Crete, Illinois

Crete is just a little suburban town in Illinois, tucked away in winding streets and flourishing trees. It has a rustic western charm mixed with the beauty of parks and trees. Crete is a warm and welcoming town, a town where you can run into someone you know at the little downtown grocery store or at the laundry mat. Indeed it is a quaint and charming town that is so appealing to all who live or visit there.

I love this town! It is simply the best. It is the town where my husband and I have our family meals and cook outs, it is where my husband is a trustee, it is where I work, where I go to church, where my friends live, where I get my hair down, where I go out to dinner. I live most of my life in Crete, and have enjoyed doing so for many years now. Now I want you to see why Crete is so great through my eyes.

Downtown is such a pleasant area of Crete. It is modern sophistication mixed with the old western buildings still standing since the late 1800’s. Every Thursday evening during the summer, downtown on Main Street is bustling with excitement. Thursday is when all the guys get out their old, supped up hot rods out of the garage and out on display. The smooth white sidewalks and charming old fashioned wooden benches become crowded with visitors. It is always the perfect evening to spend meeting other people and learning about cars. You can also stop by in the old little ice cream parlor and get your favorite scoop of ice cream. It is always a truly magnificent way to spend a simple summer evening. Every Thursday evening, my granddaughter and my dog and I always take a walk down to see it.

The park in Crete is also beautiful. It has hills and hills of lush green grass and is covered in giant and beautiful trees. Plum Creeks rushing waters wind through the very heart of it. There is a tennis court and a stone pavilion and is sprinkled with little play areas for children. At least once a month during the summer, dear old Art brings out his telescope and holds a public class so that the people of our town can come out and learn about the lustrous stars that sit so beautifully in clear and black midnight sky.

Crete United Methodist Church, the church that I attend and work at sits in the heart of downtown Crete. It is a tall, old, white building that has two newer additions. But the old part of the church is truly the beauty. Inside, it has beautiful works of stained glass and the walls are made of gorgeous wood. It used to be filled with so many people, sitting in the heavy wooden pews, watching the pastor give his sermon up at the worn pulpit, with white candles burning brightly and colorful banners hung all about. It is one of the oldest churches in the area and is a true historic gem. So much history and beauty is buried in its sacred walls.
Shopping is also only the best in Crete. Crete is known for its little antique shops that are scattered all around it. There are not only antique shops, but a brand new health center, spa, and hair salon, although Crete still has its rustic charm, it is still keeping up with the times. You can still plan a day of spoiling yourself without ever having to leave.

Little restaurants make up the food life of Crete, the only fast food sitting on the outskirts of town are McDonalds, Dairy Queen, and Subway. The rest, are nice sit down restaurants. The North Woods is a restaurant with a Yukon hunting lodge theme inside. It is quite delightful with its wooden interiors and bookshelves of old books, or even the stone fireplace that sits in the center. And the food is to die for, from fish to steak, they have wide variety of home styled cooking. Aurelio’s is a nation wide favorite, but even more so favored here. It is the center for gala. It is so pretty with its Italian theme and so warm and friendly, everyone knows everyone who works there, and the same back. It is known for its wonderful food, but even better for its service. Another great place to eat is the Brauhaus, a little German restaurant that is little, but has great food. It is another home-styled restaurant that serves German and American dishes. And finally, another good place to go out for dinner is Silverton’s. It is a newer restaurant that was given an old west theme and serves all-American food. Steak, chicken, and fish are its main gig, and the food is superb. It has great service, and is the fancy restaurant of our town.

These are just a few of the things that I think makes Crete such a great town, there is so much more to it. It is little, and relatively unknown, but it is so full of life and activity. I feel like I’m always entertained and I’m always on an adventure even if all I’m doing is going on my daily walk. So someday, come, visit my town, so I can share with you what I’ve loved my whole life.

Sharon J

Submitted: Monday 9th February 2004, 7:54 PM

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