Recently, I had to drop off a returned package at the USPS in Northbrook.  There was only one staff…read moremember behind the counter, a tall and thin middle-age black woman, whom I have encountered numerous times in the recent years.  As soon as I walked up and put the package on the counter, without any greetings to me, this woman pointed to a tablet in between her and me, and said "do the survey" in a tone that was like ordering me.  There were 3 emojis in the tablets, a smiley face, a neutral face, and an unhappy one.  I was unprepared, in a hurry, and didn't have time to think or ask, and just hit the smiley face.  She then scanned my package, gave me a receipt and said "here you go".  I said "thanks", and she said "you are welcome", and that was it.  What kind of survey was that?  How could they expect the customer to do a survey before any service was done?  What's the purpose of doing such a survey?  And doing the survey right in front of the staff member was just awkward!  It rendered the survey meaningless. This USPS used to be fully staffed back in the day.  There were a couple of friendly staff members whom I truly miss.

I have seen the Northbrook USPS main office on Dundee in its heyday having four agents/postal…read moreworkers staffing the counter, and I still have fond memory of one postal worker whose looks and mannerism were exactly like Mr. Rogers. I believe he has retired a couple of years ago. With the USPS's on-going cost-cutting effort, nowadays the counter is just staffed with one member most of the time (by different people), and you may see two on some lucky days. This has led to longer waiting time, and the service level varies quite a bit, depending on whom you are dealing with. One of the staff members there has the practice of asking customers to rate her service in front of her (using a "smiley face machine"), sometimes even before the transaction begins. This would create pressure for customers to give her good ratings, and this should not be the way the survey is done. To be fair, the rating machine should be placed away from the staff, near the front door exit. Fortunately, with the advance of technology, people can accomplish a lot of the mailing services online. My wife recently needed to mail a couple of CDs, and we have found a cheaper way of mailing packages. On the USPS website, you can use "Click-N-Ship" to print mailing labels and pay for the shipment. The shipping fee for one CD (4 oz) using this method is $4.50. However, if we had taken it to the post office without the prepaid label and did it with an agent at the counter, it would have been $7.20 for the same size and weight. We could either arrange for a pickup from home, or drop off the packages at the post office. Just for the peace of mind, my wife preferred to have the packages dropped off so she could ask a staff member to scan the packages. Actually, you can just leave the packages in one of those mail bins/boxes without having a staff member scanning them, because there are tracking numbers on the prepaid mailing labels. We are glad that we could save some shipping fees by using the "Click-N-Ship" online.

I agree with Louis!! 5 star service. They even have been holding my Puffco for me and keeping it…read moresafe and sound locked up for the past two years!! Thanks so much

This review is ridiculously late, seeing as though it applies to February 2023, but some serious…read morepraise is long overdue for officer Amy Hyndman. My mom and I were visiting Chicago. We live in Los Angeles and we purposely chose February to experience a real Chicago winter. As luck would have it, the week we chose was acting like spring instead of winter. We kept waiting for snow and when I saw that it was set to snow in Highland Park, we hopped into our Lyft and headed over in the winter clothing we had really made an effort to invest in. Los Angeles is boring that way - we're deprived of four seasons. We had no problem getting to Highland Park but when it came time to leave, no Lyft driver wanted to deal with the winter storm. I spent at least half an hour trying and failing to get a Lyft driver. When we crossed paths, officer Amy Hyndman asked if we were ok or needed help, because she said she saw us standing there for a while. When I let her know our dilemma, she had us walk to the police station (which was a very short walk) and then she had the staff call us a taxi to ensure we'd make it back to our hotel. She said that, this way, we could stay warm while we waited. This would never happen in Los Angeles. She really didn't have to do that, but it truly demonstrates her excellent character. Highland Park Police Department is extremely lucky to have her and so is that community. Thank you, officer Hyndman, for your kindness. It's been over a year and my mom and I still sing your praises.

