Suburbs that are obscure or little-known (Cicero, Glendale Heights: nightclub, corporate, building)

[BOBNCHI]

Originally Posted by MillennialUrbanist

............ How did these working-class neighborhoods get named after two glitzy, sprawling Arizona cities?

They weren't named after the AZ cities.

Scottsdale, likely named for a developer, very common for many neighborhoods. Schorch village comes to mind.

From the Wiki...
Phoenix- The development of Phoenix is closely tied to its larger neighbor, Harvey. Harvey was established as an industrial city with no saloons. Many of its early factories were located between the Illinois Central Railroad and Harvey's eastern boundary at Halsted Street. One local businessman, William McLatchy, owned a large tract of land in an unincorporated area outside of Harvey. Soon, five saloons had opened in the area and a small housing subdivision known as Phenix Park was constructed during the 1890s.[5] City leaders in Harvey, seeing businesses just outside their boundaries selling alcohol to local workers, sought to annex Phenix Park and render it "dry" or free of alcohol-related establishments. The residents of Phenix Park wanted to retain local control of their affairs as an independent village. On August 29, 1900, an election was held to determine the future status of the area. A total of 56 votes were cast with 38 (67.9%) voting in favor of incorporation and 18 (32.1%) against.[6] Despite legal challenges from Harvey, the result was upheld.

After incorporation, the name Phenix Park was changed to Phoenix. By 1910, the village had a population of 500, with most residents being of either Dutch or Polish ancestry. The first African Americans moved to Phoenix in 1915.

[Master Jay]

How about RONDOUT? It is between Green Oaks and Knollwood. I sure never heard of it until today.

[MillennialUrbanist]

Originally Posted by Master Jay

How about RONDOUT? It is between Green Oaks and Knollwood. I sure never heard of it until today.

Rondout is obscure, but railfans usually know about it. It has an important junction on the Canadian Pacific (formerly Soo Line/Milwaukee Road) rail system. It's also where the North Shore Line rail cars were scrapped when that railroad folded. Evidence of Rondout remains in the name of an existing elementary school and a former Metra station.

[Master Jay]

MillenialUrbanist, good morning. Yes, driving down 176 I sure saw railroads!

But I also saw a bike trail that I think was called the North Shore Branch???.... but having ridden bikes a lot in the Chicago city area, I know that that trail is NOT the same North Shore Branch nor North Branch that I've been on.

Any onfo on that bike trail in Rondout? Thank you

[MillennialUrbanist]

Originally Posted by Master Jay

But I also saw a bike trail that I think was called the North Shore Branch???.... but having ridden bikes a lot in the Chicago city area, I know that that trail is NOT the same North Shore Branch nor North Branch that I've been on.

Any onfo on that bike trail in Rondout? Thank you

Sure, I'll tell. The North Branch is a tributary of the Chicago River, and it has a trail running alongside. The North Shore Branch Trail was once the North Shore Line railroad. It had two branches running north-south, which were connected: one ran close to Lake Michigan, the other ran through Rondout. Then the entire railroad folded, and most of its tracks became a trail. The track connecting them must have ran along IL-176, but I'm not familiar with that part of history.

Since you're from Milwaukee, you'll be interested to know that the North Shore Line once ran between Chicago and Milwaukee. It was electric, powered by an overhead catenary wire. If you walk on the North North Shore line, you can occasionally see stumps of torn-down catenary posts.

Interestingly, the South Shore Line to Northwest Indiana is still alive and well, and is currently building a new branch. It runs between Chicago and South Bend, although many trains terminate in Michigan City. It's supposedly the only electric passenger railroad left in America.

[Master Jay]

Wow, you have a vast knowledge of these trains. That is awesome. Thank you for sharing this!

[SonySegaTendo617]

Originally Posted by TheTimidBlueBars

I see a few people mentioning Stone Park, but FWIW I don't think it's that obscure. I grew up mostly in Oak Park and went there a few times.

Didn't Stone Park used to have a strip club, that would advertise on TV a lot back in the day? Plus, I think there was some corruption scandal with their cops and/or mayor, that got all over the news years ago. So I wouldn't say they are totally unknown.

Honestly, I'd put down ones like Harwood Heights(which without a doubt, fewer people are aware of vs. Norridge), Merionette(sp?) Park(not known for much, except a late night bar called 115 Bourbon Street), Wayne(western DuPage County), Golf, River Grove(with the exception of people being aware of Gene and Jude's and Hala Kahiki tiki bar), Berkeley, Bellwood, Forest View, McCook, and Indian Head Park.

