Scared out of my wits to move to Chicago (Naperville: appointed, real estate)

[JSmom23]

St Charles/Geneva is great! Both have really nice schools and the towns themselves are quaint and charming with an upscale feel as well as very family friendly. Also Geneva has Delnor Hospital with lots of medical offices for your wife to look into. We love it here!

[linicx]

Excuse me. There is plenty special about Illinois aoart from Chicago. And there are plenty of school districts outside of Chicago Public Schools. Illinois is a farm state. it does have large pockets of flat land.

The drive on I-55 South to St. Louis is as boring as watching grass grow because it was carved out of productive farm land.

However, IL 29 South between 1-80 and Springfield is a mix of farms. rolling hills, pockets of heavily forrested areas and high tree covered bluffs that line the course of he Illinois river for many miles.

I-55 bypasses Bloomington and Springfield. I-29 follows the river through Peoria and Peoria County, Tazewll County through Pekin, and thence into Sanagmon County and tne City of Sprfingfielld.

There are four smaller metro areas in Central Illinois: Springfield, Bloomington, Normal, Peoria and Champaign. In some ways Peoria is similar to Chicago. The cultural and religious diversity is very similar. Most farm towns are platted in a square grid. Peoria sprawls like Chicago. Peoria also has one of the largest park systems outside of Chicago. And there are events in Central Illinois that you cannot see in Chicago. If you like history there is 12.000 years of it in Central Illinois. If you like to travel and teach your children, there are several unusal teaching tools in Central Illinois that no one discusses.

With seven hospitals and a medical school in central Illinois, I would think a nurse could work. There os a total of at least 13 hospitals in the metro areas in Central Illinois. Every county in Central Illmois has a hospital, school district and library. This ain't exactly chopped liver when you consider Illinois is the fifth largest state.

Today I would not raise any child in Chicago. A suburb maybe. The Illinois state board of education is online. There is information for teachers transfering with contact numbers. We welcome teachers who love kids. If you are a great educator, more the better. Like every thing else the schools also changed. Today it seems like most schools districts are looking for multi-discipline educators who hold a masters. The downside is time. I am told it takes approximately one year to certify in Illinois.

Questions? IM me.

[Steve-o]

Originally Posted by pittsteelerfan

What "extra money" are you talking about? If you're refering to the 'state income' tax, most states have one. Look at the two states that sit below Wa. Oregon's state income tax (I'm aware they don't have a sales tax there) is 9%! California's is like 9.6 % (it'll be lower for people who hardly make any money).

Illinois, outside of Chicagoland, is a boring midwest state. Not much to look at, or do, when you venture outside of the area (unless you consider St. Louis). There's nothing "special" about the state of Illinois. You WILL miss the lush scenery of Wa. and the snow capped mountians, that I know.

Where you live right now, is some of the most beautiful and scenic areas of America. You won't find that in Chicago, other than the lakefront. But the housing prices are much lower around Chicago than the Seattle area, so that will offset the state income tax.

There's pros and cons to both places, like everywhere. Chicago is definitely a much larger and faster paced metro than Seattle. I guess it all depends on what you're looking for.

Ignore this ignoramus, hes as clueless as he is thoughtless. Seriously, hes a massive t-word (I got scolded for using that word on C-D). And that particular t-word rhymes with "scroll" if that helps explain. Hes despised all over these boards, so please, ignore him and youll be juuuuust fine.

First off, welcome to the area! You didnt state how much you and yours will make or how much you can spend on a home, so its hard to point you in the right direction. Since you liked St. Charles, did you visit right next door in Geneva? Its an extremely charming city with more to do than St. Charles, for right around the same price. The towns around here that I highly recommend are: Geneva, St. Charles, Wayne, Wasco, Naperville, Winfield, Warrenville, Wheaton, Schaumburg, Campton Hills, and many others.

As far as things to do, you just might find IL's scenery to be beautiful, as I (and many others) do. While its true that the majority of IL is flat (carved out by glaciers), there are areas of the state that I find to be absolutely beautiful.

Here are some of my personal pics:

One thing you wont have to worry about here is rain. Sure it rains, but not nearly as much as Seattle, allowing you to actually get out and enjoy the outdoors w/o a raincoat. Here is a prairie just west of Chicagoland:


Vultures near the Mississippi River (with bluffs):


No more piddly drizzle like Seattle. Here youll come face to face with the TRUE storms. And unlike Seattle, they only stick around for a few hours, then its back to sunshine.


