Moving to Illinois....

[Cletus]

I'm moving to the Peoria, Illinois area in a couple of months. I've never lived that far north and it's a big change from where I lived in Texas and SC. What should I look out for? What's there to do? How's the job market, rent, electricity, etc?

[Scott]

Re: Moving to Illinois....

I used to live in Galesburg, IL. Which is about 45 mins away. Can really only tell you the main difference between TX & IL, brutal winters.

[ChubbyBanana]

Re: Moving to Illinois....

Looked like a nice city, from what I could tell from driving through there once.

It's not as boring as, and I mean no offense here, the area around say Champaign, which is just flat corn land.

[J.R. Locke]

Re: Moving to Illinois....

Or the Miami Valley Chubby!! I lived in Dayton for 5 years or so.

Been through Peoria a few times. I honestly don't remember too much about it but Illinois mid state always seems far more like than a "northern state" to me.

[Pared]

Re: Moving to Illinois....

Just remember: It's pronounced "Illinoise."

[DocHolliday]

Re: Moving to Illinois....

If your not in Chicago Illinois sucks IMO

[Pared]

Re: Moving to Illinois....

Even then, it still sucks IMO.

[DocHolliday]

Re: Moving to Illinois....

I guees it can only be settled in here if the cubbies and mets meet up in the playoffs.

Even then, Chicago owns New York.

The whole world will see when we get the olympics.

Chicago FTW!

[stewaat]

Re: Moving to Illinois....

Enjoy the brutal wind and terrible winter!

Why are you moving up there?

[Fluffhead]

Re: Moving to Illinois....

I'm moving to the Peoria, Illinois area in a couple of months. I've never lived that far north and it's a big change from where I lived in Texas and SC. What should I look out for? What's there to do? How's the job market, rent, electricity, etc?

I actually live in Peoria. Any specific questions you have? What do you like to do now? We've got a pretty active sports scene with minor league baseball (nice stadium), minor hockey, indoor football, Bradley University Hoops. Got an ok museum (new one coming eventually to downtown). All the chain stores you could want. A coule of malls. Lots of disc golf in the area. Cheap public golf.

A few good beer bars. Plenty of bars though Plenty of Scrip clubs. Active downtown late night.

Some areas of the City need to be avoided, like much of the south side where killing each other apparently is a sport.

Job market is pretty strong. World HQ of Caterpillar and a very large and growing medical community. Housing is extremely affordable compared to a lot of the nation. I haven't rented in years, but had a pretty spacious 2 bedroom apt. for $450 a month. Nicer / newer units will run for more.

Winters can be brutal for sure. We definately get all four seasons in full effect.

Ask away if you want.

[Fluffhead]

Re: Moving to Illinois....

If your not in Chicago Illinois sucks IMO

And this is the typical Chicago attitude of the remainder of the state. Even the suburb kids like to talk like this even though their communities resemble much of the rest of the state, just closer to Chicago than the rest of us.

[Cletus]

Re: Moving to Illinois....

I actually live in Peoria. Any specific questions you have? What do you like to do now? We've got a pretty active sports scene with minor league baseball (nice stadium), minor hockey, indoor football, Bradley University Hoops. Got an ok museum (new one coming eventually to downtown). All the chain stores you could want. A coule of malls. Lots of disc golf in the area. Cheap public golf.

A few good beer bars. Plenty of bars though Plenty of Scrip clubs. Active downtown late night.

Some areas of the City need to be avoided, like much of the south side where killing each other apparently is a sport.

Job market is pretty strong. World HQ of Caterpillar and a very large and growing medical community. Housing is extremely affordable compared to a lot of the nation. I haven't rented in years, but had a pretty spacious 2 bedroom apt. for $450 a month. Nicer / newer units will run for more.

Winters can be brutal for sure. We definately get all four seasons in full effect.

Ask away if you want.

I basically need a job, cheap housing and I'm into sports and that's about it. I have a good friend of mine helping me out, but it's kinda hard to get things like that done when I'm a few hundred miles away. I'm looking to move to Pekin, specifically, but anything in that area works for me. I'm definitely not digging the winter thing, but oh well. I basically have the option of moving there or going back home (either way I will have to find a job and a place to live asap and the economy and market is better in Ill than in SC)

[Mikocop]

Re: Moving to Illinois....

I basically need a job, cheap housing and I'm into sports and that's about it. I have a good friend of mine helping me out, but it's kinda hard to get things like that done when I'm a few hundred miles away. I'm looking to move to Pekin, specifically, but anything in that area works for me. I'm definitely not digging the winter thing, but oh well. I basically have the option of moving there or going back home (either way I will have to find a job and a place to live asap and the economy and market is better in Ill than in SC)

Two words...............Big Al's

[Fluffhead]

Re: Moving to Illinois....

I basically need a job, cheap housing and I'm into sports and that's about it. I have a good friend of mine helping me out, but it's kinda hard to get things like that done when I'm a few hundred miles away. I'm looking to move to Pekin, specifically, but anything in that area works for me. I'm definitely not digging the winter thing, but oh well. I basically have the option of moving there or going back home (either way I will have to find a job and a place to live asap and the economy and market is better in Ill than in SC)

Pekin is an interesting little subset of the general tri-county area. Very "white" (well anything east of the river is) I have quite a few friends that live there. About a 15-20 minute drive to Peoria. Pekin is growing, lots of new stores and residential development. About a quarter the size of Peoria's population. I don't know a whole lot about activities around there...they have a dome that houses sporting leagues like soccer and softball. They do have a kick *** disc golf and regular golf course.

[Cletus]

Re: Moving to Illinois....

Pekin is an interesting little subset of the general tri-county area. Very "white" (well anything east of the river is) I have quite a few friends that live there. About a 15-20 minute drive to Peoria. Pekin is growing, lots of new stores and residential development. About a quarter the size of Peoria's population. I don't know a whole lot about activities around there...they have a dome that houses sporting leagues like soccer and softball. They do have a kick *** disc golf and regular golf course.

Awesome, to borrow your term, I like white areas. I think I made the right choice then. I feel pretty good about it all, so that's a good sign. It's just difficult to move to an area when you don't have a job or even a place to stay.