Good upside for those that prefer a smaller town
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2/8/2008
Valparaiso, Valpo to the locals, is a relatively quiet town at the very edge of the Chicago metro area. It's got about 30,000 residents but is growing steadily. Probably the best way to describe the city is as an excellent town for a family. The dining is excellent - there are a lot of choices and some of the retaurants are on par with what you find in Chicago (no joke, becuase I have eaten in Chicago a lot). The downtown area is cute and growing a little. Almost all of the "big box" stores have openned within the last few years. Most items a family would need to buy are in town or within a short drive.
The Indiana Dunes and public beaches on Lake Michigan are just 15 minutes away, and there are many parks and recreation activities. There is a small university with Division 1 sports in one of the best "mid-major" conferences, too, as well as some local theatre. Chicago is really close, especially compared to some of the Western and Northern suburbs, so going into the big city is not difficult.
There is not a wide selection of activities for 20 and 30 year-olds without kids. That would probably be the major drawback. This is not a hip place and it is a bit of a drive to the closest towns. There have been some public stories about mild racism, but they have been largely conjecture. There hasn't been any serious incidents that I can recall. This is a mostly homogenous community. Still, this town has an excellent school system and deserves some credit as a very nice place to raise a family.
David | Valparaiso, IN