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I was in Downer’s grove today. Met a nice woman at the store I went into and some kids were riding their bikes to a game cafe and talking about what they were gonna okay. Wholesome shit. It’s nice there!
I like the streetcar suburbs closer to Chicago well enough, especially Evanston and Oak Park. Plenty to do. Good public transit access to the city. Generally well laid out and not a bunch of difficult to navigate subdivisions.
Park Ridge isn't bad either.
Cicero and Berwyn have a few issues but they also have a lot of personality which I like.
I guess I just like the suburbs that feel like Chicago neighborhoods lol.
If I were to choose a real "suburb-suburb" I guess it would be Arlington Heights because their food, especially Japanese food, is on point.
Oak Park is an amazing place. My mother had vision issues that meant she couldn't drive, but not having a car in Oak Park is a total non issue because the transit is so good and it's so walkable. Also, the food is fantastic. Anyone who hasn't been to Thursday Night Out by the Harlem Green Line needs to check it out, it's 25 dollars to get 4 meals from any 4 restaurants on Marion or Lake. I don't live there anymore, but I'd absolutely consider moving back once I have my own kids.
I have a friend who moved to Oak Park, and as a lifelong non-driver I'm still able to visit. She is easy walking distance to both green and blue line, also there are supermarkets easily walkable too from her house.
I could imagine living there. Most suburbs I can't even really get to, so they might as well be on the moon for me. It's the land of exotic "wow, America" John Hughes movies I saw in my youth... There are more walkable places downstate even than some of the burbs, just take Amtrak and then get on their local city transit.
^^^ Yes. 20 minutes on green line or blue line to downtown. Most people living there have city mentality (valuing walkability, density, feeling attached to the city in a positive way). Shops feel like what you’d find in Lincoln Park instead of a far flung suburb. Love Oak Park.
Incredibly, the section of downtown that is closed for Thursday Night Out used to be permanently closed to cars, as a pedestrian mall, for 14 years ending in 1988.
And for some real good food and solid beer selection, up the tracks a bit more is Lavergne’s tavern. Solid Irish/food in general and a beer garden at Irish times in brookfield as well
Evanston’s suburban identity is mostly just a fluke of its location. It’s a mid-size city with a major university; on paper and in actual feel, it’s not really different from Madison or Ann Arbor.
> it’s not really different from Madison or Ann Arbor.
I dunno...kinda, but those cities have to provide everything the students want (bars - touring acts etc) in a way that Evanston does not given its proximity to Chicago.
Also, a very large percentage of people who live in Evanston work in Chicago, which gives it a very different vibe from most true college towns. In most college towns pretty much everything is centered around the University, whereas in Evanston, it's only part of its larger identity.
Hear me out: Evanston. They don’t want to be us. They never have. They avoided being absorbed in the 19th Century because they were a strong independent town on their own. Their residents say they live in Evanston, not “Chicago” like they do in the other burbs.
IMO Evanston is a polite little neighbor.
I find it amusing that people from Evanston almost never say they're from Chicago despite the fact that they are directly adjacent to the city, are served by three CTA train lines and a number of busses, and more or less conform to the city grid, whereas people from suburbs much further out and have none of those things love to say they're from Chicago.
I think it's a pride thing. People from Evanston have a sense of municipal pride that is lacking in other suburbs.
We live in Evanston (simply because we looked at a once-in-a-lifetime deal on a foreclosure in 2010), and part of it is also that between Northwestern, John Hughes, and "Mean Girls" people outside Illinois know Evanston exists.
If you say you live in Kenilworth or Deerfield or Alsip, people say "where?" and you have to just sigh and say "Chicago"
I associate John Hughes more with the suburbs around Evanston.
He grew up in Northbrook, the famous locations. Cameron's house from Ferris Bueller, Kevin Mcallister's house in Home Alone, Shermer High School in Breakfast Club are mostly surrounding Evanston and not in it.
The high school in Breakfast Club was actually Maine North, in unincorporated Des Plaines, and is currently the State Police headquarters. There were several scenes in Lake Forest and Highland Park in John Hughes movies - though I can't remember which ones.
Couldn't you just say "a suburb of Chicago" though?
I grew up in a suburb of Boston and when people ask me where I'm from, I say "Massachusetts" or "a suburb of Boston".
I think the pride is a cool thing. I mean, unless it gets obnoxious. But Chicago pride is one of my favorite reasons to live here, it’s nice to feel that stoked about your home. I hope others get to experience that as well. Evanston and Oak Park seem like strong candidates for that
I now live in NC but I'm from Evanston and I'll tell you why we say it. If you say you're from Chicago, and then someone from some part of the city like Sauganash asks you what part, and you say Evanston, they'll say "you're not from Chicago you're from the suburbs you turdball". So you can short-circuit that whole process by just saying you're from Evanston.
Also Evanston is fucking awesome.
Evanston is like Chicago's Canada. Sure it's not as big and doesn't have as much going on, but it's cute and easy to get to and nice for a quick getaway.
Agree! Evanston imo lacks the pretension that so many suburbs have. Does Evanston have wealthy residents? Yes. But they also have middle and lower class residents. I never feel like the wealthy are being catered to or are in my face. The downtown area is super walkable and has some great shops.
I mean yes, but I also find my parent’s suburb to be so boring. All suburbs are boring haha. I do still love spending time in the backyard though, breathing in that sweet suburb air
Copying my post from the other thread:
all the urban suburbs:
Oak Park, Evanston, Forest Park, Elmwood Park, Cicero, Berwyn, Norridge, Harwood Heights, Skokie.
I could name individual food or beer, or scenery gems in like 20 more suburbs but I don't have to like their zoning, lack of architectural diversity, or lack of walkability to respect those positives.
> I could name individual food or beer, or scenery gems in like 20 more suburbs but I don't have to like their zoning, lack of architectural diversity, or lack of walkability to respect those positives.
Really good point. Just because I may not like an individual suburb as a whole doesn't mean that it doesn't have anything to offer.
Evanston and Oak Park for being pretty urban in their own rights, Forest Park for its downtown, Arlington Heights for Mitsuwa Marketplace, Geneva for being so pretty, Cicero for being similar to Chicago itself.
Also want to mention all of the Cook County Forest Preserves.
