Summer Family Friendly Index: How does Evanston stack up ?

I'm in the early stages of a summer project to gather digital photos and video of arts and entertainment in Evanston.
Through my traditional compulsive approach to projects, I started gathering flyers and looking at websites to get the big picture of events in Evanston over the summer
( I had participated in a variety of activities in past summers. But, it was always kinda' ad hoc. ). Being an 'empty nester', I wasn't familiar with the impressive range of activities offered when you lay them all out together!! Evanston's non-profits, Northwestern, private organizations and the City provide quite an arts/cultural/entertainment recreation buffet for families and kids over the summer.

Pardon my ignorance......but, it appears to me that Evanston is an extraordinary environment for kids and families over the summer. A soccer mom that I recently befriended pointed out that as her kids were growing up, she gradually allowed them to take the bus to these various activities. For high school kids, biking wouldn't be a bad option either ? All of this is obviousaly a real advantage that Evanston has for families over the summer.

Are there any other places in the Chi. metro area combining these kinds of elements ? Or, is Evanston just a very remarkable place for kids and families during the summer ?