No. 9

Schaumburg, Illinois

Schaumburg holds a firm place in Chicago’s so-called Golden Corridor, a stretch of suburbs northwest of the city that is known as an economic and manufacturing powerhouse. While the region hosts several Fortune 500 company headquarters, Schaumburg claims it is home to more business than any other place in Illinois, outside of the Windy City itself.

Residents benefit from the town’s resources. You can take in a concert or theater performance at the Prairie Center for the Arts or visit the Trickster Art Gallery.

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Families will enjoy the Legoland Discovery Center, while shoppers can stroll the Woodfield Mall, one of the largest in the country, and choose from nearly 300 stores and restaurants.

The village’s facilities are also a point of pride. A stroll through the Town Square may take you past a concert or a farmers’ market, depending on the day. Schaumburg’s district library is one of the largest in the state, with more than a million visitors each year.

Investment in the town’s parks shows too: The town’s newest children’s space, Bison’s Bluff Nature Playground , opened this spring. —Kerri Anne Renzulli

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