What happened to good old Waukegan?? (lawyers, live, gangs)

[gussie]

I guess the positive remarks about Waukegan are from those that are stuck there!! You just can't go to the Navy Base to visit the doctor... No nice places to go .The theatre that they socked so much money into is a bust!! No one wants to go downtown Waukegan with all the gang bangers and bums.......I know Waukegan.. I lived there 50 years.. and I am glad I got the hell out.... I wasn't about to pay 5,000 a year property taxes on a small ranch style house, with less then .14 acre....I live in a 200,000 house now.. Taxes are 1,600 a year. I have over an acre of land and live 10 miles from A MAJOR UNIVERSITY.. You can have good old Waukegan!.

[cobolt]

My dad and his wife still live in Waukegan, but all the kids have left the house and/or state. I only lived there my last 2 years of high school when we moved there from the city because dad realized he'd never afford a house in the city or immediate outlining suburbs. But the Waukegan I remember was fairly decent. My dad has a nice tutor style home on a large corner lot and lives a stone's throw from Sheridan Rd. For entertainment we hung out with friends, were at the park alot, did the Gurnee Mills and Six Flags thing, went ice skating at Victory Park in the winter, etc. Of course, being high school aged, I did all the rebel type stuff: driving to Kenosha to buy liquor, hanging with sailors at Great Lakes. Hmmm. Maybe that's why I joined the Navy. Anyway, I remember Waukegan being a pretty family oriented town. Back then it was N. Chicago that was pretty much the pits. I know that Waukegan has deteriorated since then, but I don't think it's as bad as people say.

[Sub-Urban Princess]

My entire family (immediate and extended) were born and bred in the Waukegan/N. Chicago area dating back to 1927. Many of us either went to college or moved in the late 70's, early 80's. My mom went West to California. 80% of the others are still there and will not flee.

Waukegan was a very nice bedroom community for many years. It sits on the lakefront, beautiful historical architecture north on Sheridan (as someone mentioned).

Complete with cultural festivals, artsy downtown area with vintage boutiques and quaint little jewelry shops. Close to Highland Park, Evanston, even Chicago. Great beach front scenery.

Famous eating establishments (Canale's Pizza, Jordy's Hotdogs, Shirl's Ice Cream), Don't forget The Genesee Theater which has historically brought in famous talent from Morrissey to Little Richard or James Brown...Sinbad will be there this month.

Famous hometown notables include Jack Benny, Ray Bradbury (Author), Betty Curry (Former Clinton Secretary), Connie Brazelton (ER), Anita Padilla (News Reporter) . Rock Hudson wasn't far away in Winnetka.

Waukegan is home to the Lake County courthouse. Ask Michael Jordan or Scotty Pippen if Waukegan will hold some memory for them. :-)

The Blues Brothers was shot in Waukegan as well as Groundhog's Day and Batman Begins.

In more recent years, I will agree that it has become a dumping ground for Cook County criminal rejects and their families. Crime may have gone down a bit but at the same time, so has hope, property and moral values.

I can't deny where I come from...Waukegan is a big part of me...don't want to live there but I will always love it and respect it!

Point being, the people from Waukegan or who currently reside there shouldn't be so quick to take a hot, steamy dump on it. It's from whence you came.

[GoCUBS1]

Originally Posted by Sub-Urban Princess

Point being, the people from Waukegan or who currently reside there shouldn't be so quick to take a hot, steamy dump on it. It's from whence you came.

Sub-Urban Princess, I could not have said it better! I also grew up in Waukegan (but no longer live there). Of course Waukegan has many problems but I credit it for making me the strong person I am today and for giving me exposure to (and compassion for) so many different types of people (good and bad). I would not change a thing about my character-building experiences in Waukegan.

[GoCUBS1]

Originally Posted by gussie

I guess the positive remarks about Waukegan are from those that are stuck there!! You just can't go to the Navy Base to visit the doctor... No nice places to go .The theatre that they socked so much money into is a bust!!

Again, aren't there two hospitals (Victory and St. Therese) in downtown Waukegan? So you don't need to go to the Navy Base. Also, every time I've been to Genessee Theatre it has been packed (e.g. the Nutcracker performances). It was a beautiful theatre renovation and draws some bigger performers (e.g. Craig Ferguson this season). I wouldn't really call it a bust.

I agree that Waukegan has some problems (esp. w/gangs) but disagree that a lack of hospitals, theatres, shopping malls is the issue...

[LynnKK]

And that is exactly where the ex-husband lives....

[cobolt]

Plus, they have Quonset Pizza. Yummmm. I didn't mind Waukegan at all for the short amount of time I was there. We used to walk down to the lakefront. In high school I used to work downtown, right across the street from the courthouse. I did do a brief stint at Dunkin Donuts, but that lasted all of 2 weeks. Food service is NOT my friend.

[Chummy Waters]

I used to swim the harbor off Waukegan, but I could taste the pollution whenever I did. Now I tend to stick with inland water. Fox lake is nice, except when if floods and all that muck comes thru my gills.

[GoCUBS1]

Originally Posted by Chummy Waters

I used to swim the harbor off Waukegan, but I could taste the pollution whenever I did. Now I tend to stick with inland water. Fox lake is nice, except when if floods and all that muck comes thru my gills.

I'm also an open water swimmer. I swam off the Illinois State Beach instead (too much industrial pollution/run-off in Waukegan at the time). At Illinois State Beach, I only had to deal w/the radiation from the nearby nuclear power plant! I'd like to find more nearby places to swim but the inland lakes seem to have too many motor boats and/or goose poop for me!

[cobolt]

I used to ride my bike up to Zion and swim at Illinois Beach State Park as well.