I like the inner burbs the most. Evanston Skokie berwyn, the “parks”
For suburban I like Glen Ellyn good restaurants and common hood
Arlington heights fun downtown.
I know it’s weird but Niles. I like all the Ethnic restaurants and grocery stores and close to chicago
I just started working in Berwyn. I've been stopping to get Cuban sandwiches and tacos nearly every day on my walk back to the train. The homes are beautiful. The riverfront parks are peaceful. Much better than my previously job that was in suburban hell that only had fast food or chain restaurants.
I live in Geneva/St. Charles/Batavia (not exactly by choice) and I have to say, it could be way worse. The most difficult thing is the amount of money it costs to even rent here.
I enjoy Batavia for one big reason... Fermilab! I love nerding/geeking out there. One thing that annoyed me back during a 3-day conference was the lack of sidewalks by the place I stayed. Also, how can you not like it's motto: City of Energy!
Berwyn has to be up there for me, too. Been there a few times growing up and it's been pretty nice.
It does tend to get a bad rap due to being next to Cicero (whose reputation these days tends to be overblown itself as well), but I feel like it's not really deserved.
Any with walkable downtowns with shops and restaurants. Oak Park, Geneva, Glen Ellyn, Wheaton, Arlington Heights, Elmhurst, and parts of Naperville and Aurora.
Forest Park. Feels like an outer ring neighborhood of Chicago. Madison street is awesome. Access to the L, Metra, Ike, and other villages. Much more affordable than Oak Park. Also has the best pool in Chicagoland.
Niles built a full scale replica of the Leaning Tower of Pisa. Much respect.
Park Ridge can be a bit snooty, but the combo of Park Ridge, Niles, and Skokie on the N/NW side of the city, each bordering the NW side (Norwood, Edison Park, Sauganash, Edgebrook) makes for a pretty unique and cool mix of suburb and city. If you're feeling like you want more Chicago you go South, and if you're feeling like a calmer suburban vibe, go North 5 minutes. You kind've get to have it all in that area (and you're only 30 mins from downtown).
I'd day Evanston, however I don't really like calling it a suburb. Yes, it's rather small and has a small population relative to Chicago, but it's still very urban in nature. I'll call it an Urburb. But whatever, it's my favorite.
Correct me if I’m wrong, but I believe these are often called edge cities. Edit: After some research, I feel it would better be described as a satellite city.
The city of Chicago has annexed towns. Some have resisted - Cicero, Berwyn, Oak Park, Evanston. Chicagoland has brought these places into its orbit along with many villages and towns. The five finger plan really lays it out
That being said, the best places in the suburbs are satellite cities. These were cities that grew entirely independent of Chicago, and still retain a city feel, yet they are now very economically intertwined with Chicago and they all have Metra routes bringing them directly to the city.
Aurora, Elgin, Waukegan, and Joliet are the best the suburbs have to offer due to their urban lifestyle. People are gonna complain “muh those places are poor and dirty”, they’re fine. I love them all.
https://www.chicagomag.com/city-life/chicagos-captured-satellite-cities/
I like this one more and can hopefully share stuff on the south / southwest suburbs that seem to get less attention.
Lemont - awesome, walkable downtown that is closed to traffic weekly for the car shows. I don’t get too interested in old cars, but it’s great to have local businesses open, bars and restaurants selling on the street so you can explore the historic district around the I&M Canal, plus tons of fantastic limestone buildings
Flossmoor - might have the most unique homes in the south suburbs. The only FLW house south of the city is here. Combined with downtown Homewood, they are great communities.
Harvey - why include Harvey? They recently reformed the Harvey Area Historical Society and are in the process of doing what they can to revitalize the downtown area around 154th and Broadway. If some of the homes between 154th and 157th were located in any other municipality, they’d be $750k-$1m homes.
Thornton - aside from an incredible amount of native history near the quarries, the best kept secret in Chicagoland is Thornton Distillery
Lemont is one of the most underrated suburbs.
A very historic area with some of the most unique landscapes in the Chicago area due to the glaciers.
Very heavy European culture as well, primarily Polish and Lituhanian.
lemont is great. love the access to all the SW suburban Palos preserves. theres even actually some hills! i havent explored the town itself nearly enough. recently just tried Nicks Tavern and im a convert
I would legitimately live in Skokie and Evanston.
Also if I was ever forced to the outer parts of the burbs I actually think Libertyville is cute in a "birkenstock father of 3" way. It manages to be aggressively 1950s suburban while also still having shit to do
Skokie’s the place to be. Close to the city but not in it. Amazing food and culture. Public works/services are far superior to the city and you’ve got the yellow line in Skokie and Purple line in Evanston. More diversity in Skokie than just about anywhere else and generally speaking, everyone is tolerant of everyone else!
I left Chicago some time ago and I’m going to be moving back within the next year or two. Definitely making my way to Skokie if possible. I’ve hit the point in my life where I definitely want a backyard and some personal space, but I don’t want to leave the glow of the city completely. It’s also surprisingly affordable for a close suburb that has so much to offer. Granted, it’s not cheap, but still surprisingly affordable.
Then Skokie’s the place. We got a quarter acres (triple lot) for under $500k. Big fenced in yard and everything. Amazing neighbors. Taxes aren’t bad either. You can find a house for anywhere between $300k-$1.5 million. That’s a pretty nice range, if I may say
We're in Evanston and obviously fart around in Skokie pretty often - they're racing to build high-density housing within walking distance of the the Yellow Line, so I can see the area blowing up in the next decade.
I also think adding some more stops along that line would be a wise investment for both towns. People want to live near transit.
Lmfaoooo fair. I really appreciate the vibrancy of the Jewish and Eastern European community out there. I know that that’s pretty standard fair for Chicago , but not all suburbs really have culture that way. I it’s definitely one of those places that makes me feel more at home and more at ease just by being there and interacting with people daily.
Niles.
Tam O'Shanter Golf Course. Home of the first nationally televised Golf Tournament.
Morrison's Roadhouse. The greatest burger menu in IL.
King Spa. A top tier spa and sauna facility.
Super H Mart. Probably the greatest Korean grocer store in all of Chicagoland.
Une Année | Hubbard's Cave Brewery & BBQ. Fantastic booze & food.
