Pick your place (7/18/08) (Chicago, Aurora, Naperville: homes, living, shop)
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If you cant find the qualities in each town I listed, then there's no point in talking to you. Ive lived all over the place, even a little stint out of state. I like variety. At times I love vibrancy (Naperville and STC), other times I want peace and quiet (hence my moves to Dixon, IL and Sycamore, IL). Ive since settled in the middle, in Warrenville, where its not as vibrant as Naperville, but also not ultra-quiet like out in the country (Dixon/Oregon), its a good mix. Ive tried several places and enjoyed aspects of each place, and rightly so. I dont have to explain to you my life story, so Ill stop now.
Quailities of each???-
Naperville I can sort of see (ie downtown, schools, and cheaper prices compared to other suburbs with same positives)-those about rap it up. But what is sooo great about Sycamore? If you like that town, then get a load of central Illinois!!!! Personally I see nothing exciting, or enough "qualities" that outweights the negatives about Warrenville. There is nothing that makes it unique or original in the least.
I'm not asking you to explain your life story. All I am asking is for a reason for why you attack other places like Phoenix, and Houston on the basis of sprawl, and then find enjoyment in places like Warrenville. It just doesn't make sense.
Naperville I can sort of see (ie downtown, schools, and cheaper prices compared to other suburbs with same positives)-those about rap it up. But what is sooo great about Sycamore? If you like that town, then get a load of central Illinois!!!! Personally I see nothing exciting, or enough "qualities" that outweights the negatives about Warrenville. There is nothing that makes it unique or original in the least.
I'm not asking you to explain your life story. All I am asking is for a reason for why you attack other places like Phoenix, and Houston on the basis of sprawl, and then find enjoyment in places like Warrenville. It just doesn't make sense.
Sycamore is a very nice little town. We enjoyed our 2 years there very much. Its quiet, safe, nice schools, nice downtown area, not too far from Chicagoland (unlike central Illinois towns).
And I never said Warrenville was exciting. It sure is a heck of alot more exciting than Oregon, IL, thats for dang sure. Within 2 minutes we have every kind of shopping amenities we want, close to 2 forest preserves (Warrenville Grove and Herrick Lake), direct access to I-88, a 5 minute drive to Winfield's Metra station, and 10 minutes from downtown Naperville, all the while w/o having to deal with Napervilles traffic and noise. There, is that enough explanation for you?
Naperville is beyond boring for its size, IMO of course. A well developed downtown, and a quaint riverwalk just don't cut it for me as "attractions". During the 4th of July, we sat next to several couples from Naperville and the Shorewood area. They were stunned to see how "city like" Peoria felt, and what an amazing fireworks display Peoria and East Peoria pulled off. They were even more shocked when I told them that Naperville, Aurora, and Joliet were all significantly larger than Peoria. I honestly don't think that they really believed me!
I have seen cities that are 20K smaller in population, and still have vastly more to do and see. That's just north Naperville though. South Naper is no more than an extension to the madness in Bolingbrook and Plainfield. YUCK! In fact, there is no real seperation. Just a simple change in address.
Hinsdale at least looks and feels like it's size. Heck, I've spent close to twenty minutes just trying to find parking in downtown Naper. Never had that problem in Hinsdale, and you know what, I don't think you really miss out on anything. Much more of a true suburb in my book. Naper has spent the last fifteen years or so trying to figure out whether it is an actual seperate city like Aurora, or just another sprawling suburb like Plainfield. It can't have it both ways, and until it does, it is never going to make any sense to me, and besides visting friends, I'm never going to just visit the area for the day. It's too much of hassle, and for what? There is really nothing special about Naperville, that goes triple for it's southern areas, and again, IMO, there are far better western suburban locations to live than Naper, that you will pay almost the exact same price for. (Downers Grove, Elmhurst, Glen Ellyn, St. Charles, Wheaton, etc.) I just don't get it! Naper mania just never caught hold of this guy.
I bet anyone who has read my posts can guess which one, IMO, I think is best, hands down. I don't even think these 2 burbs are in the same caliber. Hinsdale, is an easy choice.
BUalumni- be careful. You are about to take quite a beating for your negetive post about Naperville. No one is allowed to do that, period. Hope you can tell I am being sarcastic. I am only going to follow this to see if the 2 very defensive posters and long time Naperville residents, rake you through the same "coals" I have been. And one poster is in S. Naperville who really tries to defend ANY negetive about how they are "not part of Npaerville". "Are you out there?" Hope so!
By the way, BUalumni, I grew up in central IL and Peroria and it's surrounding areas are really great. Used to Swim and play tennis, many years ago, against peoria CC, Pekin CC, and loved going there. Are they still nice? Great memories! SH*$, now I'm in trouble for hijacking this thread to ask about Peoria. Anyway, Hinsdale, class act in all ways for an easy choice.
I bet anyone who has read my posts can guess which one, IMO, I think is best, hands down. I don't even think these 2 burbs are in the same caliber. Hinsdale, is an easy choice.
