Chicago is for everyone suburb highlight: Skokie
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Welcome to Skokie – home of diversity, highly-rated schools, Pita Inn and Old Orchard Shopping Center. Although Skokie is well known for all of these, there is so much more Skokie has to offer. I was born and raised here, and it was an easy decision for my family to recently move back. Skokie is a suburb just north of the city, about 30 minutes (or more with Chicago traffic) outside of downtown. We have our very own CTA train – the beloved Yellow Line. It has two stops – one at Oakton and one at Dempster. If you need to go to Chicago, , you can hop on at either stop and ride to Howard to catch the Red Line into the city.
With a population of 66,000+, Skokie is one of the most diverse suburbs around. This is obvious just from looking at the food and grocery stores. Oakton Market is our go-to, with a massive selection of any and all ethnic foods you could dream of. Once I went for sesame seeds and there were 10+ options. I didn’t even know that there were that many types! If you want Greek quick service, there are three options within a mile of each other (Hubs, Dengeos, Grecian Kitchen). My tip? The lunch special at Hubs is cheap, huge and delicious. We even have a fully Kosher Dunkin Donuts plus many other Kosher restaurants nearby. Looking for Latin American small plates? Go to Libertad! Feels more like Thai? Get delivery from Tum Tim Thai on Oakton. The choices are endless and more importantly, tasty.
Having two small children, we were anxious about our neighborhood having enough for us to share with our kids. We were so pleasantly surprised to find the abundant options. We are doing something new every few weeks! The Skokie Public Library is so amazing that it borders on hard to describe. It’s great place for adults who want to work remotely, or for those who want to curl up in a big comfortable chair and read a book. The children’s section is brightly colored and full of classic and new books and educational toys. They even have some water play in the outside area in the warmer months. My girls are obsessed with the Skokie Bookmobile. It’s a mobile library that makes stops throughout the town. It’s so much fun to track it down and pick out books with the kids. A good tip – you can even return your library books OR pick up a book on hold from there and save yourself a trip!
My newest discovery? The Skokie Valley Trail. We hopped on our bikes and rode this beautiful trail last weekend, and it really transported us to feeling like we were in another place. You can ride through Skokie and into Sauganash through the woods. We have seen strollers, rollerbladers and people walking – it’s the perfect getaway for some peace and exercise. On the other side of the city is the Skokie Northshore Sculpture Park. This trail is almost two miles of beautifully landscaped walkways with 60+ pieces of art to view. It has parking lots at multiple stops making it an easy place to get to if you don’t live nearby.
Below are some other places and things to do in Skokie that are some of our favorites. If you are looking for a tip or more information, feel free to contact me, I have all the inside information!
Sketchbook Brewing Company
Skokie Festival of Cultures
Illinois Holocaust Museum
Emily Oaks Nature Center
Kneads & Wants Bakery
North Shore Center For The Performing Arts
Skokie Sports Park
