Beautiful Place to Live, But Something is Missing
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6/28/2012
We moved here from the fast pace of a big city in another state and immediately loved the small town feel to Wheaton. It is a very nice place to live, and there is a lot to do to entertain our young children.
Having lived in a different part of the country all of my life, I can say that what seems like a large majority of the local people here routinely compete with their neighbors, talk poorly of their neighbors, seem to be obsessed with having more than their neighbors, and seem to be very unhappy. I think it is a culture here that I am not used to and have been a bit taken back by it.
I lived in an area of our country where millionaires were everywhere. Although I am middle class, I am used to living in the vicinity of very wealthy people. I can honestly say that the very wealthy people I previously lived near to, whom had far more money and worldly experience than anyone I have ever met from Wheaton, IL, were far more pleasant to be around than many of the people from Wheaton. I have sat in restaurants, a library, a YMCA, and shopping centers and have routinely heard people gossiping about how "that person they grew up with is such a loser" or "oh, I grew up with that family, their a bunch of nobodies". It seems that the people here have apparently never lived anywhere else and this is their whole universe, and they seem to think they are the experts on all of their neighbors' lives and affairs. Considering how many churches there are here and how proud this area is for having so many churches, I find this to be very hypocritical and sad.
I wish the people were more socially developed here. If I can overlook that, I can say it really is such a beautiful place to live - there is plenty of nature, shopping centers, restaurants, activities, Chicago is very near, it is perfect otherwise. The cost of living is reasonable and much of the housing and local shopping areas are new construction, which is nice. Despite the odd culture here, I still give it two thunbs up.
Brianna | Wheaton, IL