Pekin

Prospective buyers looking for an urban community packed with older homes and an approachable downtown area may take an interest in Downtown Pekin. While Pekin’s main street was as bustling as it had ever been from the 1940s through the 1970s, the city’s expansion to the east took with it many of those small businesses, and the neighborhood soon faced a period of decline. However, the state named Pekin a "Main Street Community" in 1999, and a local nonprofit, Pekin Main Street, has been working to revitalize the area. Today, the Pekin Main Street organization’s Facebook page keeps locals informed of what’s going on downtown, and whether it’s a trivia night, a happy hour, or an annual event, there’s always something going on. Most homes in Downtown Pekin are more than 100 years old. In fact, it’s not uncommon to find residences built as early as the 1860s. Some streets are lined with smaller homes of around 1,500 square feet or less in styles like cottages and bungalows. Others offer grand homes with twice the space in more ornate styles, like Classical Revivals and Italianates, and situated on roads laid out in brick. Accordingly, the price ranges as much as the homes do. A fixer-upper can be picked up for as low as $30,000, while a fully-restored home can go as high as the mid-$300,000s. The city's “main street” is actually along Court Street. Here, residents can browse mom-and-pop shops like comic book store The Zone, Peek In Pottery Ceramics & Art, and Aryabellas Boutique. Plenty of restaurants line the street. “We have a lot of family-friendly sports bars. For fine dining, we go to Peoria,” says Mary Ann Ladendorf, Associate Broker for RE/MAX Traders Unlimited and a top seller in the neighborhood. One nice place to go for a family meal, Ladendorf says, is Ashers Bar & Grill, known for their hand-pounded, deep-fried tenderloin the size of a literal vinyl record (half-portions are available!). Whiskey Taco is one of the newest concepts, serving up unique taco combos, salads, and grain bowls and offering outdoor seating. Two big-box stores, Kroger and Schnucks, are a few blocks away, where residents can get groceries and other necessities. Annual events include Christmas on Court, which features Santa, live entertainment, and pop-up vendors, and the Marigold Festival, which Ladendorf says is one of the most popular in the area. “It’s very, very big,” she says. “There are 300 booths, arts and crafts, a fishing contest, and food extravaganzas everywhere. About 40,000 people come out for it.” Most of the Marigold Festival takes place at Mineral Springs Park, located about a mile outside the neighborhood, but a handful of festivities spill over into Downtown Pekin, like the Marigold Parade. Kids in Downtown Pekin start their education at Pekin Public School District No. 108 schools, like Jefferson Elementary School, which serves kindergarten through third grades and is rated C-minus by Niche; Washington Intermediate School, which serves fourth through sixth grades and is rated C-plus; and Edison Junior High School, which serves seventh through eighth grades and is rated C. For high school, students attend Pekin Community High School District #303, which only operates one high school, known as Pekin Community High School, which serves ninth through twelfth grades and is rated B-minus. Pekin Community High School recently received more than $10 million in improvements a more secure entryway, a new common area, and a remodeled gym. The neighborhood has a couple of pocket parks, like Legins-Costly Park, which is located on Court Street and a good spot to sit and have a coffee while out and about. Willow Park is at the neighborhood's northern end, offering a small playground and green space walkable from many homes. Residents can also walk to the riverfront and fish from the pier at the end of Court Street. Public transportation is available via the Greater Peoria Mass Transit District, which operates three bus routes in the neighborhood; two of the routes get residents around Pekin, and the third runs all the way to Peoria.

In Pekin, Broadway is a big strip of commercial property that people around here consider the center of town. North of Broadway, residents have easy access to the highway, particularly roads that transport them from here across the Illinois River to Peoria, where various healthcare systems and Caterpillar are major employers. “We’ve got a little bit of everything,” says Mary Ann Ladendorf, a Realtor with RE/MAX Traders Unlimited, who’s been selling homes in the area for 39 years. “We’ve got the new subdivisions between Broadway and Sheridan. We have very established older communities that have been there since the 1900s. Homes in Pekin have been around for a while. Many date back to the turn of the last century. A substantial number of homes were built in the 50s, 60s and 70s. Some newer construction has been underway in places like Lutticken’s Lake and Hickory Hills. North of Broadway, homebuyers should expect to find mid-century ranch-style homes, bungalows and contemporary homes. The median price for a single-family home here is $125,000, with homes generally selling from around $70,000 to $180,000. Prices taper off dramatically from there but occasionally, homes might fetch more than $300,000. A two-bedroom bungalow garage and a basement or a mid-century ranch-style house go for about $150,000. State highways 98 and 29 are the major routes about town, with 29 carrying travelers a short distance north to Interstate 474. That thoroughfare brings commuters to neighboring Peoria, where many Pekin residents work. Pekin also contracts with Peoria to provide local public transportation here, operating bus service along Broadway and South Parkway Drive. To shop and dine, residents North of Broadway head over to centrally located Court Street in Pekin’s downtown area to find a variety of shops and restaurants. “We have a lot of family-friendly sports bars. For fine dining, basically, we go to Peoria,” says Ladendorf. In town, Maquet's Rail House serves craft beers, brick oven pizzas and sandwiches. Kouri’s Pub is a popular spot too. “When I go to Kouri’s, I feel like I’m going into a Cheers bar,” Ladendorf says. “People are friendly. There are always people you know.” Locals grab their groceries at Kroger, Schnucks or Walmart, which is also where they find much of their retail goods. However, by the end of 2024, Pekin expects to add Marshall’s, Ross Dress for Less and Five Below stores too. When it comes to parks, the ones in Pekin take a backseat to few. “You’ll find none finer,” says Ladendorf. With 2,500 acres of land distributed over 13 parks, Pekin’s park district is the fifth largest in Illinois. Coal Miners’ Park, with 45 acres of park space, often used for hiking, is a great place to get out in the open air and is next to Parkview Garden Golf Course. It includes football and soccer playing fields as well. The community’s showpiece, however, is Mineral Springs Park, which at 200 acres, is the diamond in the crown. It features a newly renovated pavilion, a lagoon and a sundial, which may not be the world’s largest, but locals claim is the world’s most accurate. Neighborhood children attend schools within Pekin Public School District No. 108. They may first go to Willow Elementary School, which Niche grades B-plus. Washington Intermediate School teaches 4th through 6th grade, and Broadmoor Junior High School teaches 7th and 8th grade. Both are rated a C-plus. Finally, Pekin Community High School, which earns a B-minus, underwent a $10.7 million campus renovation in 2023, including its entrance, some office spaces, and the library. Of the many things that people know Pekin for, its Marigold Festival is the one that puts this small municipality on the map. The event, which has been around 50 years, began to honor Senator Everett McKinley Dirksen, a Pekin native who pushed to make the marigold the national floral emblem. Today, the festival attracts about 40,000 people each year on the weekend after Labor Day.

