Do you remember the first time you set foot in Naperville? Perhaps you were born here and are too young to recall, or maybe you relocated later in life.
I’ll never forget mine. It was in early 2007 and the weather was frigid with a dusting of snow. My husband and I were preparing to move here from England and came for a short visit ahead of time. My clearest memory was standing at the downtown corner of Jefferson Avenue and Main Street, looking across to Anderson’s Bookstore.
That was the exact moment I fell for the city I now call home, and I don’t mean on the ice. It was simply love at first sight.
Last week I welcomed another first-timer to Naperville, the other Mrs. Decent, our daughter-in-law Roxanne. Our son Robin’s wife is well-traveled but surprisingly had never been to the Chicago area before. I was excited to put on my ambassador’s hat and show her around.
“It’s very beautiful here. A lot of the area reminds me of places I’ve seen in American films,” she said. “The buildings opposite the children’s museum are like a film set. It’s very sweet.”
It was unfortunate that of all times to visit their trip coincided with the emergence of the 17-year cicadas. Roxanne was not a fan.
“They’re big and gross, like flying cockroaches,” she said with a shudder. For that reason we skipped the prettiest parts of the Naperville Riverwalk and Morton Arboretum.
We had more success with American food. The biggest hit was deep-dish pizza at Giordano’s on South Main Street.
“I didn’t know what to expect as I hadn’t seen a deep-dish pizza before,” Roxanne said. “It was really delicious.”
She had already tried another local staple in Chicago, a hot dog at Harry Caray’s on Navy Pier. Unfortunately, no one told her about the no ketchup rule. Since she wasn’t actually ejected by force from the restaurant, perhaps no one saw.
I was intrigued one day when she came from a visit to Jewel with a box of Eggos.
“I have to try these because of ‘Stranger Things!’” exclaimed the fan of the television show of the same name. I’m not sure they lived up to the hype but that’s the power of global marketing for you.
In an adventurous moment, she also tried Dorito’s lime twist tortilla chips, which were met with an eye-watering wince.
Roxanne wasn’t especially impressed by our coffee either.
“It’s just not as good as at home,” she said. “It’s weak and watery.” She spent a lot of time tracking down espressos, finally giving Sweetwaters the thumbs up.
Sometimes it’s the simple things. Roxanne admits she’s thrilled by the concept of free refills on restaurant drinks and always tries to have at least two top-ups when she’s stateside. In England, you’re more likely to pay by the glass. Why anyone would want three Cokes is beyond me but Roxanne assures me “the third tastes the best.”
Roxanne and Robin enjoyed a few days in Chicago. With fewer cicadas, they made the most of the walk along the Chicago River and taking a water taxi and the famous architectural boat tour, both big hits with them and their daughter, 14-month-old Poppy.
“We loved the water and people were so charming,” Roxanne said. “All the store assistants were so complimentary about Poppy. They don’t do that nearly as much in England.”
Perfect weather meant they could also enjoy time on Ohio Street Beach.
“It’s amazing to be in the city one minute and on the beach the next,” Roxanne said.
Unfortunately, the Bean is still covered in scaffolding so she wasn’t unable to appreciate it like most of our visitors do.
“If I lived here, I think I’d prefer to live in the city,” she admitted to me. “There’s not as much for me to do in Naperville. I don’t think I’d get as involved as you have.”
Another difference between us is where I would rather have a chauffeur, Roxanne loves to get behind the wheel. She’s a great driver and was completely unfazed by driving on the other side of the road or dealing with the Chicago traffic.
“I like driving. It felt like another time when I was in a film,” she said. “Nothing better than driving on your own listening to music with the window down.”
One favorite with all our visitors over the year has been Chicago Premium Outlets shopping center in Aurora. Roxanne got some great deals at Abercrombie, reporting that she bought 15 items there for the price of one in London.
As usual, there were some incidents in which Americans didn’t understand what our guests were saying. They were asked to speak more slowly and I’m sure some people went on their way confused as to why anyone would call their daughter Puppy, but such is life when you’re traveling.
Hilary Decent is a freelance journalist who moved to Naperville from England in 2007. She can be reached at hilarydecent@gmail.com.