Julie's Blog

I grew up on Wrightwood Ave. in Addison. I was born there on October 8th, 1976 and spent the next (almost 23) years of my life in the same house, until October 2, 1999 when my husband Tony and I got married.

I graduated from Addison Trail High School in 1994. I attended Fullerton Elementary and both of my sister's and I were lucky enough to have Mrs. Hall for our kindergarten teacher between the years of 1977-1983... strange as it would now be today, we shared many teachers over the years despite the 8+ year age gap between the three of us.

Our house at 256 E. Wrightwood Ave. was filled with so many great memories. We lived 3 blocks from the old 7-11 that stood at the corner of Wrightwood and Addison Rd. It has since been replaced by a cabinet store, which is ironically owned by my sister's father-in-law... Dennis Naples. I remember raiding the cushions of the couch and dryer vent for change so that I could buy candy from the nickle bins every summer.

I worked for many years at Krage's Mobil gas station, at the corner of Michigan Ave. and Lake St. and I loved every minute. Truth be told, I held countless jobs in my youth between the ages of 14 and 22, but working for Jim Krage at Krage's Mobil was by far my favorite job.

I rode bikes up and down the streets of my old neighborhood with childhood friends... friends I still have today!

I have thought so many times about moving back, but my mind knows what my heart does not; you can't re-create the past.

Despite the fact that things would never be the same, doesn't mean that I don't enjoy myself when I visit.  In fact, I think if it were possible, I don't think I'd hesitate for a minute to "come back home".

Things have changed so much over the last 8 years. Some streets are hardly recognizable, while others have hardly changed.  The old Tastee Freeze is gone, but Stardust Bowl is still going strong.  The Pink Pony, Bogarts, Mickey's Hot Dogs, Jim and Tom's, have long since gone... but with those changes have come the evolution of something new.  The area between Lombard Rd and Rt. 53 have revitalized an area of Addison that has new life to it.

During the high tide of the real estate gold rush, Addison lost many of it's long time residents... but I still find it amazing how many of it's 1st, 2nd and 3rd generations still endure.

There is an unspoken kinship among the residents of Addison, both past and present.

I think the allure of Addison, and the neighboring towns, began long ago. Given it's distinction among the expressways and highways that run through and near it, it was an obvious choice for families looking for a place outside of the city that was easy to commute from.

The range in architecture and price of homes, is another rarity within this tight knit community that sets it apart from neighboring communities. I think of Addison as a melting pot of ideas, cultures and class.

I don't think there are many that will argue that Addison is a truly unique community, comprised of old and young... old and new.

There isn't a single place in the state of Illinois that I know better than my old hometown of Addison!
 Even though I've dug new roots out here in Plainfield, you know how the old saying goes...

"Home is where the heart is..."

Julie Ferenzi

Century 21 Hometown
7821 W. Belmont
Elmwood Park, IL 60707
630-673-6233