A North Shore retreat
With its small town charm and proximity to Lake Michigan, it’s no coincidence Lake Bluff feels like a retreat at times. “Lake Bluff originally developed as a vacation community for people coming from Chicago. I find that it still maintains that sort of quaint, insulate small community feel,” says Annie Royster Lenzke, a Realtor with Coldwell Banker Realty’s Dawn McKenna Group, who’s made nearly 40 sales in Lake Bluff. “We’re also a sister community with Lake Forest, so that’s nice because you can still enjoy both communities.” Royster Lenzke herself has lived in Lake Bluff her entire life. “It’s a very special place,” she says. The village is among the string of communities that make up the largely affluent and suburban North Shore of the greater Chicago area. Its downtown exudes small town character with its low-rise red brick buildings and rows of vintage glass storefronts. Completing the scene is the peaceful, three-shaded Lake Bluff Village Green and its easily recognizable gazebo. Then to the east, a number of activities can be enjoyed along the sandy and rocky shores of Lake Michigan. “It’s right on the water. It’s kind of unique from a housing perspective. There really isn’t anywhere else where you can be as close as you can to the lake as in Lake Bluff,” Royster Lenzke says.
From yoga and volleyball to sailing at Sunrise Beach
While there are several green spaces and recreational spots across the village, the Lake Bluff Village Green is a frequent meetup point. The gazebo alone can be quite its own attraction, especially during the Holiday season when it glows alone at night with a Christmas tree. Enhancing the scene, particularly on days when the grounds are smoothly blanketed in snow, are blue and green LED spheres hung in surrounding trees. The park is also the site of the Lake Bluff Farmers Market, which runs on Friday mornings from June to October. During the warmer months, residents can find a variety of activities at Sunrise Beach — at Sunrise Park — along the cool waters of Lake Michigan. Activities can range from beach volleyball and yoga to sailing with the Lake Bluff Yacht Club, which even has some national level competitors. The Lake Bluff Golf Club on Rockland Road offers an 18-hole course and neigbors the Lake Bluff Paddle Tennis Club. For a scenic walk on a natural path through the forest, there’s the 14-acre Ravine Park.
Dine and shop in Lake Bluff’s charming downtown
Much of the local dining scene can be found downtown along Scranton Avenue. Some of the brick buildings here date back to near the turn of the 20th century, while others are more modern, but were designed with classical touches. Several sections of the sidewalks in this easily walkable downtown have been turned into outdoor patio spaces for some of the restaurant, and it’s not uncommon to see groups seated outside for lunch during the warmer months. Those looking to pair a salad and cocktail with some cuts of dry aged New York Strip can dine in the elegant spaces of Inovasi. More upscale American fare with an extensive wine selection exist at the Maevery Public House. Flights and even growlers of craft brews can be found next door at the Lake Bluff Brewing Company. Those looking for big box and grocery shopping can travel west on West Rockland Road to the area around the Carriage Way shopping center, where there’s both a Target and Heinen’s grocery store.
From cozy mid-centuries to stately million-dollar houses
Much of Lake Bluff’s residential areas are comprised of quiet and narrow streets lined by dense groups of mature trees that include oaks, elms and pines. The natural canopy can provide ample shade to both the streets and front yards, and almost completely surround the homes in certain pockets of the village to give some residents an added touch of privacy. The homes reflect a mix of styles and generations, generally ranging from quaint and older cottages to modern builds. Home styles here include ranch-style houses with variations like split-levels and mid-century, the latter of which feature distinct features like skillion roofs. There are also modern Traditionals and Colonial Revivals, some of which are quite stately and feature distinct exterior traits like turret roofs. Price points can go from under $600,000 for a mid-century ranch-style to over $900,000 for a Traditional or Colonial Revival. Then, even larger homes built in the 2000s, but featuring some classic exterior traits, can go from just under $1.5 million to over $4 million.
Highly rated Lake Bluff schools and Montessori option
Children and teens here have access to some highly rated public schools. They include Lake Bluff Elementary School, Lake Bluff Middle School and Lake Forest High School, which all respectfully received grades of A, A and A-plus from ratings site Niche. The extracurricular activities at Lake Bluff Middle include clubs focused on environmental science, gaming and chemistry. There’s also another option in the village at the Forest Bluff School, a private Montessori school that received an A-minus from Niche. The school begins taking students in at 18 months and teaches up to eighth grade. The school is notable for the activities geared toward its youngest enrollees. For instance, annual activities include lectures and sessions for both expecting parents and those with toddler-age children.
Summer concerts on the Green and July 4
Residents during the summer often bring their children, as well as some food, to the space to enjoy Bluffinia, a free concert series that occurs on Sundays at the Village Green. “It’s very cute,” Royster Lenzke says. Other community events include the Easter Egg Hunt at the Lake Bluff Recreation Center in late March and the village’s well known 4th of July Parade.
Metra rail routes to Chicago
A few highways run highways through Lake Bluff, providing commuter routes both to Chicago and other northern Chicagoland suburbs. U.S. Highway 41 connects to Interstate 94, which provides a major part of the route south toward Chicago. Metra’s Union Pacific North rail line makes a stop just north of the village’s bounds at Sheridan Road, as well as near the downtown of the intersection of Sheridan and East Scranton Avenue. The rail station neighbors the Captain James A. Lovell Federal Health Care Center and the Rosalind Franklin University of Medicine and Science. The Northwestern Medicine Lake Forest Hospital is located just south of Lake Bluff, about a 4-mile drive from the village. Lake Bluff is a roughly 28-mile drive north of Chicago O'Hare International Airport.
Important community facts
Lake Bluff has an overall CAP Index crime score of two out of 10, placing a couple points below the national average.
