Escape to Naperville, Illinois

If you are looking for a great small home town to live in, Naperville, Illinois is the place for you. This city took second place on the annual list of America's best small cities to live in. This city has a population of approximately 150,000 residents. Although the city is the fifth largest city in the state of Illinois, when you are in the city itself, it sure doesn't feel that populous. Naperville is great for a family with small children, someone who likes city life, or even for retiring to. There is also plenty of Kankakee County healthcare nearby. Much of the population that lives in Naperville can be attributed to the massive migration of professionals that took place in the 1990s. These people were seeking good paying jobs as well as renowned school districts. The schools in Naperville are ranked in the top three percent of the entire country.

Naperville boasts several popular tourist attractions. One of the most spectacular sites in Naperville is the Moser Tower and Millennium Carillon. The tower is 14 stories high. This means that it is ten feet taller than the Statue of Liberty! If you are feeling up to the task, you can climb to the top of the tower May to November. If you don't feel like walking all of those stories, there is an elevator that will take you up, but only halfway. From the top you can get a birds eye view of the Momence hospital. The Moser Tower houses the Millennium Carillon. A carillon is a musical instrument that is usually housed in towers and consist of at least 23 bronze cup-shaped bells. Some of these instruments can weigh up to 100 tons. The bells are played by a carillonneur who plays a keyboard with their fists and a pedal keyboard for the feet. The Millennium Carillon is noted as a grand carillon due to the 72 bells that make up the instrument. One of the bells, Big Joe, weighs 6 tons on its own. Each Tuesday night during the summer months the carillonneur plays a special concert for the people of Naperville. If you are looking to visit other carillon's, the world's largest is housed in New York City's Riverside Church.

Another great outdoor activity in Naperville is the Riverwalk. This Riverwalk is a four mile long walkway along the west branch of the DuPage River. The winding paths spread through the downtown area and other primarily residential areas. The Riverwalk also has fountains, benches, scenic bridges and an amphitheater along its paths. This is great for those who need to takes leisure strolls as instructed by their physicians at the local Illinois hospital.