Waukegan

Situated in the northeastern most county in Illinois (Lake Co.) Waukegan is somewhat racially diverse, depending on what part of town you're in. If you say you live in Waukegan, you're automatically either black, hispanic, or poor. Downtown, a few blocks from Lake Michigan, there is a statue of famous Vaudeville comedian / movie star/ violinist Jack Benny, because he was raised in the town in the early 1900s, when it was much nicer. There are also a few public schools named after him. Abbott Laboratories is situated just down the street from downtown, as soon as you come off the two mile long Amstutz Expressway. They are a major pharmaceutical company, and whenever you drive by, it smells like penicillin (which smells like fresh dirt, but very strong) and fried chicken. Great Lakes Naval Base is also off of the Amstutz, in which the training sailors live. They flock to Gurnee Mills Mall (see Gurnee), a few miles away. A common nickname is "Wauk-town." That's one of the nicer ones. Another is also Little Mexico. Oh, and don't walk around after dark otherwise you're guaranteed to be severely harassed or even killed.