A HIDDEN GEM - MURPHY LAKE, PARK RIDGE

THE FIVE BEST THINGS ABOUT LIVING ON MURPHY LAKE IN PARK RIDGE, ILLINOIS.

Number 1 - Swans

There are two swans on the lake who scare off those pesky geese and lay eggs each spring. You get to see baby swans and they are SO adorable but be careful! The last thing you want to do is get too close to the baby swans or the mama swan will try her best to bite your nose. They like little bits of bread, sometimes they'll eat it out of your hand.

Number 2 - Booze Cruise on the Paddle Boats

So, there's no motors allowed on Murphy Lake to avoid freaking everyone out, but paddle boats and canoes are all the rage. If you don't drink then grab a water and enjoy the views. If you DO drink, fill that built-in cooler with Stella Artois or Cabernet and let the good times roll! *Word to the wise: sound carries over water so don't start yelling about that one time, at band camp... if you don't want your neighbors to hear it.*

Number 3 - 4th of July

Who needs Navy Pier when you have neighbors who light up the sky like nobody's business. Combine Number 2 with Number 3 and you'll have the best July 4th of your life. Guaranteed. 

Number 4 - Winter

Everyone seems to agree that winter can kick rocks once December ends. But I don't think you'd feel like that if you had an ice rink in your backyard. It freezes really, really deep so you can plow out your own hockey rink if you so choose. It's been done before and will be done again come January!

Number 5 - Wildlife

So when it snows over the ice rink you built (see #4) you'll start to notice all sorts of tracks imprinted in the snow. It won't take long for you to figure out that you're noticing deer, coyote, fox and whatever else tracks. I once saw a dog chase a deer all the way across the ice on the lake until the deer jumped over someone's 6-foot fence and got away. I would not lie about this.

In the summer there's an even bigger variety: swans, geese, cardinals, hawks, orioles, blue heron, chipmunks, bunnies, raccoons and more deer.

 I KNOW what you MUST be thinking! 

'Man, I wish I didn't have to move so far away from the city to live in such a crazy cool suburb as Park Ridge. Welllllllllllll, you don't.

Park Ridge is only 15 MILES from the heart of downtown Chicago. 15 MILES! AND the schools are insanely amazing.

I've driven from the 'City of Trees' (seriously, that's it's nickname) into the real city on innumerable occasions and without traffic it only takes me 18 minutes from the time I sit down on my painfully sun-warmed leather seats (that summer sun is relentless!) to the time I get to the loop. Maybe even less. I once made it all the way to Comiskey - ahem, U.S. Cellular - in 22 minutes. I know this because I was running late, as usual, and so I timed it.

See commuters? The suburbs really aren't so bad, are they?