In Northwest Indiana, I'd nominate some of the smaller towns and unincorporated areas outside of Crown Point and Valparaiso. Such as Lakes of the Four Seasons, Wheeler, South Haven(almost feels like an extension of Portage, IN), Ross(looks like an extension of either Gary or Merrillville?), etc.

Originally Posted by MillennialUrbanist

Sure, I'll tell. The North Branch is a tributary of the Chicago River, and it has a trail running alongside. The North Shore Branch Trail was once the North Shore Line railroad. It had two branches running north-south, which were connected: one ran close to Lake Michigan, the other ran through Rondout. Then the entire railroad folded, and most of its tracks became a trail. The track connecting them must have ran along IL-176, but I'm not familiar with that part of history.

Since you're from Milwaukee, you'll be interested to know that the North Shore Line once ran between Chicago and Milwaukee. It was electric, powered by an overhead catenary wire. If you walk on the North North Shore line, you can occasionally see stumps of torn-down catenary posts.

Interestingly, the South Shore Line to Northwest Indiana is still alive and well, and is currently building a new branch. It runs between Chicago and South Bend, although many trains terminate in Michigan City. It's supposedly the only electric passenger railroad left in America.

South Shore Line originally started as an 'interurban' railroad, in the very late 1800s/early 1900s I believe. But unlike other ones that ceased operations in the mid-20th century(North Shore Line, Chicago, Aurora, and Elgin), thankfully they have hung on. BTW, here's a good short documentary video I found about the CA&E, back when it used to operate. On a side note, this is why south of the Villa Park Metra stop(and close to More Brewing, and its library), that you see a wide park and right of way a little south of More Brewing to this day! Anyway:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5Pz9rD_aOaM

Originally Posted by MillennialUrbanist

Rondout is obscure, but railfans usually know about it. It has an important junction on the Canadian Pacific (formerly Soo Line/Milwaukee Road) rail system. It's also where the North Shore Line rail cars were scrapped when that railroad folded. Evidence of Rondout remains in the name of an existing elementary school and a former Metra station.

Metra also stored their retired 'Highliner' Metra Electric cars in the mid 2010s on a siding track where Milwaukee District North Metra line(to Antioch) trains passed by, for a little while after they were retired. Yep outside of railfan circles, and probably also certain others living in Lake County, IL, very few people seem to be aware of Roundout!

[MillennialUrbanist]

Originally Posted by SonySegaTendo617

Didn't Stone Park used to have a strip club, that would advertise on TV a lot back in the day? Plus, I think there was some corruption scandal with their cops and/or mayor, that got all over the news years ago. So I wouldn't say they are totally unknown.

I don't know of any strip clubs in Stone Park, although I vaguely remember driving past Scores, while heading to the destination I was really after: the Energy Thursdays Nightclub. Like its name says, their main night (maybe their only night) was on Thursdays. It kinds of put Stone Park on the map, although sometimes, its better-known neighbor Melrose Park tried to claim the club for itself.

While inner-ring suburbs rarely have unincorporated areas, Energy Thursdays might have been in one. That's why it could get away with letting 17-year-olds in. It may have had a postal address in one suburb, while being hooked up to another suburb's utilities. The same is true today with Uncle Paulie's Bar, an divey strip joint inside an old-as-dirt building, in Glen Ellyn/Glendale Heights.

[pvande55]

Originally Posted by MillennialUrbanist

Rondout is obscure, but railfans usually know about it. It has an important junction on the Canadian Pacific (formerly Soo Line/Milwaukee Road) rail system. It's also where the North Shore Line rail cars were scrapped when that railroad folded. Evidence of Rondout remains in the name of an existing elementary school and a former Metra station.

How about Spalding? It's the crossing of Metra Milwaukee West and CN (formerly EJE) railroad. Metra has a building there and a few industrial buildings. Not as well known, even to railfans. Seldom in the news unless a derailment occurs.

[MillennialUrbanist]

Originally Posted by pvande55

How about Spalding? It's the crossing of Metra Milwaukee West and CN (formerly EJE) railroad. Metra has a building there and a few industrial buildings. Not as well known, even to railfans. Seldom in the news unless a derailment occurs.

Not at all. Even Google doesn't recognize it. All it finds is Spaulding, and that's a suburb of Springfield, not Chicago. Spalding is probably one of those unincorporated towns, like Flowerfield or Hainesville.