CHICAGO (CBS) — Businesses in a downtown suburb not only survive, they thrive.
There’s a cool, easygoing atmosphere in downtown Skokie these days, but it took years and hard work to get there. Some consider it a renaissance.
Here’s a little history of downtown Skokie.
In the past, stores were filled with customers and businesses thrived. Sadly, things have changed over the years, but now this downtown is back with a vengeance.
“We’ve created 15 new businesses in the last year,” said Carol White, Skokie’s economic vitality coordinator.
Economic Vitality Coordinator is not just White’s title. It’s her mission.
“There’s something uplifting about seeing an empty space that now houses a store or a restaurant,” she said.
The companies are small, specialized and friendly.
To attract entrepreneurs, Skokie opened its arms and part of its bank account.
“Was it, ‘I can’t afford proper signage?’ And signage is super important, so can you fill that gap?” White said. “We don’t finance the entire project, but we fill in the gaps along the way.”
But do it strategically.
“It takes serious effort to build a downtown and make it thrive,” White said. “It has to be the right mix, right? You don’t just open your doors and say, ‘Hey, all the restaurants are coming in.’ So we balanced that with fitness. We balanced that with boutiques.”
And with collaboration.
“We started meeting once a month with all the companies to hear their challenges and have them share their successes and help with planning,” White said. “One of our companies got together and created a website for downtown Skokie.”
That would be the people from Kneads and Wants. Co-owner Madeleine England, a longtime Skokian, remembers a time when it wasn’t so nice here.
“I can tell you that from the 1960s until now, downtown Skokie has gone up and down a little bit, but we’ve never been able to maintain the upward momentum that I’m certainly seeing now,” England said.
At Latin eatery Libertad, regular customer Walter Corrigan agrees.
“We’ve lived here for 22 years,” Corrigan said. “This was never a restaurant mecca at all. It was dead. People even say, ‘Do you live in Skokie?’ They said, ‘Where are you going to eat? And now you can just see it.'”
Downtown Skokie’s population is becoming increasingly diverse.
Juwairiyah Kholwadia said that’s why she opened The Hijab Vault’s second location in Skokie. Next door you’ll find halal sweet treats, savory dishes and more at Sweet Reserve Bakery and Cafe.
“It’s so fascinating to learn about all these different cultures every day, and how we all get along,” White said.
Add to the residential boom. The new Highpoint units at 8000 North are 98% full.
White says it’s all adding up to the renaissance of downtown Skokie: a combination of new friends, neighbors and, yes, businesses.
“They’re interested in Skokie because it’s up and coming, right? We have an atmosphere of positivity and enthusiasm and purpose,” she said. ‘There’s something nice here. Something that’s pretty neat.”
Fun Fact: In the early 20th century, Skokie was also a popular location for shooting silent films. Fans of classic TV may recognize a shot from Oakton Street as it was used to portray the fictional town of Mayfield in the comedy ‘Leave it to Beaver’.
Marie Saavedra
