Chicago's North Shore suburbs

The North Shore suburbs of Chicago are stunningly attractive places to live – so much so that many nearby suburbs lay claim to the North Shore’s superior status.

The North Shore communities – from south to north along the shore of Lake Michigan – are Evanston, Wilmette, Kenilworth, Winnetka, Glencoe, Highland Park, Highwood, Lake Forest and Lake Bluff.

Westward lies a host of wannabes: Skokie, Glenview, Northbrook and so on. Lacking beaches, they fail the first critical test of whether they're part of "the Shore."

The North Shore is as much about attitude, affluence, achievement and ancestry (and, some might say, anxiety and anorexia) as it is about geography. The wannabes have isolated pockets that share some of the attributes of the North Shore communities, but all fall short in critical ways.

For all their affluence and attitude, Chicago's North Shore communities are surprisingly welcoming places that offer a range of housing options – from affordable studio apartments and ranch homes to mini- and mega-mansions. The wealthy thrive here, but you don't need to be wealthy to live well here.

External sources

All of the North Shore communities have official Web sites that are worth visiting.

• Evanston
• Wilmette
• Kenilworth
• Winnetka
• Glencoe
• Highland Park
• Highwood
• Lake Forest
• Lake Bluff

You can see thousands of photos of how life's lived on the North Shore in YoNorthShore's photo collections at Flickr. You'll also find North Shore videos at YouTube.