For 2nd Ward resident Jill Gerber, her ward is a complex community that comes together at every corner.

“It is an important (place) because we stay supportive of each other in what have been very difficult times around here,” Gerber said.

The ward is the most socially, economically and racially diverse area in Evanston, according to Ald. Krissie Harris (2nd).

It covers a substantial amount of the city’s west-central area, spanning from north of Church Street to south of Main Street. Throughout the area, most blocks are residential, but there are also clusters of industrial and commercial buildings, most notably in the West End district off of Main Street. The ward is also home to the Robert Crown Community Center and the Evanston Public Library Robert Crown Center branch.

Resident Maya Santoso said she came to Evanston as an international student to attend Northwestern and never left, since she found a sense of community in the area.

“I’ve always felt very welcomed, and I’ve always found that this city is quite diverse,” she said.

Santoso said she frequents the Robert Crown Branch Library because her children hang out with friends and do schoolwork there.

“It’s a really accessible place for families to just get away if they need to have a quiet space to study or work,” Santoso said.

2nd Ward resident Matthew Hunter said the community center, which has amenities including two NHL rinks, two full-sized gymnasiums and an art and pottery studio, has been a staple of the ward for decades.

The center was renovated in early 2020, creating new amenities like the library and athletic field, changes which have been beneficial, Hunter said.

“The rebuilding of it has been great for the city and offers more updated, current things for kids,” he said.

The ward also has other important amenities, including a grocery store, fast food, auto mechanics, a health clinic and a car wash, Harris said.

Residents can get to these communal spaces easily, she said, since the ward is very walkable.

“We have a little bit of everything that a person could need without really having to step outside the ward,” Harris said.

There are a variety of communal spaces that bring ward residents together.

The ward has several parks, including a long strip of green area with a trail along the North Shore Channel.

Evanston Township High School is also central to the ward’s sense of community.

“It’s the hub of education,” Harris said. “We have a lot of opportunities for students to get engaged and be part of the Evanston community. I think that’s so important.”

Santoso said the high school is integrated into the surrounding neighborhood by using Robert Crown for sports practices and games. The community center is an extension of the high school’s facilities, she added.

The ward also contains the Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. Literary and Fine Arts School, the Joseph E. Hill Early Childhood Center and the district office of Evanston/Skokie School District 65.

Hunter, a lifelong Evanston resident and graduate of ETHS, finds the ward to be an ideal place for Evanstonians to raise a family.

“Evanston in general, but this ward in particular, is very family-friendly and we want things to be made available for children and families who are raising kids,” Hunter said. “We’re having issues with our school systems at this moment, so our priorities really are shifting towards the needs of our children in the area. In Evanston, just period, but in our ward, we care about the educational opportunities for kids.”

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Email: [email protected]