BUalumni- be careful. You are about to take quite a beating for your negetive post about Naperville. No one is allowed to do that, period. Hope you can tell I am being sarcastic. I am only going to follow this to see if the 2 very defensive posters and long time Naperville residents, rake you through the same "coals" I have been. And one poster is in S. Naperville who really tries to defend ANY negetive about how they are "not part of Npaerville". "Are you out there?" Hope so!
By the way, BUalumni, I grew up in central IL and Peroria and it's surrounding areas are really great. Used to Swim and play tennis, many years ago, against peoria CC, Pekin CC, and loved going there. Are they still nice? Great memories! SH*$, now I'm in trouble for hijacking this thread to ask about Peoria. Anyway, Hinsdale, class act in all ways for an easy choice.
I have to say I love your fair and impartial posts. Always on the positive and even tempered. Thank you for that. Bringing humor to this is sometimes all one needs. Already married and really don't want to trade in. But thanks anyway!
I bet anyone who has read my posts can guess which one, IMO, I think is best, hands down. I don't even think these 2 burbs are in the same caliber. Hinsdale, is an easy choice.
BUalumni- be careful. You are about to take quite a beating for your negetive post about Naperville. No one is allowed to do that, period. Hope you can tell I am being sarcastic. I am only going to follow this to see if the 2 very defensive posters and long time Naperville residents, rake you through the same "coals" I have been. And one poster is in S. Naperville who really tries to defend ANY negetive about how they are "not part of Npaerville". "Are you out there?" Hope so!
By the way, BUalumni, I grew up in central IL and Peroria and it's surrounding areas are really great. Used to Swim and play tennis, many years ago, against peoria CC, Pekin CC, and loved going there. Are they still nice? Great memories! SH*$, now I'm in trouble for hijacking this thread to ask about Peoria. Anyway, Hinsdale, class act in all ways for an easy choice.
Don't worry about me. I have already been through this whole Naper thing many, MANY, MANY!!!! times before. As usual it is always with the same old people. I'm with you 100%. No one in their right mind would ever, ever, ever take your average Naper home over that of your average Hinsdale residency. Not on its best day!! Hinsdale looks, feels, and acts like a traditional suburb. It is far closer to Chicago, and is much more well planned out than Naper ever was or will be. Plus it is surrounded on all sides by other very nice places to live. Unlike Naper which boasts Aurora, Bolingbrook, and Plainfield as its bigger neighbors, and just down the road is the "crown gem" of Joliet! What am I saying?! Talk about Chicagoland cities that are lacking in the quality of life category. Those cities aren't even really neighbors. They are more like neighborhoods of the even greater sprawled out city of Western Chicagoland!!! If I did meet a person that would take a Naper home over that in Hinsdale, I'm almost postive that the same person would feel just as comfortable in tract home heaven places like Shorewood. LOL! After, that is what S. Naper is.
What I find very interesting about this poll however, is what it reveals about the person that created it. I mean, comparing a village of less than 20K to a "city" of over 150K!!! What a joke! He/she has obviously talked themselves into believing that Naper is just as upscale as Hinsdale is!!! LOL!!! What is also reveals is how out of touch he/she is with the scale of Naperville. I have been saying it for almost a year now, and I will keep on saying it b/c it is true, that Naperville is BORING for it's size!!! He/she is clueless to the fact that Naperville is a monster, and trully believes that it has the same vibe to it that Hinsdale does. Unbelievable! If they trully understood it, they would have compared it to Aurora, Joliet, Elgin, Shaumburg, or heck, even Evanston would be closer than Hinsdale. We have little to worry about though. The results of this poll clearly show that most people agree with us, most just aren't as vocal about it. There is a similar thread with "Naper cheerleaders" attacking Wheaton. Another town that is far smaller, and I'm sure if a poll was created, would also win against the likes of Naperville! These Naper fans try to convince people that because of their lovely downtown, river(stream)walk, and overall N. Naper tree lined streets, they should be the winner over any other suburb. What they fail to understand is that the much bigger, and much less attractive S. Naper is the reason why the "city" had enough money and influence to create these "attractions". They try their hardest to pretend that S. Naper just doesn't exist, when in actually, it is the very reason that Naperville is anything at all.
Bytheway- Peoria is doing great, and Pekin, is well, I'm not sure of your prior experience, is Pekin. You should come visit!
Naperville by far. There is NOTHING that distinguishes Hinsdale from every other near western suburban town IMO. Hinsdale is Oak Brook which is Oakbrook Terrace which is Clarendon Hills which is Lombard which is Villa Park which is everything else over there.
Naperville is its own entity. Naperville doesn't have to rely on another town to stand on its own. Naperville stands out in the western suburbs...there isn't another western suburb that stands out as much as Naperville other than Oak Brook (NOT Hinsdale.) For me Naperville is as good as it gets in western suburban living in Chicago.
Naperville by far. There is NOTHING that distinguishes Hinsdale from every other near western suburban town IMO. Hinsdale is Oak Brook which is Oakbrook Terrace which is Clarendon Hills which is Lombard which is Villa Park which is everything else over there.
Naperville is its own entity. Naperville doesn't have to rely on another town to stand on its own. Naperville stands out in the western suburbs...there isn't another western suburb that stands out as much as Naperville other than Oak Brook (NOT Hinsdale.) For me Naperville is as good as it gets in western suburban living in Chicago.
