in town include Techny Prairie Park and Fields, an outdoor retreat with a dedicated nature walk area and a restored prairie area; the park also includes the nine-hole Anetsberger Golf Course, multipurpose fields for soccer and lacrosse, and a large skate park.
Additionally, the Park District runs a second public golf course: Heritage Oaks Golf Club on Dundee Road. The nine-hole Willow Hill Golf Course is independently owned but also offers open admission. In addition to golfing, the multipurpose Willow Hill Dome on the property hosts indoor flag football and soccer leagues for kids.
Illuminate Northbrook is a festive holiday event at Village Green Park in Northbrook.
Heritage Oaks Golf Club is a great place for residents to enjoy a nice day in Northbrook.
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Local shops downtown and big boxes on Willow Road
Along with Sunset Foods and Walgreens, a mix of local restaurants and well-known chain dining options sit along the curved roads and stone sidewalks in Downtown Northrbook. "The downtown area of Northbrook is thriving," Dornan says.
Most of the area’s big box stores and major retailers are situated on the south side of the village along Willow Road. Well-known stops such as Target, Jewel-Osco, Mariano’s and Costco are among the options available.
Northbrook families can pick up some groceries at Sunset Foods.
Enjoy classic Italian fare at Trattoria Oliverii in downtown Northbrook.
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Bicycle races and bowling in town
Annual events hosted in Northbrook include the Northbrook Grand Prix, a summer bike race where spectators gather downtown to watch professional cyclists speed around a closed city-street circuit. Brewfest draws local beer-makers and ale enthusiasts into Village Green Park for a day out each September. The village’s connections to neighboring North Shore communities like Glenview and Winnetka provide additional options for events beyond the village. The Northbrook Theatre, located on Walters Avenue on the west side of the community, regularly hosts community theater shows, professional productions and youth-led plays.
Many of the area’s churches, including Northbrook United Methodist, Grace Lutheran Church and Shermer Church, are close to Downtown Northbrook. Synagogues in the Northbrook area include Temple Beth-El, Congregation Beth Shalom and Lubavitch Chabad.
Watch the high speed action at the Northbrook Grand Prix.
Check out vintage European cars parked on Lincoln Avenue and Elm Street in nearby Winnetka.
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Connected to Chicagoland via Interstates 94 and 294
Interstates 94 and 294 are rough boundaries along the west, north and east sides of the village, with Willow Road rounding out the area on the south end. Northbrook residents are about 25 miles northwest of downtown Chicago, with I-94 as the most direct route into the city. Northbrook’s Metra station is on Shermer Road downtown. Pace buses are also available along Shermer Road and Willow Road.
For most residents, Endeavor Health Glenbrook Hospital is the closest medical center, about 4 miles south of the village center in Glenview. Vacation-goers and business travelers can catch flights from Chicago O'Hare International Airport, 13 miles south of the village via I-294.
Important things to know
According to the National Weather Service, Northbrook experiences seasons in line with Midwestern weather patterns. Summers are generally mild, while winter is cold with lows reaching below 20 degrees and snowfalls averaging between 7 to 10 inches per month. FBI’s Crime Data Explorer points to consistently lower crime rates in Northbrook compared to national and state numbers.
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