North Shore Views

Guide to Kenilworth Preschools

This is Part 3 of my preschool series, with a list of Kenilworth schools. Kenilworth is a small town so there are not many, but you also have access to the preschools in nearby Winnetka and Wilmette.

All Things Bright and Beautiful Preschool

222 Kenilworth Ave., Kenilworth, IL 60043
(847) 251-6120, ext. 16
All Things Bright and Beautiful website

Run by the Church of the Holy Comforter, this preschool program is open to children 2-4 years old. There is also a “Mommy and Me ” program for younger children. It offers a play-based program focused on the social, emotional and spiritual growth of its children.

A Joyful Noise Preschool

211 Kenilworth Ave., Kenilworth, Il 60043
(847) 853-1738
Joyful Noise website

A Joyful Noise is a program of Kenilworth Union Church for children 2 -4 years old. Its purpose is to provide a school based on principles of child development and values of the Christian faith.  The focus is on activities that enhance the whole child, helping them grow socially, emotionally, intellectually and physically. It is a structured, yet flexible curriculum that balances group experiences with individual discovery. In addition to regular preschool activities, Joyful Noise teaches Bible stories, Christian songs and lessons in forgiveness, caring, and inclusion.

Children attend two days a week from 9:00-11:00 (Tuesdays and Thursdays or Wednesdays and Fridays). There is also a summer program.

Joseph Sears School

542 Abbotsford Rd., Kenilworth, IL 60043
(847) 256-5006
website

Joseph Sears School is the public school in Kenilworth for grades JK-8. The Junior Kindergarten provides a warm and nurturing environment in which children can learn through interactive play and problem-solving.  Activities include art, music, dramatic play, outdoor play, math, science, reading and pre-writing. Different levels of ability, development and learning styles are expected, accepted and used to design appropriate activities.

Related posts:

• Guide to North Shore Preschools
• Glencoe Preschools
• Highland Park Preschools
• Winnetka Preschools
• Wilmette Preschools

Tags: Kenilworth, Preschools

North Shore Market Update – December 2009

In December 2009 sales of single family homes on the North Shore were up 32% vs. December 2008, while average prices were down 8%. Market time increased 21% to 200 days for sold properties.

Average prices declined in all towns except Glenview and Glencoe. Winnetka and Northfield had the largest price declines AND the largest increase in units sold, so price does seem to be the biggest driver in the market today.

Wilmette was the only town were there were fewer units sold in 2009 than 2008.

December 2009 vs. Year Ago*

	Units Sold	Avg. Price	Market Time
Town	% Change	% Chg	% Chg
Evanston	6%	-24%	20%
Wilmette	-22%	-14%	28%
Glenview	25%	16%	19%
Northfield	200%	-73%	159%
Winnetka	138%	-39%	-1%
Glencoe	38%	15%	69%
Highland Park	22%	-4%	-18%
Lake Forest	67%	-1%	25%
North Shore	32%	-8%	21%

* Single family homes (Source: MRED – Deemed reliable but not guaranteed)

Tags: Evanston, Glencoe, Glenview, Highland Park, Kenilworth, Lake Forest, North Shore market data, North Shore real estate trends, North Shore sales trends, Northfield, Wilmette, Winnetka

North Shore Housing Inventory Snapshot – December 1, 2009

Here’s a snapshot of what’s on the market right now, including list prices and time on market. Not surprisingly, there seems to be a direct correlation between price level and time on market, with Winnetka, Kenilworth and Lake Forest being the priciest markets and also the ones where market time is longest, at well over 300 days.

Town	# Units for Sale*	Median List Price	Average List Price	Average D.O.M.
Evanston	225	$514,000	$695,154	240
Wilmette	155	$710,000	$887,632	280
Glenview	380	$664,950	$792,208	263
Northfield	64	$732,000	$885,750	314
Kenilworth	43	$1,899,000	$2,183,942	336
Winnetka	176	$1,499,000	$1,970,967	339
Glencoe	98	$1,099,450	$1,813,779	259
Highland Park	345	$679,000	$1,027,431	287
Lake Forest	316	$1,250,000	$1,911,778	320
North Shore	1802	$799,000	$1,236,879	288

* Detached single family houses (Source: MRED)

Tags: Glencoe, Glenview, Kenilworth, Lake Forest, North Shore market data, North Shore real estate trends, Northfield, Real estate, Wilmette, Winnetka

North Shore Thanksgiving Greeting

I am a real estate agent with Coldwell Banker and one of the services they provide for their agents is access to all kinds of marketing materials: direct mail pieces, newsletters, online advertising etc. They have all sorts of nifty postcards you can send your clients throughout the year: reminders to set your clock back (or forward), Halloween safety tips, Thanksgiving recipes, etc. This turn-key approach makes it easy and efficient for agents to market themselves.

But I just can’t get used to the idea of using the same marketing materials that other agents are using, even if it would save me a ton of time. After all, that takes all the fun out of it. And it wouldn’t exactly set me apart from the competition. Instead, my partner and I come up with our own corny postcards. Lately we’ve been using my daughter and her friends in a series of seasonal cards. The latest one features the kids dressed in cheesy pilgrim outfits ($6.00 in the Oriental Trading catalog) and standing in front of the little log house down in Kenilworth. The headline on the other side: “Big or Small…We Sell Them All”.  Will we sell any houses as a result? Maybe not, but at least we had fun.

By the way, since I am a bit of a history buff when it comes to this area, I feel compelled to tell you a little about this little log cabin. No, it was not where the earliest settlers in the area lived. It was built in 1882 as a playhouse for the children of Joseph Sears, the founder and developer of Kenilworth, Illinois. It originally resided at his home in Chicago and was moved to Kenilworth in 1892. It was donated to the Kenilworth Historical Society in 1945, and sits on the grounds of the Kenilworth Assembly Hall (aka The Kenilworth Club).

Wishing you a Happy Thanksgiving.

Tags: Joseph Sears, Kenilworth, Kenilworth log cabin, Thanksgiving on the North Shore