Welcome to Homewood, Illinois, a suburb of 20,000 that is marketing itself to urbanites as a hidden hipster gem.
The town, which is about 25 miles south of downtown Chicago, just launched a new advertising campaign called “Think Homewood.” Ads posted inside trains on the L’s Blue Line and elsewhere in Chicago contrast the laid-back vibe of Homewood to the stress of city living. The ads are comic strips drawn by illustrator and Homewood resident Marc Alan Fishman.
— citylab.com
The Chicago suburb Homewood harnessed the graphic skills of a local artist to launch their comic-strip ad campaign, Think Homewood, in order to attract millennials. Joining the list of suburban towns that must now work to attract the demographic they were originally intended for, Homewood strives to market itself as a diverse neighborhood for young families.
Think Homewood addresses the inconveniences of city life, especially for those with kids, and promises a stress free alternative. The campaign plays off millennial tropes including love of avocados, children named "zen", and brunching at farm-to-table cafes.
9 Comments
So the only problem with living in Homewood is living in Homeweood where you must have a car at least one for every adult so they can spend all of their time in traffic driving kids to every single activity. also the commute into the city center is 21+ miles not the short distance to the city limits. The Suburbs are not all in decline but they are not thriving. This is an interesting way to try and paint a pretty picture but the suburbs are not equivalent to the city and the cultural benefit/attraction of living in a city comes with trade offs such as parking and traffic.
Over and OUT
Peter N
I think you are missing the economics of living in a city vs suburb with kids.
exactly the point, I have no kids, no yard to maintain and love my city life with things to do places to go and transit to take me to where I need to go. that and having 4 top notch grocery stores within 3 blocks of my house. Lots of my neighbors do OK with kids in the city schools in Chicago but schools are truly a neighborhood by neighborhood thing. The suburbs are limited because people decide they need things, space to put their stuff and the time to take care of it all. I still don't get why suburbanites think that just because you don't own a yard that your kids would be deprived of adequate time outside. Parks in the city can be better than back yards where your kids are likely to have to play alone.
Most cities are more expensive though per sf these days. I don't know much about Chicago? Are the Urban areas becoming gentrified/expensive like in NYC and SF?
The cringe is strong with this one.
It actually captures the hokiness of suburban living somewhat spectacularly. As marketing... well not so much.
Awful, just awful.
I could see the new US Steel development on Chicago's South Side being a more compelling place than traditional suburbs. It hinges on whether it reverts to New Urbanism, or tries to take a more European approach to housing development. Either way, without transit connections to Chicago's infrastructure, I don't see how any suburb can truly thrive.
I don't think they've properly identified their competition - don't know how or why someone would choose Homewood over Oak Park or Western Springs or Evanston or any of these other Chicago suburbs with relatively vibrant and established business districts and better transit connectivity to Chicago.
Interesting comments. I live in the south suburbs. And also visit the city regularly. And have also lived in the west suburbs. The south suburbs offer good schools, little crime and much more affordable real estate than the west suburbs. There is an express train line to the loop for 30 minutes and many restaurants, microbreweries, galleries and such nearby. The towns are more integrated than the west suburbs with a more liberal, educated and tolerant population in general. I love Oak Park personally and especially the architecture....but the south suburbs are more affordable with much less traffic. Know the suburbs are not the city....but having access to great health clubs and restaurants and access to Michigan beaches is great. And driving to the city 3X per month or so for a few other new restaurants can be a great addition to the suburban life. We even have a Science pub with free lectures and drinks from university professors over drinks at an 1899 country club every month. The ads are cool and appreciated as an attempt to highlight what is often an overlooked integrated part of Chicago. I suggest those who criticize here take a trip south and actually check things out.
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