Vernon Hills, IL

A tree-filled Vernon Hills -- with its winding lanes and period light posts -- resembles a rural community more than a suburb of Chicago, but this terrific city is about 35 miles from Downtown Chicago -- a one-hour ride on the Metra. The Vernon Hills Metra Station is located on the south side of the city, near Hawthorn Club Park. Take Ranney Avenue off Highway 45. If you find a Vernon Hills apartment within biking distance, you'll find plenty of bike racks at the station.

Vernon Hills is considered a shopping destination for much of the surrounding communities; it features several popular shopping plazas and the Hawthorn Mall. The mall is located near the intersection of Milwaukee Avenue and Townline Road. Several restaurants, bars, movie theaters, an ice-skating rink, and a bowling alley are also in this area.

With its beautiful setting, residents of Vernon Hills have access to a variety of parks and lakes. Century Park, in the heart of Vernon Hills, features two fishing lakes -- Big Bear Lake and Little Bear Lake. The park also has two playgrounds, basketball and volleyball courts, 2.7 miles of walking/biking trails, exercise stations, a sledding hill, picnic areas, a boat launch, an outdoor ice skating area, and three ball fields. Other nearby parks include the Cynthia T. Peterson Park, Lake Charles Park, Deerpath Park, and Sullivan Woods. On the other side of Des Plaines River, Captain Daniel Wright Woods Forest Preserve covers 750 acres with hiking, bicycling, skiing, and horseback riding trails. The park also has a fishing pier on a three-acre pond, an off-leash dog park, and the Adlai E. Stevenson Historic Home.