The city of Lynn is no joke, said Dick Willis, a 67-year-old semi-retiree who has lived in his wife’s hometown for nearly four decades. Despite that tired old refrain — “Lynn, Lynn, city of sin’’ — the largest city in Essex County is better known these days for its welcome diversity and the revival of its historic downtown.

“The neighbors are wonderful, always have been,’’ said Willis, who still works part time as an attorney, consultant, and business manager for General Electric. “A lot of people stick around, and I’m one. There are a lot of solid folks here doing good things and a lot of new folks opening up new businesses.’’

Willis, a father of three who is originally from Framingham, is a member of the Friends of Lynn-Nahant Beach, is involved with Lynn Museum, and has served on the Citizens Advisory Board of Lynn’s Department of Community Development. There’s a lot to like about the city, he said, from its striking ocean views and the long trails in Lynn Woods Reservation, one of the largest municipal parks in New England (“I’m a walker,’’ he said), to its fast-growing cluster of restaurants, including Rossetti Restaurant, The Blue Ox, and Four Winds Pub & Grill.

Located about 10 miles north of Boston, Lynn has benefitted in recent years from the spirit of renewal that has gripped neighboring cities such as Revere and Chelsea, Willis said. And if Amazon happens to choose Suffolk Downs as the site of its second headquarters, the city will boom. Regardless, Willis said, “there are real renaissance opportunities that should continue.’’

James Sullivan can be reached at jamesgsullivan@gmail.com. Follow him on Twitter @sullivanjames.