Aurora IL - what's it like?
May 18th, 2006, 12:13 PM
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Aurora IL - what's it like?
Looking at area around the METRA station ... is it commercial? Seedy? OK? Are nearby streets easily walkable, both as far as traffic/sidewalks go and personal safety?
Staying at Comfort Suites. Will probably visit Chicago. Thank you.
Staying at Comfort Suites. Will probably visit Chicago. Thank you.
May 18th, 2006, 12:56 PM
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Aurora is not the best burb around C-town. Not the worst, but nothing really redeeming about it. It's also the furthest west. It's about 40 miles to downtown. If you have the option, I'd move much closer in.
May 18th, 2006, 01:29 PM
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I second Pappy's post-not much to do other than a casino and it's a pretty far reaching suburb (for a long time it wasn't even considered a suburb). There are some rough areas but I don't know where the METRA station is so I can't say.
May 18th, 2006, 03:55 PM
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40 miles seems like a pretty far away 'burb to me. I thought I was growing up in the boonies (I was born in Chicago Heights) ... But these days it seems that before we know it the 'burbs will extend into Wisconsin and Iowa 
May 18th, 2006, 04:16 PM
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I'm in DeKalb. When there is news to report from DeKalb, they say "In far western suburb DeKalb". Yeah...I'm in the sticks, boonies whatever you call it, but if Naperville is considered a suburb, Aurora has to be too.
The way our beautiful farmland is disappering, we'll be urban soon.
The way our beautiful farmland is disappering, we'll be urban soon.
May 18th, 2006, 04:31 PM
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I'm almost positive that yesterday, on NPR, they had a report on the move to the outer suburbs, and one of the families they focussed on had just moved to Aurora. You could probably still listen to the report on the NPR website if you're interested. I pictured just endless subdivisions from what they said.
May 18th, 2006, 05:27 PM
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Aurora is the 2nd or 3rd largest city in the state, but it's still a suburb. There are some rough areas, but it's not horrible there. If an area looks run down, trust your instincts. Our suburbs do stretch into Wisconsin (Kenosha County). If it's not already a suburb, it's right on the edge. I have to ask, are you planning a vacation to Aurora, and only considering a side trip to Chicago? The wording of your post sounds kind of odd.
May 18th, 2006, 10:23 PM
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Well, yes I will visit Chicago. Just thought that if there were some interesting things nearby, we could check those out too.
I bicycled across the USA in 1990 & 1991, and learned then that some small towns have an amazingly large amount to offer as far as history, architecture, museums, and people.
The Aurora location was chosen as a "plan b" months ago, with a price of $40/night for a suite. Because of procrastination, it's moved up close to being "plan a", and we know the commute is going to be a bear. But then there are those who do it 5 days a week, right? Thanks for the comments.
I bicycled across the USA in 1990 & 1991, and learned then that some small towns have an amazingly large amount to offer as far as history, architecture, museums, and people.
The Aurora location was chosen as a "plan b" months ago, with a price of $40/night for a suite. Because of procrastination, it's moved up close to being "plan a", and we know the commute is going to be a bear. But then there are those who do it 5 days a week, right? Thanks for the comments.
May 19th, 2006, 03:41 AM
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Besides the casino there is bicycling and walking along the many miles of prairie path along the Fox River. There are bicycle rentals in town.
There is also a very popular outlet mall just along the Tollway in Aurora.
There is also the Walter Payton's restaurant and pub located in the restored roundhouse complex next to the train station and Comfort Inn downtown. For more info on things to do go to:
http://tinyurl.com/javes
Non rush hour trains take an 1:20 from Aurora to Chicago.
For train Info go to:
http://metrarail.com/Sched/bn/bn.shtml
Enjoy.
There is also a very popular outlet mall just along the Tollway in Aurora.
There is also the Walter Payton's restaurant and pub located in the restored roundhouse complex next to the train station and Comfort Inn downtown. For more info on things to do go to:
http://tinyurl.com/javes
Non rush hour trains take an 1:20 from Aurora to Chicago.
For train Info go to:
http://metrarail.com/Sched/bn/bn.shtml
Enjoy.
May 19th, 2006, 06:04 AM
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Well, I was born in downtown Chicago, lived 58 plus years in the city or its very close environs and I have never ever heard before today, the phrase "Chicago suburb Aurora" or heard Aurora spoken of as a suburb.
This is kind of like when all the announcers on TV changed the pronounciation of the planet Uranus literally overnight one year.
Well if Aurora is a suburb, then my house in Michigan might be considered a suburb of Granger IN or Kalamazoo MI.
And there are farms and country land between these locations. I don't know how many are working, but the land is not continuously settled in urban or suburban development. And in Will County there are still working farms eons closer to Chicago. Homer Township still has farms, my son has one and the area where 355 is being built to meet I-80 still has large country unincorporated areas.
Wow, someone marketed this pretty well, and everyone just lapped it up.
I think I should re-name the I&M canal archives and call them suburban historical trivia.
This is kind of like when all the announcers on TV changed the pronounciation of the planet Uranus literally overnight one year.
Well if Aurora is a suburb, then my house in Michigan might be considered a suburb of Granger IN or Kalamazoo MI.
And there are farms and country land between these locations. I don't know how many are working, but the land is not continuously settled in urban or suburban development. And in Will County there are still working farms eons closer to Chicago. Homer Township still has farms, my son has one and the area where 355 is being built to meet I-80 still has large country unincorporated areas.
