So your significant other suggests exploring Joliet for date night. Don’t worry, there’s more than NASCAR races and the creepy old prison.  If your significant other is anything like the one I married, he’ll start with an idea and you’ll do the planning. Do not fear, I have a list of suggestions to give you the right amount of Joliet without scaring either of you off.

To appreciate your trip, brush up on your Blues Brothers trivia. Channel your inner Joliet Jake before you depart.
Start the night with dinner at The Department.  The restaurant is the old police station with tons of character and gives a hearty nod to the Joliet of yesteryear.  The rotisserie chicken is tender, juicy, and delicious but the Isis salad is an incredible vegetarian option. In fact, the biggest thing I miss about working in Joliet is the Isis salads I would get for lunch occasionally. The Department also has a fairly impressive martini menu.

After dinner, hit up a show at the historical and recently renovated Rialto Square Theatre, a favorite establishment of Al Capone. You can walk there from The Department. On January 23, Cabaret is playing but if you can hold out until March 3, Hairspray will be there.  I saw The Temptations there with some coworkers and adored the entire evening, from the theatre itself to the great entertainment.

Celebrate the end of a fun evening at Chicago Street Pub and chat up some of the locals.  The people of Joliet who were born and raised there know all the interesting, colorful lore of days gone by. It’s a tragically historic town, parts of it having burned down during the civil rights movement, but it’s been restored to a vibrant, special place that truly deserves a visit to appreciate its history.

(photo: daskerst)

Name: Alyssa
Age: 22
Current suburb: Naperville
Hometown: Naperville
Occupation: Reading teacher

Why the suburbs?
I like living near a big city, not in one. I studied in Rome in college. Although I loved the hustle and bustle for a little while, I missed living in my size town (about 145,000). Naperville has plenty to offer and if I want to head in to the city, it is a little over an hour train ride or 45 mins if you catch an express train.

What are your three favorite suburban restaurants?
Downtown Naperville has been opening up lots of new restaurants that I enjoy going to with friends or family.
- Traverso’s Restaurant (great Italian food!)
- Quigley’s Irish Pub
- Pizza Fusion- organic pizza that is delicious (gluten-free too if you need it)

What are some of your favorite unique suburban locales?
- Brookfield Zoo, especially at Christmas time!
- Toyota Park for Chicago Fire Games (Bridgeview)
- Naper Settlement (Naperville)
- Blackberry Farms (Aurora)
- Naperville Riverwalk

Why not the city?
Too much at once! Yes it can be fun to live in a big city and be a part of what’s happening, but not every second! My parents grew up in Chicago (one North side, the other South Side- you know what that means during baseball season), but even they talk about how much their neighborhoods have changed and how overwhelming it can be. Naperville has lots going on and in the past 5-10 years is really booming. There is plenty to do and downtown Naperville is a great place for little kids, 20 somethings, and families. I love Chicago and attending concerts, the Air and Water Show, and other events or places, but city living isn’t for me! Just like when I was in college, I prefer to be a name, not a face and I like to see people I know.

The question I hear the most as a 20-something suburbanite is, “Why?” Why the suburbs? Why not the city?
I have friends in the suburbs, so it’s obvious I’m not the only 20-something who prefers it out here. So I’m launching a regular feature, Profiles of Real Suburbanites.  Today’s column will feature two of your NextGen writers, myself and Erin.

Name: Renee
Age: 23
Current Suburb: St. Charles
Hometown: South Bend, Indiana
Occupation: coffee shop manager

Why the suburbs?
Believe it or not, the ‘burbs offer a little bit of everything all within an hour’s drive. And it’s not all cheesy chain restaurants (though Medieval Times is a hoot). In Chicagoland, you get the space of the suburbs with all the perks of a big city. I feel it’s the perfect balance of fun, culture, shopping, and comfort.

What are your three favorite suburban restaurants?
Taphouse, St. Charles
The Department, Joliet
Apple Villa, Batavia or Hoffman Estates

What are some of your favorite unique suburban locales?
The Rialto Square Theatre, Joliet
Two Brothers Brewery, Warrenville
Teas and Toes, Glen Ellyn
Geneva Green Market, Geneva
Mokena French Market, Mokena
Brookfield Zoo, Brookfield
Jelly Belly Factory, Pleasant Prairie, Wisconsin

Why not the city?
I did the big city thing for awhile; I lived in Rome during college. There was always noise and bustle, which is great for some, but I found it suffocating. I knew I didn’t want to always lead that lifestyle, living in an apartment the size of my childhood closet, riding smelly buses with strangers, being kept up all night by drunk sports fans. To me, that’s not a soothing quality of life.  Would I ever move to a big city? Sure, but I’d have to find a quiet, green, open spot to call my own. And I’d have to be able to afford to live comfortably. For now, though, I’m more than content in my little house in a quaint neighborhood in little St. Charles.

