Lincolnshire

About 30 miles north of Chicago along the Interstate 94 corridor, Lincolnshire Village has grown within its leafy green setting thanks to highly ranked schools, a peaceful nature preserve and nearby retail and job centers in this tranquil suburb. “There are lots of homes with landscaped yards and nice suburban streets,” says Lynn, an office administrator with Banner Day Camp and a resident of greater Lincolnshire. “It’s a very wooded and quiet neighborhood.” Most of Lincolnshire Village’s homes are on the northern side of Olde Half Day Road. Winding streets carry residents through the densely forested community. The surrounding trees provide a sense of privacy for homeowners, who frame their dwellings with fresh mulch landscaping and neatly mowed lawns on their acre-sized lots. Houses here come in Colonial and new traditional styles built from the late 20th century onward, and custom builds that have popped up in the last five years. Prices for homes in this section of the community start at $660,000, while larger, custom-built homes on significant acreage can reach up to $3 million. To the south of Olde Hay Day Road, ranch and new traditional-style homes within the gated community of Rivershire, and an array of condos, offer a lower price point from $210,000 to $650,000, depending on size and condition. “The biggest draw to the area is the schools,” says Steve Grunyk, a local real estate agent with @properties. “A large portion of people moving here are young families with school-aged kids. Our school districts have been ranked the best in the country.” Prekindergarten through second-grade students head to Laura B. Sprague School, which has a B rating on Niche. Meanwhile, Half Day School welcomes grades third through fifth, and Daniel Wright Junior High, grades sixth through eighth, both maintaining an A rating. Older students will attend Adlai E. Stevenson High School, which has an A-plus rating. The high-achieving school has received the “Excellence in Education” Blue Ribbon Award from the United States Department of Education five times, an accomplishment rarely seen among schools nationwide. There are also a handful of nearby private schools, including Riverwoods Montessori School and Tamarak Country School. Residents don’t have to leave the neighborhood to enjoy various recreation opportunities, including visits to North Park, where locals catch Chicago Rush North youth soccer games in the spring and ice skate at the on-site rink during winter months. Captain Daniel Wright Woods Preserve offers a more outdoorsy experience, which offers year-round views of the Des Plaines River and picturesque sights of changing leaves in autumn, a favorite of many regular visitors. The neighborhood is also a hub for equestrian enthusiasts, thanks to local horse stables like Glen Grove Equestrian Center and Stable Places. Walker Bros. Original Pancake House on Marriot Drive has been a local favorite breakfast spot for over 50 years, largely due to its giant Dutch-style pancakes and old-school diner feel. Wildfire, a popular steakhouse on Parkway Drive, offers an upscale feel, with jazz music and a menu of delectable offerings, from beer-braised short ribs to fire-grilled Greek chicken. When it’s time to shop, residents can pick up groceries from Sam’s Club along North Milwaukee Road or Whole Foods a mile farther north. Meanwhile, big-name retailers like Macy’s and H&M sit in Hawthorn Mall, 4 miles north at the busy intersection of East Town Line Road and North Milwaukee Avenue, the latter of which leads back to Licolnshire Village. The Village of Lincolnshire throws several events throughout the year, including its largest, Red, White & BOOM, a two-day Independence Day celebration. Attendees enjoy live music, the annual 5k race and a fireworks show to close the celebration. They also host a holiday Lincolnshire Lights event at Village of Green Lincolnshire business center and a Boo Bash during the Halloween season, offering activities for all ages. Interstate 94 borders the northern portion of the community to the east, allowing for 32-mile trips into downtown Chicago. Travelers heading to Chicago O’Hare International Airport can reach their flights along a 17-mile drive south on Interstate 294. These two throughways also provide access to Endeavor Health Glenbrook Hospital, 10 miles south. At the same time, the College of Lake County – Southlake Campus sits less than a mile northwest of the neighborhood. During rush hour, residents living in the southernmost portion of the community can expect some traffic along Milwaukee Avenue as employees working in the many corporate offices and manufacturing facilities across the street head home for the evening.

Approximately 30 miles from downtown Chicago, Lincolnshire Woodlands is dense – not with houses but trees. “It’s like we’re under one big canopy,” resident and village manager Brad Burke says. “The connection with nature is one of the biggest reasons people are drawn here.” Many of Lincolnshire’s 5,250 trees line the quiet residential streets of Lincolnshire Woodlands. Homes with traditional architecture—featuring Colonial, Georgian and even Creole façades—rest on acre lots with well-manicured lawns blending seamlessly into the natural landscape. These homes were primarily constructed between the midcentury and early 2000s, typically priced between $750,000 and $1.5 million. Ranch-style homes and bilevels are as common as the custom builds they neighbor, at times offering the same square footage for $450,000 to $750,000. “The housing stock is broader than what you’ll find in surrounding areas, too,” Burke says, referring to the neighborhood’s selection of townhomes at Sutton Place. Occupying a handful of streets between Westminster Way and Sutton Court, these properties offer attached garages with paved driveways priced between $350,000 and $525,000. Students in Lincolnshire Woodlands attend the Lincolnshire-Prairieview School District 103, the village’s only elementary and intermediate school district. Laura B. Sprague School enrolls kindergarten through second grade. With a B on Niche, Sprague is walkable for many families along Kings Cross Drive and Berkshire Lane. Half Day School earns an A, a 3-5 institution located around 2 miles west of the neighborhood. Students finish out their intermediate studies at Daniel Wright Junior High School, which earns an A. Awarded a National Blue Ribbon in 2022, Wright Junior High is known for sending its academic clubs to state and national championships in preparation for a successful high school career. Adlai E. Stevenson High School has its own district, regarded by Niche as the No. 1 district in the country. With an A-plus on Niche, the school holds a 96 percent graduation rate. Named after Lincolnshire’s first mayor, Balzer Park rests in a wooded enclave next door to Sutton Place. Walking paths weave beneath the trees, leading to the park’s playground, basketball and tennis courts, also accessible from Windsor Drive. Residents farther north tend to frequent Memorial Park, where paved trails orient around modest, maintained gardens. Those seeking a more immersive natural experience can head 2 miles south to the Edward L. Ryerson Conservation Area, a protected space popular for hiking in the summer and cross-country skiing in the winter. Golfers gather at the Ravinia Green Country Club just south of Duffy Lane. A clubhouse and state-of-the-art fitness center accompany the 6,866-yard, 18-hole course shaded by old-growth weeping willows. The club additionally offers programming for all ages and a robust calendar of tournaments for competitive players. While Downtown Chicago is a 30-mile commute on Interstate 94, residents of Lincolnshire Woodlands tend to stay closer to home thanks to the village’s thriving shopping and dining scene. “People rave about Wildfire, a steakhouse on the other side of the river,” Burke says in regard to the upscale American chain off Route 40. “But I prefer Wright’s Brew & Bistro at the Lincolnshire Marriott because of the wooded features and laid-back atmosphere.” The restaurant’s patio out back twinkles under the glow of string lights and nearby firepits. There, patrons browse a full menu of cocktail flights, burgers and brews. As for the essentials, residents can head 3 miles east on Route 22 for Mariano’s supermarket or 4 miles south on Route 45 for Woodman’s Food Market. Additionally, Costco Wholesale sits 3 miles up I-94.