There’s a place not far from Chicago that’s one part university town, one part quiet lakefront retreat, and another part city. We’re talking about Evanston, of course.

With a population of just under 75,000, Evanston boasts excellent transit connectivity into Chicago, a lively downtown district with shopping and dining, and a string of lakefront beaches. In many ways, it could almost be viewed as a miniature version of Chicago itself, or at the very least, the link between the big city downtown and the quieter North Shore suburbs.

Here are just a handful of reasons we love Evanston and why it’s a great place for any home shopper to consider.