Remember all those great movies of the 1980s, like Home Alone, Ferris Bueller's Day Off, Sixteen Candles, and The Breakfast Club? All of them were filmed in Winnetka, Illinois, the quintessential All-American suburb.
Winnetka is a village on the north shore of Lake Michigan, about 16 miles north of downtown Chicago
Remember all those great movies of the 1980s, like Home Alone, Ferris Bueller's Day Off, Sixteen Candles, and The Breakfast Club? All of them were filmed in Winnetka, Illinois, the quintessential All-American suburb.
Winnetka is a village on the north shore of Lake Michigan, about 16 miles north of downtown Chicago. It's where some of the most exclusive and well-off Chicago-area residents choose to live. It's also a village with a lot of rich history in culture. The first houses were built here in 1836, and railroads were built in 1855. The Crow Island School was built in 1938, and the building still stands today as a landmark. Martin Luther King, Jr. gave a speech there at the Village Green, a park in town which still has a plaque memorializing this event. Tree-lined streets give a genteel, cultured vibe to Winnetka - though some may call its idyllic setting closer to Pleasantville.
People don't end up in Winnetka by random accident. Winnetka is exclusive and they like it that way. As home to the nationally renowned New Trier High School, discriminating home buyers with a lot of available resources seek out Winnetka for its high quality of life.
That said, however, Winnetka is not the kind of place you go to find bargains. It's also not the best choice for that first apartment with your always-drunk college buddy. Winnetka doesn't have many available properties for rent, and that's not an accident. With a percentage of renters that is just a fraction of the national average, Winnetka caters to people who want to buy a home here and stick around. And with housing prices that are nearly five times higher the national average -in many cases, well above a million dollars -- it's also clear that not everybody can afford to live here.
However, if you have your heart set on finding a rental in Winnetka, you don't have to give up hope. There are indeed some rentals, even if there aren't many of them. When you want to find a rental property in Winnetka, your best options are a one-bedroom apartment, two-bedroom condo or a rental house. Apartments are generally flats above a store or a private mother-in-law suite being rented out. Rental housing tends to be expensive and well-suited for corporate executives who may only be in the area for a short time. If you need to be in the area but don't need the exclusive Winnetka address, check out nearby Northfield for more options.
Because the housing stock is high in value, the rental prices aren't cheap and the landlords are likely going to be quite a bit pickier than they might be in a cheaper suburb. If you manage to locate an apartment for rent in Winnetka, be prepared to prove yourself as an ideal tenant. Landlords here want to attract tenants with great jobs, impeccable references and of course, all the security deposits and initial move-in expenses like first and last month's rent.
Commutes in the Chicagoland area can be brutal, and Winnetka is no exception. But luckily for you, the Metra stations have routes that connect Winnetka with downtown Chicago. You can spend your commute time on the train catching up on emails from work, instead of being stuck behind the wheel.
When you want a special night on the town, or just a quick bite to eat during a busy work night, Winnetka has you covered with a variety of classy and delicious restaurants that aren't your usual chains. Michael is the kind of French restaurant with items on the menu like a cheese puff amuse-bouche and foie gras stuffed hen - perfect for a romantic date night. Caf Fleurette is a charming little Parisian-inspired bakery. Tramonto's might be your new favorite for upscale comfort food.
Life in Winnetka is well designed and comfortable, and it appeals to those with sophisticated tastes and the budget and appreciation for the finer things in life. If this sounds like you, start looking for your perfect rental in Winnetka right away!
