Maywood, Illinois: Community Analysis Essay

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The purpose of this windshield survey was to conduct an overall analysis of Maywood, IL, and determine strengths, weaknesses, opportunities, and possible threats that affect the community. I obtained information via a windshield survey, where I drove through the community and made personal observations. I also talked to several community members and used various websites as additional sources of information. Vital statistics, such as poverty rates and population overview, were obtained via searches on the Internet.

Maywood has quite a long but, in general, unremarkable history. It was founded on April 6, 1869, and became a proper town on October 22, 1881 (“Maywood, Illinois,” n.d.). The most famous part of Maywood’s history is World War II, as it became home to the 33^rd Illinois National Guard Tank Company. Later, 120 men from Maywood became a part of the 192^nd Tank Battalion and were captured by the Japanese in the Battle of Bataan. Most of them died during the infamous Bataan Death March, and only around 40 survivors managed to return home (“Maywood, Illinois,” n.d.). Except for that, Maywood remained a small, humble community throughout its history.

Nowadays, Maywood, Illinois, is a western suburb conveniently located on Interstate 290, just 10 miles west of Chicago, IL. Although Maywood is a small town that consists of 23 blocks divided into North and South neighborhoods, they have several significant problems. In my survey, I spotted multiple warning signs of decay, and my observations have statistical backing. Poverty, healthcare situation, and public safety are the main areas of concern. I represented my findings of Maywood and related data in the table below.

