Wil-O-Way: Residents keep coming back
It's a certain kind of neighborhood that draws back people who were residents as children to become residents as adults. Wil-O-Way is that kind of neighborhood.
• Wil-O-Way neighborhood
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"Besides the neighborhood being one of the best in town, we're close to the tollway, downtown. We like it here."
Bob Schmitt, resident of 40 years
"From our house, we are seven-tenths of a mile from the Riverwalk. We are closer to downtown than in our last house. And we have anything from first-time homeowners with young children to people in their 60s and 70s who live here."
Betsy Tyo, resident of 11 years
With almost all the amenities of Naperville accessible by foot, and with many of the same traditions that began in the community in the late 1960s and early '70s, Wil-O-Way drew back Homeowners Association president Paul Palian, among others.
"My daughter is now playing T-ball on the same field I played growing up," said Palian, who has now lived in Wil-O-Way a combined total of 27 years.
Kate Gingold, 19-year Wil-O-Way resident and author of two books related to Naperville history, "Ruth by Lake and Prairie" and "Haunted by History," said one of the best things about Wil-O-Way is "you can walk everywhere: the post office, downtown, the Settlement, Walgreens. The location is just incredible."
But Palian and Gingold concur: What really makes Wil-O-Way exceptional is the people.
"It's a nice group of people," Gingold said. "People are extremely down-to-earth. None of the keeping-up-with-the-Jones kind of thing."
Homeowners Association president Paul Palian has created a Facebook page, called "I Live in Wil-O-Way," as a means for neighbors to communicate information more informal than what's on the community Web site.
"So many people are into the social media," Palian said. "It's just a way for neighbors to get to know each other. There are a lot of neat people that live in the neighborhood.
"The residents and homeowners really make the difference in keeping things moving and fresh."
• Miller Builders, which also developed Indian Hill, built the houses beginning in 1967
• Area: 0.581 square miles
• Population: 2,217, according to city-data.com
• Students attend the schools of District 203
• Served by Pace Bus 685
1. The Wil-O-Way Park: On the west end of the neighborhood, this
park has a playground, as well as baseball and soccer fields. It is a
popular location for little league games and community gatherings.
How to get there: Take Ogden west from Washington to River Road and
head south. From River Road, head west of Jefferson. Wil-O-Way Park is
on the south side, just past South Birchwood Drive.
2. Riverwalk: Dating to 1930 and updated in 1981 for Naperville's sesquicentennial celebration, the Riverwalk winds along the west branch
of the DuPage River. Wil-O-Way abuts the it on the neighborhood's east
side. It's just a short walk from there to Centennial Beach and the
downtown.
How to get there: It is accessible from the east side of Wil-O-Way, on Jefferson, just east of Willoway Drive.
3. Safety Town: One landmark near Wil-O-Way is the Safety Town
campus, which began in June 1996. Featuring miniature streets, street
signs and houses, the safety program serves more than 1,700 students
from kindergarten to first grade in its summer program each year,
according to the Web site of the Naperville Junior Women's Club, whose
volunteers run and maintain Safety Town.
How to get there: Take Aurora Avenue east from Ogden Avenue until you reach 1320 Aurora Ave., just past River Road.
