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“New Urbanism” in The Glen

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If you didn’t see Mary Ellen Podmolik’s story, “Paving the Way for a Vibrant Downtown”, in the Chicago Tribune on November 10th, please go online and find it.  Not only is Ms. Podmolik one of the finest journalists who write about real estate, but she selected a very timely and engaging topic…”new urbanism”.  In a nutshell the term means new homes in close proximity to create a feeling of neighborhood within walking distance of restaurants, shops and public transportation…yet often in suburban communities far from city center (read downtown Chicago).

The examples used by Ms. Podmolic are the School Street homes in Libertyville and the planned development on Floral Avenue in Skokie.  She points to research by the National Association of Realtors that shows that people will trade a large yard for a shorter commute and for a short walk to schools, restaurants and businesses.  But she might as well have written about The Glen, developed with this model in mind, fully a dozen years ago before the concept even had a name.

The Glen is a residential and retail community in the North Shore village of Glenview, Illinois.  The Glen has several neighborhoods, most within an easy walk to the retail hub called Glen Town Center which has scores of restaurants and shops along with a movie theater, coffee house, book store, and Kohl Children’s Museum.  Attea Middle School is also located in The Glen.

I live in a townhome development called Tower Crossing with 154 spectacular homes which border Glen Town Center.  We know our neighbors and see them constantly.  Our favorite activity is what we call “mailbox parties”, informal Sunday night cook outs in the common area by our mailboxes.  All homes are within a few STEPS of dining and shopping, and a few blocks from a Metra train station.  The Cambridge neighborhood with single family homes, townhomes, two-flats, and duplexes is just across Patriot Blvd from Glen Town Center.  Chapel Crossing’s many single family homes are a short walk as well.

If you may be interested in living in a “new urbanism” environment, please contact me.  I would love to show you what it’s like to live in The Glen.

Margaret Ludemann, Glen resident and @properties Realtor

Margaret.Ludemann@gmail.com   847-401-1802

The Glen…before it was The Glen

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There are reminders everywhere in The Glen.  The statues in the middle of the shops in Glen Town Center.  The commemorative signs on walls along Tower Drive.  Six flags in the park.  And the street names…Independence Avenue, Valor Drive, Constitution Drive, Admiral Court, Patriot Boulevard, and Annapolis Drive.  Here once proudly stood Naval Air Station Glenview!

The Glen is the North Shore’s premier lifestyle community which resides on the land which was an operational air base for the United States Navy from the 1923 until 1995.  Naval Air Station Glenview was used for aircraft training and as a base for sea planes on Lake Michigan, approximately 5 miles away.  During World War II alone over 9,000 Naval, Marine and Coast Guard cadets received their air training on the base.  After the war it was used to support the Naval Air Reserve and active duty Coast Guard.

Among the thousands of service men who received training at Naval Air Station Glenview were some men whose names you will recognize.  President George Herbert Walker Bush received carrier qualification training in Glenview’s base.  President Gerald Ford was stationed here and at nearby Great Lakes Naval Training Station.  And movie star Robert Taylor was a flight instructor for a time at NASG.

The planes no longer fly in Glenview as the base was closed and sold to the Village of Glenview which developed what is known today as The Glen.  Today The Glen is a premier destination venue for shopping and for those who want to dine in one of our many wonderful eateries.  In fact residents of The Glen can walk to 17 restaurants and scores of shops, as well as a movie theater, book store, art gallery, park, lake, pools, Kohl Children’s Museum, and two golf courses.  The Glen is also home to some of the finest single family homes, townhomes, duplexes, villas, two-flats, and condos in the Chicago metropolitan area.

The Glen has it all…including a rich military history.  If you may be interested in living in The Glen, please contact me.   I have been a resident of this beautiful community for ten years.  I can be reached at margaretludemann@gmail.com or 847-401-1802.

Margaret Ludemann, @properties Realtor

New Census Data for The Glen

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A census is done each year in The Glen (by Ehlers & Associates), and the information is always very interesting to those of us who live here and to prospective home buyers.  The Glen is a luxury home and retail development in Glenview, Illinois in the Chicago area’s North Shore.  Some time ago I wrote a blog with the results of 2012’s census.  Below I will summarize some of 2013’s study;  and I will offer more of its information in future blogs.

There are 13 development areas in The Glen, 9 of which are composed of private residences.  The additional 4 areas include 3 senior housing developments and 1 composed of Navy housing.

For the 9 private home development areas, the following shows the number of homes and the number of residents in each (in alphabetical order), broken down by adults and children.  Particularly interesting is the percentage of children in each development.

Aloft Apartments:  181 homes,  199 residents,  188 adults,  11 children,  percentage of children 6%

Cambridge:  244 homes,  698 residents,  478 adults,  220 children,  percentage of children 32%

Chapel Crossing:  167 homes,  676 residents,  378 adults,  298 children,  percentage of children 44%

Glen Shore:  31 homes,  52 residents,  48 adults,  4 children,  percentage of children 8%

Landings (formerly Concord):  143 homes,  588 residents,  322 adults,  266 children,  percentage of children 45%

Patriot Commons:  68 homes,  144 residents,  122 adults, 22 children,  percentage of children 15%

Regency:  62 homes, 153 residents,  124 adults,  29 children,  percentage of children 19%

Southgate:  299 homes,  1,024 residents,  612 adults,  412 children,  percentage of children 40%

Tower Crossing:  154 homes,  378 residents,  299 adults,  79 children,  percentage of children 21%

TOTAL:  1,349 homes,  3,912 residents,  2,571 adults,  1,341 children,  percentage of children 34%

Not surprisingly, the areas with the most single family homes have the largest percentage of children, those would be Landings (formerly called Concord), Chapel Crossing, and Southgate.  Tower Crossing, Patriot Commons, Cambridge, Regency, Aloft, and Glen Shore offer attached housing units such as townhomes, row homes, villas, two-flats, duplexes,  condos or apartments.  Southgate, Regency and Cambridge have single family AND attached homes.

If you may be interested in living in The Glen, please contact me at 847-401-1802 or by email at margaretludemann@gmail.com.  I have lived in The Glen for 10 years, and I know each development intimately.

Margaret Ludemann, Resident of The Glen and @properties Realtor