Marion, IL??? (Carbondale, Nashville, Kansas: environment, relocate, jobs)

[Glo]

Hi!
Looking to relocate from a small town NE of Kansas City to Marion,IL. Possible job at the VA hospital is the reason for the considered move.
What is this town like?
Weather?
Culture?
Schools?
Good areas vs. areas to avoid?
Things to do around Marion?
Nearest international airport?
Nearest big city?
Any and all information is greatly appreciated. Thanks!

[sunshine girl]

Lived in neighboring town to Marion for 28 years. Marion is a small town amongst other small towns. It is however, one of the best of them. Good schools, safe areas, good values. There are a few not as nice places to live there in town, but overall, there is alot to like about the area. Weather is considered moderate, summers humid and 90's, winter below freezing, but not daily. Some winter days into the 60's pretty regularly. Definitely 4 seasons. culture? Same as most small towns. Everyone knows everyone's business. Actual culture? Not alot. A few home town plays and school musicals. Things to do.. hunting and fishing...oh, and church related things. Nearest int'l airport...St. Louis...about a 4 hour drive or Nashville..about a 4 hour drive. Nearest big city...St. Louis or Nashville. A few somewhat bigger cities, like Carbondale- 6 miles away or Paducah about 30 miles away. Some folks drive to Evansville which is about 4 hours away. You might see a pattern here. Southern Illinois does not have many "big" towns. The biggest have about a 30 - 50,000 population. Depends on your idea of big. But it does have lots of open air, less crime, less stress, and rolling hills. It's a very pretty area, lots of outdoor activities. I imagine much like most small towns in any state. We raised our children not far from Marion, and I have never regretted that environment for them, it was virtually crime free and cost of living is not bad. Jobs are not the best, it's a long ago coal mining area, and when they closed down, so did the economy. Be careful if buying property to find out if it has ever been mined or had mining nearby... that ground can drop and cause problems with the buildings on it. Not true sink-holes, just sinking. But it causes foundations to crack and structural damage just the same, just not as severe as true sinkhole areas. Hope you can use this information, if you need more, glad to assist.

[Glo]

Thanks for all the great info Sunshine Girl. Really appreciate it.

Do you/ Does anybody have specific information on
Marion Schools?
Good neighborhoods in Marion?

Thanks in advance

[sunshine girl]

There is only one high school in Marion. Don't know how many grade schools. Specific neighborhoods would have to be suggested by someone else. But if memory serves, all but the central "downtown" area was ok to live in. Just outside city limits, surrounding the town are nice neighborhoods too.

[Glo]

Thanks again Sunshine Girl.

Sunshine Girl /Anybody who lives in Marion or knows about this:
Which are the residential areas built over old mines? That would be good to know...

Thanks again!

[sunshine girl]

Glo, sorry no one else is answering your questions. You're kind of looking at the undermined land backwards. Find out where the mines were, and you'll find the areas that are less stable. The mine doesn't have to be directly under the house, it can have been have been nearby to be troublesome. This area has houses that are very spread out, outside the city and that's why you will not be able to know specifically which houses are in danger by research on the internet. The cities/towns themselves are safe. No mining ever took place there. It's only when you look at property outside of the towns that you have to be careful. So if you're going to be near a town, you'll be ok. Good luck to you, it's really a nice area to live in.

[Glo]

Thanks again Sunshine Girl!
You are good at this! That is really useful insight. Thanks for taking the time to answer all my questions. I knew I would find answers here...
Blessings!

[scorned neighbor]

Hey GLO,
I lived in Marion, IL for 3.5 yrs. @ 6 years ago. Great location in So. IL with easy interstate 57 access. Tons of great restaurants & things to do. Schools are good with security, metal detectors & guards. Many programs for athletes, kids, cultural, independent league baseball team is coming soon. Mall & Huge Wal-mart for shopping. Carbondale is just 15 minutes away for more shopping & entertainment. Marion is growing leaps & bounds! Has large medical center & fine doctors & surgeons. Nursing staff is low so patient care suffers sometimes. No one place to avoid. You can tell by looking at the neighborhood if you like area or not. Police are quick & on their toes so pretty safe place to live. Hope this helps. Scorned n

[sunshine girl]

Glo, if you don't mind me asking, what kind of job at the VA are you considering? Carbondale is about twice as big as Marion and is a university town and therefore has more job opportunities. My husband was born and raised in Carbondale, and lived much of his adult life there. He worked construction for many, many years and has firsthand knowledge of many of the towns of southern illinios. It is a wonderful place to raise a family or retire, almost all areas with low crime rate and good values. No, I'm not a realtor, I just feel like alot of folks dismiss the area without really knowing anything about how pretty and safe it is. My daughter worked at the Marion VA in IT for a summer's intership about 6 years ago. She liked it there alot. Let me know if I can answer anything for you....

[Glo]

Thanks for your input Scorned. Really appreciate it. Marion's looking pretty good
Sunshine girl, I'm PMing you.

Blessings!