23 Reasons To Absolutely Love Rockford, Illinois

Rockford, Illinois gets such a bad rap more often than not. I'm not here to bash this city, I'm giving you every reason to start loving this place we call home.

Over the years, we've been given more and more reasons to love Rockford.

My favorite thing about living here is all the art. None of our murals would be possible without the creative, insanely talented artists living here. There's even a Public Art Trail where you can find every art installation and mural in the region. It's such a cool adventure to go on!

Mindy Joy Nutter Young/GoRockford/Canva

Other locals had plenty to say about Rockford (but I made sure it was all positive!). Here's what many said are their favorites things about Rockford. How many do you agree with?

Beyond the Stereotypes: 23 Reasons To Absolutely Love Rockford

All the restaurants
Park District events
Bike paths
Food Truck Tuesdays
Ski Broncs
All four seasons
Attending Rock Valley College
Rockford IceHogs games
Anderson Japanese Gardens
Hiking at Rock Cut State Park
The Coronado Theater
Local thrift stores
Pridefest
The Rock River
The Burpee Museum
Stroll on State
In proximity to other major cities
The Hard Rock Casino Rockford
Abundance of local businesses
All the parks
Unique food options
Festivals in the summer time
Live music everywhere

I have lived in Rockford my entire life and I've always believed in the potential here.

Many people are in such a hurry to leave town, but if you can find the beauty in everything Rockford has to offer it would outweigh everything else. At least that's what I've found to help me have a more positive outlook!

The list could go on forever. So, instead of everyone always being negative and bashing this city for every tiny thing, why not find the positives? If you're going to live here, let's try to enjoy it rather than complain and be miserable. Just a thought!