I couldn't find the Chicago suburban development thread
http://www.chicagotribune.com/lifest...118-story.html
Rockford is making a comeback — and so is the city's pride
Long known for manufacturing, Rockford is in the midst of a reboot. A once sleepy downtown has come alive, and the pride among residents is palpable.
By Kate Silver
Chicago Tribune
October 31, 2018, 8:35 AM |ROCKFORD
If you haven’t been to Rockford in a few years, it might be time to plan a visit. While you were sleeping, the area’s downtown started waking up. And now, work is underway to transform an old, dilapidated factory called the Amerock Building into a 160-room Hilton Embassy Suites Hotel and Rockford Conference Center that’s steps from the action.
Wandering around the urban core of the city, about 90 miles northwest of Chicago, there are bustling spots that feel a bit like Milwaukee or Indianapolis or other river-lined cities in the Midwest. Rockford has many of those elements that city dwellers have come to expect from energized urban areas: craft breweries (Prairie Street Brewing Co. and Carlyle Brewing Co.), a bustling restaurant scene (with locally sourced offerings at places like Social Urban Bar & Restaurant and Octane InterLounge), a coffee roaster (Rockford Roasting Co.), swanky lofts, yoga studios and more.
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