North Shore Views

Archive for the 'Winnetka' Category

Summer Sidewalk Sales on the North Shore

Every year it seems like the sidewalk sales along the North Shore get better and better. Now it’s not just about shopping…the sales have turned into veritable street festivals, with food, music, games and other activities for kids. Here’s the line-up for the rest of July:

Wilmette

Friday and Saturday, July 9 and 10
9 am – 4 pm
Shopping, food and family fun, including DJ entertainment, magician, face painting, moonwalk and petting zoo on Saturday.
Call 847-251-3800 or visit www.wilmettechamber.org

Evanston – Central Street

Thursday to Saturday, July 15 to 17
10 am – 5 pm
Bargains from businesses located between the 1900 and 2100 blocks of Central Street. Central Street, located in North Evanston, is chock full of mom and pop run businesses and retains a local and distinctive charm which sets it apart from many shopping districts. There are women’s boutiques, flower shops, bakeries (including one for dogs), restaurants, a renowned spice shop, realtors, and much much more!
For more information visit www.centralstreet-evanston.com.

Winnetka

Friday and Saturday, July 16 and 17
9 am to 5 pm
This year’s theme is “Jazzing Up July”. In addition to shopping, listen to New Orleans jazz while the kids enjoy games, activities and face painting.

Phil Passen and Petra van Nuis will be performing live music during the two-day event. Passen, musician and singer, will perform a variety of traditional American music. Playing the hammered dulcimer, Passen says his music will “capture the essence of old-time music. The beautiful sound and versatility of the dulcimer shine in this captivating performance.” Consistent with the theme of the weekend, Chicago based jazz vocalist Petra van Nuis will perform several songs from her extensive repertoire on Saturday.

And some star power will be added to this year’s sale. Winnetka also will welcome Kathryn Stockett, the author of the best-selling novel The Help to the sale. The novel, set in 1960s Jackson, Miss., deals with the issue of segregation in the South a century after the Emancipation Proclamation.
Call (847) 446-4451 or visit www.winnekachamber.com.

Evanston – Downtown

Saturday, July 24
10 am to 5 pm

Close to 200 Evanston merchants in both downtown Evanston and the Chicago/Dempster district will offer deals on summer inventory, featuring the ideal mix of independent shops and your favorite national chain stores. Expect to find deals on apparel, shoes, one-of-a-kind accessories and decorative arts, including the best in specialty designed, hand-crafted goods. Resale shoppers and antique & vintage hunters will find a variety of shops to explore.

To get to the sale on public transit, take the CTA Purple Line “el” to the Davis, Dempster, or Main stop; or take Metra to the Davis or Main stop.
Call 847.866.6319 or visit http://www.downtownevanston.org

Highland Park

Thursday to Sunday, July 22 to 25
This is your opportunity to get clothing, shoes, jewelry, home décor, and other great stuff at 50 to 75 percent off regular prices. Great back-to-school bargains, too. Of course, early shoppers always find the best one-of-a-kind deals.

And this year, look for a balloonist, magician, face painters, and musicians to entertain the kids while you look for great buys.
To get there, just take the Edens Expressway – exit at Central Avenue East – travel about one mile – and you’re there.
Call 847-432-0284 or visit www.ehighlandpark.com

Tags: sidewalk sales

Independence Day on the North Shore

This year the weather promises to be absolutely perfect for 4th of July celebrations – sunny, clear and warm (not hot) from now through Sunday. There are lots of fun things going on all up and down the North Shore, and if you’ve got the energy, you can spread your celebration out over three days. As always, Wilmette holds its celebration on July 3rd, while Glenview waits til the 5th. (Thunderstorms are currently in the forecast for Monday, so if you live in Glenview you may want to join the festivities in another town on the 4th, just to be on the safe side.). Also, note that, in Winnetka, the parade begins at 1:00 pm and not 10:00 am, as in previous years.

Evanston

July 4
7:30 pm – Twilight Concert featuring the Palatine Concert Band
9:00 pm – The musical fireworks extravaganza will be launched from Clark Street Beach and can be viewed from any part of the lakefront area east of Downtown Evanston.

Wilmette

July 3
4:00 pm -  Games and rides for children, entertainment, roving performers, and a Tastefest at Gillson Park.
7:30 pm – A traditional concert of patriotic music by the Palatine Concert Band in the Wallace Bowl. It will be preceded by a sneak preview of this summer’s Starlight Theatre musical feature.
9:30 p.m – Fireworks begin. In case of rain, the fireworks will be rescheduled to a later date.

