15 years later, Naperville still has what we're looking for
I first stepped foot in Naperville on New Year's Day 1993.
At the time, we lived in Chatham, N.J., population 8,500, but I was eager to move back to the Midwest, closer to my folks in Muncie, Ind.
I'd carefully researched the Chicago area. As I was looking for a growing college community with top-notch schools and good music programs for our three children, North Central College ranked high among Naperville's attractions.
From Muncie to New York City to Chatham, my hometowns always had a river running through them. Here, the winding DuPage River offered a Riverwalk, too.
I dreamed of a place with a four-bedroom house and two full bathrooms that we could afford.
Though my younger brother, who lives in Glen Ellyn, had pitched his community, Naperville kept rising to the top of my list.
The day after Christmas 1992, I called my cousin Candyce Krumwiede, who lives here. I told her all the good things I'd discovered about Naperville.
"When are you coming to see for yourself?" she asked.
Long story short, by Casimir Pulaski Day we'd purchased a house practically across the street from my cousin, our three children were enrolled in school and signed up for piano lessons at North Central, and for weeks I got lost trying to find my way to after-school bowling at Gala Lanes across from the police station on Aurora Avenue. (That's a joke, considering how close we live.)
The rest is a history I never could have imagined 15 years ago.
Last weekend I spent some time driving around, noting changes since our population was 89,000 in 1993.
Back then, White Eagle was considered "south" and little new development existed beyond 83rd Street. The Western Bypass was a work in progress and Book Farm, now a road, still had milk cows.
On Sunday, I marveled at the growth of Tabor Hills along McDowell Road, at the highly visible City Gate Center at I-88 and Route 59, and at LA Fitness that seemed to go up overnight on Freedom Drive near the Holiday Inn Select.
In fact, during my nostalgic drive, a lyric from a song in "Thoroughly Modern Millie" seemed fitting: "You certainly are different from what they have back home where nothing's over three stories high."
Musical transition
When the Naperville/North Central College Performing Arts Association staged its holiday show last month, Brian Lynch, the college's fine arts director, stood in the spotlight at Pfeiffer Hall to invite the audience to return at 8 p.m. Monday.
The award-winning choreographer and stage actor explained that North Central's production of "Thoroughly Modern Millie" has been selected as a regional finalist in the nation's prestigious Kennedy Center American College Theater Festival, the country's only national showcase for colleges.
More than 1,300 entries from 600 academic institutions were submitted.
Fewer than 10 productions will be chosen to perform in April at the John F. Kennedy Center for the Performing Arts in Washington, D.C.
Also during the holidays, four music students from the college entertained the Rotary Club of Naperville/Downtown with Christmas carols and other songs of the season.
During the Q-and-A at the end of their spirited medley, we discovered one of the students, Andrea Larson, performed the lead role of Millie.
The students went on to inform Rotarians and guests that the college would be bringing "Millie" back to local audiences for a special encore performance Monday.
Tickets are for sale at the Pfeiffer Hall box office or by calling (630) 637-SHOW. Tickets are $15 for adults and $10 for students and seniors.
Proceeds will offset the expenses of taking the show to Milwaukee for the first round of competition.
Appreciative Rotarians invited the talented students to return to their meetings anytime, held at 4:44 p.m. every Wednesday.
We also told them the club recently allocated $2,500 for the purchase of seat 444 in the 605-seat Wentz Concert Hall and Fine Arts Center, now under construction at Chicago Avenue and Ellsworth Street.
The growing performing arts community is also a reason I hope to stay here.
Happy New Year!
Talk back
Now you know what attracted Stephanie to Naperville. But what convinced you to move here? If you'd like to share your experiences, drop Stephanie a note at spennydh@aol.com.