Discover Des Plaines

Like the river and prairie that attracted the first settlers to Des Plaines, the coming of the railroad in 1854 was key to the town's ongoing development. Ideally situated along the railroad corridor, the town would soon become a marketplace and later a manufacturing center for the area's growing population.

Today, the town's superior transportation systems continue to be a dominant force in attracting home buyers and businesses to its borders.

Des Plaines has the best transportation in the Northwest suburbs, said James Grady, broker-manager for RE/MAX Suburban in Mount Prospect.

"Most home buyers look for schools and ease of transportation - where do they work and how long will it take them to get there. You can be at O'Hare in 15 minutes from Des Plaines, which is a big plus for people who fly a lot.

"We have Metra, and the PACE bus downtown will take you to the River Road el and to O'Hare. Major roads and highways go through the city - 294, 90, Mannheim Road, Northwest Highway, Golf Road, Rand Road. Getting around is a pretty easy thing here."

John McKay, broker-Realtor with Starck Realtors in Des Plaines, recalls when he moved from Chicago to Des Plaines in 1947, he would go downtown by train, and the United Motor Coach buses were parked at the depot.

"Even back then, you could go anywhere," McKay said. "It was sort of neat back in those days."

With a thriving industrial sector, Des Plaines is home to several Fortune 500 companies and international businesses. And its prime location near O'Hare International Airport makes it attractive to logistics and air cargo companies.

Many people don't realize that Des Plaines has a good tax base and its property taxes are lower than surrounding suburbs, McKay said.

"On the west side all the way to Touhy (Avenue), straight up Mount Prospect Road, there's a lot of industrial there and a lot of manufacturing on Oakton (Street). There's UOP, Littelfuse on Northwest Highway, new commercial buildings and downtown redevelopment. East to Busse Highway there are car repair places out there and storage areas and more at River and Golf (roads)."

During the 1940s and '50s, Des Plaines was home to many greenhouse complexes and was the world's largest producer of hothouse roses. The city's vehicle stickers displayed a large American Beauty rose, and the city's logo was City of Roses (replaced in the 1960s by City of Destiny).

A diverse housing mix in Des Plaines includes contemporary high-rise condos, townhouses, upscale single-family homes with traditional designs and a mosaic of homes in quaint, tree-lined neighborhoods. Metropolitan Square is a mixed-use development in the heart of Des Plaines that consists of luxury condominiums, restaurants, retail stores, offices and a grocery store.

"You can get a single-family home - a good home, not a foreclosure or fixer-upper or short sale - for $245,000 to $450,000 then all the way up to more than $1 million," McKay said.

For recreation, the Des Plaines and Mount Prospect park districts and Cook County Forest Preserve oversee about 700 acres of parks and open space. Park district facilities include everything from miniature golf to state-of-the-art fitness centers. The 40-acre Lake Opeka offers fun for the whole family with all kinds of water activities, picnic areas, playground and band shell.

Dining options in Des Plaines include a number of ethnic restaurants, the well-known Black Ram, several newer places and Paradise Pup, the fast-food hamburger restaurant seen on Food Network.

"Des Plaines is a diverse community with many different nationalities who work together, live together and get along together," Grady said. "It's a great place. We've lived here for more than 30 years; our kids went through the public school system and have done very well."

Des Plaines facts and figures

Population: 58,720

Land use percentages:

42 percent residential

16 percent manufacturing

3 percent wholesale/retail

34 percent other

5 percent vacant

Largest employers:

UOP

Oakton Community College

Hart Schaffner & Marx

Des Plaines Elementary District 62

Favorite annual events:

Taste of Des Plaines

New Year's Eve on the Plaza

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