Month: May 2019

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In the Spotlight: Tinley Park

Incorporated in 1892, Tinley Park is among the Chicago area’s oldest suburban communities. But don’t mistake its historical roots for complacency in the modern age.

Quite the opposite, in fact. The spirited, family-centric village of some 60,000 residents is among the Chicago area’s most ambitious and active. Far from a sleepy bedroom community, Tinley Park, which is located about 25 miles southwest of downtown Chicago, pairs its growing residential base with diverse retail and industrial sectors, a packed community calendar, and non-stop recreational and cultural activities to create one of the Chicago area’s most lively and dynamic communities.

Award-winning homebuilder Gallagher and Henry is proud to build in Tinley Park with single-family homes at Radcliffe Place available starting at $426,500.

The nation’s top place to raise children…

BusinessWeek previously named Tinley Park “America’s Best Place to Raise Your Kids.” The magazine cited the village’s “top-rated schools, low crime, beautiful parks, relatively affordable houses, and easy access to jobs” as distinctive features worthy of praise and the lofty national honor.

…and one of America’s safest cities

In 2017, the National Council for Home Safety and Security ranked Tinley Park among the top 50 safest cities in the U.S. – and the safest city (population above 50,000) in Chicago’s Southland.

For the music lovers…

A village-wide rebranding effort called “Life Amplified” has positioned Tinley Park as one of the state’s premier music hubs. Through a combination of existing assets, namely the 28,000-capacity Hollywood Casino Amphitheater and award-winning bands from local schools, and the addition of new features led by an indoor music facility and the Harmony Square downtown plaza, Tinley Park will become a place where the power music is heard and celebrated.

…and the art lovers

For more than a decade, amateur and professional artists have been inviting Tinley Park’s downtown visitors to take a seat in style. From May-October, the village’s annual “Benches on the Avenue” program peppers the downtown area with various colorful, imaginative, and functional benches revolving around a given theme. The 2019 theme is “Prized Page Turners” and will feature depictions from some of history’s most popular books.

For the people, by the people

A communal spirit weaves throughout life in Tinley Park, where residents actively contribute to the community’s vitality. This reality exists in more than a dozen commissions comprised of volunteer citizens who help guide decisions in such areas as planning, economic development, and senior services.

Coming soon

In March, Tinley Park officials held a groundbreaking ceremony for Harmony Square, a 40,000-square foot outdoor plaza in downtown Tinley Park designed to host live music and theater, food festivals, a splash pad, and other community revelry. Plans calls for Harmony Square to host public programming at least 250 days each year.

3 for Your Calendar

1. Visit the Downtown Tinley Farmers Market from 7:30 a.m. to 12:30 p.m. Saturdays from June 1st to October 12th every year in Zabrocki Plaza for the best selection of fruits, vegetables and fresh flowers!

2. The Hollywood Casino Amphitheater’s 2019 schedule includes The Who, Zac Brown Band, Dave Matthews Band, and Florida Georgia Line among other headline acts.

3. On December 8, the village will host its 22nd annual Parade of Lights. At the holiday-themed parade, local businesses, nonprofits, and community organizations decorate floats in holiday décor to kick off the holiday season in style.

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A Color Guide for Your Home

And the 2019 Color of the Year is… Night Watch.

PPG Industries, the parent company of Glidden paints, called Night Watch “a rich, luxurious, and classic shade of green [that] emulates the feeling of lush greenery and the healing power of nature.” A bold, dark color, PPG says Night Watch “has the ability to almost act like a neutral,” though it is also “intense enough” to stand as a feature color on either interior or exterior walls.

PPG’s selection of Night Watch as “Color of the Year” follows its 2018 recognition of Black Flame, another dark, nature-inspired hue designed to promote a restorative, mind-clearing feel.

According to color psychologists – yes, there is such a professional trade that studies the effects of color on human behavior and emotions – shades of green like Night Watch represent growth and renewal, largely spurred by green’s strong ties to nature. Those positive attributes make green a popular choice for virtually any room in the home. Rich, darker hues like Night Watch can deliver composure and calm to a home office or sitting room, while softer greens with hints of blue can produce a soothing effect in a master bathroom.

Here’s how other colors play in the home:

  • Pick BLUE if you want … a relaxing, calm, and serene feel. Blue stands a particularly popular choice for bedrooms and bathrooms, spaces where people venture to relax and rest.
  • Pick BROWN if you want … a sense of warmth, comfort, and reliability. Brown’s various earthy hues are calm and inviting and, as such, a great choice for living rooms, home libraries, or bedrooms.
  • Pick GRAY if you want … sophistication and versatility. Given its neutrality, gray works throughout the home and can be paired with other colors to evoke certain emotions – red, for instance, to stir drama or navy blue to reassure.
  • Pick ORANGE if you want … energy and warmth. Orange is often used in areas of the home designed to be more dynamic and exciting, such as an exercise space or sun room.
  • Pick PURPLE if you want … to inspire feelings of luxury and creativity. Purple, the traditional color of royalty, is often used to make a statement, which often makes it a great choice in an entry way or formal living room.
  • Pick RED if you want … to heighten the senses and manufacture energy. Given red’s intensity, it’s best reserved for common areas designed to be lively and stimulating, such as a kitchen or dining room.
  • Pick WHITE if you want … a room to feel fresh, simple, and spacious. The most neutral of all colors, white can be used anywhere in the home where cleanliness and purity is particularly prized, including bathrooms and laundry rooms.
  • Pick YELLOW if you want … a space to be cheery and bright. As yellow is said to increase energy, spark creativity, and stimulate the nervous system, it’s a popular choice for kitchens and family rooms.