Periodically we get emails identifying the best and worst cities and states pertaining to a variety of categories — biking, hiking, driving, taxes, etc.
One recent missive identified the best states for pioneer women, as if there were tons of females across the country wondering where they should move to grow their own crops, herd their own cattle and heat their bath water on a stove. (In case you are one of those rare women, you should move to Texas and steer clear of Rhode Island.)
Another recent email identified the best and worst cities for hipsters. The most hip cities are (not surprisingly) New York, Los Angeles, Portland, San Francisco and our very own Chicago. Nevada earned a special distinction in this category as home to four of the five least hip cities.
Curious as to how they determine these rankings? So were we.
Hipness, at least in this survey, depends on whether a city has a tattoo parlor, a vintage shop, a yoga studio, a record store, electric scooter rentals and a vegan restaurant.
This all got us thinking about the various categories in which Hinsdale might rank No. 1 as a “best city” (village, if you’re being technical) in which to live.
According to our brainstorming session, Hinsdale is the best place to live for ...
• car aficionados — luxury car dealers Land Rover and Ferrari are conveniently located on Ogden Avenue.
• pickleball protégés — Hinsdale is home to six dedicated pickleball courts at Brook Park and two dual striped pickleball/tennis courts at Robbins Park. Residents can show up for open play or sign up for a lesson to improve their game.
• those who suffer from chronic “bad hair” days — with no less than a dozen salons in town, help is literally just around the corner
• hesitant drivers — someone else (often driving a more expensive car) always is willing to go first
• philanthropists — the village is home to dozens of nonprofit agencies and groups that support everything from homeless pets to health education
• those who love the color blue — Hinsdale proper is home to seven Blue Ribbon schools — The Lane, Madison School, Monroe School, Oak School, St. Isaac Jogues School, Hinsdale Middle School and Hinsdale Central High School.
• Tesla owners — usually one of the spaces dedicated for electric cars in the downtown parking deck is open, which means free charging for hours on end
• furniture lovers — so many big houses means so many rooms to fill with couches, loveseats, end tables, sideboards, swivel chairs, ottomans, sectionals, tables, barstools, beds, recliners, armoires, bookcases ... well, you get the picture.
• empowered women — a female village manager (Kathleen Gargano), high school district superintendent (Tammy Prentiss) and host of entrepreneurs make Hinsdale a great place for women who run the show.
• the faithful — Hinsdale is home to 13 churches, with two just for Lutherans!
• local news junkies — every home in the village gets free delivery of The Hinsdalean every Thursday. ‘Nuff said.
