Village Profile TM
Village Profile TM
Since its founding in 1832, Downers Grove has been a strategic location for business and community prosperity. For founder, Pierce Downer, the huge grove of trees in the middle of the vast Illinois prairie provided the raw material needed to begin a new village. Later in the century, the railroad put Downers Grove on the main line and opened new opportunities. When Chicago began construction of its expressway system, Downers Grove was provided with an excellent transportation network. Now with the completion of the North-South Tollway, and the approval to extend this important highway south to its terminus at I-80, Downers Grove literally finds itself at the center of the transportation network in DuPage and other collar counties!
Downers Grove is indeed a strategic location... and yet so much more! Economic growth balanced with comfortable residential living. Award winning schools and parks. Elected municipal officials with a vision of the future coupled with fiscal responsibility. In short, Downers Grove is a suburban community offering a superb business location and a quality of living its citizens are proud of!
To the eyes of Pierce Downer, the rising grove of oak trees he encountered after nearly three days of riding west from Chicago, gave the appearance of an island in a vast ocean of tall prairie grass. It was the end of his quest, the end of a long trip from New York state. He had found a home this May day in 1832 and built a log cabin on a claim of 150 acres of forest and prairie land. In 1834, Downer was joined by his 22 year old daughter and in 1836, after four years of separation, his wife and their young son came to their new home on the Illinois prairie.
By now, many families had chosen what had become known as Downers Grove as their home. In 1845, the first store opened as did the first school house. During the 1850's, the log cabins the early settlers built were being replaced with clapboard houses for the 80 or so families who were living in the area. With the arrival of the Chicago, Burlington, and Quincy railroad in 1864, the townspeople of Downers Grove and the surrounding farmers had a much more efficient means of delivering their products and produce to the Chicago market.
To the eyes of Pierce Downer, the rising grove of oak trees he encountered after nearly three days of riding west from Chicago, gave the appearance of an island in a vast ocean of tall prairie grass. It was the end of his quest, the end of a long trip from New York state. He had found a home this May day in 1832 and built a log cabin on a claim of 150 acres of forest and prairie land. In 1834, Downer was joined by his 22 year old daughter and in 1836, after four years of separation, his wife and their young son came to their new home on the Illinois prairie.
By now, many families had chosen what had become known as Downers Grove as their home. In 1845, the first store opened as did the first school house. During the 1850's, the log cabins the early settlers built were being replaced with clapboard houses for the 80 or so families who were living in the area. With the arrival of the Chicago, Burlington, and Quincy railroad in 1864, the townspeople of Downers Grove and the surrounding farmers had a much more efficient means of delivering their products and produce to the Chicago market.
With the population growing to almost 1,000 during the 1890's, Main Street was opened as an important north-south street. Later two of the towns early settlers carved out Maple Avenue as a much needed east-west thoroughfare. The area surrounding Maple Avenue soon became a prime residential setting with numerous large homes and mansions being built. This area remains an important residential neighborhood today and many of the original homes built there are still owner occupied.
Progress in Downers Grove continued into the twentieth century with the population climbing to 2600 in the early 1900's. Now the Village had seven churches, three hotels, four manufacturing companies, several civic organizations, and a thriving economy.
Now as the twentieth century draws to a close, Downers Grove has a population of 48,000. In the last quarter of the century the population grew rapidly as business and residents south out the western suburbs as a clear choice over the City of Chicago. The Village now finds itself near total development within its borders, and looks to the next century as one of continued community prosperity and quality living for all its people and cultures calling Downers Grove home.
Educational excellence is taken very seriously by the citizens of Downers Grove. This quest for excellence has been met as evidenced by the National Award for Excellence bestowed on both public high schools by the U.S. Department of Education. The combined enrollment of nearly 5500 students attending North High and South High benefit from a complete curriculum of academic and vocational courses including honors classes and some courses which can earn the student college credits. Interscholastic sports programs, dozens of clubs, and intramural programs round out the educational experiences at our public high schools.
The foundation for this high school excellence is built among the ten elementary and two middle schools of District 58, and the kindergarten through eighth grade facility of Henry Puffer School, District 69.
Traditional and fundamental concepts of learning are the emphasis in these educational settings, and are complimented by special attention given to students with needs for gifted learning or special attention.
Downers Grove is also enriched with five parochial schools featuring educational programs in grades kindergarten through eighth grade. In addition, the renowned Avery Coonley School is a private, independent, non-denominational school providing for individual learning ability and intellectual curiosity through accelerated leaning in a traditional classroom setting. Avery Coonley's challenging programs has three divisions: pre-school, lower school, and middle school.
Downers Grove residents from age
two to ninety-two benefit from the abundant recreational opportunities in
the community and the surrounding area. The Park District manages over 500
acres of park land in town, and has won the coveted National Gold Medal award
for the quality and diversity of recreational pursuits presented to residents
at these facilities. Activities range from youth and adult sports leagues
in all four seasons of the year, to the passive ten acre Belmont Prairie,
one of the last bits of natural Illinois prairie still in existence. Lyman
Woods features an oak savanna setting over 70 acres complete with gentle
hiking trails near 31st and Highland Avenue.
Other recreation opportunities nearby feature DuPage County Forest Preserves, the world renowned 1,500 acre Morton Arboretum in neighboring Lisle, and, of course, the major league professional sport franchises just 30 minutes away from Chicago.
For golfing enthusiasts, Downers Grove has its own nine hole,
par 35 course which has recently undergone major renovation, and some of
the finest public courses in the Midwest are located in nearby suburban
communities.