Everything!!! The worst location you could ever visit!! Average wait is 3-4 hours.... Bad…read moremanagement of employees if there are any here except 2-3... Need to improve Leadership value for its citizens!!!

Typical government bureaucracy makes it so simple things like submitting documents take 4+ hours…read more All for a number that is less secure than a state ID.

Would be nice if the announcement for vital record was at the entrance of the building indicating…read moreyou need an appointment. Super frustrating that you get there hoping to be serviced. People walking out being served WITHOUT an appointment. And when it's your turn the clerk tells you no that you need one. I clarified with so many people being served if they had an appointment and they said no. Thanks for nothing.

I needed to get copies of my daughter's birth certificate and visiting the downtown Chicago…read morelocation of the county clerk's office, although much closer, would probably have been incredibly frustrating. Skokie isn't that far away and just the availability of parking would make it an easier place to visit. This location of the county clerk, inside the Skokie Courthouse, is maybe a mile from Old Orchard Shopping Center (I guess I've never driven in this direction on that road because I had no clue it was here). There's ample parking at the courthouse. Obviously lots of court proceedings take place here but there's also offices for the Cook County Sheriff and other offices, including the clerk. It was a pretty quick visit for me--I was in and out of the building within about ten minutes. The woman who helped me seemed like a pretty unfriendly human, so that was too bad (I never understand this--it's not my fault that you work where you do or that you hate your job or whatever, so I'm not sure why people act as though they hate the fact you're making them do it). As of 2023, copies of a birth certificate are $15 for the first copy and $4 for each additional one. There's a cafeteria here though I don't know if they actually serve food here, at least anymore--maybe that changed during the pandemic. But they do have a lot of tables in the cafeteria. There's also at least one ATM in the building just past the security station. When you visit you'll have to put all your things through the security check so I'd suggest packing lightly.

My husband and I went to the Highland Park Public Library on our way to another event. This library…read moreis beautiful from the inside out. I love the classic style on the outside. The inside is inviting as well. There are lots of books and computers for patrons to use. But my favorite feature was the room just inside the entrance. It has wooden selves of books and magazines, comfortable leather furniture and a fireplace. This was a great place to relax and work. The restroom was pretty clean as well. I highly recommend the Highland Park Library!

They have a great selection of books and musical programs. They also have a huge children's…read moredepartment and days where you can practice your Spanish.

It may not compare in size or architectural design to the Seattle library, but the Lake Forest…read morelibrary offers the traditional library experience: cushy leather couches, high arched ceilings, hushed studies, and dense shelves of endless tomes. Let not the stately, historical exterior fool you; this facility is all sorts of state-of-the-art from the materials they carry (e.g., current DVDs) to the technologies they employ (downloadable e-books). I can't help but always be impressed and pleased at having access to this library as a local resource through the parental units. Walking through the doors here inevitably leads to happy feelings!

One year later and it's time to update my review. This library continues to prove why it's such a…read moregreat destination. Besides the wonderful children's section that continues to be a highlight of our week, I've been borrowing books on CD. They have a decent selection and the front librarians can point you to the ones worthwhile to check out. I spend a lot of time in the car and these have been a lifesaver. I've also gotten addicted to checking out books online. Yes! This library lets you borrow E-books from the comfort of your own home. Perfect for us parents who are on the go and don't have the ability to pursue the stacks on our own time. The library offers multiple study areas and free wi-fi. Yeah baby! So you can set up for the day if you need to get some work done ... But quiet library etiquette is still the rule so put away that annoying cell phone! Also, if you need a book and the library doesn't carry it, the reference desk is extremely helpful in getting an inter library loan for you. I can't tell you how many crabby librarians I've had to work with at other libraries. But not here! They're all helpful and approachable. Oh. And they're on Facebook, Pinterest and Twitter. However you need to reach them, they're there. One minor thing -- I do think it's time for them to update the adult media stacks from a decor standpoint. But really, I'm so please to call the Lake Forest library my home library.

