Founded in 1889, Kenilworth is a testament to traditional elegance, natural beauty, and the power of community.
Residents enjoy the Village’s graceful architecture, tree-lined streets, cozy parkland, and the easy commute to downtown Chicago from the Kenilworth Metra Station.
Kenilworth Village Guide
Residents enjoy spending time on the lake, playing golf on one of the areas excellent courses, or dining out in the neighboring communities. Kids love walking or riding their bikes around the area (especially to local favorite Homer’s Ice Cream.)
In the fall, the Taste of Wilmette and Kenilworth brings the community together with the best food the area has to offer. The Park District offers classes for children and adults alike and the community hosts events year-round, including Mothers and Fathers Day brunches, Hallowpalooza, an Egg Hunt, and a Village Christmas Tree lighting.
Kenilworth’s school district, including Joseph Sears School and New Trier High School, are consistently rated among the best in the state. Beyond great teachers and facilities, Kenilworth students enjoy excellent sports programs and after-school enrichment.
Kenilworth History
Kenilworth was designed for excellence. Joseph Sears, a Chicago businessman, purchased the land that became Kenilworth in 1889. A late 19th-century Romantic idealist, Sears was inspired by George Pullman’s workers’ city and the utopian planned communities from his time. Rather than build a futurist city or a working-class utopia, Sears’s ideal community was a vision of the bucolic English countryside.
The Village features large, setback lots designed to maximize natural light in homes. Seeing a thriving community as central to his vision, Sears donated the land for a school, parks, and the beach. At the heart of the Village are key community amenities. These include the Town Assembly Hall, the Kenilworth Club, and the stretches of parkland that surround the architecturally notable Kenilworth Metra Station.
Kenilworth Homes
One of the most affluent communities in the country, Kenilworth’s offers a significant stock of historic manors and country cottages. New construction is available, but community ordinances dictate that new homes must blend in with the existing stock. Living in Kenilworth provides residents traditional elegance, expressly designed to provide comfortable living and a thriving community.
While Kenilworth’s stunning aesthetics may catch the eye, its excellent schools, recreational options, and close proximity to the best of the North Shore prove that the Village’s excellence runs deep.
