Ward Profile: Eighth Ward
From Our Neighborhood News, Winter 2019 .
Evanston’s Eighth Ward encompasses the city’s southwest side. “The great Eighth, as we call it, has something for everyone,” says ward alderman Ann Rainey.
With the city’s first shopping center, on Howard Street, and the Oakton Historic District, the ward is also home to an indoor sports dome; Peckish Pig, Evanston’s first brewpub; and North Shore Cider, the city’s only cidery. The new Howard Street Theatre, a standalone venue, houses the Theo Ubique Cabaret Theatre company. At James Park, a playground, an athletic fieldhouse, basketball and tennis courts, gardens, and sledding areas are on offer.
Presence St. Francis Hospital, Oakton Elementary School, and three preschool and daycare operators are also in the ward. A number of restaurants—including bakeries and Mexican, Jamaican, French, and American fare—have emerged following the ward’s economic development efforts and are fast becoming popular destinations.