What’s New in Wilmette: The Restaurants, Shops and Summer Traditions Shaping the Village

Spend a Saturday in Wilmette this summer and you can see just how much the village is evolving.

Start with breakfast at The Henry at the newly reimagined Plaza del Lago. Head over to the Wilmette French Market for flowers and something fresh for dinner. Stop into one of the new independent shops downtown, then end the day with live music on the Village Green or a walk along the lake at Gillson Beach.

It is a version of Wilmette that feels both familiar and completely refreshed.

Having lived on the North Shore for more than 25 years, I have watched Wilmette grow and change while holding onto so much of what has always made it special: beautiful tree-lined streets, historic homes, an incredibly walkable downtown, access to Lake Michigan and a genuine sense of community.

But this summer, something feels different.

Three of Wilmette’s major commercial districts, Plaza del Lago, the Village Center and Edens Plaza, are all evolving at the same time. New restaurants, independent shops and luxury retailers are giving residents even more reasons to stay local, while the traditions we look forward to every summer remain very much intact.

For anyone considering living in Wilmette, or simply wondering what is new around town, here is what I have been watching.

Plaza del Lago Enters a New Era

Perhaps the most visible transformation is happening at Plaza del Lago along Sheridan Road.

The historic Spanish Revival shopping center has always been one of Wilmette’s most distinctive destinations, but its latest chapter is bringing an entirely new level of shopping and dining to the North Shore.

The Henry opened this summer in the stand-alone corner space at 1515 Sheridan Road. The restaurant, which also has locations in markets including Los Angeles and Miami, moves easily from morning coffee and brunch to cocktails and dinner.

It is exactly the kind of all-day gathering place that feels right for this location.

Plaza del Lago’s transformation goes far beyond one restaurant. WS Development has announced a collection of fashion and lifestyle brands including Oscar de la Renta, LoveShackFancy, Peter Millar, Hill House Home, Hermès, SPACE 519, rag & bone, and most recently Hermes. 

Paired with longtime favorites like Convito Cafe & Market and Burhop’s Seafood, the result is a mix of old and new that feels very Wilmette.

I have loved watching this transformation take shape. Plaza del Lago has always been beautiful, but the investment happening here is significant. It is creating a true luxury shopping and dining destination on Chicago’s North Shore, and one that residents can enjoy as part of everyday life.

Downtown Wilmette Is Growing, Too

While Plaza del Lago is welcoming recognizable luxury and lifestyle brands, downtown Wilmette is evolving in a different direction.

Here, the story is smaller, independent businesses that add even more personality to an already walkable Village Center.

Lost Willow Books opened at 1114 Central Avenue, joining Pink Couch Books and giving downtown Wilmette two independent bookstores within just a few blocks. Lost Willow focuses on books for children and young adults, along with toys, puzzles and a playspace.

It is the kind of neighborhood business I love seeing open here, somewhere families can walk to, children can grow up visiting and neighbors naturally run into one another.

Another anticipated addition is The Mette at 1165 Wilmette Avenue. The cocktail bar and lounge is planned for the longtime Al’s Meat Market storefront and represents something relatively new for Wilmette: a true cocktail-focused destination in the heart of downtown.

In fact, Village trustees created a new liquor-license classification to accommodate the concept.

It may sound like a small detail, but it says something larger about where Wilmette is headed. The Village Center is becoming a place where you can spend an entire evening, dinner, drinks, shopping and a walk through town, rather than simply a place to run an errand.

A New Chapter for Edens Plaza

Edens Plaza is also getting a refresh.

Goddess and the Baker is coming to the former Corner Bakery space at 3232 Lake Avenue, alongside a new Small Cheval.

Both are familiar Chicago names, but bringing them to Wilmette changes the everyday experience for North Shore residents. Small Cheval brings its signature burgers, fries and shakes north, while Goddess and the Baker adds another easy option for coffee, breakfast and lunch.

Edens Plaza has long been one of Wilmette’s most practical shopping destinations. These additions give it a little more personality, and one more reason to meet a friend for lunch before tackling the errands.

The Wilmette Traditions We Still Love

What I appreciate most about all of this change is what isn’t changing. The rituals that make summer in Wilmette so special are still here.

Saturday mornings still mean the Wilmette French Market, which runs from 8 a.m. to 1 p.m. near the Wilmette Metra station. It is one of my favorite weekend traditions: fresh flowers, local produce, artisan foods and neighbors catching up as they make their way through the market.

Summer evenings still bring everyone outside. The Wilmette Park District’s Sounds of Summer series fills Village Green and other locations around town with live music throughout the season. Bring a blanket or lawn chair, pick up dinner from somewhere nearby and settle in for the evening.

And, of course, there is Gillson Park.

For me, access to the lakefront remains one of the greatest luxuries of living in Wilmette. Whether it is a morning walk, an afternoon at the beach or one of the Park District’s summer events, Lake Michigan is woven into daily life here in a way that is difficult to replicate.

New restaurants and shops are exciting. But the ability to walk down a quiet, tree-lined street and be at the lake a few minutes later is still one of the biggest reasons people fall in love with Wilmette.

What This Means for Living in Wilmette

When I look at everything happening across the village, I see more than a collection of new storefronts.

Plaza del Lago is becoming a destination for luxury shopping and dining. Downtown Wilmette is strengthening its identity as a walkable neighborhood center filled with independent businesses. Edens Plaza is bringing more of Chicago’s favorite restaurants and concepts to the North Shore. Together, they are making daily life in Wilmette even richer.

And that matters in real estate.

When buyers ask me what makes one North Shore community different from another, I always tell them that the house itself is only part of the decision. You are also choosing the life that surrounds it.

Do you want to walk downtown for coffee in the morning? Be close to the Metra for an easy commute into Chicago? Live a few blocks from Gillson Park and Lake Michigan? Have restaurants and shopping within minutes of home? Or find a quiet, tree-lined street where your children can grow up while still having all of those amenities nearby?

That combination of lifestyle, community and convenience has always been part of the appeal of Wilmette real estate. What is happening throughout the village now only adds to it.

After more than 25 years of living on the North Shore, I find it exciting to see new families, businesses and ideas arrive while so much of the character we love remains unchanged.

Wilmette is not becoming a different village. It is simply giving us more ways to enjoy the one we already love.

If you are considering buying or selling a home in Wilmette or elsewhere on Chicago’s North Shore, The Kasey Group would love to help you understand not just the market, but the neighborhoods and lifestyle behind the numbers.

Refine your life story.