Mount Vernon, Il (Peoria, Lincoln, Ava: real estate, motels, home)

[Leelee]

Hello, can anyone help me...
I love the sound of Mount Vernon, IL and I want to find out more about it, so please can you give me some info about the town, Thanks, Leelee

[JiminPA]

My fav place on Earth, but being born and raised there, I'm biased. There is a good lil website if you google Mt. Vernon, IL Cty Homepage...I live in PA, but, in ten yrs am goin' to retire to my hometown. Cost of living is lower there than in a lot of "popular" retirement spots. There are about 18-20,000 people within one mile of the City, and it is growing fairly widely east and west having about 26 sq. miles, a lot of park acreage, w/ lakes, and some of the most beautiful trees you'll ever see. Two high schools, one about 1600 students, a small parochial at about 125 or so. Good streets, and a general effort to clean up the inevitable deteioration a 200 yr old city begins to accumulate over the decades. A lot of civic pride in its people, its accomplishments, its sport teams, and the favt that the city survived a general depression in Southern Illinois from about 1929 through 1970. Jr. college campus south of the city w/ branch in town, has about 3000 students, a big beautiful lake to the immediate south of the city( about 135 miles of shoreline and beaches), great golfing , camping, swimming in season, and a new effort to finish a 60 mile long city to country system of bicycle trails. New facilities for retirees being built, but, if I'm able, I' ll stay in the family's home where I grew up. Available scheduled airline service is a 30 min drive and not in heavy traffic. Good ingress/egress at two interchanges to I-64(east-west) and I-57(north-south) and a third being built on west side of town on I57. Great museum exhibitions and programs at Cedarhurst with a huge expansion being started this Fall. Theater is just being born in MTV and there is a growing interest in putting one of the older movie theaters to use downtown as a performing arts ce nter. I could go on forever, but you might want to see the website, read some, and , if you have any more specifics, I'd happily give you my.....ahem...unbiased opinion. I really do have some criticisms, but in all honesty, they pale to the merit of the reasons I plan to retire there. Good Luck, and I. too, love the sound of Mount Vernon, Illinois...

[Juice13610]

Mt Vernon is a decent small town of about 17,000 but does have a rough part (ghetto) where people get their cars jacked and things. Other than that, its an ok town.

[horsecreek]

I have lived most of my 72 years in or near Mt Vernon. Population growth has been almost at a standstill for the last 40 years It's a small town that has a couple of big employers and a load of no pay jobs. Burger doodle's and motels cluster the Interstate 57/64 junction. School system is antiquated with the threat of building a new school in the near future several citizens are worried that the new school will be a millstone around the poor taxpayers neck like the new jail that was built recently and is now causing great hardships to the county. Drug problems and violance abound with the local police unable to get a handle on the problem. Murder rate above average for the size of the town. City Manager just accused of sexual advances to city employees and has resigned. Don't try and walk some of the streets at night unless you are well versed in self defense. Sorry I can't paint a better picture.

[Juice13610]

And wow "favorite place on Earth." Makes you wonder if they've ever left Jefferson County

[horsecreek]

Juice, I was thinkin' the exact same thing !

[eMarv]

Anyone know of any good multi-family or commercial real estate agents in Mount Vernon?

Thanks!

Marvin

[rusjc60]

Lincoln Douglas debates were held in Mt. Vernon, Ill and the Cedarhurst Museum is great.
Rusjc60

[sunshine girl]

There were 7 public Lincoln-Douglas debates in Illinois, none were in Mt. Vernon.

[montana_molly]

Some were in Peoria - Lincoln/Douglas debates.