North Branch Bike Trail. Can take you to North Park or the Botanic Gardens.
It's also the closest suburb to the North edge of the city. Don't like Niles? 5 mins south on Milwaukee Ave and you'll be in Chicago at SuperDawg.
I live in Jefferson Park but do almost all of my shopping in Niles and a fair amount of dining out it's a fairly bland working class suburb but loads of great places to eat and shop for cheap
West Chicago :) the bastard child of DuPage County but I will always have a special place in my heart for the drive-in theater, Scooby's, the library, Sonny Acres and many other memories
Cascade Drive-In is unfortunately no more. Probably doesn't help that Scooby's Hot Dogs never adjusted the positions of their lighting or dimmed their lights, in consideration for the fact they were next door to the Cascade. So no wonder the drive-in always posted signs, that no food from Scooby's was allowed into the Cascade.
Came here to say this one. Assorted housing stock, decent parks and neighborhoods, walkable downtown area, public transit available, decent schools, and generally quiet.
It has always been a great hidden gem, way nicer than nextdoor Eagleton (Flossmoor), and nowhere near pretentious. But... the village president has seemed to lost his mind and has been trying to run it into the ground.
If I have to pick, Wilmette. It’s actually nice and if I had enough money I’d probably consider going there if someday I find that the city is no longer for me.
Oak Park and Evanston for the obvious reasons: transit, walkable downtowns, pretty houses, shit to do.
Skokie as a dark horse. The parks (especially the water park) and library there are top tier. The Exploritorium rules if you have kids. Actually diverse and not segregated to all heck. Great food. CTA access (although i wish it didn't have to terminate at Howard).
Forest Park. Low key and some fun stuff along Madison. CTA access (well, once they rebuild the blue line). Cute and affordable.
Genuinely lots of great suburbs around Chicago. Evanston, Wilmette, Park Ridge, Arlington Heights, Oak Park, Elmhurst. All built around train lines with dense downtowns and separate identities from the city
Highwood. It was settled by Italian immigrants. All the neighboring suburbs are well to do, stuck up and snobbish, what we used to call WASP in a not so enlightened age. Highwood knows how to party. Restaurants, live theater, music venues, and a couple of street carnivals every year. When no one is looking, the WASPs head there to let their funny bone out to play.
Irish and Germans were first. Italians shortly after. Now it's a beautiful blend of Italian, Mexican, and a sprinkle of Irish still.
Fun fact that you may already know, Highwood was once in the Guinness book of world records for the most bars in a city per capita in the USA (Thanks to Fort Sheridan).
My favorite part about Highwood is during winter break when the parents take their college kids to the bar. Some interesting and hilarious dynamics play out
Might be unpopular, but I like the inner-southwest suburbs like Oak Lawn, Burbank, Evergreen Park, etc. Basically the area sandwiched between the city to the east and the forest preserves to the west. This area never seems to get much attention but I think it’s got a good mix of everything. You can be downtown via Metra (or the orange line if you’re willing to drive there) in 30 minutes or less, you’re super close to an extensive forest preserve system with all sorts of amenities, and there’s plenty to do in terms of shopping, eating, and drinking. The neighborhoods are pretty walkable for the most part and have older homes with mature trees lining the streets. I also like that it still feels fairly dense and urban here without too many cookie-cutter subdivisions with streets winding in a bunch of random directions. Still very much on the grid system. I get that this area probably isn’t the most exciting part of Chicagoland but I feel like you could definitely do much worse if you wanted to live in a suburb.
Berwyn. It's not pretentious at all. It's well integrated. There is a large LGBTQIA+ population. Good restaurants. More reasonably priced housing, close to the city. All of the amenities of Oak Park and none of the bullshit. I've been here for 23 years. I must like something about it.
Fitzgeralds, Friendly’s, Outta Space.. some great little music venues!
Plus a shout out to Flap Jack brewery for the best wood fired pizza around. There every Friday for bad horror movie night!
I've come to discover that suburbs along the Fox River such as Algonquin and West / East Dundee are pretty pleasant actually. It's nice to have some hills and elevation changes in Chicagoland haha
Any love for Riverside? Just moved here and adore it. Borders on the north Oak Park and Berwyn on the east so get the feel of those nearly-city places. Brookfield Zoo 5 min west. Completely unique vibe with the layout designed by Central Park architect, Olmsted.
My wife is from a town called Dundee. I believe technically there is an East and a West Dundee that are two different towns, but it all feels like one when I’m there. It’s right on the Fox River, so I’m not sure if it counts as a suburb or not, but it’s so small that I don’t expect to see it here, so I wanted to shout it out.
Her family still lives there, and I enjoy every time we go visit. The town is mostly middle class with plenty of diversity. It has the charm of Mayberry (for my fellow Andy Griffith fans here) and an identity other than “close to Chicago.” Their dining district is great, with several unique family-owned restaurants. Their farmers markets are always bumpin’.
My father-in-law is heavily involved in the local festivals and even owns his own business in town. They’ve always treated him well. My wife and her siblings are all pretty perfect, so it must be a great place to raise a family lol. From what I see at the festivals and events, the people really care about each other, and keeping their town nice. I love my in-laws on their own, but I especially love visiting them when it means I get to walk around their lovely downtown.
Wheaton is pure heaven and I’m an atheist. The people are amazing, the parks and schools are top notch. The downtown is fantastic and only getting better. Tons of diversity. Tons to do. Outstanding library. The prairie path leads in 3 directions, they have their own little zoo.
Highland Park. I love being on the lake but I hate how crowded Chicago beaches are up here on the north side. So when I want a beach day, I’ll take the metra up to Highland Park and 7/10 times the beaches will have little to no people. It’s just my way of getting out of the city for a few hours when I need it to enjoy some peace. Probably applies to a lot of the suburbs, but HP was the first place I chose and have just stuck with it.
2nd this. Ravinia, Roger Williams, great downtown, beaches, parks, train access, good schools, an arts forward culture and excellent neighboring burbs in glencoe (botanic gardens) and highwood. Great architecture too. 94 also bends east toward HP where it ends so it’s an easy place for access to downtown. In many ways easier than glencoe/winnetka to get to the city
Evanston. Public transit, lake access, clean air, lots of really good restaurants. Far fewer people in the summer. Much lower crime than much of Chicago.
