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[SIZE=2]Whether we were correct or not in our opinions, when I was growing up in Joliet in the 1960's and 1970's, we didn't consider Joliet to be a suburb of Chicago. I doubt that most people living there (again, this is forty years ago) would have ever thought of themselves as suburbanites. It must be much different today, especially since much of the industrial and manufacturing base left in the 1980’s.[/SIZE]
[SIZE=2]At that time, Joliet was one of the "outlying cities" in relation to Chicago. The others were Waukegan, Elgin, Aurora and Gary. Although related to Chicago throughout their histories, these places were all independent cities, actually. Each had a daily life of its own, distinct from Chicago's and distinct from each other. With the possible exception of Waukegan, each had its own newspapers, industrial base(s), governments, as well as very active downtown retail districts. There were some small towns just outside of Joliet (Rockdale, Crest Hill, Shorewood/Troy, and others). In our minds, we even had our own suburbs![/SIZE]
[SIZE=2]The ring of outlying cities formed the imaginary border of what was the Chicago area, and what was not. One TV stations’ weather map was very clear in indicating that first there is Chicago, then “The Burbs,” and beyond those are “The Boonies.” Similarly, a Chicago native might identify these places as “Chicago” and “Downstate”. [/SIZE]
[SIZE=2]On a map, the outlying cities form a crescent shape around Chicago. The Elgin, Joliet & Eastern railroad (the “EJ&E” or the “J”) ran along this crescent shaped route. The EJ&E was owned by U.S. Steel Corporation, its eastern terminus being, of course, Gary, Indiana. U.S. Steel had a plant in Joliet (“the wire mill” as it was called), but I don’t know about Aurora, Elgin or Waukegan. There must have been something in Elgin.[/SIZE]
[SIZE=2]The crescent shape is only one of many running through Chicago and/or the Chicago area, as it grows ever westward. Someone wrote that the border is Interstate 80 on the south, Illinois route 47 on the west, and the Wisconsin border on the north. Although a little less so, these borders form another crescent. A crescent shape, or a “C” shape, appears in many Chicago maps, each one having been drawn at a different time. Almost all were laid out to fulfill a transportation purpose.[/SIZE]
[SIZE=2]On a map, you can see the crescent shape in Chicago’s Boulevard route, which connects most of the city’s large parks. It is evident as well in a map of the Cook County forest preserves. It is very obvious as the Tri-State Tollway, which was built with the intention of bypassing the city. Interstate 355 was built later, in sections, and is still not fully constructed. It will probably be another crescent-shaped highway some day. Illinois route 47 will probably be part of one, also. In addition to the EJ&E route, there was a rail route inside the city called the Belt Line. I don’t know if it exists still, but it ran for the most part just west of Cicero Avenue. The original interstate highway plans utilized the Belt Line route for a Cross Town Expressway. The Cross Town was never built due to community opposition to it. The funds earmarked for it were later used to build the L’s Orange Line to Midway Airport, and also for straightening the S-Curve on Lake Shore Drive (which is worth three Cross Town Expressways). [/SIZE]
[SIZE=2]In other cities I guess these would be rings or circles, Chicago’s difference being Lake Michigan lying to the east. An exception, however, is the L. The structure of the Loop downtown could be a circle (if a circle can be square). Another would be the CTA’s proposed Circle Line. The new section would run from a north side Red Line stop (Fullerton or North & Clybourn), over to and then down Ashland to about 35th Street, and then East to a south side Red Line stop. The Red Line that already exists between the two stops completes the circle. Except for those two, I can’t think of any other instances of completed circles in Chicago.[/SIZE]
[SIZE=2]After looking over my ramblings above, I can see that I haven’t provided a very good answer to your question, especially in today’s terms. I apologize for that. I guess I wanted to share a perspective, and I find those shapes and what they define interesting.[/SIZE]
Whether we were correct or not in our opinions, when I was growing up in Joliet in the 1960's and 1970's, we didn't consider Joliet to be a suburb of Chicago. I doubt that most people living there (again, this is forty years ago) would have ever thought of themselves as suburbanites. It must be much different today, especially since much of the industrial and manufacturing base left in the 1980’s.
At that time, Joliet was one of the "outlying cities" in relation to Chicago. The others were Waukegan, Elgin, Aurora and Gary. Although related to Chicago throughout their histories, these places were all independent cities, actually. Each had a daily life of its own, distinct from Chicago's and distinct from each other. With the possible exception of Waukegan, each had its own newspapers, industrial base(s), governments, as well as very active downtown retail districts. There were some small towns just outside of Joliet (Rockdale, Crest Hill, Shorewood/Troy, and others). In our minds, we even had our own suburbs!
The ring of outlying cities formed the imaginary border of what was the Chicago area, and what was not. One TV stations’ weather map was very clear in indicating that first there is Chicago, then “The Burbs,” and beyond those are “The Boonies.” Similarly, a Chicago native might identify these places as “Chicago” and “Downstate”.
On a map, the outlying cities form a crescent shape around Chicago. The Elgin, Joliet & Eastern railroad (the “EJ&E” or the “J”) ran along this crescent shaped route. The EJ&E was owned by U.S. Steel Corporation, its eastern terminus being, of course, Gary, Indiana. U.S. Steel had a plant in Joliet (“the wire mill” as it was called), but I don’t know about Aurora, Elgin or Waukegan. There must have been something in Elgin.