My wife and I have lived in Mundelein for more than eight years. The only downside is the high real…read moreestate taxes. All of the shopkeepers and their workers speak English, and do it well enough, and with a high degree of courtesy. The police do not hassle people for walking down the street. If you were questioned, you either looked suspicious or you did something wrong or questionable. We plan to remain in Mundelein for the rest of our lives.

Mundelein is a charming town with lots of potential. The people are friendly and down to earth. The…read morepark district, library and restaurants are affordable and good! There is a train station and lots of affordable housing.

The PO gets a bad rap and rightly so. The busiest times are when there is one window open. When one…read morewindow closes...it's time for a break. And when a new clerk has to take a long swig from the water bottle before helping a customer, it can be infuriating. There was a young clerk patiently helping a family with passports, and disseminating useful information, but I didn't get that person, I got the water bottle drinker...who told me they were out of forms and to go to another location. Which I did. In the next town. And they had told me the wrong info.

Worst post office in the area... You are better off going to either the Highwood or Deerfield post…read moreoffices. If you're going west, the Northbrook post office on Dundee Rd. is better, and the one on Church near Shermer in Northbrook is the best yet (though really small). I avoid the Highland Park post office unless I absolutely can't get out to another office, or just to drop a package off. If you're just dropping off envelopes, go to a drop box anywhere else (the one in Jewel is good), or you can get trapped in the round-about because of that infernal traffic light. You can't pay me to wait in line here. The staff - goodness bless them - seem to be working hard, but just can't keep up with the demand. There's almost always a line, and it's frequently packed because of how many people refuse to use the kiosk (which can do 75% of what the people waiting in line seem to need). Unfortunately this creates a bottleneck, making it impossible to access the kiosk or the PO boxes, because the line is out the door. Even when you can get to the self-serve kiosk, half the time I'm there it's having technical problems. It's either completely down, or isn't able to perform some service. Even when it's working, it's super slow and the dimension sensors never work, so I have to manually enter everything. At least it seems like the screen got an upgrade sometime last winter. Still, I can't seem to count on the self-service kiosk working. Oh, also, the automatic door there is SLOOOOW and - on two or three occasions - it didn't open all the way (not sure if it was a mechanical issue or because of the wind). If you're in wheelchair or mobility device, you might have problems as well. Entering the lot is a mess, because there's a huge incline that some lower cars will scrape on, and it'll really test your suspension. The eastbound stoplight accommodates left turns into the lot for a few seconds, but only if traffic moves nicely - and nobody in downtown Highland Park seems to drive with urgency. The lot near the building entrance is cramped, and nobody in downtown Highland Park seems to know how to park straight either, so it can be a mess. If you're driving a large SUV or truck, good luck. Parking near the drop-box / Sunset Woods Park entrance is a safer bet. Take it slow when exiting, if you want to keep your muffler, because that ramp transition is even worse on the way out. Seriously, folks; go to the Highwood or Deerfield post office instead. They aren't great, but they still operate better and are much more convenient to get in and out of. The kiosks seem to work better there. If you are going west or south, the Northbrook post office on Church near Shermer or the Techny post offices are WAAAAY better - possibly the best in the area. You can also get a lot of stuff done at the USPS.com website, and save yourself a trip to the post office all-together.

Average suburban metra station. It's situated within walking distance of a small shopping center…read more The cafe in the station is only open during morning rush I believe so get your coffee and food before heading over. There are some vending machines at least for a quick snack waiting for the trains. I believe it's an every hour train to union station and the ride to union station is about an hour.

One of the nicer train stations in the area with a neatly kept building and attractive looking…read morewaiting areas, parking, etc. This is conveniently near the shops in the downtown area, making it easy to catch a ride into the city for commuters and there's plenty of places to sit down for those waiting for the train to come.