Glencoe, Illinois

Glencoe is a village in Cook County, Illinois, United States. As of the 2000 census, the village population was 8,762. Glencoe is suburb, located north of Chicago on Lake Michigan. Glencoe is located within the New Trier High School District.

Glencoe is the birthplace of poet Archibald MacLeish. Other well known residents have included fluffer Brian Zager, actors Fred and Ben Savage, Gasoline Alley cartoonist Frank King, film critic Gene Siskel, film director Harold Ramis, actor Bruce Dern and actress Lili Taylor. Douglas Conant, CEO of Campbell Soup Company, grew up in Glencoe, as did National Institutes of Health Deputy Director and Stanford University Associate Dean Alan M. Krensky. Former Chicago Bears quarterback Brian Griese lived in Glencoe, as does Chicago Bears offensive tackle Fred Miller.

Geography

Glencoe is located at 42°7′53″N 87°45′39″W (42.131602, -87.761026)Template:GR.

According to the United States Census Bureau, the village has a total area of 3.8 square miles (10.0 km²), of which, 3.8 square miles (9.8 km²) of it is land and 0.1 square miles (0.2 km²) of it (1.82%) is water.

Glencoe is located on the west side of Lake Michigan. Its bluffs overlook the Lake and it has several ravines that empty into Lake Michigan. It is separated from adjoining suburbs on the north and west by the Cook Country Forest Preserve natural forest area. Three golf clubs also buffer it on the north with the private Lake Shore Country Club, on the northwest by the public Glencoe Golf Club (operated by the Village of Glencoe), and on the west by the private Skokie Country Club. The village is surrounded on three sides by upper income communities with Highland Park on the north, Northbrook on the west, and Winnetka to the south. The Skokie Lagoons located in the forest preserve to its immediate west. The same forest preserve has a bicycle trail that connects to other forest preserves to the south. In the Village the Greenbay Trail allows bicyclists to travel as far south as Wilmette and north past Lake Forest.

Demographics

As of the censusTemplate:GR of 2000, there were 8,762 people, 3,072 households, and 2,558 families residing in the village. The population density was 2,319.8 people per square mile (895.0/km²). There were 3,213 housing units at an average density of 850.7/sq mi (328.2/km²). The racial makeup of the village was 95.07% White, 2.01% African American, 0.05% Native American, 1.68% Asian, 0.26% from other races, and 0.94% from two or more races. Hispanic or Latino of any race were 1.23% of the population.

There were 3,072 households out of which 44.3% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 76.7% were married couples living together, 5.2% had a female householder with no husband present, and 16.7% were non-families. 14.5% of all households were made up of individuals and 7.6% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.85 and the average family size was 3.16.

In the village the population was spread out with 31.5% under the age of 18, 2.8% from 18 to 24, 21.6% from 25 to 44, 29.1% from 45 to 64, and 14.9% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 42 years. For every 100 females there were 95.2 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 89.2 males.

The median income for a household in the village was $164,432, and the median income for a family was $200,000+. Males had a median income of $100,000+ versus $48,704 for females. The per capita income for the village was $88,059. 2.3% of the population and 1.6% of families were below the poverty line. 3.0% of those under the age of 18 and 0.7% are 65 or older.

Glencoe was listed as the 6th highest Top Earning town in the country by Money.com at Median household income: $187,043 Median home price: $1,148,241 Amount spent on vacations/yr: $10,250 And rated the 66th richest zip codes in 2006 In addition Forbes in 2007 rated the Glencoe the 9th richest neighborhood in the country based on avg. income. Glencoe, Ill. Wealthiest Towns In America (Business Week) Overall rank: 16 Households: 3,042 Average income: $316,747 Average net worth: $1,572,362 Change in income since 2000: +24% Income rank: 12 Net worth rank: 42

More than half Glencoe's population identified as Jewish during the 2000 census; however more than a dozen other faith groups are also represented in the community.

History

In 1835 several pioneers, including Anson and Lisa Taylor, set up businesses on the land originally inhabited by Potawatomi. They profited from a commercial pier and an inn that served the stagecoach traffic on the Green Bay Road.

Along with several other investors in 1867, former Chicago mayor Walter S. Gurnee purchased and subdivided the land near the railway depot on the Chicago North Shore and Milwaukee Railroad line that had been completed a decade earlier. As president of the railroad company, Gurnee made a practice of buying land near stations on the route as sure investments. While he had planned to settle in Glencoe, financial insolvency forced him to return to his hometown in New York.