Wow, someone marketed this pretty well, and everyone just lapped it up.
I think I should re-name the I&M canal archives and call them suburban historical trivia.
May 19th, 2006, 07:03 AM
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Hi! I live in Aurora. As previously posted there are good areas and bad. The Comfort Inn is basically right at the Metra train station and Walter Payton's Roundhouse (or America's Brewpub). I would consider that area fairly good. Sidewalks are accessible and easliy walkable. You are essentially downtown Aurora. There is the casino, SciTech museum, there is a small Riverfront playhouse, some restaurants, the Paramount Theatre all within walking distance. If you are using this as a base camp, renting a car to get around or using the train, it will suit you fine. You are within about 3-4 miles from the tollway. If you were just going to hang out around town, I am not sure that there is enough to keep you occupied.
May 19th, 2006, 07:24 AM
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JJ5 you have spoken like a true city person who thinks there is nothing west of Harlem Ave and the only true area codes are 312 or 773. The Naperville/Aurora area has been a suburb of Chicago for many years and did not all of a sudden make a "change". In fact Elburn, Oswego, and Yorkville are also considered suburbs of Chicago.
May 19th, 2006, 08:20 AM
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I grew up in the suburbs myself (and remember that day when they changed the area codes and I suddenly became a 708'er) but honestly, in my mind Aurora always seemed a bit too far out there to be a suburb, I always thought it was a town just beyond the outskirts of 'chicagoland' and quite frankly can't imagine commuting to the city from there (or wanting to commute to the city from there).
My parents now live in northwest Indiana in a town about as far away from Chicago as Aurora is, and they don't think of it as a suburb at all, but as a 'town outside the city' and they scratch their heads at the people who live out there who commute to the city everyday (my dad works from home and my mother works in the downtown of the small town they moved to). I guess that these 'mega-commutes' are becoming more and more common, but I'm afraid I don't quite see the appeal. I have no problems with suburbs whatsoever (even though at this point in my life I'm not quite sure that I'd want to live in one), but to me commutes that long would just seem depressing.
My parents now live in northwest Indiana in a town about as far away from Chicago as Aurora is, and they don't think of it as a suburb at all, but as a 'town outside the city' and they scratch their heads at the people who live out there who commute to the city everyday (my dad works from home and my mother works in the downtown of the small town they moved to). I guess that these 'mega-commutes' are becoming more and more common, but I'm afraid I don't quite see the appeal. I have no problems with suburbs whatsoever (even though at this point in my life I'm not quite sure that I'd want to live in one), but to me commutes that long would just seem depressing.
May 19th, 2006, 08:40 AM
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margiecpac, I live west of Harlem Ave. and I live in a suburb of Chicago. I see/ have friends in Naperville and beyond. Naperville is newer, and that has much more of the separate city but quasi-suburb tinge, yes- but people on the whole hardly look in Chicago's direction, let alone visit it often.
And beyond that is not really a suburb, no matter how many people may end up naming them so or rationalizing the drive or train ride.
Aurora was a city size town when I was a girl in the '50's, it hasn't moved. And it is quite separate. Only the designation has changed relative to some marketers' ploys.
Next thing you know they will make Dekalb and Northern IL University suburbs of Chicago at the rate and direction of this inclusion.
It doesn't make the drive or train ride any shorter to name it suburb either.
And beyond that is not really a suburb, no matter how many people may end up naming them so or rationalizing the drive or train ride.
Aurora was a city size town when I was a girl in the '50's, it hasn't moved. And it is quite separate. Only the designation has changed relative to some marketers' ploys.
Next thing you know they will make Dekalb and Northern IL University suburbs of Chicago at the rate and direction of this inclusion.
It doesn't make the drive or train ride any shorter to name it suburb either.
May 19th, 2006, 08:58 AM
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By this from Websters, Aurora is indeed a suburb of Chicago.
Main Entry: sub·urb
Pronunciation: 's&-"b&rb
Function: noun
Etymology: Middle English, from Latin suburbium, from sub- near + urbs city -- more at SUB-
1 a : an outlying part of a city or town b : a smaller community adjacent to or within commuting distance of a city c plural : the residential area on the outskirts of a city or large town
2 plural : the near vicinity : ENVIRONS
I'm in DeKalb, with a capital K. When describing where DeKalb is, I say it's 60 miles west of Chicago. We are not a suburb, but are considered part of "Chicagoland" and are marketed as such. It's only an hours drive into Chicago, it doesn't take me a whole day to get there and I enjoy all that the city has to offer, but am always happy to come back home and enjoy seeing what little farmland is left between DeKalb and Aurora.
Just curious JJ5, which towns do you consider to be true Chicago suburbs?
Main Entry: sub·urb
Pronunciation: 's&-"b&rb
Function: noun
Etymology: Middle English, from Latin suburbium, from sub- near + urbs city -- more at SUB-
1 a : an outlying part of a city or town b : a smaller community adjacent to or within commuting distance of a city c plural : the residential area on the outskirts of a city or large town
2 plural : the near vicinity : ENVIRONS
I'm in DeKalb, with a capital K. When describing where DeKalb is, I say it's 60 miles west of Chicago. We are not a suburb, but are considered part of "Chicagoland" and are marketed as such. It's only an hours drive into Chicago, it doesn't take me a whole day to get there and I enjoy all that the city has to offer, but am always happy to come back home and enjoy seeing what little farmland is left between DeKalb and Aurora.
Just curious JJ5, which towns do you consider to be true Chicago suburbs?
