Shop Carpentersville

Over the past year or so, I’ve read — and you probably have too — comments about going to other towns to shop, etc because they can not find what they need in Carpentersville.

To that I say, horse-puckey!

I find plenty of shopping, dining and service options in town.  And, depending on where I am, what I need and/or what I feel like at the moment, I find places all over Carpentersville.

For instance, I regularly shop Woodman’s.  They have just about anything I could imagine wanting in the way of grocery.  On produce, though, the Village Fresh Market can’t be beat.  (Sorry, Woodman’s but your quality just doesn’t cut it.  Of course, if you’re an employee of Woodman’s, let me request that you — as an owner — do something to change that.)

If I have a home improvement project that I need to do, and I know exactly what I want and need, I usually go to Menard’s to get it (I like the prices a bit more than Home Depot).  But, there have been times that I’ve wanted a bit of help with what I needed to do, so I’ve hit Ace Hardware, where I can usually count on a knowledgeable answer, or someone willing to spend a little extra time helping me figure out the answer.

Food is often an easy choice, especially fast food.  Even though “sit down” is harder to find in town these days with Friday’s and Famous Dave’s gone to seemingly greener pastures, there are some options that I occasionally take.

For example, El Molino has to be one of the best authentic Mexican restaurants in the area.  Every time I go, no matter what I order, it’s good.  Village Pizza is great.  Love the onion, green pepper, tomato and fresh garlic!

If I’m in a fast food mood, but want to sit down, I like Culver’s.  And, Garibaldi’s sandwiches are great!  Ooo, and I love that chicken from Popeye’s.

Two newer adds that I think were very welcome:  White Castle and Jamba Juice.  (Scary to put those two together in the same sentence, considering they seem to be at opposite ends of the spectrum — but they serve each other, after a slyder, its probably a good idea to detoxify.)

If I am in the mood for pizza, but want it quick, Little Caesar’s usually fits the bill quite nicely, since I can pick up a “hot and ready” pizza; especially if I’m in the neighborhood.   And, there’s Panda Express for a quick lunch bite.

Some of my other favs though have to be Van’s Frozen Custard and Vinnie and Joe’s Cafe.

But, I’ll confess that I don’t do all my shopping and dining in Carpentersville.  Walmart, Target, and some other specialty stores draw me outside.  Kohl’s gets my business, as do other shops in the mall.

Still, there are just too many options available in Carpentersville to believe that anyone is forced to shop for much outside the Village.

I encourage you to help support the town with your sales tax dollars, which could encourage other stores and businesses to locate in town. Make every effort to Shop Carpenterville.

Have I missed any of your favorites places to shop, dine or whatever else?  If so, let me know in the comments.

A town in recovery

As the storm clouds hang over the Village Board in their attacks on one another, residents seem to be banding together more than ever to bring healing and unity to a town battered by political division and neglect for nearly a decade. In fact, take the Board’s discord out of the picture and one sees a picture of a town in recovery, for the most part.

For example, the Courier-News published a report last Friday of a group of about 10 local pastors of Carpentersville churches who have been meeting regularly to reach out to the community through their congregations to hear their concerns and attempt to find direction and solutions for the Village.

Village staff is doing a good job of coordinating efforts to repair and maintain the roadways and infrastructure, as well as bring additional retail and commercial development to the town. Although a few businesses that have left Carpentersville have been relatively high profile (Circuit City, Jewel, Big Lots, and Fridays), there are not as many empty store fronts as some would have folks believe. With the exception of the old Big Lots space, Meadowdale Mall is basically full. The old Jewel store is being significantly overhauled to open in November/December as “the Village Fresh Market”. White Castle is slated to open soon next to Aldi on the near-West side, across from food stops like Jamba Juice and Panda Express. And, there are some rumors flying around that some of the restaurant spaces around Spring Hill Mall might not be empty for long.

Even the schools in the area appear to be improving. Despite continued overcrowding issues (although the total number of students is below the bottom floor estimates provided by the District during the last referendum) that have plagued District 300 for years (on the West, as well as the East), according to recent reports test scores among third through eighth graders improved to exceed the state average. Carpentersville Middle School, after several years of failing to meet standards set by the federal No Child Left Behind act, has recently received a passing grade.

It will take time to get to a higher level of satisfaction … but progress is being made, in a time when the economy is otherwise stumbling, slowing growth and development.

Now, if we can just stage an intervention as a community to help some of our Trustees get some therapy so they can actually aid in the recovery…