Naperville is much more than just another Chicago suburb. It’s a thriving city in its own right!
People have taken notice; the city was named one of the “best places to live in the U.S.” by Money Magazine and among the safest places in the country by USA Today. Blending small-town charm and modern features, Naperville is a great spot to set down roots.
Located along the beautiful DuPage River, Naperville offers residents high-ranking schools, top shopping and dining, and picturesque parks. One of the main attractions is the area’s thriving downtown, complete with local boutique shops and big-name retailers.
Buyers and renters enjoy a wide variety of homes in quiet, tree-lined neighborhoods. Most homes are walking distance to neighborhood parks and elementary schools.
For work or play, nearby transportation makes getting to Chicago (and beyond!) a breeze! Located 28 miles west of the Loop, commuters use the Ronald Reagan Memorial Tollway (I-88), the Veterans Memorial Tollway (I-355), and nearby Metra and Amtrak stations.
Naperville Living
City Guide
Once a small, rural village, Naperville is today an affluent modern suburb with major employers and a large retail presence. The hub of the community is its vibrant downtown district. There, residents enjoy exceptional shopping, dining, and entertainment. A great area for families, Naperville’s schools, parks, and safety numbers put the City in a class of its own!
Naperville Food and Dining
From casual restaurants and classic dives to world-class fine dining, whatever you’re craving, you can find it in Naperville. For date night, try Meson Sabika for tapas plates in a lovely estate near downtown Naperville. Looking for something familiar? Lou Malnati’s serves up classic Chicago style pizza. Other favorites include Lantern, offering great brews, burgers and chili, and Frankie’s Blue Room, a great bar with great live music.
Naperville Shopping
Downtown Naperville is the shopping hub of the city. In the lovely, walkable area, residents can find unique family shops, local boutiques, and national retailers. The other shopping areas include the Naperville Crossings Shopping Center and the commercial corridors of Ogden Avenue and Route 59. With stores ranging from a Target and Old Navy to locally owned stores like Bows and Babies and Naper Nuts and Sweets, everything from daily necessities to specialty items can be found in the City.
Naperville Events and Culture
The Naperville community comes together for great festivals all year round. The biggest festival in Naperville is Ribfest in July. For two decades running, Naperville residents enjoy great food, fun and live music. If you love music, the community puts on free summertime concerts on the Riverwalk on Friday nights. Every June, the Naperville Jazz Fest puts on great music for the community. During Oktoberfest in the fall, residents gather for live music, German cuisine, and steins of cold beer.
Naperville residents enjoy a creative cultural scene. The area has notable art galleries including Art & Frame Naperville, the Naperville Art League, the Anamart Gallery. For theater, Pfeiffer Hall puts on North Central College theatrical productions and has hosted famous speakers including Martin Luther King, Jr., Henry Kissinger, and Barack Obama. Wentz Concert Hall is a major venue for classical, jazz, and contemporary music performances. The venue has hosted many notable artists including Yo-Yo Ma, Herbie Hancock, and Béla Fleck, and is renowned for its sublime acoustics. For live comedy, check out The Comedy Shrine.
There are plenty of other attractions in the community. For movie lovers, Naperville offers both an AMC and the Hollywood Palms Cinema, a full-service restaurant, bar and movie theater. A favorite for kids and adults alike is the DuPage Children’s Museum. The museum is filled with inventive exhibits designed to stimulate kids’ curiosity and creativity.
Naperville Parks
Naperville offers both an excellent Park District, offering 139 public parks totaling over 2,500 acres. The area’s parks are scattered around the area’s neighborhoods walking distance from most homes. The area also offers great facilities, including sports facilities and recreation centers. Some notable parks include Centennial Beach, a stretch of sandy beach and open swim areas near the center of the town, and the Naperville Riverwalk, a beautiful trail following the winding DuPage River. The Park District offers the community youth and adults sports leagues, arts programming, and fun summer day camps!
Naperville History
Early Naperville
The Naperville area was first settled by Euro-Americans in 1831. The first settler, Joseph Naper, founded the community along the DuPage River and personally surveyed and registered the village’s original 80 acres with the State of Illinois in 1842. Incorporated in 1857, Naperville in these years was a thriving milling and farming village.
From a Village to a City
The Naperville area remained spacely populated and rural until the Chicago, Burlington & Quincy Railroad was built in 1864. As the village became connected to the then-rapidly expanding Chicago, it began to grow and develop. After the Chicago Fire and the subsequent banning of wood homes, Naperville, with its abundant stone quarries, experienced a boom period. The railroad also meant that local brewers and furniture makers could ship products across the country. Naperville was re-incorporated (as a city) in 1890. From 1890-1920, The City of Naperville installed modern urban services such as water lines, sewers, electricity, and telephone service.
Modern Naperville
Major growth followed World War II. Naperville’s population more than quadrupled as many Chicago families traded cramped urban quarters for spacious homes in the suburbs. After the construction of the Eisenhower Expressway in 1951, major employers (including OfficeMax, Tellabs, and Nicor) flocked to the area. The growth continued into the 1990s when Naperville was one of the fastest-growing communities in the nation. In these years, the population reached its modern level of nearly 130,000 residents.
Naperville Homes
Naperville offers buyers and renters homes in a variety of styles and price points. Homes in all sizes are available ranging from single-story ranch homes all the way to new ultra-luxury mansions. While the majority of homes in the community are single-family detached homes, condominiums and townhouses are also available. Most residential areas are set back in subdivisions away from busier roads and traffic. The majority of homes sit on sizable lots with manicured lawns and plenty of outdoor space and privacy.
With small-town charm and modern amenities, Naperville offers the best of both worlds. Residents enjoy top schools, great local culture, and beautiful homes and parks. Come check it out!
