Cairo Doc (home, places, town)

[Nancee]

Originally Posted by jvw

We just bought two of those old beauties in Cairo (not as an investment) and are really excited. New people are coming to Cairo. I wouldn't write it off just yet!

I think in talking to the locals, you need to seek out a cross section of the community. I did and it was an interesting experience listening to the two factions in town. If I had just talked with the ones at the cafes, I would not have made the decision to buy there. But, I went to the library and met some other locals and I saw a lot of potential.

Hello from California - I was interested to read that you have moved to Cairo and bought property. We have been reading about Cairo, but it sounds like a depressing place. So your message was encouraging. What do you think of life there now that you've been there a little while? What was the price of the houses you bought? any other info? Thanks!

[jvw]

We are not totally moved, but have spent about 6 weeks here off and on over the last several months.

I really like it. I feel totally safe. We never lock our doors during the day and we are in a 5500 sq ft house where you never know what is going on in another section of the house. You will have the normal petty theft you have in economically depressed areas. But, that seems to be about it.

Whether or not you will like Cairo depends on what you are looking for at this point in your life. Being from California, you are used to driving. Paducah is a half hour or so away. It took that long to get from Berkeley to Hayward.

I don't have children at home, so schools are not important to me. I do anticipate volunteering at the schools in the fall. My experience is that boys who act up in high school have difficulty reading. I would like to see every child here able to read well by the end of first grade.

If the right people move here, this could be an awesome place! We love the river and old houses. We found the house on the internet. One day I said to my husband, " I think we should buy a house in the midwest or east where we can go to antique auctions and such.". So, I looked on the internet for Victorians that needed TLC. Something we could lovingly restore to original. We found two possibilities, this house and one in WV. The work on the WV house was very extensive that required professionals. We fell in love with this house. My husband drove by on a trip from the east coast. He loved the house but didn't know how I would like the town. A couple of months later while he was on a trip, I came to Cairo and knew this was the house.

If you think you would like to move here, let me know and I will give you my email and give you some advice. I hope you decide to come!

[Sandrba]

Originally Posted by prairiestate

I've always been fascinated by this corner of the state, but I can't imagine what potential they think there is. It's a long way from the state and national parks, it's not on any major transportation routes. What did they say is the hope for the town?

I am one of those people helping to rebuilt Cairo IL. If I had the money I would build a Factory to provide jobs. It is rediculous that you have to drive 29 miles to the nearest Lowes, Mall, etc. I believe in being part of the solution, and not part of the problem. It is easy to blame others than to take actions. There are people willing to buy and rent in Cairo. You can not buy or rent if these opportunities are not readily available. Everyone is so scared of the unknown. I have not seen any racial tentions and I would ignore them if they arise.

[mel2000]

Part of the problem is too many churches per capita. They don't add to the tax base.

[Drover]

Something tells me that the number of churches per capita is the least of Cairo's problems.

[waldo]

I was there about a month ago and ate at a great B-B-Q place there on the main drag through town...pretty good. Other than that, it's a sad, sad place. The old downtown has no more stores and most of it is boarded up and/or burned. Definitely a ghost town. The rest of it is just people walking around with no place to go, no jobs, no anything. I would not want to be there at night.

[Kwach]

Huh. We were just there ... at night ... in the dark ... and all I noticed was that it was very quiet. I like quiet.

We live in Anna, but we're seriously considering buying one of those old houses in Cairo. Not to flip it or make money on it, but to live in it.

We're attracted to the history, beautiful old houses, the rivers, the proximity to places like Memphis and St. Louis, and the opportunity to be part of the solution. I don't know for sure what Cairo "needs", but people who want to help build a community and are willing to put in some work to do it can't hurt.

There are a lot of nice people in Cairo who've lived there all their lives, and new nice people moving in.

[Chicago60614]

Wow, look at the population stats. Hasn't gained any people since the depression!

1850 242 —
1860 2,188 804.1%
1870 6,267 186.4%
1880 9,011 43.8%
1890 10,324 14.6%
1900 12,566 21.7%
1910 14,548 15.8%
1920 15,203 4.5%
1930 13,532 -11.0%
1940 14,407 6.5%
1950 12,123 -15.9%
1960 9,348 -22.9%
1970 6,277 -32.9%
1980 5,931 -5.5%
1990 4,846 -18.3%
2000 3,632 -25.1%

The 90's were the second worst decade for the city other than the 60's.

The city has some pretty bad race relations back in the 60's, and that's when most of the whites left town for good. Right now it's about 1/3 white and 2/3's black. 1 out of every 3 people lives below the poverty line. 33% haven't completed high school, and only 7% have attended college.

[cairoborn1971]

Wow, after growing up in the 80's in Cairo I find it interesting that Californians are interested in moving there! I now live in San Diego and a dose of CA I think would definitely help the area. Someday I think I'd like to come back to live. Good luck! Run for Mayor, you'll probably win.

[TheGeneral]

Originally Posted by Chicago60614

Wow, look at the population stats. Hasn't gained any people since the depression!

1850 242 —
1860 2,188 804.1%
1870 6,267 186.4%
1880 9,011 43.8%
1890 10,324 14.6%
1900 12,566 21.7%
1910 14,548 15.8%
1920 15,203 4.5%
1930 13,532 -11.0%
1940 14,407 6.5%
1950 12,123 -15.9%
1960 9,348 -22.9%
1970 6,277 -32.9%
1980 5,931 -5.5%
1990 4,846 -18.3%
2000 3,632 -25.1%

The 90's were the second worst decade for the city other than the 60's.

The city has some pretty bad race relations back in the 60's, and that's when most of the whites left town for good. Right now it's about 1/3 white and 2/3's black. 1 out of every 3 people lives below the poverty line. 33% haven't completed high school, and only 7% have attended college.

that graph looks like alot like detroit's graph would, but not such dramitic changes. that discription though seems like it could relate to detroit aswell. thats interesting. but im not saying cairo is a mini detroit by far, they are two different cities