Steger

Over 100 years ago, the village of Steger, 35 miles south of Chicago, was known as the piano capital of the world and was home to a piano factory. By the Great Depression, that factory was closed, but the village persevered and thrives today as a village that has kept the close community feel not far from the big city. “People are attracted because Steger has the lowest municipal tax rates in the area,” says Cindy Trotier, a real estate broker at Keller Williams Preferred Realty with over five years of real estate experience and is a trustee on the Steger Village Board. “It’s lower than neighboring communities like Park Forest or Crete.” The neighborhood of West Steger, which is east of the village, gives residents a more rural feel. In more rural areas, homes are on bigger lots, and some have been built in the last 20 years. There are custom-built contemporary homes with five bedrooms on two acres of land valued at $750,000, while an older two-story Colonial Revival with one acre is worth over $300,000. There are also raised ranch, Cape Cod and Tudor-influenced two-story houses. Some older houses on about an acre of land under 1,000 square feet are priced around $100,000. Almost 90% of the people living in West Steger are homeowners. The Louis Sherman Community Center is the recreation hub in Steger and has become a popular destination for kids in the surrounding area for recreational sports. “All the programs are well run. Because of that, kids from all around come and participate in cheer teams, basketball, football and even girls wrestling, which has become very popular,” Trotier says. For the whole family, there’s a workout room and fitness clubs. The community center is also home to a pinochle and sewing club. Across the street is Veterans Park, which has ample green space, two baseball diamonds, and a paved walking trail. One of the more unique businesses in the area is Austin Community Tavern. “It’s a popular venue that has attracted people as far away as Naperville and even from Indiana to listen to the variety of music,” Trotier says. Some performers have played with big-name artists during their careers; past performers have included people who have played with Chicago blues legend Buddy Guy. The venue holds about 200 people, so it’s an intimate concert setting. You can come for the music, but there’s also food with sandwiches, salads and pizza. Jewel Osco is located on Chicago Road for grocery essentials. Veterans Park is the location for the one-day event called Steger Days of Music. It’s an event with live music for 12 hours from noon to midnight during the summer. Live bands play throughout the day, and there are fireworks, food booths and games for the kids. The big event in the village is the Miracle on 34th Street event, which happens at 34th and Halsted the Saturday after Thanksgiving. There’s a Christmas tree lighting ceremony. There’s also a food drive connected with the event where Santa collects food, and toys left along the curb to distribute to needy families closer to Christmas. Kids living here start prekindergarten through first grade at Steger Primary Center, getting a B-plus grade on Niche with kids likely getting individual attention. The school has a 13-to-1 student-teacher ratio. As kids continue in the Steger School District Number 194, they can attend Steger Intermediate Center, which has second, third and fourth graders. Parents of these students can keep up to date with school activities with the monthly Cardinal Courier newsletter. The school is rated a C. Columbia Central School has over 630 students in grades five through eight and receives a C overall from Niche. Bloom Trail High School is part of the Bloom Township High School District Number 206. The school is home to over 1,200 ninth through 12th graders and is rated a C-plus. The Pace suburban bus system has stops on Sauk Trail and State Street, continuing on Steger Road east of State Street heading into town. The closest Metra station is about 10 miles to the west and can take commuters into downtown Chicago. Interstate 57 can be reached a little further west from that station.