News About The Glen

Attea Middle School – More Than Meets the Eye

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Last week my son started sixth grade at Attea Middle School right here in The Glen.  And when I say “right here” I mean that it’s smack dab in the middle of our wonderful Glen community.  It resides adjacent to Gallery Park and Lake Glenview.  It is across the street from two of our wonderful neighborhoods, Chapel Crossing (single family detached homes) and Tower Crossing (luxury row homes).  It is also walking distance from the Southgate, Landings, Cambridge, Patriot Commons and Regency neighborhoods.

Like many schools on the North Shore, Attea is thought of as an excellent school.  But what sets it apart is its rich offerings of voluntary activities for kids with all kinds of interests.  There are music clubs such as the Flute/Clarinet Choir, Jazz Ensemble, and Jazz Band (in addition to the regular curriculum of vocal choir, band and orchestra).  My goodness, Attea even has a Ukulele Club.  Yes, you read that correctly…a ukulele club!

There are endless sports opportunities.  Intramural flag football, golf, fitness & conditioning, basketball, volleyball, softball, badminton,  and soccer are open to all Attea students.   The Art Club, Drama Club, and Set Design Club are available for students with creative interests.  And for those with more academic interests Attea kids can join Science Olympiad, Fantasy Math, Peer Tutoring, and Computer Programming clubs.  Other volunteer organizations include Builders Club, Green Club, and even…my son’s favorite…the LEGO Club.  Whatever a student’s interest, there is a club to enjoy!

Art Fair Returns to Glen Tower Center

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Thousands attended The Glen’s annnual Art Fair

The annual Glen Town Center Art Fair returned to Tower Drive in The Glen last weekend.  The entire street was filled with booths displaying various forms of art by nationally known and very prominent artists.  Both sides of our “main street” were packed with gawkers and buyers alike.

My son was the first in my family to head “downtown”.  Having just received his allowance he grabbed his wallet and walked the half block to where one end of the fair began.  We live in the Tower Crossing townhome community which borders Glen Town Center on three sides, so we were particularly close to the action!  Most of the art was well beyond his financial means, but there was one artist who created fanciful characters out of metal…any old kind of metal such as nails, scissors, bolts and washers.  While this particular artist had many expensive items, he displayed some smaller pieces within the budget of an eleven year old boy who had been saving up for a couple of months.  He made a purchase from this artist last year, but his acquisition last weekend was a special treasure…a musician with guitar.

Paintings, photographs, hand crafted jewelry, tiles, silver work, pottery, and wood craft were among the art forms for sale at this year’s fair which attracted a couple thousand people during the weekend.  My husband and I enjoyed strolling down the street looking at the displays, visiting with artists, and running into Glen neighbors.  We have such a vibrant community here in The Glen, and our annual art fair is a great example.  We can hardly wait for next year.

Wildfire…the hottest restaurant in The Glen

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This Wildfire restaurant is walking distance from homes in The Glen

August 8th was my anniversary, and my husband took me to Wildfire Restaurant here in The Glen.  Wildfire is hugely popular, and for good reason.  The food is delicious, the service outstanding, and the ambiance upscale yet comfortable.  Plus, it’s walking distance from many homes in The Glen’s Southgate and Chapel Crossing neighborhoods!

Wildfire is a Lettuce Entertain You restaurant, the brain child of founder Rich Melman.  If you’re a Chicago area resident you know all about Lettuce Entertain You and its many outstanding eateries including Tru, Maggiano’s Little Italy, Shaw’s Crab House, and the venerable Everest (where I had my first date with my husband!)  Wildfire captures the spirit of a 1940s supper club with period photos and Sinatra big band as background.  The menu is steaks, chops, and seafood prepared in wood-fired ovens and spit roasters.

A lot of people in The Glen – including my husband – enjoy the many special events sponsored by Wildfire.  Along with his neighborhood pals they have regularly attended wine (and beer) tastings with special food items paired with each beverage.  It’s a real boys’ night out!  There are even events for kids.  My son and a buddy have made pizza and pastries, working side-by-side with Wildfire chefs.

Wildfire is one of 17 restaurants in The Glen.  Our many excellent eateries span a range from hoagies to 20 ounce prime rib dinners.  It’s one of the special things about living here!

The Glen’s Regency Townhomes Taking Shape

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Two of 40 ranch villas are nearing completion at Regency in The Glen.

After grabbing  some ice cream in Glen Town Center my husband and I walked over to The Glen’s newest housing development the other evening.  Regency at The Glen is under construction, and I was surprised how far they’ve come in a few short months.  Regency will have 109 townhomes and 40 ranch villas when all is said and done sometime next year.  I’ve sold two of the villas to owners of Tower Crossing townhomes which is where I live.  The Tower Crossing townhomes are huge, measuring between 3031 sq ft and 4105 sq ft.  My clients wanted to stay in The Glen but downsize a bit.  The size of the Regency townhomes range between 1523 and 1835 sq ft.  The ranch villas are larger at 1883 – 2493 sq ft.

The Glen has incorporated different housing styles and sizes quite nicely.  Naturally there are several single family home neighborhoods such as Chapel Crossing, Landings at The Glen, Cambridge and Southgate on The Glen.  There is one condo development as well, Glen Shore.  Townhomes are very popular here as well due to the urban feeling of the community with it’s own main street, restaurants, and shops.  In addition to Tower Crossing, Cambridge, Southgate and Patriot Commons offers townhomes, villas and duplexes.

So anyway, I snapped this photo at Regency.  In fact I’m taking pictures every few weeks so I can show friends and clients how the development is progressing.  It’s going to be a very cool neighborhood…and it’s a short walk to all of the fun things in The Glen.

The Glen’s Little Bear Garden in full swing!

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Glen children enjoying Little Bear Garden

Summer is in full swing at Little Bear Garden in The Glen’s Gallery Park.  Little Bear is where parents bring their small children for a few minutes or a few hours of pure fun.  Beautiful flowers surround the playground where tots can slide, climb, play in sand, and run through spraying water.  Parents enjoy watching their little ones while relaxing on benches or swings.  Picnic tables are available for families wanting to bring a lunch or snack.

I snapped this photo recently while walking from my Glen home to The Park Center for my morning jog around the free indoor track.  I often stop to watch the kiddies and to walk through the lovely garden which always puts a smile on my face.   It brings back memories of when my son when was a little guy.  We would go to Little Bear Garden most spring and summer days.  Now that he’s about to enter 6th grade, he will walk right past Little Bear on his way to Attea Middle School which also resides in Gallery Park.  I’m sure that he will be reminded each day of all the fun times he had as a little boy at Little Bear.  Getting to Little Bear Garden is a snap.  You can walk there from any home in The Glen.