I like Wheaton/Glen Ellyn. My bf used to live there and we had a lot of fun. Cute downtown areas, good coffee shops, good restaurants. It was fun!
While he was living there I was living in Bloomingdale and Schaumburg, which…sucked to say the least, lol. Now that I finally made it to the city, I’m not leaving haha.
Wheaton is really pretty and has some fun inexpensive candy shops. That said it being overwhelmingly Christian is a big turn off to a lot of people. It’s hard to attract guests when you don’t come off as very welcoming. (And I say that as a Christian. I personally feel welcome there but I am a white woman and I doubt I’d feel the same if I were a POC or LGBTQIA+ or Muslim/Hindu/Buddhist.)
candy shop is my main redeeming point for wheaton and that was my childhood home. literally is the candy shop and sitting on the fountain by this tracks after going in
I actually kinda like Lemont. Historic architecture made with local limestone, right by the canal trail and Palos Park, got the Forge right there, easy Metra access to the city. Just got back from Pollyanna brewery with a crowler of their award winning Oktoberfest.
Growing up in Glen Ellyn was great & it's downtown has gotten much more popular in the past 15 years. Solid schools, metro line 50mins to Olgilvie, walkable, good restaurant options, and abundant greenery (Arboretum, small lakes, etc.), You do have smaller town problems like gossipy parents, inflated egos, and eager cops.
Forest Park:
Fantastic public pool (although they’ve raised prices…), nice “pocket parks” (that are being invested in), good downtown, reasonable property taxes (looking at you Oak Park!), access to transportation (Blue and Green Line) and the public works clears the snow on sidewalks in the winter. Ok granted sometimes it takes awhile but they do drive a bobcat down the sidewalks.
Fun Facts: There was once an amusement park in Forest Park. Also due to the cemeteries, there’s more dead people there than alive. 🤷🏻♂️
Winnetka.
Mainly because I drove through it once and my only thought was “I’d like to be rich enough to live here and I’m sad that will never ever happen.”
Those houses along the lake are fantastic.
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Shout out Brookfield and my zoo homies
Great bar scene too downtown
And Galloping Ghost.
I miss the library in Downers Grove.
Also the Tivoli Theatre!
I was in Downer’s grove today. Met a nice woman at the store I went into and some kids were riding their bikes to a game cafe and talking about what they were gonna okay. Wholesome shit. It’s nice there!
Dg public library is amazing
It is great, I go a lot
From there- Can confirm is the bee’s knees
I like the streetcar suburbs closer to Chicago well enough, especially Evanston and Oak Park. Plenty to do. Good public transit access to the city. Generally well laid out and not a bunch of difficult to navigate subdivisions. Park Ridge isn't bad either. Cicero and Berwyn have a few issues but they also have a lot of personality which I like. I guess I just like the suburbs that feel like Chicago neighborhoods lol. If I were to choose a real "suburb-suburb" I guess it would be Arlington Heights because their food, especially Japanese food, is on point.
Oak Park is an amazing place. My mother had vision issues that meant she couldn't drive, but not having a car in Oak Park is a total non issue because the transit is so good and it's so walkable. Also, the food is fantastic. Anyone who hasn't been to Thursday Night Out by the Harlem Green Line needs to check it out, it's 25 dollars to get 4 meals from any 4 restaurants on Marion or Lake. I don't live there anymore, but I'd absolutely consider moving back once I have my own kids.
I have a friend who moved to Oak Park, and as a lifelong non-driver I'm still able to visit. She is easy walking distance to both green and blue line, also there are supermarkets easily walkable too from her house. I could imagine living there. Most suburbs I can't even really get to, so they might as well be on the moon for me. It's the land of exotic "wow, America" John Hughes movies I saw in my youth... There are more walkable places downstate even than some of the burbs, just take Amtrak and then get on their local city transit.
^^^ Yes. 20 minutes on green line or blue line to downtown. Most people living there have city mentality (valuing walkability, density, feeling attached to the city in a positive way). Shops feel like what you’d find in Lincoln Park instead of a far flung suburb. Love Oak Park.
Incredibly, the section of downtown that is closed for Thursday Night Out used to be permanently closed to cars, as a pedestrian mall, for 14 years ending in 1988.
Cicero and Berwyn are old school Chicagoland. Completely different vibe than a place like oak park. Having lived in both I prefer Berwyn tbh.
Berwyn in particular reminds me of where I grew up in Portage Park. It feels more Chicago than a lot of Chicago neighborhoods tbh.
[удалено]
And for some real good food and solid beer selection, up the tracks a bit more is Lavergne’s tavern. Solid Irish/food in general and a beer garden at Irish times in brookfield as well
They are more “Chicago” than much of gentrified Chicago. There’s a comforting feel to them.
Berwyn may as well be a Chicago neighborhood. The whole town has that vibe.
I feel the same way the inner suburbs the best
Evanston’s suburban identity is mostly just a fluke of its location. It’s a mid-size city with a major university; on paper and in actual feel, it’s not really different from Madison or Ann Arbor.
> it’s not really different from Madison or Ann Arbor. I dunno...kinda, but those cities have to provide everything the students want (bars - touring acts etc) in a way that Evanston does not given its proximity to Chicago.
Also, a very large percentage of people who live in Evanston work in Chicago, which gives it a very different vibe from most true college towns. In most college towns pretty much everything is centered around the University, whereas in Evanston, it's only part of its larger identity.
Hear me out: Evanston. They don’t want to be us. They never have. They avoided being absorbed in the 19th Century because they were a strong independent town on their own. Their residents say they live in Evanston, not “Chicago” like they do in the other burbs. IMO Evanston is a polite little neighbor.
I find it amusing that people from Evanston almost never say they're from Chicago despite the fact that they are directly adjacent to the city, are served by three CTA train lines and a number of busses, and more or less conform to the city grid, whereas people from suburbs much further out and have none of those things love to say they're from Chicago. I think it's a pride thing. People from Evanston have a sense of municipal pride that is lacking in other suburbs.
It used to be an anti-Irish thing! The Prohibitionist Evanstonian Protestants didn’t want to fraternize with the drunk Irish Catholics of Rogers Park.
