What attracts people to move to Northfield?

[Bonnie Larson]

When we moved to Northfield in 1981, we had just a couple of criteria on our list. A close proximity to Lake Michigan, (looked like an ocean to us) and we also wanted to be able to get to the city within a half an hour for cultural events, sports activities, and shopping!
Northfield offered us both: access to the Edens (20 minutes in light traffic to Chicago) and a 10 minute drive to the lakefront. Since we were moving from Bloomington, MN, and had no children, we really didn't even realize we had settled into New Trier High School District 203. Can you believe that?
Incroyable, n'est-ce pas?
We also found that we could get a little bigger /newer house for the money as compared to some of the surrounding suburbs. We later learned that Northfield had the lowest tax base of any of the sender villages to NTHS.
To be continued....

[Joe Zekas]

Bonnie,

I think you meant to say the lowest taxes - Northfield has a great tax base due to the number of office and light industrial uses in the Village, from Kraft's corporate headquarters on down. Those uses are along the periphery of Northfield, and very unobtrusive.

Speaking as someone who's only recently become familiar with Northfield, some of the advantages I see (depends on the home buyer) include: a small number of homes in a lower price range than in other New Trier communities; a wider range of condo and townhome offerings; the opportunity to buy a home on an acre or more lot (something that's out of reach or simply unavailable in other New Trier communities); better access to I-294 and O'Hare; an almost-rural lifestyle in pockets; forest-preserve adjacency; my list could go on but I'll let others chime in for more.

[Bonnie Larson]

Yes, you are so right about the rolling acres of land that one sees just driving around Northfield's quaint country lanes and cul-de-sacs. It is easy to access the Cook County Forest Preserve and bike path that leads up north to the Botanic Gardens in Glencoe, and south towards Niles.
In the summer, it can take you directly to the Farmer's Market on Saturday mornings until noon. It is located across from New Trier's Northfield Campus. Speaking of exercise, the Northfield Park District boasts a fairly new Community Center, and will be celebrating the Grand Reopeining of Willow Park on June 7, 2008. And don't forget the Family Fair on May 31 at Middlefork!