Lockport is a city in Will County with a long history tied to the Illinois and Michigan Canal. The old downtown along State Street and the Gaylord Building are part of that story, and it gives Lockport a real center in a way a lot of suburbs don't have. For buyers, what it means on the ground is variety. There are genuine older character homes near the historic core, and there's plenty of newer subdivision construction as the city has grown south and west.
Those two worlds shop very differently. The older homes near downtown come with character, walkability to the canal and Main Street, and the maintenance realities of an older house. The newer subdivisions offer more predictable layouts, updated systems, and often an HOA. Which one fits depends on what you're after, and Lockport gives you both to choose from in the same city.
It's a practical spot on the map too — close to Homer Glen, Romeoville, Crest Hill, and Joliet, with its own Metra stop that keeps a downtown commute on the table.