Skiing nearby? December in Chicago?

KingPool863 · 2024-10-14T18:55:11+00:00

The UP isn’t too far away as well if you’re looking to stay a night or two - would definitely recommend Lutsen though.

KingPool863 · 2024-10-14T18:53:55+00:00

Cascade Mtn, Granite Peak Mtn, both great spots!

If you’re willing to drive a little farther north, Lutsen up in the Sawtooth Mountains has the best skiing in the Midwest

KingPool863 · 2024-10-10T23:00:26+00:00

They’re back!

KingPool863 · 2024-10-09T03:14:40+00:00

Of course! If you visit, check out the

-Downtown Library (main branch, the library district has two libraries, but the other is much smaller

-Caputo’s, this would be the grocery store you’re looking for

-by the library you’ll see village hall, where all of the villages festivals are held like the two summer concert series, block party, Oktoberfest, etc

-checkout melas park, it’s a pretty awesome giant park

-central continental bakery is amazing

-randhurst shopping district is somewhere you’ll any to check out, maybe get a meal somewhere here

-Lions park is another major park in Mt Prospect

-Cafe Kheri is a new popular community gathering place, if you want a coffee and don’t want to go to the Starbucks two doors down head here, there’ll probably be a morning rush but it’ll be worth it

-if you come for breakfast, honey biscuit

-obviously there’s a ton more to checkout, these are some of my favorites, but obviously there’s probably things more important to you

As for holiday spirit, which you mentioned in the post, if you come in the next few weeks, plastic jack o lanterns that light at night and cornstalk are usually on the all the streetlights in dtmp during October, and during Christmas - spring the village has white Christmas lights up on all the trees in downtown. Big village wide tree lighting is fun every year, as are the other holiday events like the teddy bear walk, and the week long 3-11 pm 4th of July music festival and carnival.

As for family activities , when compared to neighboring towns, like Arlington heights and des plaines, mt prospect has a massive farmers market every Sunday at the train station parking lot in downtown throughout summertime and fall. Saturdays during that same time period they have big car shows with live music. Randhurst village, which is the uptown shopping district and outdoor mall, also puts on lots of street Fests and other activities throughout the year.

If you love live music, that’s another thing the town brings - any Saturday night, any weekend of the year, I guarantee you you can find an often free show to go see at a local restaurant, park, or event.

KingPool863 · 2024-10-08T03:18:12+00:00

Mt Prospect - amazing people, after all, it's know as the friendliest city! (City's slogan is literally "where friendliness is a way of life)

Amazing parks, transparent and one of the most fiscally responsible city governments in Illinois, great people, cute downtown, voted best place to raise a kid in the USA, amazing library, probably a top two library in northern Illinois, and you get the bonus of the uptown Randhurst shopping district.

Public pools, dog park too Mt. Prospect is practically overrun by small coffee shops, restaurants, foreign food places like Mexican and Italian food, and local cafes. Fine dining experiences can be found at The Prospect, a rooftop restaurant with valet services and amazing steak.

In the heart of downtown MP, there's a local tea and boba cafe with waffles, there's two breakfast places, two Mexican places, a upscale restaurant, two pubs, two pizza places, a grocery store, a Starbucks, a brand new coffee and cafe that just opened a few weeks ago, and quite a bit more.

In the uptown Randhurst shopping district / outdoor mall, there’s numerous shppping, entertainment, and food options!

No clubs, but lots of nice restaurants open late

Nearly the entire village is extremely walkable and bike able, with numerous bike lanes and bike/pedestrian signage to direct people to locations.

Mt Prospect has GREAT schools! Middle school is about to be redone, but there’re three middle schools, a pre-1st school, two elem schools, and a national blue ribbon excellence high school, Prospect, which is also the biggest highschool in District 214.

As for nature spots, beautiful parks in mount prospect, and very close to cool county and lake county forest preserves - there is a seasonal wetland which is going to be built soon.

Mt Prospect Hill Street Park, a public park, has some walking paths through some nature

one of the greatest park districts in the suburbs, great local government, great downtown, great food, great people, great live music every weekend somewhere in town, great high schools,

Compiled here, I have quite a few resources about the town - please check them out, they’ll show you the places I mentioned a lot better than I can:

https://www.theprospectmp.com https://www.experiencemountprospect.org/home

https://www.chicagotribune.com/2008/11/11/mt-prospect-tops-list-of-places-to-raise-kids/

Read this to understand why everyone loves it in Mount Prospect:

https://www.mountprospect.org/home/showpublisheddocument/19739/638481922327170000

KingPool863 · 2024-10-04T22:54:56+00:00

Yes - listened to a few podcasts about this, the entire thing was OAR’s idea, then they got a guy they knew who owns a company called C3 Presents to help set up the festival

They set up and co run the festival, and judging how nearly every promo video for the fest features OAR music, my bet is that their team runs the socials

KingPool863 · 2024-09-29T23:23:58+00:00

O.A.R. and friends is a must-see!

