'''Glen Ellyn''' is a village in the Chicagoland area. This village has a interesting history filled with its ups and downs. However, today Glen Ellyn remains an affluent Chicago suburb with an abundance of historic sites and an exceptional dining scene.
Get in
'''Roosevelt Road''' is a major artery that runs through town. O'Hare International Airport is nearby. Metra commuter trains provide a connection from Chicago en route to Elburn.
Get around
The PACE bus system provides transportation to neighboring towns such as Lombard and Wheaton. However, the village is compact enough that on foot is the best way to go.
See
'''Stacey's Tavern''' a historic carriage stop, located in the village. This is a working museum that shows what life would have been like in the time of its operation. Nearby is a museum that shows the history of the Village of Glen Ellyn.
'''Lake Ellyn''' a lake near the downtown area. A remnant of the once thriving health resort that Glen Ellyn was in the 1890's.
Lake Ellyn is an amazing place to relax and maybe even catch a "fish"!
Do
The annual '''Taste of Glen Ellyn''' is a village-wide extravaganza with booths of craft vendors, a stage with rotating singing acts, booths from several area restaurants, and many other vendors. The major attraction though is arguably the carnival which visits once a year.
The '''Farmer's Market''' occurs every Friday from spring until fall. Many different farmers offer their farm fresh produce, flowers, and baked goods.
Glen Theatre. 40 Crescent Blvd. lenarttheatre.com. A quaint movie theatre in the center of Glen Ellyn, with the most popular current flicks and and maybe one or two indie films.
Buy
The Central Business District of Glen Ellyn has many specialty stores to suit all types of people. In addition, there is a strong retail and commercial presence on Roosevelt Rd.
Eat
It is Glen Ellyn's restaurant scene that is the true star of downtown. The CBD features numerous award-winning restaurants, including '''Cab's''' [http://www.cabsbistro.com/], Bistro Monet [http://chicago.metromix.com/restaurants/french/bistro-monet-glen-ellyn/145063/content], '''Shannon's Irish Pub''' [http://chicago.metromix.com/bars-and-clubs/bar_food/shannons-irish-pub-glen-ellyn/146880/content], '''Figo''' [http://www.figoristorante.com/home.htm], '''Marinella's''' [http://www.yelp.com/biz/marinella-italian-restaurant-glen-ellyn], '''Barone's''' [http://baronesge.com/], '''Mykha's ''' [http://www.yelp.com/biz/mykhas-glen-ellyn], '''Thipi Thai''' [http://thipithairestaurant.com/], and '''Santa Fe''' [http://www.yelp.com/biz/santa-fe-glen-ellyn].
Recently a former downtown Glen Ellyn mainstay returned to the CBD after a 2 year hiatus. Lee Ebersole's '''Heaven-Lee Chicago Hot Dogs''' cart was awarded a new permit to sell hot dogs after a two-year debacle with the DuPage County Health Department.
Glen Ellyn's own '''Flour Barrel Bakery''' in downtown is renowned for their big yellow smiley face cookies. These cookies are VERY popular to people of all ages and a staple of many Glen Ellyners' diets.
Drink
Nightlife in Glen Ellyn is mostly concentrated south of the railroad tracks, downtown, on Main Street. Here, most of the restaurants, namely Figo, Shannon's, Santa Fe, and Cab's, feature a full-service bar. The thing that separates Cab's from the rest, though is its classy atmosphere and its obvious focus on Wine. For a more hardcore "bar" environment visit Curley's, downtown, across from the fire station.
Sleep
Lodging in Glen Ellyn is extremely limited and poor at best featuring a Roadway Inn and an America's Best Inn. Although there will be one notable exception. The recently opened Crowne Plaza on the far east side of the village along the border with neighboring Lombard provides Glen Ellyn its first luxury hotel since the legendary Glen Ellyn Hotel health resort burned down in the late 1800's. [http://www.ichotelsgroup.com/h/d/cp/1/en/hotel/CHIGE?hotelCode=CHIGE&_requestid=494618]
Crowne Plaza Glen Ellyn-Lombard. 250 Roosevelt Road, Glen Ellyn, IL 60137. 30-629-6000 - info@cpglenellyn.com. ttp://www.cpglenellyn.com. Indulge in luxury lodging at the Crowne Plaza Glen Ellyn-Lombard, an upscale Glen Ellyn, Illinois hotel near downtown Chicago that treats business and leisure travelers to well-appointed guestrooms and suites, indoor swimming pool, onsite restaurant, 24-hour business center, complimentary high-speed Internet access and value hotel packages.
Get out
A 40 minute train ride is all that separates Glen Ellyn from a truly cultural experience found in The Windy City. Chicago is truly a world-class city and should not be missed.
If you enjoy a more small town atmosphere, visit Galena, Illinois. Galena is an old mining town local to the mighty Mississippi River, that features a charming downtown shopping district with many quaint shops and charming eateries. It is about a 2 hour drive away.
See Also
'''Glen Ellyn official website''': http://www.glenellyn.org/
'''Glen Ellyn unofficial website''': http://www.glen-ellyn.com/
'''Glen Ellyn Chamber of Commerce''': http://www.glenellynchamber.com/
'''DuPage County Convention and Visitors Bureau''': http://www.discoverdupage.com/
'''Glen Ellyn Crown Plaza''': http://www.ichotelsgroup.com/h/d/cp/1/en/hotel/chige/