Living in a Theme Park

Last week I took my seven year old out to dinner in downtown Naperville. Being seven, he picked Subway for his dining pleasure: not what my choice would have been, but ok under the circumstances. After supper we went for dessert and a walk on the Riverwalk and around downtown. It struck me that Naperville over the last few years (been here 12 so I know) has gone from being a small town downtown to something akin to a theme park. Phil Vettel, the Chicago Tribune restaurant critic, in an article about dining in Naperville put it this way: "Naperville [is] a collection of narrow streets filled with adorable retail shops and plenty of restaurants. It's a major draw, to the extent that parking is a constant challenge. And the area fairly exudes wholesomeness; this is what New Or-leans' French Quarter would look like, if Presbyterians ran it." I love that: "the French Quarter as run by Presbyterians"! So how is living in a theme park? Well to be perfectly honest, I like it. It is actually very, very cool to live in a relatively (only relatively, mind you) small town with such a vibrant and alive downtown. The dining choices are great, the shopping is interesting, and even for those not wanting to spend any money, the Riverwalk coupled with the best library in the US make downtown a must-visit location. But it is a little strange sometimes as well. So where am I going with this stream of thought? I have no idea; I'll see if I can come up with more later...

Posted by trygstad | Category: Naperville | 11:52 PM