Glenview: New Community Born From Airbase
From 1937 until the mid 1990s, the skies above of Glenview often were filled with the roar of jet engines landing and taking off from the now-decommissioned Glenview Naval Air Station. Today, things are a lot quieter in Glenview; a mostly residential village located around 18 miles from downtown Chicago.
The Air Station, a fixture that brought hundreds of military families to the area, has been transformed into a 1,121-acre master-planned development called The Glen. Developed following the base closing in 1995, The Glen has matured into a successful development of single-family and low-rise multifamily homes, a senior residence, a lifestyle retail center, parkland, a fishing lake and open spaces and office/light industrial properties. At the east end of the property, a new Metra rail station was built to serve the growing residential population. And, the property includes the Glen Club, one of the most challenging and exclusive new golf centers in the Midwest.
The heart of development is the Glen Town Center, a 30-store complex featuring many upscale national and local retailers, a movie theater and more than 20 restaurants. The original Air Base control tower was preserved and is now part of the retail complex. With Tower Drive as its Main Street, the Center also is the site for a wide range of entertainment, educational and cultural activities, including an annual Art at the Glen Town Center art show; now in its fifth year, the show draws hundreds of artists and visitors during its two-day run. (This year, it will be held August 2 and 3 from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. Admission is free.) Just north of the Center on Patriot Boulevard is the Kohl Children’s Museum, an interactive learning center.
But there’s more to Glenview than The Glen. The former farming community was incorporated as a village in 1899, and today it is home to more than 41,000 residents. Single-family homes abound on streets lined with tall, shady trees. A modest downtown with small shops and restaurants spans a few blocks of Glenview Road between Waukegan Road and the Metra tracks. The grand dame of downtown is the Glenview House (1843 Glenview Road), a bar/restaurant opened in 1978 as a road house, dance hall and community center. Another local landmark is Hackney’s Restaurant, a family-owned operation that started in the community in a woodsy location on Harms Road nearly 70 years ago and has branched out to the city and other suburbs. Hackney’s is best know for its giant burgers.
Plus, Glenview has something you just won’t find in communities around Chicago anymore: A working farm. The Wagner Farm is an 18-acre interpretive farm saved from development through a community-wide effort and now owned by the Glenview Park District. Located at 1510 Wagner Road, the farm offers public tours and a farmer’s market. Those new to the area must wonder why cows are grazing in the heart of suburbia.
Getting to Glenview is easy. The Edens Expressway (Interstate 94) runs through the village’s eastern edge, and there are two Metra rail stops. Heading west toward town, one passes through the Blue Star Memorial Woods, part of the Cook County Forest Preserve District.
The Glen Club features rolling terrain, tranquil lakes and stunning vistas, including the Chicago skyline in the distance. This Top-100 Golf Course offers a majestic 48,000 square foot clubhouse with superb dining, 21 overnight accommodations, a grand ballroom and the finest in corporate amenities. The Glen Club is dedicated to providing you and your guests with ultimate comfort, convenience and service.
Visit our Hereschicago.com directory, a Chicago guide to the Northwest Suburbs, Glenview golf courses, meeting venues, event space, restaurants with private event space, and Glenview restaurants for private rooms, Glenview Conference Centers, rehearsal dinners or corporate gatherings.