The crescent shape is only one of many running through Chicago and/or the Chicago area, as it grows ever westward. Someone wrote that the border is Interstate 80 on the south, Illinois route 47 on the west, and the Wisconsin border on the north. Although a little less so, these borders form another crescent. A crescent shape, or a “C” shape, appears in many Chicago maps, each one having been drawn at a different time. Almost all were laid out to fulfill a transportation purpose.
On a map, you can see the crescent shape in Chicago’s Boulevard route, which connects most of the city’s large parks. It is evident as well in a map of the Cook County forest preserves. It is very obvious as the Tri-State Tollway, which was built with the intention of bypassing the city. Interstate 355 was built later, in sections, and is still not fully constructed. It will probably be another crescent-shaped highway some day. Illinois route 47 will probably be part of one, also. In addition to the EJ&E route, there was a rail route inside the city called the Belt Line. I don’t know if it exists still, but it ran for the most part just west of Cicero Avenue. The original interstate highway plans utilized the Belt Line route for a Cross Town Expressway. The Cross Town was never built due to community opposition to it. The funds earmarked for it were later used to build the L’s Orange Line to Midway Airport, and also for straightening the S-Curve on Lake Shore Drive (which is worth three Cross Town Expressways).
In other cities I guess these would be rings or circles, Chicago’s difference being Lake Michigan lying to the east. An exception, however, is the L. The structure of the Loop downtown could be a circle (if a circle can be square). Another would be the CTA’s proposed Circle Line. The new section would run from a north side Red Line stop (Fullerton or North & Clybourn), over to and then down Ashland to about 35th Street, and then East to a south side Red Line stop. The Red Line that already exists between the two stops completes the circle. Except for those two, I can’t think of any other instances of completed circles in Chicago.
After looking over my ramblings above, I can see that I haven’t provided a very good answer to your question, especially in today’s terms. I apologize for that. I guess I wanted to share a perspective, and I find those shapes and what they define interesting.
Very interesting..
Thanks for sharing your experiences and welcome to our forum!
I've enjoyed reading this thread, finding out what now constitues a "suburb" as opposed to an exurb.
"Back in my day", 10-20 miles out from the City Limits was considered a suburb, so long as it was contiguous. If there were fields in-between, the smaller town was considered "exurban".
I was raised in Carpentersville (it & I were brand new), & we never considered it a suburb. When I moved to Fla. in 1969, I always said I was from a suburb of the suburbs when speaking of C'ville. Now I just say I'm originally from NW of Chicago out in Cow Country (which some still is).
Here in Houston they call where I live "suburban Houston", although the Post Office calls us Houston. Technically, I'm county. If you Google "US 290 & FM 1960" (nearest major intersection) & choose Satellite View, you'd never know where Houston ends & "county" begins. With the plethora of subdivisions out here, you'd never guess where I live, either. : )
As for Rte 47 being a demarcation line, isn't that just a wee bit far to be considered a Chicago suburb? I guess not, anymore...
northernillinoisan posted a pretty good description. I tend to agree. For me the western boundary of "Chicagoland" was, more or less, the Fox River Valley...but it became a bit more ambigous if one went north of Dundee and Carpentersville, since McHenry and Crystal Lake where probably part of Chicagoland (the start of the "chain of lakes" country). But certainly, west of Elgin, St Charels, Geneva, Batavia, and Aurora you left Chicagoland and were in the true farm country, "downstate"....little farm villages and towns, and eventually, places like DeKalb and Sycamore...
Yet, back in olden days (the 1960s and early 1970s) one still found the "the country"...miles of open country, east of the Fox River. Mostly beyond Wheaton and Downers Grove. Places like West Chicago, Winfield, Warrenville, and Plainfield were built-up islands in this agricultural sea. Plus a few isolated subdivisions, like Streamwood and Glendale Heights.
I think thats all changed now. Last I was up that way, you have to get around Plainfield, or beyond, to see farmland start up.
My parents live in Carpentersville. To me, that seems like the hinterlands, and not really part of Chicagoland. The problem with the housing boom is that it created this crazy sprawl in places that it had no business being. My parents have good jobs in an industrial park in nearby Elgin, but other than that - where is the demand if they want to move? Apologies for the digression.
But yes, it's crazy how 20 or 30 years ago, some of these highly sought after suburbs were really just little cow towns.
Quote:
Originally Posted by Pegs56
I've enjoyed reading this thread, finding out what now constitues a "suburb" as opposed to an exurb.
"Back in my day", 10-20 miles out from the City Limits was considered a suburb, so long as it was contiguous. If there were fields in-between, the smaller town was considered "exurban".
I was raised in Carpentersville (it & I were brand new), & we never considered it a suburb. When I moved to Fla. in 1969, I always said I was from a suburb of the suburbs when speaking of C'ville. Now I just say I'm originally from NW of Chicago out in Cow Country (which some still is).
Here in Houston they call where I live "suburban Houston", although the Post Office calls us Houston. Technically, I'm county. If you Google "US 290 & FM 1960" (nearest major intersection) & choose Satellite View, you'd never know where Houston ends & "county" begins. With the plethora of subdivisions out here, you'd never guess where I live, either. : )
As for Rte 47 being a demarcation line, isn't that just a wee bit far to be considered a Chicago suburb? I guess not, anymore...
me personally, I just always say Chicagoland, whether referring to the city, or the suburbs I would say country is probably anything south of cook county, not sure about north/west tho
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