After a long day of working in busy downtown Chicago wouldn't it be nice to escape to an oasis at least until tomorrow? A village with a beautiful home and community to relax that stress away? Well you can.
It's a township called Norridge. Incorporated in 1948, with a name based on its Norwood Park Township locale and on a ridge along its east side, Norridge covers two square miles and is home to about 14,000 residents. Along with neighbor Harwood Heights, Norridge is a rare suburban island surrounded by Chicago. Harwood Heights is the only suburb contiguous with Norridge, which shares the rest of its borders with Chicago.
Being surrounded by the big city hasn't stopped Norridge from being a desirable place to live. One lifelong resident says it best. "Things that take place in this town are the result of people giving back to the community," said lifelong resident Larry Rogawski. "People have an inherent spirit that they want to make it better for everybody."
This spirit of neighborhood started early in the village when, in the 1950's, residents banded together to protect a large patch of land. The land was eventually purchased by the newly established Norridge Park District. Instead of industrial development, it was turned into a large park district with swimming, ballparks, trees, and playgrounds.
"Thank God for the people who had the vision to turn this property into a park," said Mark DeSalvo, Director of Parks and Recreation. "The area became densely populated, and had they not, we wouldn't have a Park District."
Today, the 22 1/2-acre Norridge Park has turned into a lush, green haven for the village's residents. They can enjoy tennis and basketball courts, baseball and softball fields, an outdoor pool, and a field house with a gym. Each year, the village has an Island in the City summer festival, held at Norridge Park as well.
Almost 85 percent of the villages homes are three-bedroom brick raised ranches. These, with all their charm, were built in the mid-1950s through the mid-1960s. In the last decade, there was a change in a longtime restriction on home heights which made it possible for many of the ranches to be expanded up and out. These charming homes and lovely neighborhoods aren't the only great qualities that have drawn people to Norridge, however.
In 2008, the Eisenhower Library opened in Harwood Heights and serves the village of Norwood as well. It has become a community hub for all ages.
"A community without a good library is like a body without a brain," said Eisenhower Public Library District Director Ron Stoch, who got his start in the community in 1976, piloting a bookmobile along Norridge streets. "The library is always going to be there for lifelong learning."
Norridge has two large shopping retail centers which bring in large tax revenue. Because of this revenue, Norridge does not levy a property tax to pay for village services. It is among those communities that pay Chicago to supply drinking water. However, the charges are among the lowest in the area and garbage collection is free of charge in the village. It also makes enough revenue to operate a 911 center without charging village residents for 911 services; an honor that only 5 municipalities in Illinois can claim.
The village's northern boundary is just blocks south of the Kennedy Expressway and the Harlem station on the CTA's Blue Line. This assures that you can get into Chicago quickly. So if you work downtown or like being close to that downtown atmosphere but want a little piece of oasis, The Marla Schneider Team can find you a home in Norridge to come home to each night. Contact Marla today to get the ball rolling.
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