Overrated and underrated suburbs Chicago (Naperville, Arlington Heights: neighborhoods, college, subdivisions)

[ChicagoMeO]

Originally Posted by nana053

The one he is talking about is Walker Brother's Pancake House and it is officially in Wilmette.

Walker Bros. The Original Pancake House

Unfortunately, it is only open for limited dining atm.
***Open for Limited Outdoor Dining (weather permitting) & Curbside/Carryout Service at ALL locations!***

It has the best Dutch Baby Pancake.

http://www.walkerbros.net/Menuwilgv2020.pdf

The Stained Glass Windows are fabulous.

https://images.search.yahoo.com/sear...-securebrowser

I was close!! i said it was on Central Ave, so its a little bit north of that on Green Bay Rd. Lol i am just validating myself haha

OK back to topic, there are alot of places i never visited in Illinois, but am finding out just now.

so i am told that the St Charles, Geneva and Batavia area is really sweet. so i consider that perhaps under-rated. A few others underrated -

Volo, (has a wonderful car and antique museum);
Wauconda - has a wonderful lake to enjoy;
Long Grove - used to have a thriving downtown, some shoppes are gone but some thrive.
Joliet - downtown by the river is cool
Lockport - old fashioned town good for sightseeing
Pontiac - route 66 town, has a route 66 museum - its an old gas station with memorabilia
Savannah, IL - all the way west on Route 64 (North Ave) cute place where i went camping nearby, they have a restaurant where everyone - even strangers - sit at a communal table and have lunch/dinner, etc. seems like a Mayberry kind of town.

Overrated - Naperville, boring except for the River Walk
North Shore - beautiful mansions, but seems kinda classist (east coast social register way of thinking) JUST MY OPINION

[Justabystander]

Originally Posted by fusillirob1983

Overrated
Mount Prospect
Arlington Heights
Schaumburg
Downers Grove


Underrated
Palos Park
Palos Heights
Oak Lawn
Evergreen Park
Lisle
Riverside

I also agree that this is a solid list. Tried to rep but couldn't rep again. Palos Heights and Palos Park are almost never mentioned and almost invisible, but are so very nice and Palos Park is a rarity with its woods and hills. I would throw in Lemont in the mix as underrated as well.

Some say the North Shore is overrated, but I would say some it it is, and some is not. West Wilmette, and West Winnetka for that matter, are. Some west burbs like Hinsdale, Western Springs, Glen Ellyn and Geneva/St. Charles are soo much nicer without the hype, and in some sense are underrated while still well regarded.

[aga412]

Originally Posted by Justabystander

I also agree that this is a solid list. Tried to rep but couldn't rep again. Palos Heights and Palos Park are almost never mentioned and almost invisible, but are so very nice and Palos Park is a rarity with its woods and hills. I would throw in Lemont in the mix as underrated as well.

Some say the North Shore is overrated, but I would say some it it is, and some is not. West Wilmette, and West Winnetka for that matter, are. Some west burbs like Hinsdale, Western Springs, Glen Ellyn and Geneva/St. Charles are soo much nicer without the hype, and in some sense are underrated while still well regarded.

Agree with Lemont, but you missed Batavia on your list with Geneva and STC.

[fusillirob1983]

Originally Posted by Justabystander

I also agree that this is a solid list. Tried to rep but couldn't rep again. Palos Heights and Palos Park are almost never mentioned and almost invisible, but are so very nice and Palos Park is a rarity with its woods and hills. I would throw in Lemont in the mix as underrated as well.

Some say the North Shore is overrated, but I would say some it it is, and some is not. West Wilmette, and West Winnetka for that matter, are. Some west burbs like Hinsdale, Western Springs, Glen Ellyn and Geneva/St. Charles are soo much nicer without the hype, and in some sense are underrated while still well regarded.

Thank you. I almost added Lemont as well but removed it thinking people would just read it as me propping up mainly overlooked southwest suburbs.

[RamenAddict]

Originally Posted by fusillirob1983

Thank you. I almost added Lemont as well but removed it thinking people would just read it as me propping up mainly overlooked southwest suburbs.

I love Palos Park. There are lots of great midcentury homes there and the greenery there with the woods and hills is amazing.

I think that Lisle and Westmont are often underrated/overlooked within the Western suburbs. The cost is low in both places and they have great schools.

[Chicagoisthebest]

People talk about Clarendon hills and hins dale
North shore is talked about a lot because it is deserved to be talked about

[andrew61]

I love Evanston and Oak Park. They're quaint, urban/walkable, have well-defined downtowns, have loads of character, and are close to the city. One feels a definite sense of place.

I worked in Hoffman Estates for four years, and to me it's very overrated. Just a huge blob of sprawl with no discernible center of town. (At least Schaumburg has Woodfield Mall, along with just a hint of history at its town center, at Schaumburg and Roselle Roads.)

As for Naperville, I do love the charming, walkable downtown, but have a misgiving because the shops and restaurants there are mostly chains. That might possibly be why some deem it overrated. (I did like the Egg Harbor Cafe, though... I'm assuming it's still there?)

I can't offer a comprehensive list of overrated vs. underrated suburbs as my knowledge of them is too limited. I never really got around to exploring the suburbs in depth during my 20 years in Chicago.

[ChicagoDavid]

Merica=YUCk!

[SonySegaTendo617]

Originally Posted by Chicagoisthebest

I would not say the whole north shore is overrated but Evanston and Skokie are.

I disagree with what you say about Evanston and Skokie, but to each their own. I will say that for certain places like Winnetka and Glenview, they never jumped out to me much.

I don't think anyone has mentioned it yet, so I will for underrated ones. Blue Island definitely always felt underrated, and has a LOT of nice historic buildings there. And I'd also say that Elmwood Park, Berwyn, and Riverside seem a little underrated IMO. Brookfield is also nice, as well.

Speaking of Long Grove, I really don't know why they put one of those metal barriers(where its height would equal the one for that covered bridge) completely over the road before you hit that covered bridge of its height on each side, so that trucks that are too tall to drive through that bridge don't keep crashing into the top part of it. And that such trucks are stopped, before they would drive through that bridge and damage it. That has VERY long bugged me, each time these incidents are reported about on the news.

[wjj]

Originally Posted by SonySegaTendo617

Speaking of Long Grove, I really don't know why they put one of those metal barriers(where its height would equal the one for that covered bridge) completely over the road before you hit that covered bridge of its height on each side, so that trucks that are too tall to drive through that bridge don't keep crashing into the top part of it. And that such trucks are stopped, before they would drive through that bridge and damage it. That has VERY long bugged me, each time these incidents are reported about on the news.

Yeah. That’s incredible. The historic bridge is knocked out of commission for two years after being hit. They repair it and open it up in August and within the first week it gets hit twice! And 13 times in all since then. Trucks and school buses. Definitively needs what you are suggesting. It will not be pretty but it will stop all of the damage. But I would set the barrier and inch or two lower just to take into account any bumps in the road or bridge deck.