Photo courtesy of The Village of Glencoe

Glencoe Hot Spots

Overlooking the Japanese garden at Chicago Botanic Garden

“You go Glen-Coco!” Many parts of the movie Mean Girls were filmed in Glencoe! Beautiful homes, beautiful beaches – it’s a pretty beautiful life living along Lake Michigan! The Village of Glencoe begins immediately where Winnetka ends, and the transition is seamless.  The Green Bay Trail continues through Glencoe with an exit near the adorable brick Metra Station, making visits easy by bicycle- perfect for alfresco brunch mornings! The small 3.7 mile village is filled with restaurants and shops, and just as quaint as its southern neighbor, with a downtown that’s always buzzing! This village is the northernmost North Shore village in Cook County, and abruptly ends at Lake Cook Road as the road is so appropriately named 🙂

For active families, the Skokie Lagoons runs from Glencoe to the west offering kayaking, and running and biking trails. In the warmer months you can park and rent a kayak if you don’t have your own!

Chicago Botanic Garden’s is of the best known landmarks of Glencoe. The gardens are perfect for mornings walks complete with a cafe for coffee or brunch. They hold multiple events throughout the year, one of the best known in the winter is Lightscape and Night of 1000 Jack-o’-Lanterns in October. The weeknight music series on the patio is also a must and makes a really cool date night through the summer.

There’s only one downtown area in Glencoe and when we say that it’s buzzing, we mean it! This small area is filled to the brim with great shops and restaurants making it busy throughout each day. Parking is tricky with loads of restrictions. Click here to find parking so you don’t get a ticket.

A few favorite shops to pop in are Valentina women’s boutique for great jeans and a trendy high/low selection of clothing and accessories. Black Sheep General is fun for gifts, knickknacks, unique kids toys, and all sorts of other items you didn’t know you need & we love Hudson Grace for luxe home finds. We frequent the Glencoe location of The Wild Child as much as Wilmette- especially pre-dining in the area to pick up something little to keep them occupied while sitting.

Eats! – where to begin? Hometown Coffee and Juice has a great patio for coffee and lunch/brunch and a fabulous private event space. Guildhall with or without the kids for all meals served. They have one of the best burgers in the area, the salads are so good, and their combined sushi restaurant, Tori Dasu, is also fantastic. And for that family outing, indeed there is a kid’s meal menu.  Merlo’s, once a Highland Park staple, is back and in Glencoe. This cozy & dimmed with pretty lighting and candles with creative drinks & Good food- perfect for a night out with your girls, or date night!  Megs Cafe is adorable and has great food and a nice option for take out. Finally, Mino’s is a really hot spot for date night. The restaurant is huge, but always packed and has one of the best outdoor patios in the whole North Shore. 

For family meal planning and quick gourmet to go check out Foodstuffs!

Glencoe’s Friends Park located next to Writers Theater

Glencoe might be a small town but The Glencoe Parks and Rec Department wins big with one of the most robust parks department summer camp programs on the North Shore as well as a thriving preschool, festivals and events year-round for families! The Takiff Center has open gym and nice ceramics and art program. Take a trip to the Glencoe Beach for a beautiful scene of swimming, boating and playground. While parking is free, there is an entrance fee.

There are a total of 11 parks with playgrounds nestled in the quiet neighborhoods but one of the most unique is Duke Park known for it’s choo choo train.

Last but not least is the Writers Theater located between Vernon and Green Bay Rd. Founded in 1992 and recently renovated, this gorgeous building welcomes more than 60,000 patrons each season and has helped establish the North Shore of Chicago as a premier cultural destination.