The easiest way to get to and from the Independence Day celebrations in Gillson Park is by using the special Pace shuttle bus service. Motorists may park at Edens Plaza or at the METRA commuter lot. To see a complete listing of events or for additional transportation information see the Wilmette Park District’s website.

Winnetka

July 4
1:00 pm – The celebration begins with Winnetka’s annual parade. (Note the change in time from past years). The parade sets off from the corner of Elm and Glendale Streets, and heads east to the Village Green.
2:00 pm – -A flag-raising ceremony, children’s flag parade, and family races follow the parade on the Green.
6:30 pm -  “Fourth Fest,” featuring food, children’s entertainment, and a pre-fireworks concert at Duke Child’s Field
9:15 pm – Fireworks begin

Northfield

July 4
9:45 am -  Bike parade kicks off from two locations — Somerset and Old Willow or the Ameritech Lot. Both routes end at Willow Park.
10:30 am -  Bike judging, music and amusement rides begin. Family activities include relays, wheelbarrow races, a hula-hoop contest and an egg toss. For more information, go to northfieldparkdistrict.org or call 847-446-4428.

Glencoe

July 4
8:00 am – Fun Run starts at the train station, 724 Green Bay Road
10:00 am – Games in Kalk Park, Park Aveune and Green Bay Road
2:00 pm – Parade
6:30 pm -  Barbecue on the beach with children’s entertainment and music
9:00 pm – Fireworks on the beach
847-835-3050

Glenview

July 5

11:00 am -  Bike Parade starting at the corner of Glenview rd. and Church St.
11:30 am -  Main parade starting from OLPH parking lot and ending at Johns Park.
7:30 pm – Twilight Show with patriotic concert by the North Shore Concert Band. The show’s finale will be fireworks synchronized to patriotic music.
847-724-5670

Highland Park

July 4
11:00 am – Parade in downtown Highland Park
12:00 pm – Fourth Fest at Sunset Woods Park
9:15 pm – Fireworks at Wolters Field on Park Avenue West
847-432-0800

Lake Forest

July 4
6:00 pm – Beer garden with kids activities and live music by Sixteen Candles at Deerpath Community Park
8:00 pm – KC and the Sunshine Band
9:30 pm -  Fireworks sponsored by the Lake Forest Symphony

Tags: 4th of july, Independence Day

Winnetka Children’s Fair

Every June children from Winnetka and surrounding communities celebrate the end of school with a day at the Winnetka Children’s Fair. For two glorious days, the Village Green is transformed into a magic kingdom of sorts, with rides, games and other activities for preschoolers to preteens. The fair is held the Friday and Saturday after school lets out, this year on June 11-12. A 60 year tradition, the fair is actually a fundraiser for the Winnetka Community Nursery School. It’s run by the school’s forty-strong Board of Directors with the help of hundreds of volunteers from the community. If you live in Winnetka, have friends in Winnetka or your child attends (or has ever attended) Winnetka Community Nursery, you will be tapped for a shift as a volunteer.

I got my first taste of volunteering at the fair the spring after we moved back to the area. We had enrolled our daughter in the Nursery School and my husband was the first-ever male member of the Board. He was tapped to run the hot dog stand, along with another Board member. The first order of business was finding thirty volunteers to take two hour shifts for each of the two days of the fair. Since we had just moved here after being gone for seven years, we didn’t know a ton of people in the area and it seemed that all of the ones we did know had already been asked by someone else to work at their game or booth or ride. He managed to scrounge up most of the volunteers he needed, though I found myself working all eight hours, both days.

I will say that, of all the jobs at the fair, working the hot dog stand is the best. It’s always busy and you get to see everyone you know. You move around a lot and the tasks are varied, so you don’t get bored. And there is a constant supply of food and drink available should you get hungry or thirsty. (I always felt sorry for the people stuck in a booth by themselves baking in the hot sun without anything to eat or drink). And the best part was that the stand was right across the street from the house of our good friends, and they graciously made their bathroom available to us so we didn’t need to use the porta-potties at the fair.

The fair will be held this year on June 11 and 12 from 10:00am to 5:00pm on Winnetka’s Village Green (between Elm and Oak Streets, east of Green Bay Rd.). It’s a great way to kick-off the summer, so if you have children between the ages of 3 and 12, don’t miss it.

