Community:
Sycamore is the city, in Dekalb County, Illinois. Sycamore is about 55 miles
west- northwest of Chicago. Sycamore has a total area of 9.786 square miles of
which 99.61% is land and 0.038 is water. As it is on the South Branch
Kishwaukee River in Dekalb County. The median income for a family $62,083 square
miles is water and the rest land. The area has a population of 18,000 people
and rising,
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Sycamore racial make-up consists of
White, who are the largest occupants, African American, Native American,
Asian, other races and Hispanic. The age bracket witnessed during the survey
were mostly elderly grandparents and young families between 24-35 years.
Walking around the neighborhood on Saturday, I noticed people of various ages
and race either walking or driving around indicating a culturally diverse
population.
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A number of young adults appeared
overweight while some were morbidly obese.
One in three people I met were smoking,
while some teenagers and adults seemed to wear heavy clothes for a hot
weather. There were people standing outside taverns and local restaurants
while smoking in the evening. The taverns around the city’s main street were
occupied not to the brim due to COVID.
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During the survey, I noticed joggers
(20-30 years), using the bike path, while older men and women were walking
their dog.
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The people outside walking on and
attending to their business were of all ages, and they looked clean and
well-kempt. The people appeared well nourished. Smoking indoors is
prohibited, especially in public places.
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Bars were present in in the downtown
areas.
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Sycamore consists of a downtown, filled
with restaurants, office buildings, Court house that was built in 1904 and
variety of shops. The city has a
Historical District an architecturally interesting area with about 200
individual properties. It was
established in 1978 when it was added to the National Register of Historic
Places.
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The community consists of Sycamore
Library, Kishwaukee Hospital, and the USPS. YMCA and the schools. The schools
include: ten public schools, which have elementary schools, middle schools
and a large high school. The middle schools have been rebuilt. There are
three private schools (grades K-8). Sycamore borders the city of Dekalb which
has NIU-Northern Illinois University. The town Sycamore uses a community
college-Kishwaukee community college in nearby town of Malta.
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The parks and sidewalks are not fully
utilized. There is at times a lot of
traffic, with stop lights located after every few blocks.
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The city of Sycamore has a Midwest
Museum of Natural History.
Sycamore is home of the annual Sycamore
Pumpkin Festival, established tin 1962
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The city offers environmentally friendly
solutions like reuse and recycle programs.
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The roads have potholes, and there are
some secondary roads present. There is very few handicap parking along the
street.
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Housing is a problem, whereby some
houses need repair. Houses have posts with “for rent” There is also a trailer
park community.
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Some streets have well-built family
homes, with big trees lined along the road. Houses located near the lake are
mansions with larger yards.
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There is a high demand for fast food,
because most of the restaurants since the COVID times have added drive thru
or pick up food, with a lot of traffic waiting in the drive-thru lines.
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There are bus stops to indicate bus
transportation, which have been renovated to offer a glass cover during rain
or hot sun. The road connects all the way to the NIU campus.
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There is an urban renewal project that
is ongoing with lofts and condos being advertised, some even offer live-work
spaces. Then there is an Armed Forces Career Center just in the middle of the
town.
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There are cases of violence around the
bars and drug use being found around the parks, as evident in the community
paper.
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Hospitals available are Kishwaukee Hospital,
and Kindred Hospital for long term treatment.
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The community has a counseling center
called the Ben Gordon Center. There is also Walgreen’s care services and the
Dekalb Clinic.
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Fast food restaurants have placed billboards
to advertise their restaurants. There are cases of domestic violence as per
the community paper.
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Hope Haven offers homeless people with
meals and cot services.
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The Senor center provides services like
community meals, housing assistance, and mental health services.
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There is a hippie shop selling different
types of smoking paraphernalia, with some hemp products available.
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There are three fire stations present in
the community and one police department.
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The community is provided with bicycle
paths and sidewalks. There is a park with playing fields for basketball,
swimming pool and tennis.
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There was railroad present in the city
which closed in the 1970’s
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There are several areas of worship,
which are mostly Catholic or Lutheran.
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Sycamore Family YMCA is a club which
offers group exercise, childcare, gym and aquatics, and sports both for adult
and youths.
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Domestic violence forum and a meeting
with the city council.
Family health center offers homeopathic
and organic products.
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Sycamore has diversity aimed at offering
a quality life for residents through expanding resources, coordinating with
community leaders and leveraging the assets the community have in order to
develop economic growth and stability.
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There
is a movie theater in the down town area.
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