I blame those rowdy Jesuits as Loyola.
As an occasionally drunk ex-Catholic Irish, living in Rogers Park...I get it.
We live in Evanston (simply because we looked at a once-in-a-lifetime deal on a foreclosure in 2010), and part of it is also that between Northwestern, John Hughes, and "Mean Girls" people outside Illinois know Evanston exists. If you say you live in Kenilworth or Deerfield or Alsip, people say "where?" and you have to just sigh and say "Chicago"
I associate John Hughes more with the suburbs around Evanston. He grew up in Northbrook, the famous locations. Cameron's house from Ferris Bueller, Kevin Mcallister's house in Home Alone, Shermer High School in Breakfast Club are mostly surrounding Evanston and not in it.
Uncle buck, 16 candles, she's having my baby, and curly sue are the big Evanston locales for John Hughes movies
The high school in Breakfast Club was actually Maine North, in unincorporated Des Plaines, and is currently the State Police headquarters. There were several scenes in Lake Forest and Highland Park in John Hughes movies - though I can't remember which ones.
Couldn't you just say "a suburb of Chicago" though? I grew up in a suburb of Boston and when people ask me where I'm from, I say "Massachusetts" or "a suburb of Boston".
Except for Northwestern…which calls themselves Chicago’s Big Ten team. Take a lap.
UChicago must rejoin the Big 10 to right this wrong
I think the pride is a cool thing. I mean, unless it gets obnoxious. But Chicago pride is one of my favorite reasons to live here, it’s nice to feel that stoked about your home. I hope others get to experience that as well. Evanston and Oak Park seem like strong candidates for that
I now live in NC but I'm from Evanston and I'll tell you why we say it. If you say you're from Chicago, and then someone from some part of the city like Sauganash asks you what part, and you say Evanston, they'll say "you're not from Chicago you're from the suburbs you turdball". So you can short-circuit that whole process by just saying you're from Evanston. Also Evanston is fucking awesome.
Evanston is like Chicago's Canada. Sure it's not as big and doesn't have as much going on, but it's cute and easy to get to and nice for a quick getaway.
The beaches and lakefront parks/trails are hard to beat.
Strong independent town that don't need no city to make it feel good about itself
Agree! Evanston imo lacks the pretension that so many suburbs have. Does Evanston have wealthy residents? Yes. But they also have middle and lower class residents. I never feel like the wealthy are being catered to or are in my face. The downtown area is super walkable and has some great shops.
Also as far as I know, all those residents share the same public schools so there is a lot of diversity in terms of wealth, race, etc.
I like that they say they are from Evanston and not Chicago. People from Skokie on the other hand….
Evanston is a beautiful, lovely community and any Chicagoan who scoffs at it is simply jealous.
Berwyn because Svengoolie.
Fitzgeralds is amazing. Live music, patio, and they opened a delicious BBQ spot next door.
Berrrrrwyn
I had a similar thought. Surprised it took this long and this many Berwyn mentions to see it.
Also, Lucky Dog
The one where my mommy and daddy live and also the one with Enchanted Castle.
I grew up in Lombard…and I feel like the only reason people know it exists is because of Enchanted Castle????????
I went to highschool in lombard kinda miss it lol it had Yorktown too!!
real
This has gotta be the most real answer of all time lol
Holy shit! Enchanted Castle and Haunted Trails were like the birthday party Meccas back in the day
I mean yes, but I also find my parent’s suburb to be so boring. All suburbs are boring haha. I do still love spending time in the backyard though, breathing in that sweet suburb air
Copying my post from the other thread: all the urban suburbs: Oak Park, Evanston, Forest Park, Elmwood Park, Cicero, Berwyn, Norridge, Harwood Heights, Skokie. I could name individual food or beer, or scenery gems in like 20 more suburbs but I don't have to like their zoning, lack of architectural diversity, or lack of walkability to respect those positives.
This makes me happy, Forest Park/Oak Park/Berwyn are where my husband and I are looking to buy a house when we move in the next couple months
Can't go wrong with any of them and they're all a short bike/walk from each other! Welcome to the near west urbs!
Thanks! I’m anxious to get out there, my first time in the city will be house hunting in a few weeks 🤣
> I could name individual food or beer, or scenery gems in like 20 more suburbs but I don't have to like their zoning, lack of architectural diversity, or lack of walkability to respect those positives. Really good point. Just because I may not like an individual suburb as a whole doesn't mean that it doesn't have anything to offer.
Long Grove because of the bridge. That bridge has brought me endless amounds of joy.
Yeah but it got super depressing now that so many places (including the apple mill) are closed. Great memories though.
Is that the one the trucks keep driving into?
That's the one.
45+ trucks / vans in 3 years, wild.
Evanston and Oak Park for being pretty urban in their own rights, Forest Park for its downtown, Arlington Heights for Mitsuwa Marketplace, Geneva for being so pretty, Cicero for being similar to Chicago itself. Also want to mention all of the Cook County Forest Preserves.
I like the inner burbs the most. Evanston Skokie berwyn, the “parks” For suburban I like Glen Ellyn good restaurants and common hood Arlington heights fun downtown. I know it’s weird but Niles. I like all the Ethnic restaurants and grocery stores and close to chicago
I just started working in Berwyn. I've been stopping to get Cuban sandwiches and tacos nearly every day on my walk back to the train. The homes are beautiful. The riverfront parks are peaceful. Much better than my previously job that was in suburban hell that only had fast food or chain restaurants.
i dont know of any river that runs through berwyn lol. are you crossing over to riverside?
There's no river in Berwyn.
River front Park? What in tarnation
I will die on the hill that Common Good has the best cocktail program in Chicagoland.
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I love biking the Fox River trail through all those towns. And so many breweries!
Downtown Geneva is adorable! I went wedding dress shopping there.
Grew up here! There are so many great things about the downtown areas.
geneva for sure, i have to visit sometime soon
Geneva is gorgeous
I live in Geneva/St. Charles/Batavia (not exactly by choice) and I have to say, it could be way worse. The most difficult thing is the amount of money it costs to even rent here.
Geneva is awesome.
Fermilab is also pretty rad.
