The northernmost stretch of Wilmette was once known as No Man’s Land, since it was unincorporated, and not part of Wilmette.
No Man’s Land developed into an entertainment strip that was largely destroyed by fire in 1932. The Village of Wilmette annexed the area in 1942, and the now popular (but initially failed) Plaza del Lago shopping center was developed in the late 60s. The strip of mid-rise co-ops and condos along the lakefront was developed mostly in the 60s and 70s.
The area, as you can see from the photo above, stands in sharp relief to its North Shore surroundings as the only patch of intensive development along the lakefront.
If you’re considering buying into one of the co-ops or condos in No Man’s Land, you ought to be aware of the relentless demographics of aging. It wouldn’t be unfair to characterize several of the buildings as Few Men Land.