The East Side Orphans

One of the things John Prigge talks about is the plight of Elgin's East Side. Well, let's take a tour of the East Side to show you what we mean. (Don't worry, we won't ask you to get out of your car.) But before I show you the pictures let's talk about the promise of a new development.

Remember when people started to move in to Cobbler's Crossing? Think of the promise. And retail responded. Jewel moved down there. An auto repair/tire store opened up. Even Dominick's bought land and put in a parking lot.

We had the big True Value over there and a Sears Hardware.

What happened? Well, I think this person who wrote in to AFLA says it best:
"I've lived in this town for 20 years. I purposefully leave town to do most of my shopping, so that I don't have to shop in bilingual stores. I now avoid certain parts of town. Who's country is this?! You sure can't tell any more. We are a joke for other communities in the area. Someone has to do something."

Well, here's a tour of the East Side, evidence of Schock's "booming ecomony."

This was once a tire store right next to the new Cobbler's Crossing. Now available:Here's what it looks like where the Dominick's was supposed to be. A parking lot and chain link fences:The shuttered video store and the revolving door of smaller stores that come and go at the outlot building:

Closer to downtown, another store available. (Gee, do you think the graffiti helps sell space?):

Here's the day care center:

Moving on down to Dundee Avenue, the donut shop "temporarily" closed: More space available on Dundee:

This mecanica general (general mechanic, automotive) even closed down, despite the fancy street lights in the neighborhood:

Here's a medical office closed. Expect more of the same after Sherman Hospital moves out to Randall Road:

Unless you are a clinic. They thrive on the East Side: Another thriving business. Haircuts in the living room:

Or this beauty shop where no one speaks English. Feeling brave today, ladies?

Of course, if you talk to Schock or the city council they have no idea what you're talking about. Just look at the growth out west.

It'll take more than giving out Image Awards to fix this. Prigge is right on to talk about the CAUSES of our plight and what a city can do to correct a well-deserved bad reputation.