North Shore Views

Ghosts in the Gardens

When it comes to Halloween the families in the Kenilworth Gardens neighborhood of Wilmette take their decorating very seriously. The name of the game is to have the ghastliest, grisliest decorations you can come up with.

Here are pix of some of the scarier yards in the ‘hood.

Tags: Halloween, Kenilworth Gardens

Elvis Sighting on Beechwood Avenue

Every weekend during the summer there is a block party going on somewhere in Wilmette. It’s a tradition that started out as basically a neighborhood pot-luck party in the street. Everyone would bring some food to share, along with their beverage of choice, and people of all ages would congregate in the street to talk, eat and drink.

Nowadays these get-togethers have become much more elaborate. Not only are there home-made goodies, but sometimes catered meals. There are bike parades, egg and water-balloon tossing contests, face painting, bouncy houses and corn hole games.

Beechwood Avenue had all that this year. But we also had a special guest who hasn’t been seen around these parts for quite some time. Elvis himself showed up at our event and even serenaded us with a few of his most popular songs.  The curious thing: he hadn’t aged a bit. In fact, he was looking very healthy indeed and as if he might have joined weight watchers.

Don’t believe me? I have evidence. Yes, I managed to get a video and here it is. So there!

Tags: block parties, Elvis, Kenilworth Gardens

Thornwood Park Concert – 2011

If you live in or around Wilmette’s Kenilworth Gardens neighborhood, you won’t want to miss the 7th annual Thornwood Park Concert this Sunday, July 10. First conceived of by Harper parents Terri and Tony Lorenz, and sponsored by the Friends of Thornwood Park, the concert is truly a neighborhood event. Bring your lawn chairs and your picnic and relax for a few hours with friends, family and neighbors.

As usual there will be performances by three bands of neighborhood dads who are frustrated rock stars. The opening act is the Junior Concert, with performances by some of our talented neighborhood kids.

In addition to great music, there will be a balloon artist and face painting, as well as a bouncy house, sponsored by yours truly. Last, but definitely not least, we’ll look forward to a visit from the Wilmette Fire Department, who will bathe willing concert goers with a 40 ft. vertical spray of water from the fire hose.

The Junior Concert starts at 3:00 pm and will be followed directly by the dads’ concert. The fun will continue til 8:00 pm.

All are welcome at the concert. We only ask that you make a donation to cover the cost of the event. Any remaining proceeds go to help purchase items for the park, like picnic tables. You can make a donation here.

Related Articles

• Thornwood Park Concert 2010

• Egg Hunt in Thornwood Park

Tags: Kenilworth Gardens, summer concerts, Thornwood Park

Birdhouse Garden in May

I first wrote about this delightful garden back in April, when there wasn’t much to see.

Here it is again in the middle of May, when the tulips were in bloom and other perennials were starting to sprout. And the birdhouses have come out to join the flowers.

Here’s how it looked just one month before:

Tags: gardens, Kenilworth Gardens

Homes for Sale in Kenilworth Gardens

I’ve written before about the Kenilworth Gardens neighborhood of Wilmette. It’s a popular family-friendly community served by Harper School, one of the four elementary schools in Wilmette. It’s considered an “entry-level” neighborhood for upwardly mobile young couples moving to the North Shore from the city. Since many of the homes have 3-4 bedrooms with one car garages on smaller lots (50 x 122), families often outgrow their homes and move on after 4-5 years.

During the boom years, it was hard to get into Kenilworth Gardens. Homes sold quickly and often with multiple offers. Nowadays, it is taking longer to sell a home here. Many of the would-be sellers bought during the boom years and paid more than their home is currently worth, and it’s hard for them to come to terms with selling for so much less.

There are currently eleven homes for sale in Kenilworth Gardens, ranging in price from

$575,000 to $1,649,000. Most of the houses were built between 1935 and 1960, but two were new construction built from tear-downs of smaller homes.

1917 Greenwood Avenue: $575,000

Eight rooms, three bedrooms and one and a half baths.
Lots size: 50 x 122′
Two  car garage

1913 Thornwood Avenue: $599,000

Eight rooms, three bedrooms and one and a half baths.
Lot size (irregular): 60′ x 127′ on the corner of Ridge Rd.
One car garage
Newer kitchen but otherwise not redone

2154 Thornwood Avenue: $625,000

Eight rooms, three bedrooms, two and a half baths.
Lot size: 50′ x 122′
One car garage

2320 Greenwood Avenue: $629,000

Eight rooms, three bedrooms, two and one half baths.