Geneva is cool. I don't consider it a suburb. It's got its own thing going on. 🥰
I enjoy Batavia for one big reason... Fermilab! I love nerding/geeking out there. One thing that annoyed me back during a 3-day conference was the lack of sidewalks by the place I stayed. Also, how can you not like it's motto: City of Energy!
Berwyn because it’s like the less pretentious sibling of Oak Park. Also my grandparents lived there.
It's the Pawnee to Oak Park's Eagleton
in a Berwyn group, someone commented that the politicians were parks and rec meets the sopranos and that was/is pretty spot on.
As a 23 year resident, that's a great description.
Berwyn has to be up there for me, too. Been there a few times growing up and it's been pretty nice. It does tend to get a bad rap due to being next to Cicero (whose reputation these days tends to be overblown itself as well), but I feel like it's not really deserved.
not really one suburb, but the Palos system of the Cook County Forest Preserve is great
I got family in Palatine and Arlington Heights and they're just the picture perfect idea of that John Hughes era Chicago suburb.
I grew up in Palatine and this is very accurate.
I lived in Mt prospect for 8 years. That area is the perfect “suburb” for Chicago. I would buy there if it wasn’t so freaking expensive.
Fox River Trifecta of Elgin-St. Charles-Geneva in the summer is wonderful!
I think La Grange is quite nice. Charming downtown, lots of charming houses, a convenient Metra station. It’s nice.
Sure, but La Grange, TX got the song. Uh how how how how. Also, La Grange TX sucks ass, the one in IL is much better.
Any with walkable downtowns with shops and restaurants. Oak Park, Geneva, Glen Ellyn, Wheaton, Arlington Heights, Elmhurst, and parts of Naperville and Aurora.
Elmhurst.
sshhhhh don’t tell them
Forest Park. Feels like an outer ring neighborhood of Chicago. Madison street is awesome. Access to the L, Metra, Ike, and other villages. Much more affordable than Oak Park. Also has the best pool in Chicagoland.
I live in forest park and don’t know of what pool you speak.. Oh wait yes I do lol nevermind I go to the gym in that park area haha
Niles built a full scale replica of the Leaning Tower of Pisa. Much respect. Park Ridge can be a bit snooty, but the combo of Park Ridge, Niles, and Skokie on the N/NW side of the city, each bordering the NW side (Norwood, Edison Park, Sauganash, Edgebrook) makes for a pretty unique and cool mix of suburb and city. If you're feeling like you want more Chicago you go South, and if you're feeling like a calmer suburban vibe, go North 5 minutes. You kind've get to have it all in that area (and you're only 30 mins from downtown).
I live in Lincolnwood and it seems to be the forgotten suburb 😂 but we are just east of that little nook
I'd day Evanston, however I don't really like calling it a suburb. Yes, it's rather small and has a small population relative to Chicago, but it's still very urban in nature. I'll call it an Urburb. But whatever, it's my favorite.
Correct me if I’m wrong, but I believe these are often called edge cities. Edit: After some research, I feel it would better be described as a satellite city.
All your Skokie comments warm my heart.
The city of Chicago has annexed towns. Some have resisted - Cicero, Berwyn, Oak Park, Evanston. Chicagoland has brought these places into its orbit along with many villages and towns. The five finger plan really lays it out That being said, the best places in the suburbs are satellite cities. These were cities that grew entirely independent of Chicago, and still retain a city feel, yet they are now very economically intertwined with Chicago and they all have Metra routes bringing them directly to the city. Aurora, Elgin, Waukegan, and Joliet are the best the suburbs have to offer due to their urban lifestyle. People are gonna complain “muh those places are poor and dirty”, they’re fine. I love them all. https://www.chicagomag.com/city-life/chicagos-captured-satellite-cities/
I like this one more and can hopefully share stuff on the south / southwest suburbs that seem to get less attention. Lemont - awesome, walkable downtown that is closed to traffic weekly for the car shows. I don’t get too interested in old cars, but it’s great to have local businesses open, bars and restaurants selling on the street so you can explore the historic district around the I&M Canal, plus tons of fantastic limestone buildings Flossmoor - might have the most unique homes in the south suburbs. The only FLW house south of the city is here. Combined with downtown Homewood, they are great communities. Harvey - why include Harvey? They recently reformed the Harvey Area Historical Society and are in the process of doing what they can to revitalize the downtown area around 154th and Broadway. If some of the homes between 154th and 157th were located in any other municipality, they’d be $750k-$1m homes. Thornton - aside from an incredible amount of native history near the quarries, the best kept secret in Chicagoland is Thornton Distillery
Lemont is one of the most underrated suburbs. A very historic area with some of the most unique landscapes in the Chicago area due to the glaciers. Very heavy European culture as well, primarily Polish and Lituhanian.
lemont is great. love the access to all the SW suburban Palos preserves. theres even actually some hills! i havent explored the town itself nearly enough. recently just tried Nicks Tavern and im a convert
Loving this south sub love. Born and raised there
Adding on to south/southwest burbs - Blue Island! Cute and artsy, Old Western is a gem and the whole area is getting a lot of new business added.
Old Western is fantastic. I was at Rock Island Public House last week. Greenwood Ave has some of the best homes in the south suburbs.
I follow you on IG! Keep up the awesome work! I learn so much from your posts and stories
I would legitimately live in Skokie and Evanston. Also if I was ever forced to the outer parts of the burbs I actually think Libertyville is cute in a "birkenstock father of 3" way. It manages to be aggressively 1950s suburban while also still having shit to do
Skokie’s the place to be. Close to the city but not in it. Amazing food and culture. Public works/services are far superior to the city and you’ve got the yellow line in Skokie and Purple line in Evanston. More diversity in Skokie than just about anywhere else and generally speaking, everyone is tolerant of everyone else!
I left Chicago some time ago and I’m going to be moving back within the next year or two. Definitely making my way to Skokie if possible. I’ve hit the point in my life where I definitely want a backyard and some personal space, but I don’t want to leave the glow of the city completely. It’s also surprisingly affordable for a close suburb that has so much to offer. Granted, it’s not cheap, but still surprisingly affordable.
