Lake Bluff, IL

113 Apartments for Rent

Lake Bluff was chosen by famous writer Ray Bradbury as the location for his short story "The Lake."

Lake Bluff is an interesting little town just north of Chicago. Newcomers might think that they are going to need to look elsewhere for entertainment -- after all, how exciting can it be when there aren't quite 6,000 people living here? Well, a local saying is that once a person visits Lake Bluff, they will never want to leave; even after that final crossing, residents' spirits remain behind. If that isn't a five-star review of Lake Bluff, we don't know what is! To highlight this local lore, every other year the Lake Bluff History Museum has a Ghost Walk where local residents dressed like ghosts and ghouls tell stories about the town. You will also want to be sure and catch the Independence Day Parade each year to see the latest performance of the synchronized lawnmowers. Yep, you heard me right.

Moving to Lake Bluff

Renting here depends a great deal on where you choose to live. Rental homes in Lake Bluff run from being easy to find in the Knollwood area to being much tougher to come by in the Village area. This, in turn, alters the rental process from one neighborhood to the next. In the Knollwood area, you can often get by with just the normal financial outlay: first month's rent, last month's rent and a security deposit. If you're bringing Fluffy or Fido, a pet deposit might also be necessary. In the Village, rental places have been known to go into bidding wars! There you can expect to add in an application, full credit history, and even a background check. You can assume the same for renting in other areas of the town.

Lake Bluff Neighborhoods

This is a nice town with friendly people but really no distinct neighborhoods like you would expect to find in nearby Chicago. There are two main areas where you will find places to rent, but don't expect to find vast differences in the people living in each area. The two areas are separated by small idiosyncrasies regarding lifestyle and types of available rentals more than anything else.

Knollwood: You will find larger homes in this area; 4-5 bedrooms being typical, though you may occasionally find smaller 2-3 bedroom houses for rent. Yards are larger here as well, and swimming pools are common. Knollwood makes a perfect setting for a massive backyard blowout!

Village: If you are looking for city apartments in Lake Bluff, this is where to search. Most of the homes in this area are medium-sized with smaller yards. This is also where you will find smaller apartment complexes and townhouses. This is the heart of Lake Bluff, and living here will put you within easy walking distance of most stores, restaurants, bars and entertainment venues.

Living in Lake Bluff

As if the Ghost Walk and synchronized lawnmowers weren't enough! Once you settle in you are going to really love this town. Considering the size of Lake Bluff, you wouldn't expect to find restaurants like Inovasi here -- it's a fine dining establishment that rivals the best Chicago can offer! Be sure to try their Mongolian Hot Pot and the smoked rainbow trout. You will also want to visit the popular Bangkok Tokyo Restaurant to give Lake Bluff's most outstanding Thai food a taste.

If you are looking for a great place to meet friends for a light snack and some cold beer, try the Lake Bluff Brewing Company. The pub food is hot and the wide variety of brews are cold. If you are new to Illinois please know that in this area of the state you are almost required to be a Cubs and Bears fan. If you need a place to hang out and learn more about the locals' favorite teams, try Chief's Pub. This is a casual bar where you can hang with friends and make new friends when you first move to the area. You are also required to enjoy a cold one and cheer the local teams on to victory!

Lake Bluff's proximity to Chicago is also a huge bonus. Be sure to take the time to head over to the big city for a trip through the world famous Field Museum. You can also make a day of it -- spend some time shopping, and wrap up the evening with a game at Wrigley field!