A north suburban community that's known for its multi-ethnic diversity, the village of Skokie boasts excellent schools, plentiful cultural and recreational activities, abundant shopping, and a variety of housing styles. Located next to the town of Evanston, Skokie covers 10.2 square miles and has a population of 63,348. It is the 12th...
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A north suburban community that's known for its multi-ethnic diversity, the village of Skokie boasts excellent schools, plentiful cultural and recreational activities, abundant shopping, and a variety of housing styles. Located next to the town of Evanston, Skokie covers 10.2 square miles and has a population of 63,348. It is the 12th largest municipality in northeast Illinois and the 18th largest in the state of Illinois. Chicago's Loop is just a 30-minute train ride away, and the Edens Expressway provides travel to other northern suburbs and easy access into downtown Chicago. Housing styles include ranches, brick bungalows, split-level, Cape Cods, colonials, and Georgian-style homes. Skokie's North Shore Center for the Performing Arts features top comedy and musical acts, and houses the Northlight Theatre, the Centre East Theatre, an active youth theater, and the Skokie Valley Symphony Orchestra. The Skokie Park District boasts a nine-hole golf course, an ice skating rink, and approximately 200 acres of parkland and swimming pools. Other popular facilities include the Weber Leisure Center, a state-of-the art facility that's home to the Fitness First Health Club, Skatium, an indoor track and gymnasium facility; the Sports Park, which includes a lighted two-stroke driving range, and the Dammrich Rowing Center, a 20,000-square-foot facility that's situated on 15 acres of land next to the North Shore channel of the Chicago River. In their leisure time, residents can also work out at the 85,000-square-foot Mayer Kaplan Jewish Community Center, get fit at the Leaning Tower YMCA, take a walk along the sandy beaches of Lake Michigan, and attend the village's very popular farmer's market. In addition, they can take some cooking classes at the Devonshire Cultural Center, view more than 60 sculptures at the Northshore Sculpture Park on McCormick Boulevard, learn about the Holocaust at the Holocaust Museum, and attend Skokie's Festival of Cultures, featuring entertainment, educational exhibits, children's activities, and various food offerings. To do their shopping, residents have a number of shopping areas from which to choose. These include Old Orchard Shopping Center, a 1.8 million-square-foot outdoor mall that features four anchor department stores, restaurants, a food court and two movie theater complexes; the Village Crossing Shopping Center with more than 60 shops and restaurants; Skokie Fashion Square; and the Dempster Street shopping district. Education is a top priority in Skokie. Students attend a variety of public and parochial schools in Skokie and in Evanston; a high percentage of students continue their educations after high school. Oakton College's Skokie campus provides workplace training and a first-rate education at a fraction of the cost of four-year colleges and universities.
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