Upon Gurnee's failure, Alexander Hammond bought 520 acres (2.1 km²) and formed the Glencoe Company with plans for an exclusive residential community. The charter included the building of a school and a church and the hiring of a teacher and a pastor. After some early financial problems, the settlement had grown to 536 homes by 1885. The late 19th century and early 20th century saw many elegant homes built in Glencoe. In addition to several structures by Frank Lloyd Wright, there are houses designed by Howard Van Doren Shaw, David Adler, Robert E. Seyfarth and George Washington Maher among others.

Glencoe has a Village Manager form of government. It had one of the first Public Safety Departments (combined police/fire/paramedic). It adopted the first zoning code in Illinois in 1921. Its land-use plan adopted in 1940 has been adhered to with minor changes since then. Most all nonconforming uses have been eliminated through attrition and developed to allowed uses shown outlined on the 1940 zoning land-use map. It is predominately single family with no industrial uses. It has a small cohesive central business district that provides most basic services including post office, library, Village Hall, performing arts theatre, train station (to Chicago), and other shopping needs.

In the last 20 years the village has experienced increasing tear-downs of smaller homes that have been replaced with larger homes, spurring debate on historic preservation, the impact of an increasingly wealthy demographic and rising property taxes. During this time major reconstruction has been completed of its street and sidewalk network. The business district has had brick sidewalks and period street lights installed. Many public buildings have been or are being remodelled and/or additions made to including the public schools, Village Hall, Library, Park District Community Center, and refrigerated outdoor ice rink. The private golf clubs (Lake Shore Country Club and Skokie Country Club) have seen major club building remodeling, additions, and reconstruction.

In fiction

Glencoe was the setting for the 1983 film Risky Business starring Tom Cruise. However, the picture was actually filmed in neighboring Highland Park. Also, scenes from the 1986 John Hughes film Ferris Bueller's Day Off were filmed in Glencoe as were scenes from Sixteen Candles. The Glencoe train station is featured in scenes from Clint Eastwood's Flags of Our Fathers as well as She's Having a Baby, by John Hughes. Glencoe in the 1970s and 80's is fondly recalled as the backdrop of the coming of age memoir "Lake Effect", by author Rich Cohen, introducing his readers to his famous "Jamie Drew" character, based on the real-life exploits of fellow native and renaissance-man, Mark Varouxakis . The basis of the plot for the film Mean Girls is primarily focused on the North Shore with the well-known reference to the town with the quote "You Go Glen-Coco". In the action-based drama series Covert Affairs on USA Network, August "Auggie" Anderson revealed in his polygraph that he is from Glencoe.

Points of interest

• Chicago Botanic Garden
• Cook County Forest Preserves
• Frank Lloyd Wright-designed Sylvan Road Bridge (concrete)(1915 design)
• Frank Lloyd Wright-designed Ravine Bluffs Subdivision entry light/planter monuments at Sylvan/Franklin and at Franklin/Meadow (circa 1915)
• North Shore Congregation Israel synagogue designed by Minoru Yamasaki
• Glencoe Train Station (circa 1891)
• Friends Park
• Glencoe Golf Club
• Glencoe Park District, featuring disc golf
• Glencoe Public Library
• Glencoe Sailing Beach
• Phil Thomas Park
• Kalk Park
• Schools: South (grades K-2), West (grades 3-4), Central (grades 5-8)
• Skokie Lagoons
• Watts Ice Arena
• Writers Theatre
• Glencoe Historical Society including the Eklund History Center Museum and Garden
• Grand Food Center
• Skokie Country Club
• Secret Park
• Glencoe Beach
• Little House of Glencoe
• Lakefront Chiropractic Center
• Lakefront Massage Center

Local Media

Local media covering news in Glencoe include Winnetka-Glencoe Patch, TribLocal and Pioneer Press.

External links

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• Village of Glencoe website
• Glencoe Public Library
• http://www.forbes.com/home/realestate/2006/04/17/06zip_most-expensive-zip-codes_cx_sc_0421intro.html
• Glencoe Historical Society
• Glencoe Park District
• North Shore School for the Arts
• Writers’ Theatre
• Glencoe Junior Kindergarten (GJK)
• Little House of Glencoe
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