Why buy the gas station at Milkwaukee/Waukegan, plan to remove gas tanks, when a station to the North at Birchwood/Waukegan,vacant long years and a seeming better lot location
Is available? Carol McManus

I was brought home from the hospital as a baby to a house on Waukegan Road that my Father and Mother purchased in 1952, so I am a lifelong resident of Niles. Long before it was The Red Apple, my Father owned that restaurant and it was called The Pilsen Cafe. My Mother worked as a presser at Ideal Overall Cleaners, then located on Waukegan Road on the property across from where Blue Swim School now sits. My half-sister, Diane Kussmann Kriete, a former Miss Niles, worked at the original Riggio’s and later at SuperDawg, where she was a carhop and worked on roller skates! My two half-brothers, Danny and Jim Kussmann, were also raised in Niles and my closest half-sister Pat Kussmann, worked just down the street from our house, at Giovanelli Bakery at Waukegan and Oakton. Our Niles family history runs deep!

I attended grammar school at the old Niles South School on Touhy and later at Niles North Elementary, now known as Culver Elementary. Mr. Culver was Superintendent of schools when I attended there. I graduated from Niles West HS and four years later, from Brigham Young University in Provo, UT. While other friends stayed out west, I preferred returning to Niles. I have wonderful memories of sledding down Lawrencewood Hill as a kid, and of shopping at Lawrencewood Shopping Mall with my Mother and later, with friends. I miss that Niles, the Niles of my youth.

I used to love attending live shows in the round at the old Golf Mill Theater and feel strongly that Niles needs another live theater just like that to be built again in Niles, maybe even on the same site since that property will soon be redeveloped.

As I aged and several family members passed or moved, it became necessary to sell the family house, a sad day indeed. But I was insistent on staying in Niles and purchased a condominium within our boundaries. I hope to die in Niles as I’ve lived here, with wonderful memories of growing up here, feeling safe and secure and well taken care of. I hope Niles is always a safe, welcoming, living, vibrant community with good senior care, fair taxes, accessible entertainment and good schools and restaurants.

My wife and I moved to Niles in 1999 with our four year old son. Prior to that we lived on the northwest side of Chicago. Twenty one years later we're still here. When we began to look for a home, we weren't all that aware of Niles. The more we learned about the Village, the more we came to love it here. I had a business in downtown Chicago so the convenience of the commute (driving or Metra) was a real plus. An aspect of the Village that took us by surprise, was the proximity to the Cook County Forest Preserves. I guess we saw the signage over the years, but actually living so close to the forests was (and still is) a real joy.

Several years ago, Niles used the slogan "Where people count". It was true then, and it's true now. We have always been impressed by the friendliness of Village employees from the folks at the Civic Center to the police, etc. It's just a wonderful place to live whether you're raising a family or enjoying retirement.

With our daughter about to turn 1 and wanting to establish our family somewhere with good schools but still near work and commuting options, we chose a house in Niles and have been here for almost a year. We love it so far, and I'm sure will love it even more when there's not a pandemic happening and can get out and explore more of the village. We love the access to the North Branch trail, the many parks in our area, and the diversity.

My husband and I bought our first home in Niles 5 years ago. We grew up in Chicago's Northwest and South side. After living in Wisconsin for a few years, we decided to move back closer to the city we grew up in. We knew the area was known for good schools and convenient access to city and highways for commute. We like the community and look forward to raising our growing family here. Very helpful Village and nice park district. We like the 4th of July parade and movies in the park.

My husband and I moved from Lincoln Park to Niles in 2013 with two boys. We were the 2nd owners of our well-maintained home. Taxes were low, lots of families were around and good schools were the drivers. We love Niles. There are almost 30 kids on our block. Schools are great, the park district does a fantastic job, lots of local businesses to support and national chains, side by side. Lots of like-minded people--focusing on family, clean community, supporting local, encouraging kids/outdoor activities. We love the Fourth of July parade and party at Grennan Heights, the Oak Park summer concerts, the Halloween Park District event. We really love our Niles community and have no plans to move out.... ever!

Niles was a great place to look for a home because of its location. We purchased a home that we thought would be a five-year plan. When we started having children we decided not to move but to make our home accommodate our growing family. We love our neighbors, neighborhood, the location, the schools, our church, our parks, our services. the shopping and restaurants. It is a great town for families.