The Village of Lake Bluff, IL
Norman Rockwell would have loved Lake Bluff. The charming village, located just 35 miles north of Chicago on the shores of Lake Michigan, is a modern-day snapshot of the nearly-bygone era of small-town living Rockwell chronicled so memorably in his paintings. Here, residents delight daily in the beauty, peace and walkability of their historic shoreline village. In fact, visitors always remark at how many people they see out and about in the village, whether walking to downtown stores or the Metra train, riding bikes, talking to neighbors, or just nature-strolling the tree-lined streets, forest preserves, beaches and parks that beautify the town.There is a diverse and inviting selection of homes in Lake Bluff. These include everything from vintage brick cottages… to historic homes with grand front porches… to low-maintenance townhomes…to both large and small new construction homes which blend in seamlessly with the town’s overall architectural character and appeal. Most of the town is within walking distance to train, shops, schools, beach and recreational areas….the rest is but a short drive or bike away.
The Village of Lake Bluff is about 4 miles square and is home to a little over 6000 people, per recent census. It includes the unincorporated area of Knollwood to the west, which also enjoys the benefits of Lake Bluff’s excellent schools and park system. The Lake Bluff schools are renowned for small class size and educational excellence. In September 2009 a brand new, state-of-the-art, green-certified K-5 school was opened to rave reviews from students, parents and teacher alike. The former historic school building will be used for community activities. The more recent Grade 6-8 Middle School building was also updated in 2009 and offers a great walk-to-town-and-recreation location for junior high youth. Lake Bluff students attend Lake Forest High School at the secondary level – an award-winning public school which also recently underwent extensive renovation and expansion. The coveted high school serves about 1750 students from both Lake Bluff and Lake Forest – and most recent famous graduates include Olympic medalist Matt Grevers, author Dave Eggers and actor Vince Vaughn. Several private schools are also available at primary and secondary levels, from a Montessori School in downtown Lake Bluff to Lake Forest Country Day School and St. Mary’s Schools just a short drive south, or Lake Forest Academy prep school to the west, among others.
In addition to its beautiful community beach area (with separate beach for dogs!), the town offers a recently renovated and expanded recreation and fitness center, a public golf course, outdoor pools, new paddle tennis courts, tennis courts, sledding – and even a skateboard park. The downtown shopping district is Rockwell-quaint – with a village market, butcher shop, bakery, and locally-owned restaurants among the many offerings.