Peoria's growth (Chicago, Rockford, Aurora: home, school district, university)

[jwhittak]

According to the pjstar, Peoria is losing its rank, as far as city size goes, in Illinois. Here are rankings in terms of population in Illinois: Chicago, Aurora, Rockford, Naperville, Joliet, Springfield, Peoria, Elgin, Waukegan and Cicero. In 2000 it was ranked 5th place. Me and my wife left Peoria for a better school district, still in Peoria county though. I think a lot of people, including friends of ours are doing the same thing. Everyone is choosing the smaller communities around Peoria.

[M TYPE X]

Peoria is suburbanizing, and the Northwoods Mall is declining while the open air Shoppes at Grand Prairie are expanding madly. Bob Lindsay Honda is opening up his new Acura showroom next to Uftring Nissan sometime in January-ish ... it's pretty exciting. Of course, in the mystical magical world of the Sunbelt, none of this would be headline news. It sprawls so much in Arizona or North Carolina that it's not even news anymore.

But anyway, that looks like growth to me. You can't compare Peoria directly to a Chicagoland burb like Naperville or Aurora. Rockford sucks.

[Drover]

Originally Posted by M TYPE X

But anyway, that looks like growth to me. You can't compare Peoria directly to a Chicagoland burb like Naperville or Aurora. Rockford sucks.

It may look like growth; but is it growth or sprawl? You can have the latter without the former, and it appears that's the case in Peoria. According to the Census Bureau, the Peoria MSA grew only 2.3% between the 1990 and 2000 census. The bureau's 2005 population estimate suggests the rate of growth has slowed down to under 2% per decade.

[M TYPE X]

Originally Posted by Drover

It may look like growth; but is it growth or sprawl? You can have the latter without the former, and it appears that's the case in Peoria. According to the Census Bureau, the Peoria MSA grew only 2.3% between the 1990 and 2000 census. The bureau's 2005 population estimate suggests the rate of growth has slowed down to under 2% per decade.

You are correct in that the term "growth" should not be used when the real phenomenon is "sprawl."
Given the bureau statistics, then the real activity is [upper middle class] sprawl.

Metro Detroit has real sprawl, but not real growth.

[Steve-o]

Originally Posted by M TYPE X

Bob Lindsay Honda is opening up his new Acura showroom next to Uftring Nissan sometime in January-ish ... it's pretty exciting. Of course, in the mystical magical world of the Sunbelt, none of this would be headline news. It sprawls so much in Arizona or North Carolina that it's not even news anymore.

Trust me, that wouldnt even register as a miniscule blip on the radar up here neither. LOL Sounds like Peoria is a boring place if a new car dealer stirs some excitement. LOL I do like the drive along the Illinois River though...

[M TYPE X]

Originally Posted by Steve-o

Trust me, that wouldnt even register as a miniscule blip on the radar up here neither. LOL Sounds like Peoria is a boring place if a new car dealer stirs some excitement. LOL I do like the drive along the Illinois River though...

You either grow (richer) or you die (like many cities in Michigan). A few outdoor lifestyle malls with some new upscale shopping/dining/entertainment aren't going to kill midstate. When I leave Champaign-Urbana and don't want to hit Chicago, Indianapolis, or St Louis, I find that Peoria, Springfield, and Bloomington-Normal have various sights to see and places to shop/browse. Decatur has nothing, never had anything, and never will. I'd rather talk about the hot new property in Peoria than ***** for the trillionth time about the ills of Decatur, or Rockford, or most of the cities in Indiana/Michigan/Ohio.

[runninfiend]

Peoria is sprawling north to snobbish communities like Dunlap (which used to be a very nice small town). Nothing like Chicago, but it is growing. The nice thing about it is that the growth relative to other cities is small and the area still retains its largely rural character.

[Steve-o]

Originally Posted by M TYPE X

I'd rather talk about the hot new property in Peoria than ***** for the trillionth time about the ills of Decatur, or Rockford, or most of the cities in Indiana/Michigan/Ohio.

Id have to agree. Carry on then.

[BUalumni]

Originally Posted by runninfiend

Peoria is sprawling north to snobbish communities like Dunlap (which used to be a very nice small town). Nothing like Chicago, but it is growing. The nice thing about it is that the growth relative to other cities is small and the area still retains its largely rural character.

How is Dunlap snobby or lost its great small town feel? Dunlap is one of the nicest and most welcoming places I have ever lived. When we first moved in all the neighbors were very welcoming and have always made sure that if we needed something just to ask. Even though the area has grown, the village still feels very rural midwest. The town is home to many large farming families that have lived in the area their whole lives and are the most down to earth people I have ever met. Not to mention everything in the town is locally owned and established. If you are going to say that Dunlap is "snobbish" based on this criteria, then every small farming town in the midwest is snobby too. I have found that there are far more pockets of uppity people in Peoria than anywhere near the amount of so called ones north of the city. Many of these people won't even talk to you if you didn't live in Peoria you entire life, or at least graduate from a Peoria university, live on their street, and show signs of money. It is these areas that have created the 'great' Rt. 6 issue, that has been going on the past five years that has created this Dunlap rivalry between the town, and every other part of the metro area. If Dunlap is so snobby, why do the people in the other towns attack it and make it out to less than it really is?

[M TYPE X]

Midstate's cities are all too agrarian and insular for my tastes. The flagship UI campus should be much closer to Chicago, like UM in Ann Arbor is less than an hour from most places in metro Detroit.