Tags: Winnetka Children's Fair

North Shore Memorial Day Parades

Mostly we think of Memorial Day as a celebration of the start of summer ….the opening of the pool, barbecue parties with friends, baseball games etc. But it’s also a time to remember our war heroes. Here on the North Shore there are several parades and Memorial Day ceremonies this Monday morning. They’re a great opportunity to help our kids understand the meaning of the holiday. And this year it looks like we’ll have great parade-watching weather. Here’s a run down on the parades in our area:

Wilmette

Sponsored by the Village of Wilmette and  Huerter Post #46 o the American Legion, the parade will begin at 10:30 from the corner of Ridge Rd. and Lake Ave. It will proceed east to Park Ave.and south to Wilmette Ave. , finishing up at Village Hall. The ceremony will take place near the War Memorial.

Glenview

You can probably hit two parades if you start with this one, since it’s the earliest of the lot. The procession starts at 9:00 east of the railroad tracks on Pine St. and continues to Glenview Rd..The ceremony will be held at the Veteran’s Memorial at Glenview Rd. and the river.

Winnetka

Winnetka’s parade kicks-off at 10:00 from the corner of Glendale and Elm and heads east to the Village Green. There will be a brief ceremony on the Green following the parade.

Glencoe

The parade begins at central School at 10:30 and proceeds to Veteran’s Memorial Park adjacent to Glencoe Union Church.

Lake Forest

Sponsored by the lake Forest American Legion Post the parade will begin at 11:00 at Market Square. The Legion rifle squad and color guard will step off from the post at 10:30 A.M. and pick up both Boy and Girl Scout troops from the parking lots at Deerpath and McKinley. The color guard will march from Illinois Road and turn onto Western Avenue.

Tags: parades

It’s Housewalk Season on the North Shore

If housewalks are your thing, here are three on the North Shore that will let you indulge your voyeuristic side while helping a worthy cause, since all of them are fundraisers for service organizations.  The first one focuses on historic homes, while the other two are more for pure vicarious pleasure of seeing how the other half lives (while giving you some decorating ideas for your own home, of course).

Wilmette Historical Society Housewalk
Sunday, May 16 from 1-4 pm

Visit  four historic and architecturally significant homes along beautiful Central Avenue, plus see the interior chambers of the Masonic Temple. Proceeds support the work of he Wilmette Historical Museum. $45 members, $50 non-members, $25 students.

Glencoe PTO Housewalk
Wednesday, May 19 from 9:30-2:30

Tour five of Glencoe’s most exceptional homes and eat lunch in a sixth. Proceeds go to support environmental and arts projects in the Glencoe schools. Check in at the Glencoe train station between 9:30 am and 1;00 pm.
Tickets available at www.glencoepto.org.  $65.

Winnetka Women’s Club Housewalk
Wednesday, May 26 from 10-4

This year’s theme is “Lifestyles” and you can tour six beautiful homes representing the creative and varied lifestyles of North Shore residents. Proceeds benefit the Winnetka Women’s Club, which is a community service organization dedicated to supporting local projects and scholarship programs.
Tour: $55 in advance; $ 60 day of event. Lunch: $35

Tags: housewalks

North Shore Housing Inventory

Here is a snapshot of active listings (single family detached homes) on the market as of April 5, 2010.

Town	# Active Listings	Avg. List Price	Median List Price	Days on Market
Evanston	249	$694,910	$535,000	212
Wilmette	181	$890,392	$719,000	204
Winnetka	182	$2,120,724	$1,497,000	279
Kenilworth	44	$2,188,466	$2,245,000	327
Glenview	357	$754,771	$649,000	242
Glencoe	114	$1,759,373	$1,132,000	249
Northfield	58	$950,160	$659,500	349
Highland Park	295	$1,035,746	$666,000	287
Lake Forest	306	$1,887,223	$1,299,000	314
NORTH SHORE	1786	$1,245,590	$827,000	264

Source: MRED – Deemed reliable but not guaranteed.

Tags: North Shore market data

North Shore Market Update: 1st Quarter 2010

The North Shore housing market looks a whole lot better in 2010 than it did at this time last year. Driven by low interest rates, the home buyer tax credit, plentiful supply of homes to choose from and attractive prices, buyers have returned to the market. Prices are still soft but the rate of decline has slowed.

Housing sales on Chicago’s North Shore increased 56% in the first quarter of 2010 vs. the same period last year. All towns had healthy increases except for Northfield which had one less sale this year than last. The big winner in percentage terms was Kenilworth, which had nine sales this year vs. one last year.

