Naperville

My husband and I moved here 26 years ago from the Lincoln Park/Old Town neighborhoods of Chicago. I was a bonafide city loving girl and reluctantly agreed to move to the burbs because we were starting a family. At that time Naperville was less than half the size it is now and the downtown was much smaller with limited shopping and dining. We had a mom & pop grocery (remember Cee Bees?) & Washington Square was THE place to go for a special night. No Promenade, no Starbucks, and definitely no Apple Store back then. We built our home in a new subdivision just a couple blocks south of 75th St & Washington (that was considered the far south of town). We became fast friends with the neighbors on either side and those friendships have lasted for the past 26 years. We started going to Community Christian Church, a brand new church (affectionately know to locals as the "Yellow Box") and made friends there that have also lasted 25 years. We had 1 then 2 then 3 kids and did the circuit of Park District soccer, St Raphaels football, Y basketball, elementary/Jr HIgh band, story time at Nichols library...All along the way making friends and deepening our ties to the community. Around 1999, we decided to make a move to the Atlanta area so we could enjoy being outdoors year round. We found a home, put in an offer that was accepted by the seller and then flew back to Naperville in order to start the process of moving. When went back to Atlanta the following week for inspection, I was overcome by a sense of dread, that we were making a HUGE mistake. Atlanta just was not HOME. We cancelled the contract and made the intentional decision to stay put in Naperville and we are so glad we did. Naperville somehow has found the "secret sauce" to a great town. It is a large city with city amenities, but maintains the small town sense of community. People are friendly, the city government remembers that it is here to serve the people, and good people serve and get involved in groups and activities that benefit their fellow man. It is not perfect, traffic can be frustrating, parking is limited, and taxes are high. But the town is safe, our schools are exceptional, and there is a vibrancy & excitement in our downtown that mimics my beloved Lincoln Park! Not only have we stayed, but we are now in the process of building a new home in the downtown area that will serve us well for the next 25 years. And those neighbors I mentioned earlier? Well they are coming with us - We are all building new homes within blocks of each other, because good friends are more precious than gold. Community, friendships, roots. Thank-you Naperville.
Laura Bruno - Realtor, Baird & Warner
630-718-7513
www.laurabruno.com

Want to know what people think of Naperville... just ask a friend or co worker, chances are they know someone who has lived here or visited. Naperville is one of the largest cities outside of Chicago in Illinois but does not feel or look like a big city because it was a small town until the suburban sprawl of Chicago overran the surrounding farms during the past 50 years. The amazing thing is that because there was a quaint quiet nice town here before it became suburbia it doesn't feel like a suburb. Sure you have some major roads that feature every big box store imaginable but Naperville still has a beautiful downtown with buildings dating to the late 1800's. The downtown commercial and residential districts have been gentrified and now benefit from Naperville's great demographics. When I was a kid it was the 5 & dime, ma & pop stores and a few diners. Today, it is Apple store, national restaurants plus great restaurants from the Chicago. The downtown area is vibrant with great drinking establishments, entertainment venues and loads of cultural offerings. I don't think any other suburb comes close to what Naperville offers. Naperville was blessed to have a concerned and involved citizenry that carefully guided the city's growth over the years and did an outstanding job of planning and allocation of land for green space and parks. Naperville has so many beautiful nature areas and most have been linked with the development of multi use trails that allow us to safely bike, run or walk to access these areas. More to come.