Illinois' Charming Chicago Suburb Is A Peaceful City With A Quaint Downtown, Antique Shops, And A Museum

With both ample green spaces and award-winning architecture within its vast urban playground, it's easy to see why the Windy City is a big hit for travelers who are after a metropolitan escape. And indeed, its continued popularity resulted in it being named the Best Big U.S. City by Condé Nast Traveler Readers' Choice Awards for the 9th year in a row (via Choose Chicago). Yet, Illinois' charming suburbs have a lot to offer if you want to explore Chicago's surroundings beyond its glamorous Mag Mile and the Swedish vibes and one-of-a-kind stores in Andersonville.

On the southeastern corner of DeKalb County, Sandwich is an example of a peaceful suburb with a laid-back downtown filled with antique shops. The city comes alive during the Sandwich Fair, which has taken place every year since 1888, starting on the Wednesday after Labor Day. The fair features carnival rides, food trucks, and vendors from across the Midwest on its fairgrounds. Seasonal rides aside, Sandwich has things to do for visitors year-round. Its slower pace compared to larger metropolitan areas, such as the nearby shops-filled, "City of Lights" Aurora, makes it a more relaxing suburban escape. You can spend a pleasant weekend checking out the city's museum, its many vintage hunts, and peaceful parks.

To reach Sandwich, you can drive less than one hour and a half from Chicago or take public transport with one change. A direct Amtrak takes you from downtown Chicago to Plano, where you catch a taxi ride or drive the last 5 miles. If you are skipping Windy City but are planning to check out Peoria, ranked as one of America's best places to live, the latter is about 100 miles (under two hours) away from Sandwich.

Thanks to its proximity to crops and farmland, Sandwich has a small, rural-town feel while still remaining well-connected to big city amenities. According to neighborhood network Nextdoor, Sandwich is "a peaceful place with a strong sense of community." Echoing the sentiment are reviewers on ranking and data provider Niche.com. As a resident puts it, "The town is pretty quiet, and the neighbors here have the biggest hearts." Adding to its laid-back, countryside feel is the access to vast green areas, such as the Harvey Creek Conservation Area. Less than 1 mile south of downtown Sandwich, the conservation area spans 30 acres of prairie and wetlands, making it the largest green space in Sandwich's park system.

On top of that, downtown Sandwich is very walkable, with an 83 Walk Score to support that. You can check out the suburb's main highlights by strolling along its main street, where the Stone Mill Museum is located. Opened as a stone and grist mill in 1856, the building now houses the city museum, sharing space with the Sandwich Historical Society. The exhibits contain artifacts from the region, as well as murals and tribal objects connected to Native American history.

Sandwich's history as a bustling suburb goes back to Illinois' 1800s industrial golden age, when Sandwich was built — albeit under a different name — on the back of the railroad expansion. The nascent city changed names a couple of times before settling on Sandwich. Despite a common misconception linking it to the English Earl of Sandwich, the location's final name is linked to the forest-filled, artsy New Hampshire town where local congressman (and future Chicago mayor) "Long John" Wentworth was born.

Less than a five-minute walk from the Stone Mill Museum, you can visit the town's main performing arts venue, the Sandwich Opera House, with its regal, industrial red-brick facade. The venue regularly puts on shows, such as ballets; classical, folk, and bluegrass music; contemporary musicals; and renditions of pop music favorites. And as you walk through Sandwich, you will notice a similar eclectic mix of the old and new reflected in its residential houses, from classic, Victorian-style cottages and Colonial Revival to upmarket Modern Craftsman houses and bungalows.

Part of Sandwich's quaint downtown, the Opera House is just around the corner from the suburb's main antiques mall, the Olde Timers Antique Centre. Inside you can find more than 130 dealers selling their vintage wares, including furniture and collectibles, spread over three floors. To continue your antique hunt, head to Prindi's Antiques and Collectibles across the street. About half the size of Olde Timers, Prindi's sells all the usual vintage knickknacks and home decor but also specializes in collectibles and toys, sports memorabilia, and vintage maps and historical documents. If you want to add a taste of Sandwich's contemporary shops to your trip, head to Midnight Pine Studios, which sells quirky homeware and gifts like printed t-shirts, pet toys, and puzzles.