Area known as The Hill

I am trying to find this area in Joliet. Does anybody know the boundaries of The Hill

WHY?????
God, you really don't want to go there! I got lost once and a cop pulled me over and told me to follow him out of there!

I know where the hill is because I live there and you people have no idea what you are talking about. We do read here and we are not all druggies and gangbangers. Matter of fact I think Plainfield and Shorewood are passing us up quite nicely. The hill is located between the south side of Lockport and the east side of Joliet. I have lived here for 22 years and would rather live here than some uppity place where people think their you know what doesn't stink. Andjust why are you interested in finding the Hill. Site seeing or what? I wonder why you got pulled over by the police. They never pull me over.

I got pulled over because I was driving slowly trying to look at street signs ( which there were none) to figure out where I was! I told the policeman I was lost and he said (and I quote) " A white girl in this neighborhood? You must be lost! Follw me out to the main street" and so I did!
Sorry if you live there, but don't take it on us!

I like living here. It is a fairly quiet old neighborhood. The only problems come in when ousiders decide to infiltrate like the guy that did not live here but decided to sell drugs in front of my house or the out of towners that decided to come by and make their exchanges because they think no one here cares. We do care. There are black and white and in between people living here and we all get along just fine unlike some other areas. The hill has gotten a bum rap for a long time now and I sure wish it would stop.

Dragonfly wrote:

I got pulled over because I was driving slowly trying to look at street signs ( which there were none) to figure out where I was! I told the policeman I was lost and he said (and I quote) " A white girl in this neighborhood? You must be lost! Follw me out to the main street" and so I did!
Sorry if you live there, but don't take it on us!

Has there not been a lot of homes purchased in "The Hill" area for redevelopment?

I lived in Joliet for almost all my life. I left in 1995. To many drugs and gangs for me. Well news flash ***** It's Everywhere!******
No matter where you go it is there. If you think you are above it please tell me where you live because thats where I want to move so my children wont be around it.

There are all kinds of houses going like hot cakes and being turned into middle class suburbia along with every empty lot around. They are actually pricing us low income folks right out of our homes so something must be right here.

Will County wrote:

Has there not been a lot of homes purchased in "The Hill" area for redevelopment?

I am president of the Forest Park Community Center where Louise Ray is Executive Director.
As you call it "The Hill" is dead. the area you are referring to is known as Forest Park. It is a wonderful neighborhood, yes it did need cleaning up but that has been done...residents are very proud of their neighborhood. Through the Community Center and the City of Joliet, much land has been purchased, drug houses from years past have been torn down and an abundance of new homes have been built, play lots for kids erected and still much more to come. You you want or care to know the truth and not old rumors I invite you to stop in at the Forest Park Community Center to see first hand why we are proud of this neighborhood and it's residents.

Thank you!:)

Tony Ray wrote:

I am president of the Forest Park Community Center where Louise Ray is Executive Director.
As you call it "The Hill" is dead. the area you are referring to is known as Forest Park. It is a wonderful neighborhood, yes it did need cleaning up but that has been done...residents are very proud of their neighborhood. Through the Community Center and the City of Joliet, much land has been purchased, drug houses from years past have been torn down and an abundance of new homes have been built, play lots for kids erected and still much more to come. You you want or care to know the truth and not old rumors I invite you to stop in at the Forest Park Community Center to see first hand why we are proud of this neighborhood and it's residents.

carl wrote:

I am trying to find this area in Joliet. Does anybody know the boundaries of The Hill

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Collins street north to Woodruff rd turn right at the light on to woodruff follow it till you reach ther top of the hill and you are there be carefull these people have little reguard for anyone

I was a resident of the "hill” for many years but eventually moved with my parents to the east side of Joliet. I think to some people keeping the old legacy of the "hill" is somewhat nostalgic for them or even exciting. Kind of like the teenager who likes the tough guys. Tony Ray is right. The "hill" is no longer what it used to be. Even then it wasn’t as bad as rumors would have people believe. I am glad to see development happening. I have often thought that with the right development and community support the "hill" area could really showcase its potential. The area has great land, not over crowded, lovely homes. Growing up there I only have fond memories of quiet neighborhood streets. Big parks. And a sense of community. True it had its problems, but what area doesn’t, let’s look to the future. And for those that say they wouldn’t go up there. Well that’s just plain old ignorance and small mindedness. I mean, there are actually people who live in Joliet that are afraid to cross the bridge to the east side of Joliet.

Nice tribute!

