Where is a nice place to raise a family IL? (Chicago: best town, insurance)

[Accesshorty]

Hello everyone
Im really wanting to move (from our little Southern IL town) but I just need some direction on where. Im wanting to move somewhere that I can raise my family in a nice area. I would like to live in a mixed diversity community, wonderful school systems (with little league sports and tackle football for kids), lots of recreation (YMCA and more), shopping centers and/or malls, nice hospitals close to home (Im a nurse) and more. We are a very family fun oriented family and we just want to find a location that isnt a big, busy city and yet not a little small town (where everyone is in everyones buisness). I anyone would give us some help please respond. We were wanting to move within the next 2-3 months. Thank you

[Dolly]

what kind of jobs are you seeking? That makes a big difference in the location you are seeking.

[preppyboyofIL]

Having lived in NYC, Bloomington/Normal, and now the Chicago area, I can tell you that by far Bloomington/Normal is by far the best place to raise a family that I have ever seen. The "Twin Cities" as they call themselves are booming like never before believe it or not. In 2001 and 2002 the Bloomington/Normal metro area was named the fastest growing metro area in Illinois outside of the Chicago metro area.

Bloomington Normal's housing market is very diverse as there is a wide range of people that live in this small city. The west side of the metro area is prodminantely African American while the east side of the cities are all white and smack dab in the middle is Illinois State University and Illinois Weslyan.

B/N is home to Country Companies Insurance's headquarters and the worldwide headquarters to State Farm Insurance which employs something like 20,000 people now at 5 different campuses scattered around the city all of them the size of a small city themselves.

B/N has a few very good high schools with the best being Normal Community H/S in my opinion. There are 3 malls in this city, one of which contains all the major department stores (Sears, JC Penny, Bergners/Carson Piere Scott, Famous Barr/Macy's). There are 2 Super Wal Marts, a Meijer Supercenter, and a Target. If you are a hungry type, then B/N is also for you as this area for some reason has about every restaurant chain known to man lined up down it's main drag; Veterans Parkway.

B/N is located about 2 hours south-west of the Chicago metro area, 30 minutes south-east of Peoria, and about 45 minutes away from Champaign/Urbana. By far this metro area has quickly become one of the most saught after communities in Illinois as unemployment is low, taxes are low, crime is low, costs of living are low by comparison with the Chicago area, yet the cities are right in the center of everything and income levels are rather on the high side!

If you are considering looking at this metro area, stay in one of the many hotels on the city's eastern side as this will put you right where everything is. Right now there are about 20 major hotel chains that line Veterans Parkway from everything like Days Inn to Double Tree Inn and Suites.

Housing areas to look at would be around Airport Road and Empire Street or General Electric Road and Towanda Barnes Road as this area is all new and fresh.

Here are some links for you to look at... Bloomington Normal Web Guide Pantagraph.com | Central Illinois News, Sports, Classifieds and More BNACVB > Bloomington-Normal Area Convention & Visitors Bureau > Home City of Bloomington | City of Bloomington Town of Normal, Illinois Good luck and have fun!

[Out of Alaska]

I agree w/ Bloomington/Normal.

How big of a city are you interested in?

I would suggest Bloomington/Normal, Champaign/Urbana and Springfield. These are all 100,000 to 120,000+ (I believe! correct me if I'm wrong!) in population with all the bells and whistles. All are great places to work and raise a family.

[AnimalLover]

There are lots of popular small towns around Springfield such as Chatham, Rochester, Riverton, Sherman, etc that all have good school districts. I live in Chatham district, which is the largest school district in the county, outside of Springfield.

[CellarBelle]

We have great schools, a new YMCA (one of the largest in the country), and Southern Illinois University Edwardsville provides great learning opportunities for young and old alike. Our proximity to St. Louis (just 20 to 25 minutes away), is a great plus.

[rhondad1310]

I can honestly say the best town to raise a family is Trenton, IL. Crime is almost extinct, schools are terrific. Town is very clean and close to St. Louis for jobs. People are friendly. I have lived there all my life (41) years and my family has lived there all there life. Me and my husband thought about moving one time, but did not have the heart to leave Trenton. House are very reasonable (compared to other communities), but hold market value very well. In fact we have tripled the market value on our house in 20 years. Town is close to scott air force base. Town has less than 3000 people, traffic is nothing. Schools are the best in the area, and are public.

Cute, Quaint, and friendly (Trenton, IL)

[untuchableface]

Naperville, IL
I do believe it was best rated as #1 or #2 in the country to raise a family.

[jessiegirl_98]

Naperville is great, but is really pricey. Between bloomington and champaign, bloomington is less college town.

[preppyboyofIL]

Someone commented saying Naperville is the best place to raise a family... HMMMM, well maybe if you are making $150K a year and are from a big city originally, otherwise you will be struggling to get by and as for your kids having food on the table... Well, after paying the $500,000 mortgage and $10K a year in property taxes as well as all the other things, then maybe your kids can go out and beg for money to be able to afford groceries.

Naperville, though very nice and pretty, is rather expensive and might be a bit much to swallow for someone from a small southern IL town where the pace of life is rather slow and peaceful and like in "Cheers" everybody knows your name.

Bloomington/Normal is the perfect pace and price for someone transitioning from small town life to city/suburban living.