Chicago's Charming Suburb Offers A Slice Of Tuscany With A Family-Friendly Vibe, Diverse Eats, And Local Shops

We may receive a commission on purchases made from links.

Chicago's surrounding area — called Chicagoland by locals — comes in various shapes and sizes. From sprawling city spaces found in Aurora to the Windy City's smallest suburb, Ford Heights, there are a lot of different places to explore in and around the nation's third-largest city. If you're looking to explore a Chicago suburb that offers family-friendly charm with an Italian vibe, a good range of food options, and plenty of local shopping, you ought to make the trip to Niles.

Located about 15 miles northwest from downtown Chicago, Niles was incorporated as a village in 1899. What was once a Native American settlement in the 1700s became occupied by German settlers in the 1830s. Today, Niles is home to a little more than 30,000 residents (via Data USA) who according to Niche, benefit from excellent public schools, a diverse range of nightlife options and outdoor activities, low crime, and a suburb considered very desirable for families.

If you're looking to share a piece of Tuscany with your family, there's the Leaning Tower of ... Niles, which serves as a replica to the original Leaning Tower of Pisa in Tuscany, Italy. Although not quite as tall as the original tower in northern Italy, the one in Niles has undergone significant renovation since the Illinois suburb signed a sister-city pact with the city of Pisa. The Leaning Tower of Niles has been incorporated in the National Register of Historic Places and the Illinois State Historic Sites list. Visitors are greeted by fountains, a pool, and bells that were brought to Niles from Italy, which chime at 9 a.m., noon, 3 p.m., and 6 p.m. to the sound of classic tunes.

Similar to the Chicago suburb of Bellwood, which is a friendly haven of local flavors, Niles, too, offers plenty in the way of diverse dining. Residents and visitors have access to central European, Mediterranean, and American fare. Given close to a million people with Polish ancestry were reported living in Illinois in 2000, with 65% in Chicago suburbs, according to The Polish American Association, you might want to take advantage of dining at Arcadia Polish Restaurant. Arcadia serves Polish classics featuring pierogies, stuffed cabbage, and potato pancakes, as well as other menu items, like garlic-buttery jumbo shrimp and rye sour soup served in a bread bowl.

If you're looking for a taste of the Mediterranean, Niles' Kouklas Greek Eatery offers a fresh, contemporary, take on classic Greek dishes. Open Tuesday through Sunday 5 p.m. to 10 p.m., its menu highlights items like fried calamari, chilled octopus salad, souvlaki (grilled meat skewers), and branzino. Kouklas emphasizes the practice of sharing dishes, which are brought to the table at an intentional, thoughtful pace — a practice received positively by customers, with one diner on Google Reviews saying, "I love the concept of ordering food for the table, allowing you to eat many different foods and try new things."

If you're a beerhead looking to try a zesty wit beer or hoppy hazy pale ale, you might want to head over to Une Année|Hubbard's Cave. They have 24 beers on tap and bites that include cheese curds, brisket sliders, and wings, among entrées like salads, pizzas, and sandwiches. It also regularly hosts Monday night trivia, live music on Sunday, and weekday happy hour.

Although Niles does have bigger shopping centers like the family-friendly haven of the lively suburb Bolingbrook, it also has several independent stores offering unique shopping experiences. For those who love a good round of tabletop gaming — whether that's cards or board games – Pastimes Comics and Games stocks everything from Magic the Gathering and Pokémon products to accessories like card sleeves and deck boxes. Pastimes is open every day of the week.

Niles is also home to Tom Thumb Hobbies and Crafts, which has a wide range of arts, crafts, and hobby items, like jewelry-making, knitting, and embroidery kits, doll houses, model train supplies, and skateboards. Open Tuesday through Saturday, the store is well known for its products, but some customers on Yelp have mentioned the store could be organized better and the location itself is hard to find.

Once you've experienced Chicago like a local by checking out some must-visit spots, such as the Green Mill and Chicago Magic Lounge, and are ready to spend the day exploring Niles, you have a couple of options to get there. If you're driving from Chicago, expect to spend anywhere between a half hour to 40 minutes on the road. If you'd rather take public transportation, you can take the UP-N Metra to Chicago Ogilvie Transportation Center before transferring to bus 208 heading west, which is about an hour and 20 minutes one way. If you're exhausted after exploring Niles and would prefer to spend the night in the suburb before heading back to Chicago, the Holiday Inn Express & Suites Chicago North Shore — Niles by IHG offers a comfortable two-and-a-half star stay.