Lot size: 50′ x 140′
One car garage

2224 Thornwood Avenue: $842,000

Eleven rooms, four bedrooms, three and one half baths
Lot size: 50′ x 122′
Two car garage

2235 Chestnut Avenue: $909,000

Ten rooms, four bedrooms, two and one half baths
Lot size: 50′ x 177′

Two car garage

2131 Beechwood Avenue: $919,000

Ten rooms, four bedrooms, two and one half baths
Lot size: 50′ x 134′
Two car garage
Newer Di Giuilio kitchen

2236 Beechwood Avenue: $ 949,000

Ten rooms, four bedrooms, two and one half baths
Lot size: 50′ x 130′

One car garage

1923 Greenwood Avenue: $965,000

Twelve rooms, five bedrooms, three and one half baths
Lot size: 50′ x 122′
One car garage

1220 Middlebury Lane: $1,375,000.

Eleven rooms, four+ bedrooms, four and one half baths
Lot size: 50′ x 135′
New construction

Oversized two car garage

2411 Thornwood Avenue: $1,649,000

Twelve rooms, five bedrooms, five and one half baths
Lot size: 50′ x 132′
Faces Thornwood Park
Built in 2005
Two car garage

You can get more information about each of these listings here. If you would like to see any of them, please give me a call at 847-687-5957 or email me. I would be happy to show them to you!

Tags: Kenilworth Gardens

Charming Kenilworth Gardens Home

My best buy for this week is 2118 Elmwood Avenue in Wilmette. It’s a classic brick home in the family-friendly Kenilworth Gardens neighborhood with three bedrooms, one and a half baths.

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

• It’s light and bright and has charming vintage details including a fireplace, hardwood floors throughout, formal dining room and a kitchen with good storage space, as well as a family room off the kitchen. The basement is finished with a play room and office area. A walk-up attic offers plenty of additional storage. The two-car garage is an unusual bonus for homes of this vintage.

• The location in Kenilworth Gardens can’t be beat. It’s on a quiet street with an easy walk to Harper School and Highcrest Middle School, Thornwood Park and the Kenilworth Metra station.

• It’s priced lower than comparable homes in Kenilworth Gardens, which go for between $635,000 and $699,000.  The seller is also offering a home warranty plan for the buyer. There’s room to add on for a larger master bedroom plus bath, and would be easy to accomplish given the home’s layout.

The downside? There’s no AC, but a space pack can be added for less than $10,000. And it could use some cosmetic updating here and there.

The listing agent is Maureen Spriggs with Coldwell Banker. You can see a virtual tour of the house here. If you’d like to see this home in person, please give me a call at 847-687-5957. I’d love to show it to you.

Tags: Kenilworth Gardens, Real estate, Wilmette homes for sale

Wilmette's Neighborhoods: Kenilworth Gardens

This is the first in a series of posts about the individual neighborhoods on the North Shore. As they say, real estate is local, and each neighborhood has its own characteristics and quirks. So, when we look for the ideal place to live, we need to drill down beyond ” the North Shore”  or even the particular town. As your search gets more serious, you have to go to the neighborhood level.  Since I live in Kenilworth Gardens, it seemed like the obvious place to start my neighborhood series.

If you’re not from around here, the first thing you need to know is that Kenilworth Gardens is NOT in Kenilworth. It is in Wilmette, but it is right across Ridge Rd. from Kenilworth. No doubt the developers of this neighborhood of starter homes sought to give it some cache by naming it after its grander neighbor to the east.

Kenilworth Gardens was developed during the 50’s and 60’s from land that once was part of Gross Point Village.  The neighborhood is bounded by Ridge Rd. on the east, Iroquios Rd. to the south, and Indian Hill (Winnetka) to the north. The western edge is harder to pinpoint. Some say it is Hunter Rd., but most of the residents would say it stretches a little further west, as far as Harper School.

The lot size in this area is typically 50′ by 122-132′ (the lots on Chestnut Ave. are deeper than those on other streets). Most of the houses were originally built with 3 bedrooms, one and a half baths, and a one car garage, but many have been added onto over the years and now have 4 bedrooms and two and a half baths plus a family room. There are various styles but most of the homes are either colonials or Tudors. Currently, prices range from $650,000 to $1,400,000. It’s a popular neighborhood for young families moving up from the city or relocating from out of town. It has a friendly vibe and block parties are frequent during the summer. It’s the go-to neighborhood for Halloween trick or treating.

The neighborhood is served by Harper Elementary School (K-4), which is walkable from anywhere in the

neighborhood. Thornwood Park, which is catty-corner to the school, has tennis courts, a play lot and a ball field, where the Wilmette baseball teams play all spring and summer. In the summer there is an annual Thornwood Park concert, where 3-4 bands comprised of local dads play to an enthusiastic crowd of neighbors and friends.

During better markets, the houses in Kenilworth Gardens sell very quickly, but at this writing there are a 12 to choose from. You can see a sampling below. If you’d like to know more about this neighborhood or any of the homes for sale, just leave me a comment or give me a call at 847-687-5957. You can also email me. I’d be happy to help you.

Tags: Chicago North Shore, Kenilworth Gardens, Wilmette, Wilmette neighborhoods