As a very walking-friendly downtown, Naperville offers an urban feel in the far-out suburbs. With several modes of transportation, Metra, Pace, and Amtrack there are many ways to get to this vibrant downtown.
Downtown Naperville offers shopping, upscale dining, college bars, unique sweets, and so much more! Plus the Naperville Riverwalk, a cute nature stroll, connects the downtown to community amenities including Centennial Beach (a pool area) and nature adventures like paddle boats!
Transportation to Naperville
From Chicago Via Public Transportation
The train ride from Chicago to Naperville is just a little over an hour. The Metra BNSF line departs Chicago from Union Station. Take the BNSF metra train to Naperville. Downtown Naperville begins just about 3 or so blocks away from the station on S Washington St.
Naperville Train Station
Naperville Train Station is not only a Metra Stop, but an Amtrak Station as well. Additionally, it is also where several pace bus routes start/end. As a transportation hub, it gives you several ways of getting to/from Naperville. My favorite part in all this though is that as a transportation hub, the station is usually open! This means as a public transportation traveler you have access to a warm or cool shelter and a restroom. Plus, this location has vending machines! Oh, and outside of the station, there was this machine where you could purchase your Metra tickets.
Via Car
The drive from Chicago to Naperville is 45 minutes. I’ll be honest here, I am a huge advocate for people to take public transportation when they can. With that said, this trip is a good opportunity to do just that. You are truly only saving a few minutes by taking a vehicle and that’s as long as traffic cooperates!
With all this in mind, Naperville does have free parking, including garage parking.
Shopping in Downtown Naperville
Naperville has a great mix of chain stores like Sephora and Athletica, along with fun unique boutique stores. I am going to focus on the more local stores, however, a chain may pop into the mix here and there. I personally just like to be upfront with my writing and well, shopping choices!
Dash Of Nash: Not gonna lie, the pinkness of this store led me right on in, like without hesitation! It had a large selection of women’s clothing, mostly with a southern, old T-Swift twist. Candles with funny sayings also stocked the store.
Anderson’s Bookshop: Even as a non-avid reader I still find myself drawn to bookstores. I know that’s a lot to break down. Yes, I am a writer who doesn’t read for fun. Even after years of being out of college, I still blame textbooks for draining the fun out of reading. Anyway, this bookshop was big for a local store but still had that community charm.
Purple Dog Records: Hidden in an alleyway, this shop is quite the hidden gem. Before I even entered the store I heard Noth Center College’s school radio playing from the loudspeaker. The small store offered bins of records, prices ranging from $2-$25. Featuring both used and new records, everything was clearly marked with their ranking system. From fair to sealed and everything in between. The store also had patches and pins too! I may have also walked away with a free sticker. This store also purchases records.
Anderson’s Toyshop: I was an “I don’t wanna grow up” Toys R US kid. So any time I see a Toyshop I just have to go in! Anderson’s Toyshop was so fun and honestly gave me all those nostalgic feelings. They offered a great selection of toys including some I was familiar with, and newer gadgets. Anderson’s Toyshop also had a large selection of really unique fidgets.
Sur La Table: For me as someone who usually stays clear of the kitchen, I find this store a bit baffling. They seem to have all of your kitchen needs and then some in like every color imaginable! This location offers cooking classes as well if you are looking for something unique to do. Most classes seem to be starting around $89!
Boutique Poppy: This women’s clothing boutique store features clean and classic looks, with neutral tones. I absolutely loved the green-toned hairclips they had.
Treasures: This game shop featured so many new games, that I hadn’t heard of. I literally started a ‘want to buy’ list while in the store and walked away with one long wishlist. There were so many board games for all ages. Although I love D&D and know people who enjoy Magic, It was a breath of fresh air to be in a game shop that featured items beyond that! Don’t get me wrong, they had a few items regarding D&D but mostly the focus was on board games, like Heros of Barcadia and Miller Zoo. They also had “choose your own adventure books.”
Dining, Treats & Drinks
Firecakes: This local Chicagoland donut chain has a shop here in Naperville! One of my favorites is the Pistachio Old Fashioned. They offer a rotating menu of donuts with seasonal options. If you’re looking for a special treat, try a Donut Ice Cream Sandwich.
Cookie Dough Creations: Cookie Dough in a cone?! That was exactly what I got from Cookie Dough Creations. It was such a unique experience to eat cookie dough straight up. The cone was a fun addition, although it was weird to have a mixture in a cone that was not melting. This place offers several treats if cookie dough is not your thing, including ice cream. There is also a game room in the back with seats to enjoy your treats!
Le Chocolat du Bouchard: This chocolate shop offers fine chocolate treats, including truffles, turtles, caramels, macaroons, and more! The Bistro also offers a lunch and dinner with menu items starting around $12 a plate. And they have a dessert flight starting at $10!
Tasting deVine Cellars: Sample Lynfred Wines before buying a bottle or two. I personally love sweet fruit wines, and enjoyed the Mango and Sparkling Almond. Bottles start around $12.
Activities
Naperville Riverwalk: This path follows the West Branch of the DuPage River and the trail connects the downtown to several nearby activities. For more information on this urban meets nature walk read “Naperville Riverwalk Trail Review.”
Centennial Beach: Going up to 15 ft deep with diving boards and a shallow area slide, Centennial Beach is more than your average pool. It also happens to be within walking distance from Naperville’s Downtown and train station. Picnic Tables and concessions are available along with many other great amenities! Day passes are $14 for non-residents.
Paddleboat Quarry: If you are looking for water activities, the Paddleboat Quarry has got you covered. Choose from 4 different kinds of watercraft, with rental times for both 20 minutes and 40 minutes. One-person kayaks start at $10, Two-person kayaks start at &15, Paddleboards begin at $10 and Paddle boats at $12.
Sledding and Ice skating: Rotary Hill located near the downtown and is walkable to/from the train station offers a great place to enjoy sledding. The area is also lit up at night until 10 pm. If you are looking to ice skate there is a rink in Centennial Park. Both of these activities are weather-dependent!
Walkability in and around Downtown Naperville
This area was very pedestrian-friendly! At lights there were crosswalks with signals, that seemed to automatically and continuously give light cues to pedestrians. This means you do not have to push the button like you might in other areas. However, if you do push the button for a walk signal I found that most will give you the light and audio cues as well.
This area also has sidewalks everywhere within the train and downtown vicinity. The walking areas also felt like there was an ample amount of light sources, from businesses and light posts. The River Walk even has light lamps!
Know Before You Go
I would suggest going to experience downtown Naperville Wednesday-Sunday to ensure that shops and activities are open! Most shops in the area open around 10 am and close around 4 pm. If you are hoping to catch a specific store I’d recommend checking their hours before you head out. Most stores are closed on Mondays.
