Glenview

Just 20 miles from downtown Chicago, Glenview is home to approximately 45,000 residents and consistently ranks as one of the best places to live in Illinois. Glenview expanded its community in 1995 when it closed the Glenview Naval Air Station, and underwent a years-long transformation of the property into a mixed-use community center and sprawling public park for the community.

Real Estate: While Glenview has plenty of condominiums, townhomes and tidy single-family homes on quarter-acre lots, there are also many home sites throughout the village that measure an acre or more. The real estate landscape caters to various preferences, offering a mix of architectural styles and sizes to suit every lifestyle. Each neighborhood in Glenview has its own distinct charm. Newer homes can also be found at The Glen, a large development on the site of the former Glenview Naval Air Station that offers an assortment of shops and restaurants, a movie complex, the Kohl Children’s Museum and access to one of the town’s two Metra stations.

Education: Glenview is served by a number of public and private schools, including Glenbrook South High School, ranked among the top in the nation according to Business Insider. Many of the residents are a part of District 34, which has six elementary schools (K-5), including Henking Elementary, Hoffman, Glen Grove, Lyon School, Pleasant Ridge School and Westbrook Elementary. Attea and Springman are the two middle schools in the district. Glenbrook South and Glenbrook North are the high schools which serve the Village of Glenview. Glenview is also home to three parochial schools.

Shopping and Dining: There are several shopping destinations in Glenview between its historic downtown to the newer retail area in The Glen. The community features a movie theater, many big box retailers, and several boutiques. Some notable restaurants in Glenview are Wildfire, Hackney’s on Harms, and Blufish Sushi. Glenview holds its own as a craft brew destination with breweries such as Macushla Brewing, Ten Ninety Brewing Co. and Tangled Roots Brewing Company.

Fun Facts: Glenview’s history is tied to the former Naval Air Station. During the 1930’s and 40’s, this was home to the U.S. Navy’s largest primary flight training program, which trained pilots like President George H. W. Bush.

Recreation and Lifestyle: The Glenview Park District offers multiple indoor and outdoor pools, golf courses, soccer fields, nature trails, an ice center, tennis club, and multi-purpose community center. Glenview celebrates and preserves its early days with two notable attractions: Wagner Farm and The Grove. A 20-acre working farm, Wagner Farm has horseback riding, tractor driving, and other activities that reflect a day in the life of a 1920s farmer. The Grove, a National Historic Landmark, includes a prairie, nature trails, historic buildings, and a log cabin that dates back to the 1850s. Glenview is home to The Glen Club, an 18-hole public golf course with a driving range. There are numerous private country clubs such as North Shore Country Club, Valley Lo Club and The Glenview Club. The old Naval Air Station has a museum with artifacts ranging from 1937. Flick Park is one of the largest parks in the area with outdoor sledding and ice skating on a sled hill and ice rink. During the summer or winter, families swim at the Glenview Aquatics Center an indoor water park with water slides, splash blasters, water playground, lap pool, a zero-depth pool and kiddie pool. The community public parks also host pickleball courts, soccer and football fields, volleyball courts, walking paths, a basketball court, baseball/softball fields and a fieldhouse with a covered picnic area. The Kohls Childrens Museum is a destination for families, where small children explore with foam blocks, pretend play at pint-sized children stores, move gears and launch balls through a water works area.

Transportation: The village is about a 30-minute ride to downtown Chicago on Metra’s Milwaukee North Line and is situated between the Edens Expressway (I-94) to the east and the Tri-State Tollway (1-294) to the west, making it easy to get into the city or out to O’Hare and the western suburbs.