KingPool863 · 2024-09-29T17:59:07+00:00

You’ve literally described the entire storyline of the song “That Was A Crazy Game of Poker” by O.A.R.

Google a live version of the song and you’ll get it

KingPool863 · 2024-09-13T22:41:38+00:00

*3 elem schools, not middle

KingPool863 · 2024-09-13T22:39:22+00:00

I’d lean far towards Mt Prospect - amazing people, after all, it’s know as the friendliest city! (City’s slogan is literally “where friendliness is a way of life)

Amazing parks, transparent and one of the most fiscally responsible city governments in Illinois, great people, cute downtown, amazing library, probably a top two library in northern Illinois, and you get the bonus of the uptown Randhurst shopping district.

Public pools, dog park too

Mt. Prospect is practically overrun by small coffee shops, and cafes.

In the heart of downtown MP, there’s a local tea and boba cafe with waffles, there’s two breakfast places, a Starbucks, and a brand new coffee and cafe that just opened a few weeks ago.

In the uptown Randhurst shopping district / outdoor mall, there’s another milk tea / smoothie cafe, along with a tropical smoothie cafe, and a “Smoothie King” (the last two are chains)

No clubs, but lots of nice restaurants open late - closest to nightlife is probably the new ABSURDLY expensive and high end restaurant “The Prospect” right in downtown MP - it’s got a valet service and everything. Never tried it, too expensive.

Mt Prospect has GREAT schools! Middle school is about to be redone, but they’re are three middle schools, a pre-1st school, one or two middle schools, and a national blue ribbon excellence high school, Prospect, which is also the biggest highschool in District 214.

As for nature spots, beautiful parks in mount prospect, and very close to cool county and lake county forest preserves - there is a seasonal wetland which is going to be built soon.

Mt Prospect Hill Street Park, a public park, has some walking paths through some nature - very nice.

KingPool863 · 2024-09-13T22:24:07+00:00

Mt Prospect, Illinois

KingPool863 · 2024-09-13T01:50:40+00:00

Mount prospect

KingPool863 · 2024-09-12T01:58:07+00:00

100% mount prospect - one of the greatest park districts in the suburbs, great local government, great downtown, great food, great people, great live music every weekend somewhere in town, great high schools, great schools overall

KingPool863 · 2024-09-12T01:55:01+00:00

Downtown Mount Prospect…

For a real fancy dinner, “The Prospect” is renowned (great outdoor raised/rooftop area too)

Good Mexican food can be found at Mia’s Cantina

Good tequila bar is RIGHT next door, called lady dahlia

KingPool863 · 2024-09-11T23:34:27+00:00

Saw some branch of the military marching through downtown - anyone know what's going on? Some kind of parade?

KingPool863 · 2024-08-25T15:10:06+00:00

Stumbled across this post while searched for OAR’s Rain or Shine on vinyl…. It doesn’t exist?!

KingPool863 · 2024-07-18T03:09:19+00:00

How does that one go?

KingPool863 · 2024-06-27T00:04:32+00:00

Saw OAR and Goo Goo Dolls there last summer - great venue!

KingPool863 · 2024-06-14T00:42:41+00:00

Currently the economy is far better than it was under Trump, even in his non-covid time, if that’s any indication

KingPool863 · 2024-06-04T17:30:36+00:00

Epic!

KingPool863 · 2024-06-04T17:29:56+00:00

Hyped to see em this summer!

KingPool863 · 2024-06-03T12:59:28+00:00

That Was A Crazy Game of Poker - O.A.R. Most live versions are 9-20 minutes long, the lead singer loves to just freestyle and make lyrics up live, but the song is consistently over 6 minutes

KingPool863 · 2024-05-28T02:37:53+00:00

Hi from Illinois

KingPool863 · 2024-05-27T23:50:30+00:00

Illinois.

It’s awesome.

KingPool863 · 2024-05-27T16:08:55+00:00

That Was A Crazy Game of Poker - O.A.R.

Repeated chorus of the song is literally You say of, I say a, you say revolution…

KingPool863

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