Oak Park: A destination date right next door

A destination date doesn't have to be some exotic locale where you need a map to get around and can't pronounce anything on the menu. As long as you're going somewhere for the day and plan to stay, you've just designed yourself a destination date.

With so many great village and town centers out here in the suburbs, you could keep yourself and a date busy for weekends to come. So quit asking "Are we there yet?" and first let me tell you where we are headed - the Oak Park Arts District.

The Oak Park Arts District has been in existence for over a decade. Lining Harrison Street and spanning the distance from Ridgeland Avenue to Austin Boulevard, a variety of galleries, specialty boutiques, unique restaurants and businesses that focus on the healing arts make this district a rich, artistic and cultural destination in Oak Park.

Start your date in the Buzz Café with a cup o' joe and a snack. Their diverse menu specializes in organic, locally grown foods; serving up breakfast, lunch and dinner, including daily specials. The walls are adorned with works from local artists. This eclectically decorated, community oriented cafe will definitely invigorate you both to head out and start strolling the artistic avenue.

Meander down Harrison Street to window shop and check out the range of stores that dot the artists' row - from bead shops and bookstores, working studios and galleries, to the glass-blowing studio.

Caught up in the atmosphere and feeling a little creative? Head over to Bead in Hand. The walls of the shop are covered with (what else?) row after row of beads. Now if that creative surge you had when you walked in sank into your stomach as you realized you had no clue what to do with beads, don't worry - you and your date can take a class and get a little instruction. What's sweeter than walking away with a little bracelet that your date fashioned with his/her own hands?

If you know that your date is eco-conscious and has a divine sense of style, you both have to swing by the CarefulPeach Boutique. This place is filled with a mixture of old and new, eco-friendly merchandise, like silken sheets made of pure bamboo and jewelry made from recycled Parisian flatware, handmade purses, soaps and oils. The prices here span from affordable to ouch, so you can easily buy a little something and keep your date smiling for the rest of the day.

There is one thing that no one can dispute the beauty of, and that is handblown glass. We all "ooohh and aaahhhh" when viewing it because we know that we could never do that - or could we -

Check out Prodigy Glassworks. You can view their vessels and other works of art in the showroom or (make sure you set it up ahead of time) participate in one of their classes. It may be a little pricey, but for the experience of a lifetime, and a date to go down in the blogosphere, you just might think twice about giving it a whirl.

If all the trekking and class taking has you both in a frenzy, take a moment. Duck into Whispers From the Moon or the Yoga Trek Center to breathe, center yourselves and clear your heads. When all is well in your head spaces it will probably be about time to consider feeding your growling stomachs.

Swing on over to Trattoria 225 in the heart of the art district. As with the goal of the cafes in the district, 225 also incorporates organic, local and sustainable products into their affordable menu. Appetizers, wood-fired pizzas, homemade pastas and delicious main courses - your date won't be let down at the end of the day with this Italian treat. A spot of wine and some gelato at the end of the meal will put the capper on your destination date.

Many of our older suburbs house these little gems that we are either unaware of or pay little attention to as we view them as "dilapidated." Shiny new bricks don't house automatic charm, and the types of ambiance that these town centers exude take decades to develop.

So grab that someone special and take them on an unexpected local destination date.

Where to go

Oak Park Art District: shopoakpark.com/OPAD

Buzz Café: thebuzzcafe.com

Bead in Hand: beadinhand.com

Carefulpeach Boutique: carefulpeach.com

Prodigy Glassworks: prodigyglassworks.net

Whispers From the Moon: whisphersfromthemoon.com

Yoga Trek Center: yogatrekcenter.com

Trattoria 225: trattoria225.com