Need more info about living in Quincy, Il (Chicago, Peoria: hotels, houses)

[kmgb77]

I'm looking to possibly move to Quincy, Il from Austin, TX for one reason, to be closer to family. Moving with a husband and 3 small kids. We really like Austin for many reasons, but have no relatives here. We love being outside and being active (great in Austin) are liberal leaning, love all the food here, and variety of just about everything.
Questions about Quincy:
Are the schools good? Public and private?
Are people active and outdoorsy?
Are there community oriented neighborhoods where people interact, kids play together outside in backyards or streets, have block parties, etc..
Are there running, biking, hiking groups?
In general are people happy to live there or feel stuck and wish they could out.
If you aren't a Christian will you be an outcast?
Will you really always feel like an outsider if you didn't grow up there?

Thanks

[pianist1972]

Lived in Quincy during the 80s, I'm in my early 40s now. Austin to Quincy will almost be as big of a shock as Chicago suburbs to Quincy was for me 30+ years ago. Quincy is the largest city for about 100 miles in any direction-in recent years most of the usual things like Old Navy, TGIF, Best Buy, etc. are there. You can get there and to other places via interstate. There are many there of wealth, a smaller middle class, and a noteable working poor. The mall there is middling. Plenty of grocery stores, but remember its a town of about 40,000 that serves a market area of maybe 300-400 K. The public schools used to be some of the best in the state but have been declining in recent decades. The parochial schools are not much better, if even as good. Salaries are lower because of lower cost of living, but there have been so many houses in the 200k+ range.
Downtown is a large area and goes in cycles-some terrific building stock and some recent life. There are some good local non-chain restaurants. Lots of cultural and artistic organizations, some of better quality than others. St. Louis is a two hour (or less depending on where you go) for the urban amenities Quincy lacks- that's where I live now.

[linicx]

2012 US Census Facts: Quincy at 41,000 people is a 91% white population and the largest city in Adams, a county with a total population of 67,000. Quincy is situated on the Mississippi River in Western central Illinois. It is an AG county as is most of central Illinois, and the #1 and #2 producer of soybeans and corn.

Politically Illinois is a blue state. Realistically most farming communities are composed of majority white Christians that are red politically. Historically, river cities tend to have a better blanced racial mix and less rigid view.

IL K-8 schools do a good job of educating when parents are actively involved in the students school, school projects, school sports/band, homework, and board meetings. The greatest percentage of high schools in Illinois are on the State's Watch List as not meeting Math and Science standards set by the state and federal government. From my point of view the biggest problem with high schools is they are filled with teenagers. I found Quincy University, and John Woods, a two year agriculture college that get's good props.

I found Catholic, Lutheran, Methodist, Presbyterian, Christian, LDS, Jehovah Witness, Salvation Army, and several others of which I am not familiar. I did not find AME, Jewish Temple or an Islam Mosque.

I cousin who lives in Quincy and loves it; He is 65, Christian, politically red as a berry but votes for one blue local candidate every 4 years, and swears he's too liberal. The Quincy park is 125-years young and still growing. You can find everything from Villa Katherine - a real castle to marina, and rugged trails.

Quincy has a hospital that is quite capable of treating most illness and injury. Children's critical illness and critical injuries require a different level of care. There are 4 level 1 tertiary critical care children's hospitals to chose from Peoria, IL., Iowa City, IA., and St. Louis, MO.. The hospitals are all 128-145 miles. The only hospital I have any practical experience with is OSF.

The only hospital in Illinois that treats more critical children than OSF-Peoria is in Chicago.. 315 miles from Quincy. The Children's hospital in Peoria is on the OSF campus in downtown Peoria. It has a new state-of-art virtual surgical suite, and 100 attending physicians with specalities. This hospital can perform heart surgery on infants.

Texas to IL will be culture shock from geological and weather to miles of crops and 1000 acre farms. The good news is it is a very green state with a mix of prairie, cliffs, rivers, and rolling hills. You can find hand crafted furniture and fresh maple syrup as easy as you can find great state parks and lakes. Fishing and hunting is a big sport in central Illinois from the Mississippi River to the Indiana border.

Some of your questions I can only answer as it pertains to the Peoria area. Peoria is 3 times larger than Quincy. It is the largest MSA between Chicago and St. Louis. It is a bit of a different cat in that is is more racially balanced. Politics do not dominate. The religious community is very active and represents every major denomination in America. Socially the city is active with many events from theatre, to regional fair, to free"G" movies, to cook-off, the Rubber Ducky Race, and juried art. You can take a historical tour on a trolly, ride in a horse drawn carriage, or cruise the river on a stern paddle wheel boat. Explore the parks, trails, 2 zoological parks, or the three largest parks that average 500 acres each. Kids seem to like the Wheels of Time Museum and the CAT Museum because they can climb on stuff and see how it works. There is a new larger planetarium and new children's museum being build now at Glean Oak Park. You'll find Costco, Sam's club, a natural food store, and seasonal farmer's market, but you won't find Trader Joe's. Peoria is midway between Chicago and St. Louis.

K-8 you will find autistic and gifted in District 150 public school system. Private schools includes Montessori, Catholic, Jewish and Christian. You will find familiar stores and surprises. In many ways it is more like Chicago than St. Louis. As rule of thumb Peorians don't much care about color or religious belief as there is a niche for everyone. For all else you are only limited by your budget and desires. Peoria does offer AT&T and Comcast internet, etc.. Verizon and Sprint cell phones seem to work better in this area than US Cellular or
T-Mobile. The COL is much lower than Texas.

[Skimster]

Much of the above post is about Peoria, not Quincy.

I was raised in Quincy throughout the 80s-90s. I watched the major factories close and cheapskate employers replace them. Quincy has a significant brain drain. Most of my generation's college graduates have left due to the lack of decent work, and the people moving in are uneducated hill folk from surrounding rural areas. As a result, the city has become far more religious and conservative than it was 30 years ago. The Tea Party has a significant presence everywhere: yard signs, uncritical newspaper articles, etc.

Disinvestment has become obvious over time. Much of the fine older housing stock has deteriorated, replaced by particle board boxes built to last several decades. There also seem to be an above average number of smokers and heavy drinkers.

It's still home, but I tend to stay away.

[linicx]

Quincy is still in central Illinois. The last two paragraphs pertain to Peoria.

[pianist1972]

Peoria and Quincy are not useful comparisons. I lived in Quincy and have been in Peoria plenty of times, but other than having an adjacent waterway, they are quite different.

[linicx]

Yes, Peoria is quite different. It's three times larger, and its very different when one talks about religion, medical care, and opportunities for children. Quincy is as much a farm town as Canton, Lincoln or Macomb.

Originally Posted by pianist1972

Peoria and Quincy are not useful comparisons. I lived in Quincy and have been in Peoria plenty of times, but other than having an adjacent waterway, they are quite different.

[pianist1972]

Actually, Quincy has a sizeable health care work force and a sizeable number of management/white collar jobs, and is only somewhat dependent on the farm economy. The much smaller towns you mentioned have a much smaller professional class and considerably more reliance on the ag/service economy. In any case, they are as dissimilar to Quincy as Peoria is.

[Drover]

Don't smoke in bed while staying in historic hotels.

[pianist1972]

Newcomb was a great loss, but the myopic powers that be in the city did little to help. Of course it hasn't been an operating hotel in decades and has been closed for 30+ years. Haven't lived in Quincy since the 90s, but parents live there still.