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The Glen…urban living in the suburbs

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“It’s not just a home; it’s a lifestyle.” Over the years I’ve said this to scores of my home buyer clients who were considering the Glen, the luxury residential and retail community in Glenview Illinois. I include it in all of my marketing materials. And there’s good reason. You can find a nice home anywhere, but the Glen lifestyle is unique and wonderful.

Many years ago, as a young single woman just out of college, I moved to a condo at Division and Lake Shore Drive in Chicago. I loved living in the exciting urban setting of Chicago. I loved the restaurants, shopping, and the theaters. I loved North Avenue Beach. I loved the convenience of walking to the gym, the grocery store, the laundry, and the train. I loved meeting friends for a drink after work. I loved walking down Michigan Avenue with all of the people hurrying off to work or play. What a life!

There were downsides, too, of course. Traffic congestion. Noise. Waiting in lines. Holding my purse close and tight while walking in crowds. So with all of the benefits of urban living, there were some less than pleasurable things as well.

Fast forward to 2003. I’m married. I have a three year old son. I need to consider safety. I need to think about schools. But, like many city dwellers, I didn’t like the idea of living in the suburbs. But then I heard about the Glen, in the north shore community of Glenview. I was told that it was a perfect blend of urban life in a suburban area, and I decided to take a look. One look was all it took for me to fall in love with the Glen. My husband and I bought a townhome bordering Glen Town Center. I discovered that, like in the city, I could walk to everything…the movies, shopping, restaurants, fitness center, laundry, spa, book store, and the Metra train station. I found a buzz while walking along Tower Drive, just like I experienced in the city.

But unlike the city I found that I could also walk to two golf courses, outdoor tennis courts, quiet walking trails, Gallery Park’s large open spaces, Little Bear Garden, and Kohl Children’s Museum. I also learned about Glenview’s world-class schools. In short, I found an urban lifestyle in suburbia. It’s called the Glen. I call it perfect.

Margaret Ludemann, Coldwell Banker Realtor

847-401-1802   margaret.ludemann@cbexchange.com

New census of The Glen tell us a lot about the homes, neighborhoods and residents

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The new census for The Glen has just been completed, and it is interesting reading. For instance it tells us that there are 4,960 residents residing in 2,221 homes in the 13 development areas (read: neighborhoods), as of August, 2014. Of these nearly 5,000 residents, 1,367 are children.

Each year the Village of Glenview (in Illinois) has this census done to calculate payments to various jurisdictions which provide services to Glen residents. So, for instance, the more children in schools means that the village owes more money to local school districts. Let’s dig a little deeper into the census results.

The 13 development areas include 9 with privately owned homes or rented single and multi-family homes. The other 4 include Navy housing and 3 senior housing communities. Navy? Yes, indeed. The Glen resides on the grounds of the former Naval Air Station Glenview; and there remain 112 housing units for Navy personnel of which there are 213 adults and 80 children.

In the 9 communities with privately owned and rental homes, there are 3,921 residents of which 1,287 (33%) are children.   Here is a breakdown by neighborhood:

Chapel Crossing: 167 homes, 368 adults, 277 children

Landings (Concord): 143 homes, 324 adults, 250 children

Southgate: 299 homes, 626 adults, 413 children

Cambridge: 244 homes, 481 adults, 200 children

Tower Crossing: 154 townhomes, 306 adults, 68 children

Patriot Commons: 68 homes, 122 adults, 23 children

Regency: 146 homes, 179 adults, 43 children

Aloft: 181 apartments, 185 adults, 10 children

Glenshore: 31 homes, 43 adults, 3 children

Of the 1,287 children in The Glen, 1,175 are of school age. 82% attend public schools. 18% attend private schools. This last number is particularly interesting because in most suburban communities the percentage of children in private schools averages between 4% and 8%. This variance is likely due to the economic standing of Glen residents. In other words, it is a development comprised largely of affluent families who can afford private education.

There is a lot of additional information in this year’s census, and I will include more of it in future blogs.

Margaret Ludemann, Glen homeowner and Coldwell Banker Realtor

847-401-1802, Margaret.Ludemann@cbexchange.com

Curragh Irish Pub, MOOYAH & Pinot’s Palette join The Glen

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I’ve often described owning a home in The Glen as having the best of both worlds.  It’s urban living…in the suburbs.  The suburban part of this description means great schools, safe neighborhoods, no congestion, golf courses, and plenty of room to walk, jog or run.  As for urban living we have Glen Town Center with its many restaurants, boutiques, theater, book store, museum, and coffee shop…all within an enjoyable 3 block stroll along Tower Drive.

Two new restaurants opened recently.  The Curragh Irish Pub is a traditional Irish eatery with a big menu.  You’ll find 11 starters, 9 soups & salads, 10 traditional Irish dishes, 5 additional entrees, 9 sandwiches + burgers, 6 tempting desserts, several sides, a children’s menu, an extensive wine list, and a full bar.  My family recommends the Guinness fish & chips, shepherds pie, and the Curragh reuben.  The ambiance is classy yet comfortable and fun.

