<p>Valpo does have some wonderful restaurants, including Spanish, French, Mexican, Italian and Japanese. Students have a short drive to the Indiana Dunes beaches and Chicago is really not that far away with a car (or take the train). I live near Valpo, and we often go there to eat and shop. It has a cute little downtown and they often have festivals. Not city, per se, but not as depressed as many of the small towns we have visited in our search. Valparaiso does not give off the “depressed area” vibe that you feel when you visit Beloit or Knox.</p>