Five reasons to live in Highland Park, Illinois

Follow in the ancient footsteps of woolly mammoths to find architectural gems

4 years ago

*Monarch butterflies hover among the milkweed on the Green Bay Trail*

Nature and cycling trails

Several hiking trails and cycling routes wind through the city of Highland Park, which lies roughly 40km (25 miles) north of Chicago.

The origins of the Green Bay Trail, which runs parallel to the city’s Metra North commuter rail line, are believed to date back to the Ice Age, when woolly mammoths used it as a migration route.

*The Green Bay Trail runs parallel to the city’s Metra North commuter rail line*

Today the trail is bordered by restaurants, shops and parks, where monarch butterflies hover among the milkweed.

Architecturally designed houses

Property in Highland Park is substantial and the city’s generous, wood-framed homes complement its sprawling woodland setting. Several esteemed 20th-century architects built in here, including WW Boyington, Howard Van Doren Shaw and Frank Lloyd Wright.

The latter’s Willits House is deemed one of America’s first important prairie houses, which typically feature low-rise buildings with large, overhanging eaves.

Lake Michigan

There are four public beaches in Highland Park with access to Lake Michigan, including the newly renovated Rosewood Beach with its sheltered swimming cove.

The nearby North Shore Yacht Club on Park Avenue attracts a flotilla of kayakers and sailors each weekend.

Ravinia Festival

Conceived as an amusement park and later run as an artists’ colony, Ravinia today is famous for its annual open-air music festival. The summer home of the Chicago Symphony Orchestra since 1936, the festival also hosts pop and jazz concerts. Over the years picnic-goers have sprawled across the lawns, listening to artists including Louis Armstrong, who played here in the 1950s. More recently, the festival’s highlights have ranged from performances by cellist Yo-Yo Ma to works by Stephen Sondheim, the composer.

*Ravinia Music Festival by Mark McMahon*

The neighbours

Highland Park has been home to some illustrious residents: Jill Stein, the Green Party’s 2016 nominee for US president, grew up here, as did astronaut John Grunsfeld and internet activist Aaron Swartz.

Basketball star Michael Jordan built a seven-acre estate in Highland Park, which features a regulation-sized basketball gymnasium and a cigar room. His jersey number, 23, is emblazoned on the front gates.