Is it my imagination, or is pretty much every Hallmark Christmas movie set in downtown Naperville? If I were watching from my hometown across the pond, I’d think all the settings were completely fictitious but as I approach my 15th Christmas here, I know differently.
Lamp poles decked with holly? Check. Adorable candy store with bobbing Santa in the window? Check. Festive event that draws the whole town together? Check.
I believe our city offers such a perfect setting that it would make Bedford Falls in “It’s a Wonderful Life” look merely OK.
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Still not convinced? Here’s my guide to all the key places that are perfect locations for a romantic holiday movie.
Anderson’s Bookstore. We’ve all seen it. A handsome young man in a tweed jacket so intent on finding the perfect book for his mom that he accidentally backs into the beautiful young girl beside him. Before she can shout, “Hey, watch where you’re going!” she’s captivated by his turquoise blue eyes and rendered temporarily speechless. So starts the couple’s romantic adventure as they move from the cookbook section to the wedding invitations to, finally, children’s books.
Ice skating. A Christmas movie wouldn’t be complete without at least one ice skating scene. Our rink on the Riverwalk is certainly up to the task with plenty of space for a film crew and stunt skaters who can fill in for the long shots of our heroine surprising her new boyfriend with a skillful triple Lutz even though she hasn’t skated since she was a child.
The gazebo. You’ll find this small-town necessity slap bang in the middle of our Central Park. It’s the place where our heroes will have their first argument, leaving our leading man confused and our leading lady blinking away tears.
Shopping. Once they’ve made up — not that she’s totally forgiven him of course — it’s time to hit the stores. So many to choose from! Little Luxuries is always bursting at the seams with decorative items, which could be followed by a trip to Treasures Naperville to pick up a puzzle or game to play in front of the fire later before heading off to Francesca’s to pick out matching hats with pom-poms.
Hot chocolate. All this shopping is so exhausting, especially when our hero must carry at least a dozen brightly colored but probably empty bags. I defy anyone to find a better place for a steaming cup of delicious hot chocolate than Le Chocolat on Washington Street. I would offer up Starbucks as a close second, but bizarrely our downtown currently doesn’t have one. This doesn’t matter in the world of Hallmark, of course, where every town and every store is totally imaginary. Our couple could meet over a gigantic slice of chocolate cake, where our leading man playfully wipes a blob of frosting from our heroine’s nose and she responds by flicking whipped cream at him.
Romantic ride. I’ll admit one thing we don’t have in town (yet) are horse-drawn carriage rides. However, that doesn’t mean we don’t offer an alternative. I’d recommend our couple call for a Naperville Tuk Tuk and snuggle up as they’re driven around. For some added drama, our leading lady’s ex-boyfriend could suddenly appear in the role of driver. In a jealous rage, he can speed up around the corners but this will only bring our romantic pair closer together as they hang on for dear life.
Holiday lights. What a fun location for our couple to reminisce about their hour-long romance. See them point out the dancing penguins as they laugh and hold hands. Marvel at the colorful archway, and the giant bauble where they take selfies. The sound of Christmas carols is heard in the background thanks to canned music piped out into the night.
The tree. Time for their first kiss. Surprisingly I don’t think I’ve seen one sprig of mistletoe in all the time I’ve lived here, but never mind. The huge sparkly tree by the covered bridge on the Riverwalk is the perfect setting. In a rare religious moment, our couple stop to admire the nativity scene as two junior high kids dash past throwing snowballs at each other.
Moser Tower. For some reason, Hallmark either makes movies for Christmas or New Year’s. They rarely appear in the same film. However, if producers are looking for the perfect place for our couple to ring in the New Year, I offer up Moser Tower, radiating not only festive colors but the most joyous sound of all, carillon bells.
The big finale. Every movie needs a big finish and what could be more uplifting than our annual Holiday Parade of Lights, where the entire town comes together to wave at the brightly decorated floats and shivering dance teams. Our heroine, dressed as a holiday fairy and sitting precariously on top of a cardboard Christmas tree, searches through the crowd for her beau. Will he make it in time to save the parade? Finally, she spots him advancing towards her. “Make way, make way,” he says in a voice at least two octaves lower than usual. The crowd parts and cheers as he bounds onto the float and nestles into the sleigh beside her tree. “Ho, ho, ho,” he says with a laugh as while his Santa’s hat touches the side of his nose. Our couple is reunited as the hero, decked out in a rented red suit, drops to one knee while pulling a giant diamond out of his glove. The crowd erupts as the couple embraces and snow begins to fall.
Wherever life takes you this Christmas, you’d be hard pressed to find anywhere more festive and welcoming than our own city. May all your halls be decked and your pear trees be full of partridges this holiday season.
Hilary Decent is a freelance journalist who moved to Naperville from England in 2007.