Evanson proudly boasts a rich tapestry of residents, representing diverse backgrounds and aspirations. From those who have established their lives here with the intentions of laying down strong roots, to those who have come here to pursue their education at Northwestern University, to those who have chosen to embrace their retirement in this vibrant locale, Evanson thrives as a community brimming with a multitude of perspectives. To gain a deeper understanding of this town, the Daily Northwestern sought out stories from residents about how their unique experiences have shaped their perception of the Evanson community. From the Daily Northwestern, I'm Serena Brown.
This is everything Evanson, a podcast about the people, business, and going on in Evanson, Illinois. What is your name? My name is Nicholas. What is your occupation?
I'm the mayor of Evanson. How long have you been in Evanson? I moved to Evanson again the summer of 2006. What is your favorite thing to do in Evanson?
I mean, I have a very forth here. I feel so, so, so fortunate that we have. I just love it to be. The lake is a favorite spot for many Evanson residents.
Here's the best memories, the beach, the beach, the beach, the beach, the beach. That's Evanson resident Kate Schwartz. But everybody calls me Cookie. What is your general perception of Evanson?
This is a town that on the surface looks really good. But just underneath are a myriad of problems that for the longest time the city simply wouldn't address, pretend it didn't exist, made sort of vague attempts to do something to ameliorate things. After spending more than 25 years here in total, how have you seen Evanson change? I would say there's a greater divide now between people who have some money and people who don't.
When I moved here in 1978, this was a funkier place. There were wealthy people to be sure. But fewer? Long time resident, Gerald Judas, has deep roots in both Evanson and the Northwestern University.
I have two occupations. Heck, what? What do you teach at Northwestern? Well, I teach at a class called two policy, as well.
What is your favorite part about Evanson as a whole? I think this is one interested in being in the needs of the wants of them, and that's what makes this as well as someone I have lived for a year ago. Mark Jones, the owner and lead designer at Seville Flowers and Gifts, talked about how he's seen Evanson change over the years. How long have you worked in Evanson?
The business has been in Evanson for 81 years this year. It was a family business. So I basically grew up here in the store in my mom owned it while I was a kid. So hard to gauge.
How long have I been in Evanson? I never physically lived here, but I've also been working at the store full time for 11 years this year. What do you think about Evanson? We definitely see a lot of empty storefronts around here.
And I think the city is really working, especially with our Garth Drive community program. Evanson's investing a lot back into the city and how we can continue to progress as a downtown area and a mix of that cosmopolitan, like urban, kind of suburban nature. So I really am hopeful and excited that we are trying to bring in vendors and attract different opportunities that can help us continue to morph into a new generation and a new style of how downtown serves their residents and serve their communities. Mayor Biz also spoke on any areas that he hopes is the improvement in regards to the Evanson community.
I saw this one he's just thinking about considering the quality of technology. It's hurting us. It's hurting our mental health. It's hurting our, you know, fabric.
It's hurting our community for productive complexes and our actions. So I think the city government has a lot to say. I think it's really, really valuable right now. What do you think about the university and its impact on Evanson?
We're different other suburbs. We don't feel the same about the same. We have this giant on the university instead of, you know, the community for as long as the city is incorporated. So we're much more as a big part of making it what it is.
And I think we need to just aim that and acknowledge it and frankly celebrate. And I think we should be clear with ourselves about the fact that Evanson won't thrive without a thriving or Western, much like how North Western won't thrive without a thriving How do you think Western University and Evanson can strengthen their relationship? University to directly financially support the city. There's more opportunity for the organizations to partner and tap into the knowledge and expertise that exists on campus to help us achieve our shared goals, particularly in areas like sustainability.
So I think there's a lot put there, but there's also just a tremendous untapped resource not to make sure we begin to stick full again. Jones had a similar sentiment when asked what Evanson's greatest asset is. I think Evanson's strongest asset is like being a university college child. It's very progressive still.
You see like our policies with also being like the first city in the nation to do reparations and you know just being progressive with a lot of our policies and posting Northwestern here I think is a very cool asset and I think speaks a lot to the diversity and just kind of the inclusion and nature of how we hope I personally hope America to be progressing. Despite acknowledging its imperfections, the collective pride felt by residents like Schwartz, Judas, Jones and Bist showed the dedication Evansonians have to bettering the community they call home. Happy Birthday Evanson. From the Daily Northwestern, I'm Serena Brown.
Thanks for listening to another episode of Everything Evanson. This episode was reported and produced by me. The audio editor of the Daily Northwestern is Mika Ellison. The digital managing editors are Ava Mandoli and Eric Ischmitt and editor-in-chief is Alex Perry.
Make sure to subscribe to the Daily Northwestern's podcast on Spotify, Apple Podcasts or SoundCloud to hear more episodes like this.