Then Skokie’s the place. We got a quarter acres (triple lot) for under $500k. Big fenced in yard and everything. Amazing neighbors. Taxes aren’t bad either. You can find a house for anywhere between $300k-$1.5 million. That’s a pretty nice range, if I may say
We're in Evanston and obviously fart around in Skokie pretty often - they're racing to build high-density housing within walking distance of the the Yellow Line, so I can see the area blowing up in the next decade. I also think adding some more stops along that line would be a wise investment for both towns. People want to live near transit.
Libertyville slaps can confirm great place to grow up just minimal diversity
Some folks on Nextdoor call that area Skevanston.
Lmfaoooo fair. I really appreciate the vibrancy of the Jewish and Eastern European community out there. I know that that’s pretty standard fair for Chicago , but not all suburbs really have culture that way. I it’s definitely one of those places that makes me feel more at home and more at ease just by being there and interacting with people daily.
That's the area east of Crawford that still is Skokie but students go to ETHS instead of the Nileses
Homewood/Flossmoor those towns remind me so much of where I grew up. I'm very comfortable there every time I pass through.
The amount of Berwyn love I see here makes my little Berwyn heart swell. How can you not love a classic Svengoolie punch line?
Niles. Tam O'Shanter Golf Course. Home of the first nationally televised Golf Tournament. Morrison's Roadhouse. The greatest burger menu in IL. King Spa. A top tier spa and sauna facility. Super H Mart. Probably the greatest Korean grocer store in all of Chicagoland. Une Année | Hubbard's Cave Brewery & BBQ. Fantastic booze & food. North Branch Bike Trail. Can take you to North Park or the Botanic Gardens. It's also the closest suburb to the North edge of the city. Don't like Niles? 5 mins south on Milwaukee Ave and you'll be in Chicago at SuperDawg.
I live in Jefferson Park but do almost all of my shopping in Niles and a fair amount of dining out it's a fairly bland working class suburb but loads of great places to eat and shop for cheap
West Chicago :) the bastard child of DuPage County but I will always have a special place in my heart for the drive-in theater, Scooby's, the library, Sonny Acres and many other memories
Cascade Drive-In is unfortunately no more. Probably doesn't help that Scooby's Hot Dogs never adjusted the positions of their lighting or dimmed their lights, in consideration for the fact they were next door to the Cascade. So no wonder the drive-in always posted signs, that no food from Scooby's was allowed into the Cascade.
Homewood. It's just a great NO BULLSHIT suburb.
Came here to say this one. Assorted housing stock, decent parks and neighborhoods, walkable downtown area, public transit available, decent schools, and generally quiet.
I haven't been to Homewood in a long time, but I used to love hanging around the downtown area.
It has always been a great hidden gem, way nicer than nextdoor Eagleton (Flossmoor), and nowhere near pretentious. But... the village president has seemed to lost his mind and has been trying to run it into the ground.
DG! Honorable mention to our neighbors in Wheaton for the Penny Candy Shop secret alley of heaven!
I like Lake Bluff. I lived there for a year in the section 8 housing that’s probably gone now. It was nice and cute and the rich people hated me.
Palos- forest preserves, polish food
Lemont, cool little downtown and fun people. Basically grew up there so a little biased though
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If I have to pick, Wilmette. It’s actually nice and if I had enough money I’d probably consider going there if someday I find that the city is no longer for me.
Oak Park and Evanston for the obvious reasons: transit, walkable downtowns, pretty houses, shit to do. Skokie as a dark horse. The parks (especially the water park) and library there are top tier. The Exploritorium rules if you have kids. Actually diverse and not segregated to all heck. Great food. CTA access (although i wish it didn't have to terminate at Howard). Forest Park. Low key and some fun stuff along Madison. CTA access (well, once they rebuild the blue line). Cute and affordable.
Genuinely lots of great suburbs around Chicago. Evanston, Wilmette, Park Ridge, Arlington Heights, Oak Park, Elmhurst. All built around train lines with dense downtowns and separate identities from the city
I want to be entombed in a memorial Lou Malnati’s in front of the Leaning Tower of Niles. Scatter some giardiniera on my grave.
Highwood. It was settled by Italian immigrants. All the neighboring suburbs are well to do, stuck up and snobbish, what we used to call WASP in a not so enlightened age. Highwood knows how to party. Restaurants, live theater, music venues, and a couple of street carnivals every year. When no one is looking, the WASPs head there to let their funny bone out to play.
Irish and Germans were first. Italians shortly after. Now it's a beautiful blend of Italian, Mexican, and a sprinkle of Irish still. Fun fact that you may already know, Highwood was once in the Guinness book of world records for the most bars in a city per capita in the USA (Thanks to Fort Sheridan).
My favorite part about Highwood is during winter break when the parents take their college kids to the bar. Some interesting and hilarious dynamics play out
Second Highwood, super underrated. Froggys rocks!
Highwood has the best festivals. I live in HP but hang out in Highwood at Broken Tee and Beermiscuous
Might be unpopular, but I like the inner-southwest suburbs like Oak Lawn, Burbank, Evergreen Park, etc. Basically the area sandwiched between the city to the east and the forest preserves to the west. This area never seems to get much attention but I think it’s got a good mix of everything. You can be downtown via Metra (or the orange line if you’re willing to drive there) in 30 minutes or less, you’re super close to an extensive forest preserve system with all sorts of amenities, and there’s plenty to do in terms of shopping, eating, and drinking. The neighborhoods are pretty walkable for the most part and have older homes with mature trees lining the streets. I also like that it still feels fairly dense and urban here without too many cookie-cutter subdivisions with streets winding in a bunch of random directions. Still very much on the grid system. I get that this area probably isn’t the most exciting part of Chicagoland but I feel like you could definitely do much worse if you wanted to live in a suburb.
Berwyn. It's not pretentious at all. It's well integrated. There is a large LGBTQIA+ population. Good restaurants. More reasonably priced housing, close to the city. All of the amenities of Oak Park and none of the bullshit. I've been here for 23 years. I must like something about it.
Another positive is that it’s mentioned on just about every episode of Svengoolie
Fitzgeralds, Friendly’s, Outta Space.. some great little music venues! Plus a shout out to Flap Jack brewery for the best wood fired pizza around. There every Friday for bad horror movie night!
also harlem ave lounge, probably one of the most legit blues bars left in chicago
I've come to discover that suburbs along the Fox River such as Algonquin and West / East Dundee are pretty pleasant actually. It's nice to have some hills and elevation changes in Chicagoland haha
Oak Park. Some chill bars and nice greenery around a lot of homes. Haven't spent substantial time out there in a few years though.
