This Vibrant Chicago Suburb Is An Underrated Gem With Local Eats, Family Parks, And Small‑town Charm

The buzzy allure of metropolitan life — think Chicago's striking architecture found along Lake Shore Drive, world-class museums, live theater, and first-rate chefs — has always been a draw when choosing a place to live. But, in the past few years, not so much. Exurbs or communities outside of bigger cities are among the fastest-growing places, like the urban renaissance underway in Elmhurst, Illinois, as singles, families, and retirees seek a little less traffic and crime and a lot more for their money. Another underrated gem, known for a quaint downtown, charming homes, and thriving community, is Downers Grove, about 23 miles southwest of Chicago. It's ranked as the 8^th friendliest city in America, according to Forbes.

The diverse history of this town of 50,000 comes through in its architecture and the preservation efforts of its citizens. Along with modern-day construction and condominiums, with median sales prices of $475,000, home styles can range from Queen Anne to Craftsman, including about 150 Sears kit homes, representing one of the largest collections of mail-order housing sold by Sears in Illinois.

Downers Grove Museum is a deep dive into the history of the town, which was founded in 1832 by Pierce Downer, who came from New York to join one of his sons working on a Chicago lighthouse. The museum campus features the 1846 Blodgett house, one of the oldest homes in Downers Grove, which served as a stopover point in the Underground Railroad. Another celebrated cornerstone is the Classic Cinemas Tivoli Theatre, a 1928 historic movie theater that was only the second one in the country to screen movies featuring sound. Recently renovated in the French Renaissance-style, the theater also has a Wurlitzer organ that's played before Friday showings and offers a full bar and free refills on popcorn and soda. 

Downers Grove takes pride in its public spaces, including its lauded park system of parks and forest preserves. Considered one of the community's nicest parks, McCollum Park spreads out over 50 acres, with baseball diamonds as well as courts for tennis, basketball, and beach volleyball, a miniature golf course, and a paved 1.25-mile walking path.  A turf field for football and soccer, pickleball courts, and play areas for kids are a draw at Doerhoefer Park. If you're in Downers Grove in spring, you can see blooming violets, buttercups, and wild geraniums at the 81-acre Maple Grove Forest Preserve, once a source of sap for Native Americans. There's a shaded, 1.5-mile loop trail with a wooden bridge popular for hiking, running, and bird-watching. 

To get even closer to flora, you can visit the Morton Arboretum, a botanical garden and research center just 10 minutes away in Lisle. With admission starting at $18, this 1,700-acre sanctuary of greenery filled with trees, gardens, and 16 miles of hiking trails through woodlands and lakes makes botany fun. It also offers periodic sculpture displays, a pop-up wooden miniature golf game (for an additional fee), and a one-acre hedge maze, surrounded by perfectly trimmed American hazelnut and yew shrubs. In the summer, enjoy evening concerts and walking plays. 

With more than a handful of golf courses less than 30 minutes away, golfers in Downers Grove can keep their clubs at the ready in their cars. A bigger point of pride is that the first 18-hole golf course in the country opened here in 1892 as the Chicago Golf Club. Now called Belmont Golf Club, featuring nine holes, mature trees, and water hazards, it still retains the "Original Six" holes: 1, 2, 4, 7, 8, and 9.

Downers Grove's downtown charms are hard to resist, from community events, such as a summer concert series and cruise nights, to the brick buildings housing boutiques, restaurants, and pubs. Even if you want to find that highly-rated, quintessential Chicago dog, expand your taste buds with crab beignets, grilled Spanish octopus, and walleye puttanesca at Cadence Kitchen & Co., a lively restaurant with brick walls, black tufted seating, and a wrap-around bar.  Modern, eclectic fare at the recently opened Entourage brings locals in for Vietnamese summer rolls, miso-marinated Chilean seabass, and wagyu bolognese, and their old-fashioned and espresso martini cocktails are available on draft. If you're hankering for a beer and burger and an industrial vibe, Pierce Tavern, housed in a former bank, can please everyone in your group. Enjoy burgers, such as the Mustang burger with crispy onion strings, bacon, cheddar cheese, and BBQ sauce, sandwiches, such as the house-smoked brisket grilled cheese, salads, and pizzas.

Make a point to visit some of the independent stores in downtown. Inhale the aromas of hand-poured bar soaps and plant-based options at Magnolia Soap & Bath Co., including the bourbon, mechanic, and hunter scents for men. Known for its well-organized book selections and knowledgeable staff, Anderson's Bookshop is helpful for gifts, like jewelry, mugs, and scarves, along with toys, puzzles, and games. You can find on-trend clothing, such as denim jackets, jeans, jewelry, and shoes at Bangle Boulevard. 

Combine the best of both the shopping and drinking worlds at Cellar Door, where you can buy red, white, and sparkling wines from California, Washington, Oregon, and around the world. Try them by the glass with bites, such as flank steak tacos, nachos, and carnitas empanadas, and then take home a bottle or two.