Keisha wrote:

I was a resident of the "hill” for many years but eventually moved with my parents to the east side of Joliet. I think to some people keeping the old legacy of the "hill" is somewhat nostalgic for them or even exciting. Kind of like the teenager who likes the tough guys. Tony Ray is right. The "hill" is no longer what it used to be. Even then it wasn’t as bad as rumors would have people believe. I am glad to see development happening. I have often thought that with the right development and community support the "hill" area could really showcase its potential. The area has great land, not over crowded, lovely homes. Growing up there I only have fond memories of quiet neighborhood streets. Big parks. And a sense of community. True it had its problems, but what area doesn’t, let’s look to the future. And for those that say they wouldn’t go up there. Well that’s just plain old ignorance and small mindedness. I mean, there are actually people who live in Joliet that are afraid to cross the bridge to the east side of Joliet.

I was born and raised, until the age of 15 in the Ingles Park area of Joliet.
At that time downtown was in shambles. Closed shops, boarded up windows, and not a place you would like to drive through at night. I am glad it has been cleaned up and taken care of. As to a comment on "The Hill" community it was dangerous when i was a child, my mom would make us roll our windows up and lock the doors. I am truly glad that another part of my hometown is renovated and made safe for families and children. NOw as to the Ingles Park area, i have been told by a friend who still lives there, and a brother who works for Will County Sheriff's dept. That whole area has gone bad. Riife with robberies, drive by shootings, vacant and abandoned homes. This saddens me, it was once a community for retired elderly, or families with young children.
I hope this area too can be renovated and made safe again.

A comment to the "It is everywhere" crime statement, Yes that is true. I live in a small town in southeast Tn now, and we have problems here with meth, gangs, hate crimes, guns, and alot of sexual predators. My comment is: Watch over your children carefully, protect them from the outside world, know your surroundings, and its inhabitants.

I've only lived in Joliet for 5 years, but I've heard all of the horror stories of the "hill" also. Some of the neighborhoods in the Forest Park area are nice looking and you can tell the city is trying to fix up the area. I think what people are afraid of is the 2 sets of projects out there. Although there are some people who live in those projects who are very nice, caring people, you've got to admit, especially in the Poole Garden area with the boarded up buildings, the place looks pretty scary.

When I first got married we bought a house in Ingalls Park. We lived there while we renovated it, and then sold it for quite a profit. It was a very nice quiet area, and alot of young families were moving in and fixing up the houses. We had a great neighborhood, and everyone was wonderful, but we were not thrilled with the kids going to Culbertson. There was no crime when we lived there. However, by the time we moved there were several sex offenders moving into the area. So, we moved about 10 years ago. I drove through the neighborhood a couple months ago and was very sad to delapitated it had got. Nobody we used to know lives there anymore. It was really sad.

I hear there are actually plans in the works to tear down the 2 projects and replace them with low income housing on "The Hill". Has anyone heard this?

I was also born and raised on "The Hill" and although the area has made great strides there is still the potential for violence and what not simply because there are too many poverty stricken individuals in one place. I would say this much, the area is not what it used to be in terms of development as Tony Ray eluded to but there are still hooligans and an abundance of crime. This will always be the case until the projects are no more.

I was born and raised in the cathedral hill area, but my parents sent me to Forest Park for elementary school. I have nothing but really great memories of going to school on the hill...I'm glad my parents were wise enough to send us there instead of keeping us "safe" in our neighborhood school. We didn't even know the hill was considered a dangerous place to be. I am so glad to hear that there's some revitalization going on in that area! Every time I visit Joliet, I marvel at all the changes...

dustybones wrote:

I like living here. It is a fairly quiet old neighborhood. The only problems come in when ousiders decide to infiltrate like the guy that did not live here but decided to sell drugs in front of my house or the out of towners that decided to come by and make their exchanges because they think no one here cares. We do care. There are black and white and in between people living here and we all get along just fine unlike some other areas. The hill has gotten a bum rap for a long time now and I sure wish it would stop.
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I agree with dustybones I live in a trailer park on cass. It's not the greatest and it's not the worst place. It has all the problems associated to lower income areas, but there are good people here to. My wifes parents live an older neighborhood on the westside and now these problems are ending up in their yard too. It's everywhere not just in areas with low income. I just want to say HI to TONY RAY he was my district manager when I delivered for the herald news in 1975. What a great role model he was and always shall be!!

i too was raised in ingalls park as a child, it was a nice neighborhood and i have a lot of fond memories there. as i became older, i watched the neighborhood start to go down hill, my car was getting broken into, and all the homes in the area started to become run down. i moved out in my early 20's to the westside. i still visited the area frequently because i still had family there. in late 2001 i finally moved out or the area to schamburg,il. it was the best thing i ever could have done. too many drugs and gangs in the area. i have been in the northern burbs for about 7ys now, and every time i go back to joliet to visit, or to drive past by childhood home in ingalls park to see the place and reminisce, i say to myself. wow what a dirty, dumpy town. im not bashing, joliet will always be my home, but from the outside looking in, the neighborhood has really gone away.

im courious to know what your name is "inquire within" if you dont mind.