Glenview, Illinois (or South Northfield, North Branch or Oak Glen, as it was known at one time or another since 1833) is a village in the suburbs of Chicago that's home to nearly 50,000 residents. Glenview was the site of a naval air station from 1937 to 1995, but after that was shut down, the area was transformed into homes, golf courses and green space. Visitors to Glenview will find plenty to do
For Kids
Glenview is a kid-friendly village with plenty of things to keep children of all ages entertained. Kohl Children's Museum (kohlchildrensmuseum.org) is for kids up through age 8, and features a water play area, the Hands on House, where kids can build their own house, the Baby Nursery, where children can play doctor or nurse and learn to take care of babies, an art center, library and more. Boys and girls who have always wanted to experience what it's like to be a firefighter should visit the Fire Zone (firezonefun.com), a firehouse fun house.. At Fire Zone, kids learn about the ins and outs of firefighting from real firefighters. Fire Zone features fire trucks, fire safety training and hands-on firefighting activities. Fire Zone even has a firehouse party room for kids who want a firefighter-themed birthday party.
Let's Eat
Glenview offers dozens of restaurants for almost every culinary taste; whether you want Italian, seafood, Mexican, steak or Chinese, the village has endless choices. One eatery to consider is the Wildfire Restaurant (wildfirerestaurant.com). Wildfire serves salads and fire-baked pizzas for lunch and steaks, seafood and fresh fish for dinner. Wildfire also offers cocktail mixing and cooking classes. For an all-American burger, visit Hackney's on Harms (hackneys.net) which has been serving burgers on dark rye and their famous French-fried onions since Prohibition in the 1920s. If breakfast is your thing, visit Orange (orangerestaurantchicago.com), which serves a contemporary brunch. Orange is the creator of Frushi, a fruit sushi concept. Orange also features weekly "pancake flights" -- four silver-dollar pancakes, each prepared in a different way but with a common theme.
The Glen Town Center
The Glen Town Center (theglentowncenter.com) is Glenview's shopping, dining and entertainment destination. The Glen is modeled after a European town with streets lined with shops, and apartments above the shops. The Glen features dozens of stores and specialty shops for everyone in the family. Hungry visitors can pick up something quick to eat or sit down at one of the Glen's restaurants which serve nearly every cuisine imaginable. If movies and music are what you're looking for, take in a movie at The Glen 10 Theaters or watch a live band during the Glen's Summer Sounds Concert Series every Tuesday from June until August.
Glenview Outdoors
If you prefer the outdoors, there are plenty of activities in Glenview. Golf nine holes on a 31-par course at Glenview Park Golf Club (golfglenview.com) or enjoy 18 holes at The Glen Club (summithotels.com) which was once Glenview Naval Base. Hike or bike on the trails of Harms Woods, have a picnic at Blue Star Memorial Woods or take the short drive over to Lake Michigan for a day on the water.
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About the Author
Nicole Brown has been a freelance writer since 2007. She works as an administrative professional in the legal field and does freelance writing part-time. She has an associate degree in business administration from American Intercontinental University and a bachelor's degree in public administration from the University of Phoenix.
