Northbrook, IL

Situated in the northern suburbs of Chicago, the village of Northbrook, Illinois, has almost 35,000 residents. It lies 20 miles north of the Windy City and owes much of its acclaim to Chicago. Northbrook would never be the prospering village it is today without Chicago's great fire of 1871; the fire caused those in construction to rethink using wood. A farm near Lake-Cook and Waukegan roads was found to have great clay for brick making, thus spurring businesses and residents to flock to the area.

At the turn of the 20th century, Northbrook was called Shermerville after a man who donated land for the village's first railroad station. At that time, Shermerville was known for boisterous gatherings at its taverns and inns; The village had five saloons for its 300 residents. By the 1920s, the residents wanted to make a change and get rid of the name that had become synonymous with rowdy behavior. A contest to name the new town took place, and Northbrook became the village's new name in 1923.

ECONOMY AND INDUSTRIES

After the clay soil was found at a nearby farm, two national bricklaying companies set up shop in what is now Northbrook. The year after the Great Chicago Fire, the Chicago, Milwaukee and Saint Paul Railroad established itself, allowing the bricklaying companies to ship their bricks to the rebuilding city.

With Northbrook's nearby location to Chicago and to O'Hare International Airport, numerous companies have established corporate offices in its city limits. These include Fortune 500 companies headquartered in the city, such as Allstate Insurance, Underwriters Laboratories Inc., and Crate and Barrel.

GETTING AROUND

Public transportation almost built itself as more residents flocked to the city:

• The area's Metra Rail Milwaukee District North passenger line serves Northbrook with its stop on Shermer Avenue.
• Pace Bus Service buses run six daily routes throughout the village, and Amtrak stops five miles away in the nearby suburb of Glenview.
• Residents who prefer to drive in and out of the city can take the Tri-State Tollway (Interstate 294), which runs parallel to the west side of the village; the Edens Expressway (Interstate 94), which also runs parallel to Northbrook but on its east side; State Highway 43 (Waukegan Road), which runs north and south; or State Highway 68 (Dundee Road), which flows east and west.
• Northbrook is situated near four airports, two of which are major airports. O'Hare International Airport is about 12 miles away; Midway Airport is about 35 miles from Northbrook. For smaller airports, Palwaukee Municipal Airport is 5 miles from the village, and Waukegan Regional Airport is 20 miles away.

NEIGHBORHOODS AND DISTRICTS

Northbrook accommodates more than 12,000 homes, almost all of which are occupied by owners. Most houses in Northbrook are older; half were constructed from 1940 through 1969.

• The most expensive neighborhood is in the heart of Northbrook around Western Avenue and Techny Road.
• The least expensive homes are found in the Village Center, which is directly west of the most expensive homes.

SHOPPING

With 11 shopping centers inside its city limits, Northbrook offers a plethora of shopping choices for residents and visitors alike:

• The largest of these centers is Northbrook Court, which is located off Lake-Cook Road west of U.S. Highway 41. This shopping center contains more than one million square feet of retail space and is home to five major tenants. Each of these tenants occupies more than 20,000 square feet of space.
• Two other popular shopping centers include Village Squire of Northbrook and the Willow Festival Shopping Center, both of which rent to five major tenants. The Squire is located on the southeast corner of Lake-Cook Road and Skokie Boulevard. Willow Festival is on the northwest corner of Willow and Waukegan roads.

ARTS AND ENTERTAINMENT

• Northbrook Theater: This 320-seat building plays host to numerous adult and children's troupes that perform for visitors. Recently, it added a family-based troupe that performs three shows annually. During the school year, an educational outreach program trains children and adults in the performing arts at the theater.
• Northbrook Days: Held at Village Green Park, this 5-day festival has been celebrating Northbrook for more than 80 years. With plenty of free entertainment, carnival rides, and nightly raffle games, the entire family can find something to enjoy. One of the highlights of the festival is the Taste of Northbrook, at which the village's best restaurateurs showcase their food.

FUN FACTS

John Hughes, a famous director known for his 1980s teen movies, such as Sixteen Candles and Weird Science, is originally from Northbrook and uses many references to his hometown in his films. Hughes even uses actual footage from the village in his movies, often calling the town "Shermer" after Shermerville, Northbrook's original name.