Average prices for sold properties on the North Shore was down 7%. Lake Forest showed the biggest drop (-30%), followed by Winnetka (-21%). Highland Park had only a 1% decrease in average price, while Evanston and Wilmette actually showed increases. Kenilworth’s large increase in average price was driven by the fact that the only sale in 2009 was for an unusually low-priced property for this village.

Days on market for properties sold was down 8% for the North Shore, but the numbers varied widely across individual towns. The largest decreases in market time were in Wilmette (-70%) and Lake Forest (-58%). The largest increases were in Kenilworth (+48%) and Northfield (+38%).

North Shore Market Update – 1st Qtr. 2010 vs. Year Ago*

*Single family detached homes. Source: MRED – Deemed reliable but not guaranteed

Tags: North Shore market data, North Shore real estate trends, North Shore sales trends

Adorable and Affordable: 903 Willow Road, Winnetka

My best buy for this week is 903 Willow Road in Winnetka. It’s an adorable vintage Dutch Colonial style home with 9 rooms, 3 bedrooms and 2.1 baths.

It’s priced at $599,000 and here’s why it’s such a great value:

• Lots of space in the house, the yard and the garage: It has good-sized rooms. Plus there’s a large screened in porch which expands the living area. There’s lots of living space and storage in the finished lower level. The yard is larger than comparably priced homes at 50′ x 187′ . And there’s a 4 car garage, part of which could be converted into an office or studio.

• It retains its vintage feel, but is updated where it counts (kitchen and bathrooms) and the updates are in keeping with the character of the house. The floors have been refinished, central air has been added and the windows were replaced within the last ten years.

• It is very conveniently located. You can walk to town and trains as well as to Crow Island School.

The downside?  If there is a downside to this house it is that it is on Willow Road, which does have a fair amount of traffic during morning and afternoon rush hours. But if you’re used to living in the city, this might not bother you.

See the virtual tour of this house here. If you’d like to see it in person, just let me know. I’d be happy to show it to you.

Tags: Homes for sale, Real estate, Winnetka

It’s TV Tune Out Week!

Think your family can go for a week without TV or any other form of “screen entertainment”?

If you’re up for the challenge, North Shore businesses are here to support you. All week long sponsors of the “holiday” are providing tons of activities for those who want to experience life unplugged.

This year’s theme is “Power on Your Imagination” and the fun kicks off Sunday, March 7 with a performance by the Chinese Acrobats– at 3:30 p.m. in the Washburne School gym, 515 Hibbard Rd., Winnetka.  All week long you can take part in dozens of alternative activities – including acting classes, art projects, treasure hunts, story hours, behind-the-scenes tours,  sports and community service opportunities. Or, you can just enjoy time with your family at home, without the distraction of TVs, computers and video games.  Play board games, read together, bake cookies, or go on a family expedition.

TV Tune Out Week was started in 1995 by the Winnetka Alliance for Early Childhood and has now spread to surrounding communities. Over 5500 children participate in the program, whose goal is for families to evaluate the role TV plays in their lives, to explore other options and to become more educated about screen media.

Ideas for family fun and information about community activities are all  listed in The 2010 TV Tune Out Guide, which is available at participating schools or at various locations throughout the community.  For more information about TV Tune Out Week, visit www.winnetkaalliance.org.

Also see:

• Activities at The Book Stall
• Drop in at The Botanic Garden

Tags: Family fun on the North Shore, TV Tune Out Week, Winnetka

North Shore Market Update: January-February 2010

For the first two months of 2010 sales of single family homes on Chicago’s North Shore were up 47% over the same period last year. The big winners were Highland Park and Lake Forest, which both more than doubled their sales vs. last year. Kenilworth, which only had one sale in the first two months of 2009, had five this year.

While prices were down 7% from this time last year, the rate of decline does seem to be slowing and the market may be nearing the bottom. Market times are up over last year but down versus previous months and there is less inventory on the market now.

North Shore Market Trends: Jan. – Feb. 2010 (vs. year ago)

Town	Units Sold % chg	Avg. Price % chg	Mkt Time % chg
Evanston	35%	18%	31%
Wilmette	20%	-14%	-27%
Glenview/Golf	16%	1%	3%
Northfield	-25%	-27%	84%
Kenilworth	400%	126%	65%
Winnetka	50%	-19%	11%
Glencoe	9%	-23%	1%
Highland Park	190%	14%	157%
Lake Forest	100%	-14%	-20%
NORTH SHORE	47%	-7%	8%

Source: MRED LLC -Deemed reliable but not guaranteed

Tags: North Shore market data, North Shore real estate trends, North Shore sales trends