Best downtown

[aga412]

And Batavia is still underrated.

[MillennialUrbanist]

Originally Posted by Kmanshouse

That one block where Ballydoyle's sits is pretty nice. Done that a couple of times. But yeah, not much to do for nightlife really. It does have a presence and feeling of history. It also feels kind of "brooding".

I also really like Quinta de los Reyes, a non-chain Mexican restaurant across Fox River from Ballydoyle's. It turns into a salsa dance club on weekend nights. The place is quite friendly, not "tough". It's authentic too; you have to speak Spanish to ask a lady to dance with you.

The word "brooding" is a good way to describe downtown Aurora, a counterpoint of sorts from the energetic and lively, but relatively sterile downtown Naperville (*cough* Water St. *cough*). I also heard it described it as a "sleepy river town that time forgot". But you know, it all makes the place feel more "real". If we put back some streetcars (not pseudo-streetcars that are actually buses), and open an organic wheatgrass juice bar, I can see it attracting hipsters who can't afford the gentrifying Chicago neighborhoods. (But then it'll turn into a yuppie enclave down the road, so might as well keep it the way it is.)

It'd be interesting to see what exactly set apart Naperville and Aurora; historically, they were sister towns, with a degree of sibling rivalry. But today, downtown Naperville became lively and trendy, while downtown Aurora became kind of empty and brooding.

[silvertonesx24]

I live downtown (Chicago) and in the summer use the Metra to go on cycling trips on connecting lines. I've been to a lot of different downtowns and of them:

1 Evanston - high rises, great restaurants, bike lanes, plenty of things to do, and blocks from the lake. Livable for anyone
2 Naperville - most expansive and impressive, although the big box part of it is really cheesy
3 Wheaton - great restaurants
4 Elmhurst - best balance of restaurants, shops, and entertainment
5 Arlington Heights - similar to Elmhurst, plus multiple theaters, but weak on shopping. Livable for senior citizens
6 St Charles - best downtown on the River
7 La Grange - similar to AH/Elmhurst
8 Libertyville - surprisingly not a lot of great downtowns in the North but this one is
9 Crystal Lake - quieter obviously but good restaurants plus Raue Center
10 Barrington/Palatine/Mt Prospect - basically smaller, interchangeable versions of AH

Elgin and Aurora have a lot of potential but are still quite worn down. I know Oak Park is considered highly and livable but I always thought it seemed tired and too close to the war zones of Chicago.

Best downtown without a Metra- Frankfort easily.

[midwest1]

Northwest Indiana is always overlooked. Valparaiso and Michigan City deserve a vote.

[mwj119]

Naperville based on size. LaGrange is awesome, probably the most accessible based on town size of any. Then Park Ridge.

AH is kind of desolate. Not a lot of foot traffic, still a bit too scattered feeling.

[agstacker]

My personal favorites.
Elmhurst
Glen Ellyn
Geneva
Wheaton
Naperville
Lagrange
Highland Park
Libertyville
Evanston
Oak Park

[ChicagoMeO]

I just discovered Libertyville, they have a lot of restaurants and cute quaint shoppes. So they win for me!

[Master Jay]

ChicagoMeO, To break up my trips to Chicago, I would take different routes. Using Milwaukee Avenue, I discovered Libertyville when I had an auto mishap and was lucky to have found a car shop open at the time. It gave me a chance to walk through the downtown area, and I also loved it. I've been back to enjoy their Libertyville Days, their library, Casa Bonita, the yogurt place, and the movie theater!