Elk Grove Village, Illinois Receives High Praise
Named in the Top 100 Places to Live in the United States
In its 6th annual survey, Relocate-America.com named Elk Grove Village, Illinois as one of the top 100 places to live in the United States.
Elk Grove Village rose to the "Top 100" category from thousands of communities that were nominated for the honor. The recognition was earned following a review of the special qualities that make Elk Grove Village a special place to live. In addition to its hometown qualities, communities are compared against education, crime, employment, housing and other criteria.
Elk Grove Village has a long history of receiving top honors. Last year, Chicago Magazine ranked Elk Grove Village as "Best Hometown". Elk Grove Village was also named as one of the top 50 fabulous places in the United States to raise a family, and US News & World Reports recognized Elk Grove High School as one of the top 96 High Schools in the nation.
In recent years, Elk Grove Village has also received 5 Governor's Hometown Awards; recognition by the American Public Works Association for best projects; a "Soles and Spokes" bicycling award; Economic Development awards, Innovation Awards, and countless other recognitions.
These prestigious national recognitions follow a $10 million effort to enhance residential areas in the Village. As part of this effort, the Village performed the following:
- created a Veterans Memorial Park and Fountain;
- constructed a Clock Tower to compliment its Village Green;
- installed brick paved crosswalks around school sites and other residential areas;
- improved its public works sites with wrought-iron style fencing and new landscaping;
- installed new and decorative street lights throughout the community;
- replaced worn street signs with new signs in decorative frames and poles; and
- installed landscaping throughout the residential community at schools, in medians, and parkways leading to residential areas.
Chicago Magazine Ranks Elk Grove "Best Hometown"
As featured in the March, 2003 issue of Chicago Magazine, Elk Grove Village was rated the Best Hometown when compared to other communities with similar priced housing. Of the 192 communities evaluated by the study, Elk Grove Village was 1 of only 5 suburbs to receive the highest rating in its class.
Rankings were established on the basis of the following: health and safety, housing, transportation, leisure, and schools. For comparison, the following list shows how Elk Grove's score of 112 compared to neighboring communities:
| |
Community |
Chicago Magazine Score |
| |
Elk Grove Village |
112 |
| |
Des Plaines |
111 |
| |
Lake Forest |
111 |
| |
Northbrook |
109 |
| |
Arlington Heights |
105 |
| |
Roselle |
105 |
| |
Rolling Meadows |
104 |
| |
Itasca |
102 |
| |
Park Ridge |
100 |
| |
Hoffman Estates |
90 |
| |
Schaumburg |
90 |
| |
Palatine |
88 |
| |
Mount Prospect |
80 |
This ranking follows Elk Grove Village's previous listing as one of the national "Fifty Fabulous Places to Raise a Family".
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Elk Grove named 'fabulous place'
Village cited for several amenities
Daily Herald Thursday, February 27, 1997 Northwest Suburbs
BY JON DAVIS
Daily Herald Staff Writer
Elk Grove Village residents have long bragged that they live in the Camelot of the Northwest suburbs.
That claim has been bolstered by the second edition of "50 Fabulous Places to Raise Your Family" -- a guide book for those considering moving or relocating.
Elk Grove Village and west suburban St. Charles are the only Illinois communities to make the list. They bumped Buffalo Grove and Wheaton, which were listed in the first edition.
Other Midwestern cities on the new list include Indianapolis, Ind., Eden Prairie and Rochester, Minn., Columbia, Mo. and Green Bay, Wis.
"It's nice to be recognized," said Village Manager Gary Parrin. "We know that Elk Grove is the exceptional community. It's nice to know that other people recognize it."
The book cites Elk Grove Village's access to transportation, low taxes, varied housing stock, parks and recreation, schools, low crime rate, "exceptional community service and small-town atmosphere."
St. Charles is cited for its schools, location along the Fox River and for being "a community with traditional values... (and) a great family-focused community."
Midwestern winters are drawbacks to life in either suburb, as is Elk Grove Village's current lack of "social spots for teenagers," the book said. The new Grove Mall "should remedy this problem" the book said.
The Elk Grove Park District was singled out for its programs and facilities. "The crown jewel of Elk Grove it its 110,000-square-foot Pavilion," which won a design award from Athletic Business magazine, the book said.
"It's nice to be recognized for what we attempt to do for our community in general," said Steve Partman, president of the park district board of commissioners.
Quality of schools, health care, recreational facilities and housing costs were among the criteria for communities to be listed as one of the nation's 50 fabulous places, said author Melissa Giovagnoli.
Giovagnoli, a business consultant who lives in Schaumburg, personally visited 20 towns on the list and relied on referrals to select the rest.
A member of the National Speakers' Bureau, she polled her fellow speakers and checked out any town mentioned three times or more.
Her personal experiences as a 14-year resident of the Northwest suburbs didn't hurt Elk Grove Village and St. Charles when the final cut was made, she said.
"Most importantly, the sense of community is there in Elk Grove," she said. "Everyone is looking for a sense of connection today, and they really met that."
Also among Elk Grove Village's merits, as listed in the book:
- Location. The vitality of the Industrial Park and a "strong commitment to economic development on the part of Elk Grove officials;" which adds up to an area "primed for continued strong growth."
- Housing. Elk Grove Village is currently a buyer's market, with the most popular developments along, or close to, the Biesterfield Road corridor.
- Education. "Students in all four village school districts are at the cutting edge of technology with programs that make strong use of the Internet," the book said.
Buffalo Grove, which made the first edition's list, merited an honorable mention this time--in the Elk Grove chapter, under "Nearby areas to consider."
Buffalo Grove was noted for its schools, parks and recreational system, neighborhoods and access to transportation and shopping.
