Real Estate Website Sings Joliet's Praises

From the food (namely hot dogs and pizza) to the city's history, real estate website Movoto.com says there's plenty of reasons to move to Joliet.

The site, which lists homes for sale as well as market statistics and trends, has published a list: "21 Things You Need to Know About Joliet Before You Move There."

The California-based website lauds Joliet as a city on the rise, saying it's the fastest growing in the Chicago metro area with a "family-friendly atmosphere [and] thriving downtown district rich in history."

Far from fearing "Prison City," the site says prospective residents should consider the now-closed Joliet Correctional Center as a "historic gem."

With a nod to the city's place in movie history in "The Blues Brothers," Movoto also mentions Joliet's link to celebrities including Lionel Ritchie and Melissa McCarthy.

As far as food goes, Movoto says the city is home to world-class hot dogs, courtesy of Hey! Hot Dog, Jody's and Joe's, respectively, as well as "amazing" deep-dish pizza at Lou Malnati's. Joliet also gets a nod for being home to the first Dairy Queen (no mention of Rich & Creamy, sadly).

The Rialto Square Theatre, Chicagoland Raceway and Joliet Slammers baseball team all earned a spot on the list as well.

There were some words of caution for prospective Joliet home buyers.

"Stay West, Young Man," Movoto advises. "The city of Joliet is growing fast with a diverse population and continues to unveil new projects to revamp the streets. But most people who come to Joliet prefer to stay on the west side where the neighborhoods are safe and clean. The general rule of thumb is to avoid the east part of town, unless all that talk of the Chicago metro area having rough streets doesn’t scare you."

Check out the full list here. Do you agree with it?