Yosef Meystel leads a property management company based in Skokie, Illinois. Skokie began growing in the mid-1800s after being initially settled, and saw dramatic growth in the early 20th century with the opening of its first bank and a new railroad connecting it to Chicago. Skokie's downtown was a prominent retail center from the 1940s to 1960s due to its location and transportation access, but faced competition from malls; the city responded by improving downtown to attract shoppers back. Modern downtown Skokie now thrives as a mix of shops, restaurants, and cultural opportunities with abundant public transportation and parking.

1. About Downtown Skokie,
Illinois
By Yosef Meystel

2. Introduction

Yosef Meystel leads YAM Management, a
property management company. In his role,
Yosef Meystel maintains responsibility for the
financial and administrative operations of nursing
facilities, which the company operates from its
headquarters in Skokie, Illinois.
A suburb of Chicago that directly borders the city,
the village of Skokie was initially settled in the
mid-1800s. However, growth did not begin to
become dramatic until the early 20th century with
the opening of the village’s first bank and the
building of a railroad connecting Skokie to
Chicago. These changes and subsequent growth
led Skokie to be billed as the “World’s Largest
Village.”

3. About Skokie

Skokie’s attractive location in the midst
of a densely populated suburban region,
coupled with its proximity to major
transportation arteries and facilities,
made its downtown area a prominent
retail center from the 1940s through the
1960s. When in this time the
development of malls presented stiff
competition, Skokie responded by
making major improvements to the
downtown area to lure shoppers back.

4. Conclusion

Modern Skokie’s downtown is a thriving
mix of merchants and restaurants, as
well as entertainment and other cultural
opportunities. Public transportation is
abundant, offering convenience for
shoppers and commuters alike. In
addition, there are nine parking lots
scattered throughout downtown and over
200 parking meters. More than 2,000
businesses call the area home, many of
them retail merchants, including local
outlets and national and regional chains.