Outdoor Living in Northbrook, IL
The Village of Northbrook started out as Shermerville and filled in with postwar neighborhoods under a canopy of shade trees. Backyard Paradiso builds its decks, pergolas, paver patios, fences, retractable screens, grill areas, synthetic lawn, and path lighting, for yards in Northbrook Highlands, Northbrook Gardens, Charlemagne, Ancient Tree, Royal Ridge, and the village’s other neighborhoods.
Northbrook is part of the Chicago Northwest Suburbs market on the Markets We Serve roster. The village incorporated as Shermerville in 1901 and took the name Northbrook in 1923. Most of it grew after World War II, and the 1960s and 1970s were its biggest building decades. The West Fork of the North Branch of the Chicago River runs through the village, and the Somme forest preserves line its northern edge. Northbrook, in Cook County, has about 14,400 homes (2024 ACS five-year estimates).
Why Backyard Paradiso in Northbrook
The Backyard Paradiso team is a full-service Northbrook contractor. Much of the village’s housing dates from the 1960s and 1970s, set under mature trees, and on those lots the roots, the shade, and the original drainage decide as much as the architecture. Village permits, tree protection, and any association or overlay review are covered in the scope. Site assessments scheduled by appointment.
Services in Northbrook
Northbrook projects often start with a tired deck or a patio that has settled. Structure work falls under outdoor structures: decking in composite, pergolas, awnings, screen systems, railings, and fences. Pavers, walks, and synthetic lawn for heavy shade are turf, hardscape, and landscape jobs. Grill stations, fire features, and umbrellas are the outdoor entertaining side. Permanent and holiday lights fall to seasonal and specialty. The team also takes on pools and recreation.
What Northbrook's conditions mean for a project
Northbrook gets hard Chicago-area winters with deep frost and heavy snow, wet springs, and humid summer storms. The ground is mostly clay, and mature trees mean roots and shade across many lots. How that plays out:
- Structure footings are dug below the frost line and placed to avoid major roots.
- Paver bases are built thick and well drained to resist frost heave in clay.
- Grading and drains steer runoff away from the house; the village even offers a cost-share program for private drainage work.
- Snow load and winter salt guide the choice of decking and hardware.
Regional frost, snow-load, and code figures are on the Chicago Northwest Suburbs market page.
Village bodies and programs a Northbrook project can involve:
- Permits: the Development & Planning Services Department. Northbrook licenses contractors itself.
- Trees: the village’s Tree Preservation Officer and Forestry Services oversee tree protection, and the village runs a Parkway Tree Planting Program.
- Water: the village treats Lake Michigan water at its own plant and sets its own lawn-sprinkling restrictions. It also offers rain barrels.
- Drainage: the Private Property Cost Share Drainage Program helps with backyard drainage fixes.
- Design review: the Architectural Control Commission reviews projects in the Village Green Overlay District downtown.
- Flood mapping: FEMA flood maps, with property-level floodplain information from Northbrook Public Works.
A lot-by-lot check during the first visit tells which ones apply.
Postwar homes under old shade trees
Northbrook’s median home was built in 1976 (B25035). The 1970s produced the most homes, about 3,060, followed by the 1960s with about 2,780 and the 1980s with about 1,760 (B25034). Of roughly 14,400 homes, 67 percent are detached houses, 11 percent are townhouse-style attached homes, and 21 percent are in multi-unit buildings (B25024).
Among its neighbors (2024 ACS five-year estimates):
- Deerfield is older, with a 1970 median.
- Northfield’s median is 1971, on lots its plan describes as largely an acre.
- Arlington Heights sits at 1974.
- Glenview is slightly newer, at 1977, with the 2000s as its biggest building decade.
The village plan calls Northbrook nearly built out; most new housing comes as infill, often a larger house replacing an older one. It describes a mix of traditional and modern houses and mature shade trees in the older neighborhoods. The subdivision map shows gridded streets in Northbrook Highlands and Northbrook Gardens and curving streets and courts elsewhere, so the design follows the lot and its trees.
Subdivisions, unincorporated pockets, and the village line
Downtown Northbrook and the Village Green form the center. Recorded subdivisions include Ancient Tree, Charlemagne, Charlemagne East, Estates of Charlemagne, Northbrook Highlands, Northbrook Gardens, Northbrook East, Northbrook Greens, White Plains, St. Stephen’s Green, Williamsburg Square of Northbrook, Southbridge Commons, Stonegate, Royal Ridge, and Meadow Ridge.
Several nearby places use Northbrook services or addresses without being in the village:
- Mission Hills, Mission Hills Estates, Glenbrook Countryside, Citation Lake, and Northbrook West are unincorporated Cook County communities served by the Northbrook Rural Fire Protection District.
- The Northbrook Park District also serves parts of Deerfield and unincorporated Cook County.
- Glenview, Deerfield, Highland Park, Glencoe, Northfield, and Wheeling are separate municipalities.
- Stonegate is also a neighborhood name in Arlington Heights.
- There’s a Northbrook in Ohio as well; this is Northbrook, Illinois.
The Village Green, the velodrome, and the Somme preserves
Northbrook’s parks have some distinct character:
- Village Green Park, at Shermer and Meadow Roads, has shaded paths, a gazebo, picnic space, and a playground.
- Meadowhill Park holds the Ed Rudolph Velodrome, a banked bicycle track where the Northbrook Cycle Committee runs summer racing.
- Techny Prairie Park and Fields combines sports fields, a skate park, ponds, and paths, with the Trail Through Time running through restored prairie and wetland along the West Fork.
- Wood Oaks Green Park has Lake Shermerville, a fishing lake, plus paths, courts, and a sledding hill.
- The Somme preserves, run by the Forest Preserves of Cook County, lay out a sequence of woodland, savanna, and prairie along the north side, with the North Branch Trail System beyond.
Northbrook’s outdoor calendar:
- Each spring: the Park District’s Kids’ Fishing Derby at Lake Shermerville.
- Every summer: Tuesdays in the Park, the Park District’s concert series on the Village Green.
- Each July: the Northbrook 4th of July Committee’s celebration, with the Liberty Loop and Liberty Lap, a parade, and fireworks near Meadowhill and Techny Prairie.
- Each fall: Shermerfest, the Northbrook Historical Society’s festival on the Village Green since 1979.
Many Northbrook backyards take their cue from the Village Green: shade, a place for a table, and room to stay out on a summer evening.
Beginning a Northbrook project
On a first visit the team reviews:
- the existing deck or patio, the house behind it, and the trees around it
- where water sits after a storm or a thaw
- whether the property is in the village or an unincorporated pocket
- any association, overlay, or tree-protection review
- what makes sense to build first
Including yard photos in the request makes that visit more useful. Afterward the team sends back design ideas and a written job scope.
Backyard Paradiso — the Northbrook team
Phone: (224) 393-5761
Hours: By appointment
Email: [email protected]
Serving: the Village of Northbrook, including Northbrook Highlands, Northbrook Gardens, Charlemagne, Ancient Tree, Royal Ridge, Williamsburg Square, and Meadow Ridge