The Town of Cicero, Illinois certainly has a colorful past - one of its most notable residents - notorious might be more apt - was no less than gangster Al Capone who moved here in a bid to escape from the Chicago police who were zeroing-in on his criminal empire. Thankfully these days life is a lot less volatile and Cicero has become a town in its own right rather than a western suburb of Chicago. Those moving to Cicero should also consider exploring the rest of Cook County for the perfect home or apartment.
History:
Named after a town in New York State, Cicero is bordered to the north and east by Chicago. The first homesteaders to arrive settled in the area known today as Oak Park. The Galena & Chicago Union Railroad connected Cicero directly with Chicago in 1848, and by 1857 the township of Cicero was formed. Incorporation followed in 1869, but subsequent annexations of its area by Chicago resulted in a dramatic fall in population. With several new rail networks passing through Cicero the various railroad companies established manufacturing and repair shops in town. When Western Electric established a telephone equipment manufacturing plant in Cicero in 1904, it created 20,000 positions for the residents of Cicero. However, since the town's population was only 14,500 a rapid expansion of new homes followed and in 20 years the population quadrupled with a large influx of Eastern European immigrants arriving. The criminal era of the mid to late 1920's is well chronicled, but Cicero's reputation was also dented by more recent convictions of government officials on charges of corruption. Racial tensions were high during the 1950's and 1960s as residents resisted African Americans moving into their community. Today the area has a large Hispanic and Asian presence which has contributed to the multi-ethnic culture of Cicero.
Economy:
The economy of Cicero is closely entwined with that of Illinois and includes many common industries. The Chicago metropolitan area is host to some of the country's largest companies such as Motorola, Boeing, McDonalds, United Airlines and many others. The area also houses the headquarters of a wide selection of financial institutions too and of course the Chicago Mercantile is the world's largest futures exchanges. In 2010, the gross state product for Illinois was $630 billion making it the fifth largest in the United States. Illinois's industrial outputs include food processing, machinery, electrical equipment, chemical products, publishing, transportation equipment, petroleum and oil. With such exciting employment opportunities, it's no wonder why so many Cicero movers are so busy.
Tourism:
The City's tourism again links closely with tourism in general in Illinois and to the Chicago Metropolitan Area in particular. There are some unique attractions in the Cicero area such as the AMC Showplace Cicero 14, a multi-movie theatre complex. Try the Jedlicka Performing Arts Center (JPAC) which, as the name suggest, is a venue for live shows. For a complete listing of events and attractions in nearby Chicago, check Explore Chicago, the City's official tourism website. There will also be plenty of other choices at Tourism Options in Illinois,