Belleville, IL

Belleville is a city located in St. Clair County, Illinois, United States. As of the 2010 census, the city had a population of 36,868. Belleville is the county seat of St. Clair County and home to Northern Illinois University. The city is also known for its downtown district which includes many historic buildings and businesses. Belleville's economy is based on manufacturing, retail trade, and health care services.

The first Europeans to visit what would become Belleville were French explorers in the 17th century who named it "Bella Villa". The area was part of the large tract of land ceded by France to Great Britain following the Treaty of Paris in 1763. In 1803, after the United States acquired this territory from Great Britain as part of the Louisiana Purchase, General James Wilkinson established a military post near what would become Belleville called Fort Edwards. In 1825 William Henry Harrison won election as President of the United States while living in Belleville at his home "Harrison's Grove".

Belleville began to grow rapidly after Northern Illinois University was founded in 1855 on land donated by Dr. Jesse Withers and Major John McLean. The university has since grown into one of America's largest institutions for higher education with more than 24,000 students enrolled today (2015). Many major corporations have their headquarters in or around downtown Belleville including Abbott Laboratories (Abbott Park), Emerson Electric Co., Honeywell International Inc., Jabil Circuit Inc., Kraft Foods Group Inc., Motorola Solutions Inc., Owens- Illinois Incorporated (Owensville), Schneider Electric SE & Co KG (Schneider Electric Park), and Unilever U.S.(Unilever Plaza).

Today there are many housing options available for residents including single family homes, townhomes/condos/co-ops, apartments/condos/lofts and retirement communities such as Crossroads at Belleville East which opened its doors in 2014 and offers independent living with shared dining facilities along with activities such as arts & crafts programming; fitness center; pool; spa; library; meeting rooms; laundry facilities on site; secured entrance gate with 24 hour video surveillance system; pet friendly community!

In addition to housing options there are numerous businesses located throughout downtown including banks (JPMorgan Chase Bank - Main Street); restaurants (Chipotle Mexican Grill - Main Street); clothing stores (American Eagle Outfitters - Main Street); hardware stores (Home Depot - Main Street); pharmacies (CVS Pharmacy - Main Street) etc...

The City has made efforts over recent years to revitalize its downtown district through events such as Art Walk which takes place each month during summer months featuring local artists displaying their work along various streets throughout downtown including Washington Avenue which leads up to NIU's campus]; Bluesfest which takes place annually Labor Day weekend featuring live music from regional blues artists along with food vendors & beer garden]; Holiday Lights Display put on annually each December featuring over 10 thousand lights strung across several blocks throughout downtown culminating at NIU's Convocation Center]; Taste Of Belleville held annually during springtime showcasing local restaurants along Washington Avenue between College Avenue & Madison Streets] etc...

There are many things that make living in or visiting Belleville enjoyable such as outdoor recreation opportunities including fishing lakes nearby at Crystal Lake State Park [just east off I-57 exit #172] or hiking trails found just minutes away north off I-57 exit #171 within Calumet Forest Preserve [just west off I-57 exit #170] both offering swimming beaches too! There are also numerous golf courses within driving distance including world class courses like Oak Brook Country Club [just south off I-355 exit #160], Fox River Golf Course [just east off I-355 exit #161], Riverside Golf Club [east off US Route 20], or even close by courses like Indian Hills Golf Course [just west off IL Route 59]. If you're looking for a little excitement try visiting one of Chicago's famous amusement parks like Six Flags Great America or Universal Studios Hollywood! And if you're looking for something more relaxing take a stroll through one of St Clair County's beautiful parks like Calumet Forest Preserve or Wildwood Regional Park just minutes away from town.]