——

Name: Erin
Age: 29
Current Suburb: South Elgin
Hometown:  Aurora (Quick, someone make a Wayne’s World joke!)
Occupation:  Special Education Teacher

Why the suburbs?
My question is, why not the suburbs?  The suburbs have pretty much everything the city has to offer, just a little more spread out.  Personally, I love the quiet, the space, the quick drive to SuperTarget.  I love having a house with a yard for my dogs.  Plus, I’m just a quick train ride from the city, and I don’t have to pay city taxes!

What are your three favorite suburban restaurants?
Sushi Cafe, South Elgin
The Claddagh, Geneva
Burnt Toast, Elgin

What are some of your favorite unique suburban locales?
Arcedium Coffeehouse, St. Charles
Four Beans Coffeehouse, Batavia
Kane County Flea Market, St. Charles
Cantigny Park, Winfield
DuPage Children’s Museum, Naperville

Why not the city?
I love the city, I really do, but not enough to live there.  I’m not a fan of small apartments with giant rent.  I’m not a fan of public transportation.  I could deal with those things for a while, but not permanently.  I love having a house with space.  I love living in a neighborhood where there is a park within walking distance.  I love being close to my family.  For me, the city is a fantastic place to visit, but I don’t need to live there to take advantage of what I love about the city.  Plus, in the suburbs, I can have my cake, and afford it too!

Are you a suburbanite perfectly content with being a suburbanite? Do you love your suburban shenanigans? Get in contact with Renee if you would like to be featured!

I am the queen of commuting and let me tell you, there’s nothing I hate more.  Commuting is NEVER fun in Chicagoland. I have had three jobs since moving to the area and all have been 20-45 miles from home.

Commute #1: Hoffman Estates to Grayslake (aka Now I know all the shortcuts to Six Flags)
This commute wasn’t evil, except the fact that I had to do it seven days a week for three and a half months.  What I remember most about it was The Mix completely overplaying that stupid “Shake It” song while I sipped on my daily McDonald’s iced coffee.
Commute #2: Hoffman Estates to Joliet (aka I-355 is my bff)
This commute was the evilest commute in the history of commutes. It was characterized by a brief stint on 290, followed by the entirety of 355, followed by an unfriendly part of Joliet featuring the Joliet Prison. I have lots of respect for Joliet, but driving 45 miles each morning with my cup of Trader Joe’s coffee and Sugarland CDs on repeat in the middle of February is not exactly my idea of a good time.
Commute #3: Hoffman Estates to St. Charles (aka So early I could watch meteor showers)
This is the same commute my husband has been doing since August 2008. It’s really not too bad, except I had to do it at 5:00am in order to open the coffeeshop I manage. Brewing coffee at home that early when you’re just going to be brewing coffee all day seemed ridiculous, so I enjoyed commercial-free radio with a cup of Carnation Instant Breakfast. (The milk chocolate is the only flavor worth buying.)

Now that we’ve moved to St. Charles, my commute is practically non-existent, but I’d like to share some tips for rest of you commuters, borne from my year of living in my car.

1. Get to know a mechanic. Become friendly with them. Bring them doughnuts. The wear and tear on your car after 90 miles a day is worth it. (I recommend Suburban Tire – I’ve found their customer service to be incredible!)
2. Take advantage of oil change deals you find. It seems there are always coupons at the grocery store or flyers in my mailbox. You’d be surprised how much more your car loves you after an oil change!
3. Put coffee in your coffee maker the night before. When you get up, all you’ll have to do is press the button, saving you about two minutes to check Twitter instead.
4. Make coffee at home at least four times a week. I used to treat myself to Starbucks on Wednesdays, a reward for making it through Monday and Tuesday. If I had had that raspberry latte every day, I would have spent over $900 in the first year. Cutting it down to once a week saves you over $700.
5. Download podcasts! My husband loves to listen to Click and Clack on long drives, but that’s because he’s a huge nerd. Chicago Public Radio distributes This American Life for free but if comedy is more your bag, The Onion has a free podcast as well!
6. Harass your friends into letting you borrow CDs. On my commutes, I discovered Mika, Sugarland, Adele, and the most recent Jason Mraz album.  What better way to fall in love with new music than having a free hour to listen to the whole thing?
7. Keep a plastic grocery bag in your car. Somehow, the trash piled up over the course of my commute. It was easiest to keep a trashbag in the backseat and drive by the dumpster before I got on the road.
8. Lay your clothes out the night before. I know, this is really Mom-ish advice, but you’ll never discover, “Holy crap, everything I own is wrinkled and I don’t have time to iron!”
9. Eat breakfast in the car. But please don’t eat cereal, yogurt, or anything messy that requires two hands. I need you to be a good driver. Stick to granola bars, fruit, or toaster-created yuminess. I also mentioned Carnation Instant Breakfast earlier in the article. Love that stuff.
10. Utilize the voice memo feature on your iPhone or iPod.  You can make grocery lists, to do lists, or Christmas lists all from the comfort of the driver’s seat without letting go of the wheel. Transcribe them later to avoid awkward moments listening to yourself in Target.

Hopefully, your commute doesn’t leave you at a standstill on 90 or Lake Shore Drive. But if it does, I hope these tips keep at least one person’s blood pressure down.