More soothing prairie:


Wide open spaces:


Some rolling hills near Oregon, IL:






More rolling hills:






















Some things will be different than in Seattle. Not all of IL has rattlers, but many areas do, just a heads-up...








Something you definitely wont see in rain-soaked/cloudy Seattle... cactus!




I have TONS of other photos, but I think this is enough for now. If you want really nice scenery, Southern Illinois has lots of nice hills, deep woods, towering cliffs/bluffs, etc, etc.
Flickr Photo Download: Garden of the Gods 14

GORGEOUS PHOTO OF SOUTHERN ILLINOIS:
Flickr Photo Download: Garden of The Gods sunset

Gorgeous Southern Illinois panorama shot:
Flickr Photo Download: Garden of The Gods panoramic sunset

I hope Ive showed a little about what IL has to offer. Youll find anything from limestone canyons to prairies to cypress swamp to sand prairies (where cacti thrive) to bluffs to hills, etc, etc. Lots to see and do if you know where to go. Of course there are no Cascades here, but if you just enjoy nature, youll find IL has tons to offer.

[scoop89]

Sherman Hospital in Elgin is building a huge new facility in Elgin. The new place is located just of Interstate 90 on Randall road. Have your wife try the website below for nurse info.


Sherman Health

[Lookout Kid]

Originally Posted by linicx

There are four smaller metro areas in Central Illinois: Springfield, Bloomington, Normal, Peoria and Champaign.

You left out Rockford and the Quad Cities (shared by Iowa, of course). And of course, part of the St. Louis metro.

[jenjen12]

I can speak for nurses...$ 30 an hr is probably low...ICU and specialties pay more.....depends on what and where you go, as with everything....get on some hospital websites and call a recruiter...moving and sign on bonuses are not out of the question....

[ilikekilo]

no state taxes in WA, wonder what their state deficit is..as many states which have state taxes are so deep under...even with a 10 % sales tax in IL..gee..

Looking for a nurse job.. I wouldnt be worried. from what I read from the business news there is alot of shortage of nurses in the country..so I believe you should be fine..G luck..

[middle-aged mom]

Given your budget, please anticipate that the costs to heat and cool your home will be substantially higher than you experience in Seattle because the weather runs in extremes.

[eddy2face]

I DO NOT BLAME YOU FOR BEING SCARED OF CHICAGO, MY OPINION STAY AWAY, READ ACTUAL ARTICAL BELOW...

Police still seek sex offenders

Article from: Grayslake Review (IL) Article date: January 1, 1998Author: MICHAEL ULREICH MICHAEL ULREICH Copyright informationCopyright 1998, Grayslake Review, Pioneer Press. All rights reserved. REPRODUCTION PROHIBITED. (Hide copyright information)
Early in the morning, three days before Christmas, a coalition of local police forces spread out to execute arrest warrants on the 19 Lake County suspects who failed to comply with the Sex Offenders Registration Act including a Wildwood resident convicted of rape and deviant sexual assault.


Those arrested Dec. 22 and indicted for violation of the Sex Offenders Registration Act include Nathan Defensor, 39, of unincorporated Gurnee, convicted of criminal sexual assault; Douglas Lunsford, 62, of Lake Villa, convicted of aggravated criminal sexual abuse; Kimberly Mielke, 28, of unincorporated Antioch, convicted of child pornography; and Michael Scott, 42, of Gurnee, convicted of criminal sexual ...
Read all of this article with a FREE trial

[wheregirl]

Where is the photo with that many dense trees. The photos on Gooogle I see of West of Chicago are all flat grass lands. Which is the nearest West or South towns or county with those lush trees?

Thanks.

Originally Posted by Steve-o

Ignore this ignoramus, hes as clueless as he is thoughtless. Seriously, hes a massive t-word (I got scolded for using that word on C-D). And that particular t-word rhymes with "scroll" if that helps explain. Hes despised all over these boards, so please, ignore him and youll be juuuuust fine.

First off, welcome to the area! You didnt state how much you and yours will make or how much you can spend on a home, so its hard to point you in the right direction. Since you liked St. Charles, did you visit right next door in Geneva? Its an extremely charming city with more to do than St. Charles, for right around the same price. The towns around here that I highly recommend are: Geneva, St. Charles, Wayne, Wasco, Naperville, Winfield, Warrenville, Wheaton, Schaumburg, Campton Hills, and many others.

As far as things to do, you just might find IL's scenery to be beautiful, as I (and many others) do. While its true that the majority of IL is flat (carved out by glaciers), there are areas of the state that I find to be absolutely beautiful.

.