And that attitude right there is why people develop negative feelings towards Naperville.
Don't worry about me. I have already been through this whole Naper thing many, MANY, MANY!!!! times before. As usual it is always with the same old people. I'm with you 100%. No one in their right mind would ever, ever, ever take your average Naper home over that of your average Hinsdale residency. Not on its best day!! Hinsdale looks, feels, and acts like a traditional suburb. It is far closer to Chicago, and is much more well planned out than Naper ever was or will be. Plus it is surrounded on all sides by other very nice places to live. Unlike Naper which boasts Aurora, Bolingbrook, and Plainfield as its bigger neighbors, and just down the road is the "crown gem" of Joliet! What am I saying?! Talk about Chicagoland cities that are lacking in the quality of life category. Those cities aren't even really neighbors. They are more like neighborhoods of the even greater sprawled out city of Western Chicagoland!!! If I did meet a person that would take a Naper home over that in Hinsdale, I'm almost postive that the same person would feel just as comfortable in tract home heaven places like Shorewood. LOL! After, that is what S. Naper is.
What I find very interesting about this poll however, is what it reveals about the person that created it. I mean, comparing a village of less than 20K to a "city" of over 150K!!! What a joke! He/she has obviously talked themselves into believing that Naper is just as upscale as Hinsdale is!!! LOL!!! What is also reveals is how out of touch he/she is with the scale of Naperville. I have been saying it for almost a year now, and I will keep on saying it b/c it is true, that Naperville is BORING for it's size!!! He/she is clueless to the fact that Naperville is a monster, and trully believes that it has the same vibe to it that Hinsdale does. Unbelievable! If they trully understood it, they would have compared it to Aurora, Joliet, Elgin, Shaumburg, or heck, even Evanston would be closer than Hinsdale. We have little to worry about though. The results of this poll clearly show that most people agree with us, most just aren't as vocal about it. There is a similar thread with "Naper cheerleaders" attacking Wheaton. Another town that is far smaller, and I'm sure if a poll was created, would also win against the likes of Naperville! These Naper fans try to convince people that because of their lovely downtown, river(stream)walk, and overall N. Naper tree lined streets, they should be the winner over any other suburb. What they fail to understand is that the much bigger, and much less attractive S. Naper is the reason why the "city" had enough money and influence to create these "attractions". They try their hardest to pretend that S. Naper just doesn't exist, when in actually, it is the very reason that Naperville is anything at all.
Bytheway- Peoria is doing great, and Pekin, is well, I'm not sure of your prior experience, is Pekin. You should come visit!
Thanks, and by the way, I am "that Wheaton" poster who has been dragged through the mud by those Naper cheerleaders. I, like you, don't see how Naper compairs to any of these western suburbs as far as characteristics go. But I'll attempt it while staying respectful to the Naperville residents as they are quite sensitive. Thanks for backing up what I have been trying to say. SIDEBAR- Pekin- I get it.
Naperville77- I hate to mess things up since we ended on a fairly good note in the other thread but... As much as I know you are loyal to Naperville and am trying to respect why, Saying that Hinsdale is just Oakbrook, OB Terrace, etc... is really just plain silly. You must not know the area very well. Hinsdale is bordered by Burridge, Western Springs, Claredon Hills, and a SMALL, very, very expensive residential part of Oakbrook. To say its even anywhere close to Villa Park, Lombard, or even Oakbrook Terrace is more than "stretching it". All these towns that do border Hinsdale are very exclusive and quite "extinguishable" from each other and have been for many, many years. Hell, I wish we could have afforded Hinsdale several years ago, when we moved to Wheaton, as it is a fantastic town and something I and many see in a Norman Rockwell/Thomas Kincaid painting(not the cottage ones but the People ones). These are "small town" suburbs, and certainly do not blend together. Each has their own downtown, tree lined streets, etc.. Hinsdale certainly does not need to rely on ANY of these communities to stand on it's own.
OK, there, I actually spoke about several other towns besides Wheaton. Maybe Naperville and its residents really are in their own little world. But to deny these fine, upscale communities their place is really a testament to the misconceptions the "Napervillians" really do have. Hum...could it be the "over rated write-ups it gets in Money Magazine"? Seems to have gone to a lot of folks' heads as they are now under the impression they can even compare their community to the likes of Hinsdale and other prestegious "burbs" like it. These suburbs, as well as MANY others in the Western suburbs (yes-Wheaton and Glen Ellyn, Downers Grove, St. Charles, just to name a few), certainly have earned their name and keep their value for a reason! Hinsdale and Naperville do not compare, and it isn't because Hisndale doesn't measure up to Naperville- it's quite literally the other way around. As mentioned, I know why you are loyal to Naperville and you have every right to be. I's a lovely, big city with a great downtown!, But please, don't disillusion yourself and others that it is in the same catagory as a suburb like Hinsdale. I don't even try to fool myself into thinking Wheaton is its equal or better. It just simply is not. But all of these expensive suburbs with these small popualtions are far more exclusive than the "great western sprawl" Naperville has become.
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