Naperville is a western suburb of Chicago. In 2016 it was ranked the 10th best place to live in the United Stated by Money magazine and for a good reason. It’s the third most populous city in the state of Illinois.
The median household income of $122,600 also makes it one of the wealthiest cities not just in DuPage county but the entire state.
What makes people flock to Naperville? The main reason is the quality of education. It’s worth noting that more than 70% of all high school graduates go to college).
Another reason is the abundance of high-paying jobs. Three major companies have offices in the city and employ thousands of people – Edward’s Hospital, Nicor Gas and Nokia.
Last but not least is the easy access to Chicago by car (the city is located between few major highways) and train (there are quite a few people who commute daily for work to Downtown Chicago with Metra)
Living in Naperville doesn’t come cheap, though. The median home price is $350,000 which is on the expensive side compared to other affluent Chicago suburbs (the ratio of income to home prices is lower than in other upscale suburbs).
Of course, there apartments that go for less than $100,000 but which peacefully coexist with estates worth a few million dollars.
High property prices don’t stop people from moving to Naperville as the population has been steadily growing during the last few years.
One thing that almost everyone seems to agree on is that Naperville has the feel of a small European town. The downtown area is charming with Riverwalk being the main attraction. During the summer there are weekly live performances. In addition, there are a lot of parks with multiple amenities.
During the 4th of July weekend is held the annual Rifest that attracts not only people from Naperville and the surrounding areas but from the neighboring states as well. Past headliners of the fest are Slash from Guns’N’Roses and country music star Toby Keith.
The main attractions of 2018 edition of the Ribfest would be Pitbull and Steven Taylor from Aerosmith who will be performing on July 5th.
Events are year-round in Naperville not just the summer. During the winter Napervillians can enjoy the Naperville Ale Fest held in February which is just one of many events (for a full list of events visit local newspaper’s website Positively Naperville).
Food is another thing people like about Naperville. There are plenty of restaurants that can be found only here and are worth trying. Some are super expensive, but most are affordable, so no matter what your budget is there’s something for you to try.
Naperville is well worth visiting because there’s so much to see and do there.
How to get to Naperville:
Directions from Downtown Chicago to Downtown Naperville via I-290 and I-88 W:
1. Head east on E Jackson Blvd toward S Michigan Ave
2. Turn right at the 1st cross street onto S Michigan Ave
3. Turn right onto E Congress Pkwy
4. Continue onto I-290 W (signs for I-90)
5. Use the left 2 lanes to turn slightly left to stay on I-290 W
6. Keep left at the fork to continue on I-88 W, follow signs for I-88 Tollway W/Aurora/I-294 Tollway S/Indiana (partial toll road)
7. Use the 2nd from the right lane to take exit 127 toward Naperville Road
8. Use the left 2 lanes to turn left onto Freedom Dr (signs for Southbound/Naperville Road/Warrenville Road)
9. Use the right 2 lanes to turn right onto Diehl Rd
10. Turn left onto N Mill St
11. Turn right onto W Jefferson Ave