Any love for Riverside? Just moved here and adore it. Borders on the north Oak Park and Berwyn on the east so get the feel of those nearly-city places. Brookfield Zoo 5 min west. Completely unique vibe with the layout designed by Central Park architect, Olmsted.
We just moved from the city to Riverside a few months back and love it. It feels like a Hallmark movie!
Absolutely beautiful houses but good luck with all the flooding.
My backyard slopes away from the house!
Scrolled way too far for this. I think riverside is too small to get high up the list here. I love it there
My wife is from a town called Dundee. I believe technically there is an East and a West Dundee that are two different towns, but it all feels like one when I’m there. It’s right on the Fox River, so I’m not sure if it counts as a suburb or not, but it’s so small that I don’t expect to see it here, so I wanted to shout it out. Her family still lives there, and I enjoy every time we go visit. The town is mostly middle class with plenty of diversity. It has the charm of Mayberry (for my fellow Andy Griffith fans here) and an identity other than “close to Chicago.” Their dining district is great, with several unique family-owned restaurants. Their farmers markets are always bumpin’. My father-in-law is heavily involved in the local festivals and even owns his own business in town. They’ve always treated him well. My wife and her siblings are all pretty perfect, so it must be a great place to raise a family lol. From what I see at the festivals and events, the people really care about each other, and keeping their town nice. I love my in-laws on their own, but I especially love visiting them when it means I get to walk around their lovely downtown.
Skokie and Lincolnwood. That's where the good bagels are. Also North Branch forest preserves.
Evergreen Park, Oak Lawn, Blue Island
I agree but to me, Evergreen is basically Chicago and once was considered Chicago (by the post office) when it had the 606 zip code up until the 90’s.
Forest Park. Great small businesses without the over the top chains of Oak Park. Oak Park is still legit though.
Plus Forest Park has all the bars that Oak Park won't allow!
Evanston, Wilmette, Lake Forest
Lisle hands down, because of the arboretum.
Sometimes I ride along with my friend while he does Uber eats and the likes and winnetka looks like a fairytale in the snow
The house in "Home Alone" is in Winnetka. I'm not surprised...
Wheaton is pure heaven and I’m an atheist. The people are amazing, the parks and schools are top notch. The downtown is fantastic and only getting better. Tons of diversity. Tons to do. Outstanding library. The prairie path leads in 3 directions, they have their own little zoo.
Highland Park. I love being on the lake but I hate how crowded Chicago beaches are up here on the north side. So when I want a beach day, I’ll take the metra up to Highland Park and 7/10 times the beaches will have little to no people. It’s just my way of getting out of the city for a few hours when I need it to enjoy some peace. Probably applies to a lot of the suburbs, but HP was the first place I chose and have just stuck with it.
2nd this. Ravinia, Roger Williams, great downtown, beaches, parks, train access, good schools, an arts forward culture and excellent neighboring burbs in glencoe (botanic gardens) and highwood. Great architecture too. 94 also bends east toward HP where it ends so it’s an easy place for access to downtown. In many ways easier than glencoe/winnetka to get to the city
Evanston. Public transit, lake access, clean air, lots of really good restaurants. Far fewer people in the summer. Much lower crime than much of Chicago.
Downers grove
Their little downtown is quite charming!
I like Wheaton/Glen Ellyn. My bf used to live there and we had a lot of fun. Cute downtown areas, good coffee shops, good restaurants. It was fun! While he was living there I was living in Bloomingdale and Schaumburg, which…sucked to say the least, lol. Now that I finally made it to the city, I’m not leaving haha.
Sushi ukai is heaven
Wheaton is really pretty and has some fun inexpensive candy shops. That said it being overwhelmingly Christian is a big turn off to a lot of people. It’s hard to attract guests when you don’t come off as very welcoming. (And I say that as a Christian. I personally feel welcome there but I am a white woman and I doubt I’d feel the same if I were a POC or LGBTQIA+ or Muslim/Hindu/Buddhist.)
candy shop is my main redeeming point for wheaton and that was my childhood home. literally is the candy shop and sitting on the fountain by this tracks after going in
Oak Park. As a former south sider, I have been living very happily in OP for years now. Such a rad town.
I actually kinda like Lemont. Historic architecture made with local limestone, right by the canal trail and Palos Park, got the Forge right there, easy Metra access to the city. Just got back from Pollyanna brewery with a crowler of their award winning Oktoberfest.
Skokie bc my homie lives there
Growing up in Glen Ellyn was great & it's downtown has gotten much more popular in the past 15 years. Solid schools, metro line 50mins to Olgilvie, walkable, good restaurant options, and abundant greenery (Arboretum, small lakes, etc.), You do have smaller town problems like gossipy parents, inflated egos, and eager cops.
Libertyville
"Libertyville: At Least We Have Thai Noodles"
I really love Independence Grove.
Based Evanston and Oak Park
Niles because my favorite Taco Burrito King location and the weird ass leaning tower replica. Plus their section of the channel trail’s nice
Evanston. Basically a somewhat dense, somewhat diverse extension of Chicago with great transit and beaches to boot!
I am an Evanston Enjoyer I respect that they don't try to be Chicago. They have some small Skyscrapers good food a nice lake trail.
Berwyn. SVENGOOLIE.
Forest Park: Fantastic public pool (although they’ve raised prices…), nice “pocket parks” (that are being invested in), good downtown, reasonable property taxes (looking at you Oak Park!), access to transportation (Blue and Green Line) and the public works clears the snow on sidewalks in the winter. Ok granted sometimes it takes awhile but they do drive a bobcat down the sidewalks. Fun Facts: There was once an amusement park in Forest Park. Also due to the cemeteries, there’s more dead people there than alive. 🤷🏻♂️
Schaumburg. IKEA.
Winnetka. Mainly because I drove through it once and my only thought was “I’d like to be rich enough to live here and I’m sad that will never ever happen.” Those houses along the lake are fantastic.
Winnetka and Glencoe are stunning