The Indian Boundary YMCA, located in Downers Grove, as additional recreational facilities including an indoor swimming pool, a 12 lap to the mile running track, a huge fieldhouse featuring basketball/volleyball courts and a challenging climbing wall for individual and corporate training use. The YMCA also conducts scores of instructional classes for young and old, and has after school programs for latch key children whose parents work. All of this work is done year round with an emphasis on Judeo-Christian values.
Downers Grove is unquestionably in the most strategic
location for business and industry in all of DuPage County. With the intersection
of the East-West Tollway (I-88) and the North-South Tollway (I-355) on the
northern perimeter of Downers Grove, business, commercial, and industrial
companies are truly at the center of the highway transportation network in
DuPage. Complimenting this transportation hub is the proximity of O'Hare
International Airport, Midway Airport, and the Chicago loop all just 30 minutes
away.
These strategic location factors have attracted over 120 major business and industrial firms to the community. Collectively these firms employ over 8,000 of the 24,000 people employed in the Downers Grove labor force. Corporate headquarters for major national companies like ServiceMaster Industries, Swift-Eckrich, Spiegel Inc., and Magnetrol International are all located in Downers Grove.
In addition, other major employers like Rockwell International, Good Samaritan Hospital, Pepperidge Farm, and Arrow Gear are all thriving in the solid business climate Downers Grove has to offer existing and new companies.
Several new office complexes have been built near the I-88 and I-355 interchange. Among these are The Esplanade at Locus Point, Opus West, Gottlieb Properties, and Highland Oaks. Several other office sites have also been constructed in recent years providing a full range of amenities for expanding or relocating to Downers Grove.
Finally, the community also has over 1,000 hotel and motel rooms, the second highest total of any DuPage city. Featured in the mix of accommodations are two all suite properties and several limited service motels. The corporate business traveler or those visiting the Chicago area for vacation or a long weekend find Downers Grove the perfect place to stay.
The variety of quality retail stores and excellent business services offer the residents of and visitors to Downers Grove more goods and services than ever before. Three new shopping centers have opened recently bringing the total to nine within the boundaries of our community. The downtown shopping district remains strong with retail, professional, and financial services fully available. In addition, numerous restaurants have come to Downers Grove in recent years to serve the needs of residents, business travelers, and overnight visitors.
All of these factors have created a climate where the retail sales volume in Downers Grove is among the top three in DuPage County!
Cultural life is brought to the residents of, and visitors to, Downers Grove in numerous venues. For example, the performing arts feature the work of numerous community groups including the Grove Players, Downers Grove Oratorio Society, Downers Grove Concert Association, and the DuPage County Symphony.
The visual arts are supported and encouraged by the Downers Grove Artists Guild and the Downers Grove Art Festival organized by the Junior Women's Club with financial support from the Downtown Retail Council on the second Saturday in September each year.
Good old summertime entertainment is provided by the Downers Grove Park District concert series at the Fishel Park bandshell. These free concerts showcase the talents of local and regional musical groups and remind you of the old days when people gathered at the park to visit with friends and neighbors while enjoying the sounds of their favorite music.
A major event each year on the community calendar is Heritage Festival held the last full weekend in June annually. This community celebration starts on Friday and culminates Sunday evening featuring entertainment all three days, a Street Fair, an Arts and Craft Show, antique auto exhibit, carnival rides, scores of food booths, and tours of community historical sites. In short, a real community celebration for residents and visitors alike. In fact, the festival was recently awarded the Governor's trophy for the best hometown festival in Illinois!
Another major event in town is the United State Pro Criterium Bicycle Race held each August on the streets of downtown and the surrounding neighborhood. Amateurs from all over the country race in the morning and early afternoon, and then the professionals take over for a 100 kilometer (62 miles) that is as colorful as it is breathtaking to watch. These racers maintain speeds of 27 to 30 miles per hour over the one mile loop circuit for the entire event and put on an exciting and thrilling show for the enjoyment of the whole family.
Something that is always present in our community is our outstanding public library. This facility doubles as a learning center and a cultural hub for all of our citizens. Nearly 200,000 books are on the shelves, over 9,000 recordings of all kinds, hundreds of different magazines, and an outstanding reference department to help with all types of research projects. In 1996, voters approved a referendum to significantly expand the facility which is sure to make this community treasure even more spectacular.
And, if all of the above is not enough, people who live in Downers Grove also have the benefit of all the world-class cultural opportunities found in Chicago. Superb professional theater, musical concerts, symphony, ballet, and every major professional sport has at least one team playing out of the Windy City.
Downers Grove features diverse neighborhoods with an appealing mix of housing types and styles. Along streets lined with over 21,000 parkway trees, residents may choose from homes designed for the successful business executive or professional to the young person or couple seeking their first home. Subdivisions like Denburn Woods, Bending Oaks, Regency Grove, and Orchard Brook offer sprawling ranch homes and attractive two story dwellings appealing to business executives with growing families. New townhouse developments like Mistwood and Villas of Bending Oaks offer luxury townhouse living with several other townhouse developments available for the person looking to build equity in their first home.
Single family home prices are an average $175,000 with housing stock available starting around $110,000, and ranging up to $850,00. The vast majority of house in Downers Grove are priced in the $175,000 to $275,000 range. Property taxes are among the lowest in DuPage County, and property values have outpaced most Chicago suburbs over the past decade.
For further information contact:
Community Profile Network, Inc. &
Progressive Publishing, Inc.
Daniel M. Nugara, President
125 E. Lake St. #102
Bloomingdale, IL 60108
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