There aren’t so many neon lights on Broadway in Pekin, but there are a thousand watts of civic pride here and in the neighborhood South of Broadway. “We have good schools and wonderful parks,” says Mary Ann Ladendorf, a Realtor with RE/MAX Traders Unlimited, who’s been selling homes in the area for 39 years. “And if you want more of a big city life, we’re 20 minutes from Peoria and 40 minutes from Bloomington.” Places like Sunset Hills on Meyers Lake have a blend of 1960s and newer constructions, but early 1900s-era historic homes still sit along Washington Street. The South of Broadway neighborhood is emblematic of Pekin working to honor the past while pressing toward the future. To drive through Pekin is to take a ride through time. From historic Herget House, a 1912 classic revival on the historical register, to the mid-centuries south of Broadway, even the most casual observer can see the city’s evolution. “We have Edwardians and Victorians. We have a few Frank Lloyd Wright prairie-style homes,” Ladendorf says. The median price for a single-family home here is around $115,000, with homes generally selling in the $60,000 to $135,000 range. State highways 29 and 9 and Broadway Street to the north are the major roads carrying folks throughout the neighborhood and to points elsewhere. Highway 29 takes drivers north to Interstate 474, which leads to Peoria, where many Pekin residents work. Public bus service runs in several places along Court and Derby Streets and Park Avenue. For fine culinary experiences, residents generally find themselves in Peoria where fancier eating spots live. For more casual dining, however, neighbors South of Broadway seek out eateries on Court Street, which is centrally located downtown. Whiskey Taco serves tacos and wings, quesadillas and a blackened chicken chopped salad. “It has a nice menu. And it has outdoor dining, I like that,” Ladendorf says. Kouri’s also elicits a casual sports bar feel in an everyone-knows-everyone sort of environment. And don’t forget BC Barbecue with its Hog Wings, Loaded Beer Battered Fries and brisket. “It’s just wonderful, barbecued food,” Ladendorf says. Buying groceries? Visit Kroger, Schnucks or Walmart, which supplies retail goods. However, by the end of 2024, Pekin expects to add Marshall’s, Ross Dress for Less and Five Below stores too. In Pekin, parks aren’t an afterthought, they’re part of the community’s fabric. “They’re a big deal,” says Ladendorf. The local park district manages some 2,500 acres of land distributed over 13 parks, making it Illinois’ fifth largest. In the neighborhood, the 82-acre Pekin Sports Complex at Koch and Fifth Streets is a hub for youth sports and programs, including club sports, Boys & Girls Clubs activities and more. Mineral Springs Park, however, is the premier park central to town, featuring a lagoon, newly renovated pavilion and sundial, which locals claim is the World’s most accurate. “We also have a waterpark called DragonLand,” Ladendorf says. “It’s well done. It’s very well managed.” South of Broadway students may attend Rankin Elementary School, which Niche grades A-minus, from pre-kindergarten through 8th grade, C-plus-rated Broadmoor Junior High School for 7th and 8th grade and Pekin Community High School, which Niche rates B-minus. In 2023, the school underwent a major, multimillion-dollar renovation, including office spaces, the library and safety updates to the building’s main entrance. The schools belong to Pekin Public School District No. 108, which Niche rates C-plus. This is a place where tradition counts. Neighbors South of Broadway actively participate in the community’s most inspired annual events, like Winter Wonderland, a nearly 40-year-old parade, a dayslong holiday on the heels of Thanksgiving. It features mule-drawn wagon rides, a Christmas Carol Sing-a-long and a visit from Santa. A few months earlier, Pekin’s annual Marigold Festival attracts about 40,000 the weekend after Labor Day each year.