What was once a temporary waystation for those traveling across the Midwest has become a home base for those seeking a modest pace outside Chicago. With roots stretching back to the 1830s, the City of Blue Island is one of eleven in Illinois dubbed a "Preserve America" community. An active historical society takes up the mantle to educate locals on their hometown story. At the same time, Blue Island's robust park district, public library and city council organize year-round events that ensure relevance and encourage Southland locals to make yearly pilgrimages via the commuter trains that connect the community. “It's literally on the border of the city, and it still has very affordable housing,” says Julie Latsko, a Chicago Realtor with Compass who has fond memories of her years living in Blue Island. "There are two trains that go right into the city, but driving is also great. Without traffic it’s a 20 minute quick trip.”
Blue Island which has the nickname The City on the Hill has many beautiful homes.
Feel like a kid again at the John D Rita Recreation Center playground in Blue Island.
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Getting downtown by Metra, bus or I-57
Calling Blue Island a rail hub would be no exaggeration, even within the Chicago suburbs. Six Metra stations service over 100 daily trips, taking locals 18 miles to and from the Loop on the Rock Island District and Electric Lines. PACE and CTA bus stops also line major thoroughfares for an alternative ride downtown, and many amenities—from shops to the library—are within walking distance for residents. Drivers enjoy easy access to Interstate 57 towards Chicago and the suburbs, as well as nearby connections to Interstates 80 and 294; Chicago Midway International Airport sits 12 miles north for commercial flights. Chicago's Access Community Health Network serves locals through their Blue Island location, but locals may travel 4 miles to UChicago Medicine Ingalls Memorial for emergency procedures.
The Pace bus is a popular mode of transportation in the Blue Island area.
Blue Island residents can use the local Metra train to go to Chicago.
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Antique shopping and global dining on Western Avenue
One of the most impressive pieces of Blue Island architecture, the Spanish Revival Woolworth building is now home to Three Sisters Antique Mall. After spending an afternoon here, folks exit to an eclectic variety of global eateries on Western Avenue. T&G Gyros, a generations-strong family business, serves Italian beef and Polish sausage alongside its menu of fresh gyros. Those who prefer live music with their craft beer head south to Blue Island Beer Company. When they're not picking up essentials from their neighborhood corner store or shopping specialty items and fresh cuts at Supermercado El Gallo, shoppers head to their local Aldi.
Patrons chat at the bar at Blue Island Beer Company's Cabbage Bash in Blue Island.
T & G Gyros in Blue Island has been a staple corner spot for burgers and gyros for many years.
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Exploring the Blue Island Park District
The Blue Island Park District maintains over a dozen parks and recreational facilities throughout the city, totaling over 100 acres of green space. “Memorial Park is the park I grew up going to,” Latsko says. “The public pool is great and there’s a huge hill where we went sledding in the winter.” Families spend hot summer days exploring the playground, watching soccer games from the stadium stands, or tending to their community garden plots. Though dogs aren't allowed at Memorial, owners and their furry friends can register to climb, play and socialize at Blue Island Bark Park. Several pocket playgrounds and tot lots also dot the neighborhood for afternoons close to home, and events like paint nights make for indoor fun at John D. Rita Recreation Center, which also hosts organized youth sports and adult leagues.
Memorial Park in Blue Island has two baseball fields, a playground, an outdoor pool and more.
Centennial Park in Blue Island, IL has a wonderful playground area for children.
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A residential community two years younger than Chicago
Newcomers snagging a fixer-upper or "starter" home in Blue Island join families who have kept stable homeownership for decades. Impressive historic homes dating back to the city's founding line Maple and Greenwood Avenues, and although many homes have been renovated and restored for modern convenience, few have been rebuilt from the ground up. Brick ranch-style homes, Chicago bungalows and American Foursquares are connected by clean sidewalks under century-old tree cover. Many homes have hidden alleyways leading to detached garage space. Low-rise brick condo units start at about $135,000, while detached home options can reach up to $300,000.
There are many beautiful homes located in the quiet neighborhood of Blue Island IL.
Blue Island features incredible brick homes with unique patterns.
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Blue Island's two-district school pipeline
Most of Blue Island sits within the boundaries of Cook County School District 130. Kids can start at the colorful Nathan Hale Schools building, where prekindergarten through third graders attend Nathan Hale Primary School before moving up to Nathan Hale Intermediate School for fourth and fifth grades. Niche rates these programs a B and a B-minus, respectively. Students graduate to Everett F Kerr Middle School, which receives a C-plus, and finish strong with a transfer to Community High School District 218, comprising three sister high schools and three alternative programs. Eisenhower High School scores a B-minus from Niche; Eisenhower Cardinals take Advanced Placement courses and compete in separate and coed sports within the South Suburban Conference.
Dwight D. Eisenhower HS is a public school in Blue Island, with approximately 1,773 students.
Nathan Hale Middle School serves 6-8th grade students in Crestwood near Blue Island, IL.
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Gearing up for Blue Island festivities
Neighbors find themselves at Memorial Park throughout the year for community events, whether they're trading trash for treasure at the annual yard sale or participating in a blood drive. Fireworks at the Falls take 4th of July spectators to the waters of Cal-Sag Channel. The scent of homemade pan pizza and the sound of live music wafts through Blue Island every August during the five-day St. Donatus Feast and Carnival, a parish tradition for over 100 years. The festivities continue during BBQ on the Hill, a three-day cookoff in September that draws visitors from all over the Southland.
Blue Island Public Library is another community staple dating back to 1891, and the active Blue Island Historical Society catalogs its history in the library's lower level. Staff host events for all ages, from bilingual storytimes to interview prep courses.
The Blue Island Historical Society tells the story of The Harry & Myrtle Albee House.
Blue Island residents can enjoy the services of the local public library.
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Train delays in Blue Island
Drivers in Blue Island may be in for a bumpy ride. While multiple train stations make for easy downtown travel, passive freight trains cause delays and traffic congestion, as tracks trace across many main thoroughfares. Additionally, Blue Island continues to work towards infrastructure solutions for potholes and hazards on the city's roadways.
The Blue Island interchange is one of the most delightful rail-watching hotspots in the Midwest.
The Blue Island Metra is a wonderful way to travel to Chicago without busy traffic.
Allow me to introduce myself. I’m Trudy Holmes your full-time realtor for over 30 years. My goal is to make your dream a reality. I’m a native of Chicago and is here to help you with all of your homebuying and selling needs in Illinois and Indiana.
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I truly believe a realtor means more than joining professional associations; it should also include having involvement in the community where we work as well. I serve my community in many capacities from OES, Food Drives to Senior Assisted Living to name a few. My Brokerage and I also support Habitat for Humanity and to date has donated well over 5 million in the charity which built more than 15 Habitat Homes.
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