| Page Views: 2,543 Last Visit to Grayslake: August, 2006 I Used To Live Here | Grayslake: My First Home: 1963 by deecat - last update: Aug 26, 2006 |
A Lovely Example of A Northern Illinois Town | Grayslake Water Tower in Downtown |
Today, August 23, 2006, I decided to peruse Grayslake, my first home after being married in 1963! Allan and I lived in Grayslake from 1963 until 1965 when we decided to return to school for our Master Degrees.
Both of us are teachers; I taught at Grayslake and walked the 3 or 4 blocks to the high school. Allan taught in Lake Bluff and drove the 10 miles to his school.
At the time we lived in Grayslake, it was a very small community, and the high school was also quite small. Since that time, Grayslake has experienced a "population explosion", and there are two huge high schools!!
In 2003, the census indicated that there were over 20,300 residents.
My favorite part of Grayslake is The Village Center which is located in the heart of the town. This area includes historic downtown, The Esper A. Petersen Foundation Family Aquatic Center, Grayslake Public Library, Grayslake Senior Center, Central Park (40 acres), Daniel Barry Memorial Skate Park, Grayslake Middle School as well as Grayslake Central High School.
I love American towns that have kept the "downtown" alive and vibrant....Grayslake is a good example of such a town.
However, Grayslake is quite spread out (12 square miles) and includes a second high school, many strip malls, abundant residential communities, several industrial parks, a new Lake Forest Hospital's "hospital campus, Grayslake". (By the way, that is where I go to see my doctor).
I had such a wonderful time today rediscovering the town where I lived so many years ago. Of course, it's changed in looks; however, it still has that small town feel; it still has the friendly citizens who smile, say "hello", and are eager to help. |
| 1963-1965 Grayslake apartment upstairs |
|  | My First Home on Lake Street in Grayslake It was very strange to stand across the street to take a photograph of that first "home" that Allan and I shared as man and wife. There's new siding on the house; a newer garage is there now; the bushes hide the outside steps to the upstairs apartment where we lived; and the two grocery stores across the street and around the corner, are no longer there. Yet, it just seems like "yesterday" that we furnished the one bedroom, one bath, a kitchen, and a living room apartment with cheap furniture. Ironically, we ended up with more money each month back then than we ever have since that time! |
| Grayslake High School Today (2006) |
| | 1963-1965 Grayslake High School Where I Taught Toward the end of the afternoon, I journeyed toward the location of the High School, the first teaching job I ever had. I certainly did not recognize this huge building. It actually takes up more than one block! It's the beginning of school right now, and I saw several athletes (both male and female). It was late afternoon, and the parking lot was quite full. I walked all around in utter astonishment....that once small high school has become a very large high school. More than that, another huge high school has been built for Grayslake; it is located out of the town proper. |
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| Pros: | "Small Town Atmosphere with Suburban Flair" | | Cons: | "Lots of Traffic" | | In A Nutshell: | "Small town with a friendly attitude" |
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 Comments for deecat about Grayslake | | | | |
misterrabbit Fri Nov 6, 2009 15:47 UTC
What a truly lovely small town in America. So good to go "home" to see the changes and to appreciate the beauty. | Yaqui Mon May 25, 2009 17:43 UTC
Thanks for taking us down memory lane. Grayslake has that wonderful hometown charm. Wonderful page. We have three high schools. The original 40's sits empty. The 70's high is now the Jr. High and we have a new High School. Tehachapi keeps growing. | hunterV Thu Mar 26, 2009 16:39 UTC
Thanks for you wonderful page, Dee! ~ Take care ! ~ | sourbugger Sun Nov 23, 2008 21:48 UTC
great little page - toffeecrunch indeed ! |
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