my parents grew up here, and so both my grandparents lived here so i’ve been familiar with this area my whole life. the downtown is very nice and is constantly undergoing progress including many uspcale chain retailers and restaurants as well as a state-of-the-art library and lots of new 10-20 story condo buildings. outside of downtown, there are nice quiet neighborhoods, although they have seen an influx of immigrants over the years. nevertheless, it is a nice place to spend the day or visit family. also, one of the last decent suburbs that is within 5 miles Chicago.