Scholastic Capital Founder shares his favorite spots in Wilmette
Tell us about yourself:
I'm Sean O'Dowd, founder of Scholastic Capital. We buy homes in really great school districts and rent them to families who want to live in those school districts! I was born in the Chicago area but moved quite a bit as a child! Post school, I came back to Chicago and never left! I'm now married with two kids and a third on the way.
What town do you live in?
Wilmette
What are your favorite restaurants in the suburbs?
Pit and Tap in Wilmette has awesome wings, with one of their chefs in particular making what I think are the best wings around. We also are big fans of TAVA (Morton Grove) for Indian food, Sophia Steak (Wilmette) for nice dinners and Tags Bakery (Evanston), which is famous for their florentines, but we like their cakes as well. For pizza, I think Sal’s (Wilmette) is the best pizza in the suburbs.
What’s your go-to spot for coffee in the Chicago suburbs?
Hometown Coffee & Juice (Glencoe, Winnetka, Lake Forest) is the best.
Any favorite events you like to attend?
Wilmette's block party is a highlight for our family! This past year the event was in September and featured live music, good food and tons of fun activities for the kids.
What store or service do you always recommend?
Millens Hardware in Wilmette is INCREDIBLE.
Any favorite weekend getaways?
Manitowish Waters, Wisconsin is the best kept secret in America! We love renting a house on a lake and enjoying time outside. While there, definitely worth the quick drive to the Ice Shanty. It’s pretty remote so not too many restaurants around but Smokey’s is good if looking for somewhere to eat.
Where can readers connect with you?
If looking to rent in a suburb with great school districts or get started in real estate investing, please get in touch here. You can also follow me on X (Twitter) at @SeanODowd15 where I post about Scholastic Capital and real estate investing.
Life in the Burbs is an ongoing interview series where we profile local entrepreneurs and tastemakers from the Chicago Suburbs and have them share their favorite local places. Want to be featured or know someone we should chat with? Contact us here or send me an email at joe(at)burbsexplored.com.