Neighborhood or suburb surveyed: Maywood, Illinois

Boundaries Are the boundaries geographical, political, or economic? Do neighborhoods have names? Are there sub-communities? How are these identified?	The geographical boundaries are present; Maywood is 3 miles west of Oak Park and 11 miles west of Chicago-Loop. There are two main neighborhoods: North Maywood, which stretches from Lake St. to Walton, and South Maywood from St. Charles Rd to Roosevelt Rd. This division of Maywood is total since there are no other sub-communities present.
Housing and Zoning What is the age of the buildings? Are the residences single-family or multifamily dwellings?	Maywood is mostly composed of single-family homes, which make about 85% of housing in my observations. The other 15% are two flat buildings and multifamily unit dwellings. Some of the buildings in Maywood date back as far as 1890, and the rest are more modern.
Signs of Decay Is the area well maintained or in disrepair? Is there garbage-strewn? Are there trashed/abandoned cars, places for rodents or other wildlife to hide, vacant lots?	Some areas in Maywood appear to be well kept, mostly by single-family homes. In other areas, trash is strewn all over the streets. Some buildings and homes are not occupied, while the others are boarded up. There are many vacant lots on spots where small enterprises such as gas stations and stores used to be. I noticed many loitering people of all ages while driving around. On 1^stAvenue and Washington street, I spotted a family of deers that had wandered out of the forest preserves nearby.
Parks and Recreational Areas Are there play areas for children and adults? Are they safe and maintained? Is there a Community Center? Who uses them?	There are 13 parks in Maywood; most of them are used as playgrounds for children under the age of 6. Winfield Park, located directly behind the police station on 5^thand Oak St., also has a pool. However, children are often unable to enjoy the park because its gazebo has become a gathering place for local alcoholics. Winfield-Scott park, located on 17^thand Maywood Drive, is another park that is not safe for children. There is a basketball court for children to shoot hoops; however, this park is a reservoir for much of the violence in the community. Lastly, Emmanuel “Chris” Welch Park on the corner of 10^thand Washington is used as a practice field for the Maywood Bucs Football team. It also has a nice basketball court, where famous NBA players Glen “Doc” Rivers and Shannon Brown once played. However, this park is also not safe for the children to play. In fact, on Saturday, May 1^st, at approximately 5:45 pm, a drive-by shooting accident happened nearby. Fortunately, no children were injured, but an adult male was shot several times in front of them. Lightford Recreational Center, the town’s community center, is located on the corner of the 9^thand Madison. Various park programming and activities were held in the Maywood Park District, but they all have been canceled due to the COVID-19 pandemic (“Maywood Park District,” n.d.). Recently the community center held free COVID-19 testing, and last week the community center was a site for COVID vaccinations for residents of the community. The recreational center can also be rented out for private events. I personally had my father repass at Maywood’s recreational center.
Common Areas Where do people collect for social gatherings; where do they “hang out”? Are they for particular groups, or are they open to all? Are there signs posted?	The American Legion, located at 1219 W. Madison, is a local gathering place where many 40 years and older residents of the community can have a drink and listen to various music such as Jazz and Steppers. There are no signs posted; words and social media spread the information.
Stores What stores (grocery, retail, drug, dry cleaning, etc.) are in the area? How do residents travel to them?	There are several corner stores and liquor stores throughout the community — 2 Walgreens and JP Pharmacy. I also found several fast-food restaurants such as McDonald’s, Burger King, Popeye’s, and Church’s Chicken. Some residents drive to them, while others utilize public transportation or walk.
Transportation How do most people get around the area? Is there public transportation? If so what kind and does it appear to be used? Who uses it? What is the condition of the streets, roads, highways?	Many residents have one or more vehicles; others walk or utilize the 301, 303, 313 pace buses that run from 4:00 am until 11:45 pm. These buses take community members to and from the Blue line train, where people can access the City and Downtown. Many people can be seen at the bus stop, waiting for the bus to their workplaces. There are entrances and exits to Interstate 290 on the 1^st,9^th, and 17^thAvenues. The local roads are in poor condition, and many of the major streets have potholes.
Communication Is there evidence of local and national newspapers to other media? Are there informational posters on streets, busses, billboards, etc.?	The Free Village Press is the local newspaper for Maywood and the surrounding suburbs. From it, you can read the recent news of the community. Special acknowledgments are posted in the local paper. Prior to The Free Village Press, Maywood Herald was the local newspaper from 1971-2006 (“About Maywood herald,” n.d.).
Service Centers What services are available in the community – health care, social services, schools, employment offices etc.?	Loyola University is in Maywood; however, many community residents only go to Loyola for emergency services or see a specialist. Many residents find it difficult to almost impossible to obtain a Primary Care provider. Ten-O-One, a small clinic that many residents utilize, also has a dentist and JP Pharmacy. Rev. Claude Porter and CEDA provide employment and social services for members of the community. Rev. Claude Porter also runs job training programs for ex-felons and provides help for people with addiction and mental health problems.
People in the Community Who is in the area during the day? What evidence is thereof particular “classes” of people – upper, middle, working, lower?	The community is diverse, with a majority of the population belonging to the working class. The median income in 2019 was $53,877, compared to $69,187 in IL, with a population of 23,158 and a poverty rate of 15.9% (“Maywood, Illinois,”n.d.). During the day, you mostly see retired and disabled individuals on the town streets.
Industries What are the major industries located in the area? What types of occupations are evident?	Foodservice is the major industry in Maywood, and many residents in the community travel about 45 minutes to an hour to their places of employment.
Protective Services Where are fire and police stations located? Is there evidence of police and fire protection in the area?	There are two firehouses, and the main firehouse is located on 700 St. Charles Rd. Fire Station No. 2 is located at 1220 s. 17^thAvenue. Maywood Police Station is located at 125 s. 5^thAvenue. Maywood Police vehicles can always be seen parked in high-crime areas.
Ethnicity What is the predominant ethnic group? Are there residents from a variety of ethnic backgrounds, or is the community mostly one group? Which one? Are there stores, restaurants, churches, schools, or languages that indicate a particular ethnic group(s)?	In 2018 Maywood was (and remains) predominately African American at 67,5% of the population. The other major ethnic groups were Hispanic (other) — 13%, Hispanic (white) — 11.8%, and White (non-Hispanic) 3,61% (“Data USA: Maywood, IL,” n.d.). All schools cater to the community; Washington Dual Language Academy is primarily for Spanish-speaking and bilingual students.
Religion What churches and church-run schools are in the area (denomination)? How many are there of each denomination?	There are quite a few churches in Maywood since 59.9% of the residents are following religious beliefs. Among them, 3.5% are Baptist, 0.4% are Episcopalian, 38.7% are Catholic, 1.9% are Lutheran, 1.4% are Methodist, 1.2% are Pentecostal, 1.7% are Presbyterian, 0.3% are Church of Jesus Christ, 5.1% are of another Christian. Furthermore, 3.9% of the religious population follow the Islam faith (“Religion in Maywood, Illinois,” n.d.).
Health and Morbidly Is there evidence of any health problems such as drug/alcohol abuse, communicable or chronic diseases, mental illness (etc)?	There are several apparent health disparities in Maywood, and severe chronic substance abuse is present. It is evident by the alcohol addicts standing in front of the liquor stores on a daily basis. Also, there is evidence of drug dealing business in the community. A mental health clinic operates in the community, which indicates the presence of chronic and mental health issues in the community.
Politics Is there evidence of political activity? Are there any signs that indicate a predominant political party (parties)or concern(s)?	The majority of Maywood residents are democratic, as 74.6% voted for Biden in the 2020 presidential election (“Maywood, Illinois,”n.d.). As for local politics, I spotted many political campaign signs and billboards posted for the local Mayor election held on April 6^th, 2021.
Other observations or comments:	While surveying this community, I talked to several people in the community and a member of law enforcement. The people do not feel safe because crime rates have risen in this community. There has been an increase in gang activity, gun violence, and carjackings over the years. One of the police officers I spoke with stated that they are expecting a violent summer.

Table 1. Personal observations and statistical data on Maywood

Therefore, the town of Maywood has several major issues ranging from crime to health disparities. As I drove through the town, I spotted several corner stores with subpar, high-calorie overpriced food and many fast-food restaurants. There were no big box stores that offered fresh fruits and vegetables. In late 2018 Aldi’s, the only grocery store in Maywood was closed, and a blood plasma donating center was opened instead, which raised the alarm among the local people (Romain, 2019). Overall, I would describe Maywood as a decaying small community with growing social and economic problems. The prominent local people are doing what they can, but the situation looks bleak for Maywood if the current trend does not change.

References

About Maywood herald. (Oak Park, Ill.) 1971-2006. (n.d.). Web.

Data USA: Maywood, IL. (n.d.). Web.

Maywood Park District. (n.d.). Web.

Maywood, Illinois. (n.d.). Web.

Religion in Maywood, Illinois.(n.d.). Web.

Romain, M. (2019). Plasma center to open across street from Proviso East. Growing Community Media. Web.

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