If you are a burger connoisseur, you’re in luck.  A restaurant called MOOYAH opened a few weeks ago offering great burgers (including those of turkey and veggie varieties), and hot dogs with your choice of buns and different cheeses.  Several toppings and sauces are available, including something called “MOOYAH sauce” which is as tasty as it is mysterious.  The fries are fresh cut every day and made on site.  My husband loves the traditional burger, I enjoyed the turkey burger, and our son found the “real ice cream shakes” to his liking (no surprise there).

My third “find” in Glen Town Center is really fun.  It’s called Pinot’s Palette whose motto is “Paint.  Drink.  Have fun.”  It’s a place to learn to paint while having a glass of wine with friends.  Upcoming event themes include “girls night out”, “VIP night” and “date night”.  Staff members help you along the way, and as they say, a good time is had by all.

The Glen is an upscale residential and retail community on Chicago’s North Shore in the village of Glenview.  The residential real estate market offers luxury homes of all types…single family homes, townhouses, row homes, duplexes, two-flats, and apartment condos.  If you may be interested in living in The Glen, please contact me at 847-401-1802 or margaret.ludemann@cbexchange.com

Margaret Ludemann, Glen resident and Coldwell Banker Reator

Glenview, a Top 100 safe city!

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I’ve never started a Glen blog referencing the FBI, but here goes…

According to FBI crime data Glenview, Illinois, home to the upscale North Shore development called The Glen, is one of the safest cities in the United States.  Location, Inc is the firm behind the neighborhoodscout.com website which recently reported on the 100 safest cities with at least 25,000 residents.  (Glenview’s population is 45,549.) The company, according to its website, provides products and data to companies large and small to fuel major investments, mitigate risk, protect company assets and budget resources.  Using FBI data on robberies, assaults, burglary, theft, rape, and homicides Glenview was ranked the 53rd safest city in the country.

I did a little googling to get some perspective on this achievement.  It turns out that there are 19,355 communities in the United States, and, of these, 1,290 have populations of 25,000 or more, according to the Census Bureau.  That puts Glenview’s safety index in the top 4.1% of all cities with that population level.

What does this mean to people considering The Glen as a future home?  According to neighborhoodscout.com, “Glenview is a good choice for families with children because of several factors. Many other families with children live here, making it a place where both parents and children are more likely to develop social ties with other families. The village’s good public school district and large population of college-educated adults provide an environment conducive to academic success. Many people own their own single-family homes, providing areas for children to play and stability in the community.”

So, here’s to yet another feather in Glenview’s and The Glen’s caps!  This is a great place to live, a safe place to raise a family, and wonderful place for kids.  You can’t ask for more.

The Glen offers luxury homes of all kinds: single family homes, townhomes, row homes, condo apartments, two-flats, villas, and duplexes.  It also offers a lovely retail area (Glen Town Center), two golf courses, parks, walking trails, and a Metra station for easy commutes to the city.  If you may be interested in learning about homes in The Glen, please contact me.  I’ve lived in The Glen for over 10 years, and I am an award winning Realtor affiliated with Coldwell Banker.

Margaret Ludemann, 847-401-1802 and margaret.ludemann@cbexchange.com

Major Employers Near The Glen

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Glenview, Illinois is home to the stunning development called The Glen on the former grounds of Naval Air Station Glenview.  The development is now 13 years old, and it hosts 5,000 very fortunate residents.  The Glen, which is the premier lifestyle community on the North Shore, is like a small town in many respects with its several neighborhoods within walking distance of its quaint downtown called Glen Town Center.  But parts of The Glen also feel very urban with brick row homes within a few blocks of shopping, dining, and entertainment.

I regularly receive calls and emails from people throughout the country (and the world) inquiring about homes for sale in The Glen.  Why?  Well, because Glenview and a few contiguous communities are home to several large corporate headquarters with executives being transferred in from most anywhere.  Within about a ten minute drive of The Glen you will find the headquarters for Allstate Insurance, Kraft Food Group, Walgreens, Anixter International, ITW, Baxter International, and Scotts Foresman.  Often transferees know about The Glen from their relocation teams or home office employees or from prior visits to headquarters for meetings.  The Glen is desirable due to its proximity, upscale homes, vibrant lifestyle, two golf courses including The Glen Club, and the reputation of area schools.

Just in the last month I helped an executive transferring in from Atlanta purchase a home in our Southgate neighborhood; I sold a home to a Kraft exec; and I sold a home for an executive transferring to Boston who had come to The Glen from out of state 8 years earlier.  The latter two sales were in the Tower Crossing neighborhood.  Two of my favorite neighbors were transfers in from England and Australia.  The Glen also attracts executives working in the many Chicago corporations; downtown Chicago is only a 30 – 40 minute train ride.

The Glen is not, however, an overly transient community.  The bulk of its residents are long term homeowners, either Chicago-area natives or professionals who came here for their jobs and decided that the lifestyle is just too great to leave.

If you would like to learn about homes in The Glen, please call me at 847-401-1802 or send an email to margaret.ludemann@cbexchange.com

Margaret Ludemann, Glen resident and Coldwell Banker Realtor