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I am a recent college grad who was offered a nice job in Peoria/ Metamore. I have been living in Tallahassee the past 7 years so I am used to the options of restaurants, choices on what to do with my free time, people my age since its a college town, and nightlife. The weather isn't a huge issue coming from Tallahassee where winters routinely get into the lower 20's at night (vs someone living in south florida). The population of the two cities isn't a huge difference either. So I would be grateful if anyone could answer a couple questions for me or point me in the right direction
1. I would like to live in a nicer apartment building in the downtown area where I can walk to places? I will be making decent money so price isn't the number one concern.
2. Cost of living vs Florida. Will I notice a big difference?
3. Things to do on the weekend? Bars open till 2, 4?? Not a huge party guy but like to go out from time to time.
4. How safe is the city at night to be walking around?
5. I will be working in Metamora, so when it snows, how is the city at plowing the 116? Is that an easy route to commute from?
6. It looks like the airport is very regional. When flying to Florida do most people drive to St. Louis or Chicago or pay the higher fares from Peoria?
Any advice would be greatly appreciated. Thank you.
Well IL plows Interstate routes first, then US rotes and finally state routes. The disadvantage to IL 116 is Germantown Hill which you will drive if you live in Peoria. The Peoria area is ringed with high rolling hills, tall cliffs, and heavily forested areas. The hills are aften icy and snow covered in the winter. If you know how to drive on black ice and in a white out you will have zero trouble.
Here's my take on flying. You will drive 300+ miles round trip from Peoria to either Chicago or St. Louis and pay for parking while on vacation in Florida. Air Fare is historically cheaper from Chicago. All airporst are regional in location.
Peoria airport offers direct flights to Tampa and St. Pete via Allegiant. Two of Bloomington's airlines (Allegiant and Frontier) offer a flight to Orlando. It is a bit of a chicken and egg choice as to which convenience makes better sense? Drive 170 miles to park and fly, or stay home + park and fly. A metro area is a good choice if you going to stay for a day or two and enjoy the city. Currently regular gas in central Illinois ranges from $3.17 - $3.44 per gallon.
Ameren provides gas and lights. AT&T provides land line phone and more. Comcast provides cable and more. This is in Peoria. Counties and other cities may not offer the same plans and the same prices. Utilities will cost more due to miserably hot and humid summers and bitterly cold winters. There is no ocean breeze; there is corn and beans and the sense of being surrounded by water. Indiana is the only shared border on land. The other 2 2/3 borders is large bodies of water. Further, the state is divided by a river from Des Plaines to Alton. There is no Trader Joe's but there is Costco plus many of the stores you expect to find. No Ruth's Chris restaurant, either, but between Peoria proper and Springfieldproper you'll find 1000 restaurants, and a bakery that has served Peorians for over 100 years. The authentic French bakery is new. .
Il grocery tax is 1%/ This does not apply to animal feed, deli or hot foods, wine, cigarettes or liquor, convenience stores or non-grocery stores. Income tax is a Flat 5% regardless of your income is $1 or $100M. Housing stock is everything from a farm in the county to a luxury accommodations in the city.
If Internet is very important or critical to your work, needing a fast, consistent connection will limit where you live.
Peoria bars are usually dead Sun-Tue, they will be open, but Wed -Sat is usually more lively. Peoria liquor license is weird. Depending upon the type of license the drinking establishment has it maybe required to stop serving alcohol at 10p, 11p, 12A, 1A, 2A, 3A, 4A, or odd hours in between such as 12:30 or 2:30 A. Peoria has all kinds of bars from hotel bars to girly bars.
Peora is a STEM city and the largest city downstate between Chicago and St. Louis. Here are things you can do: State-of-Art fitness center, river cruise, horse drawn carriage ride, A trolly tour to one of the 19 historic districts, museums including the 'wheels of time' and traveling Smithsonian exhibit. Birdwatch? You're in the heart of the Mississippi Flyway; I was surprised to see a Bald Eagle today near Chautauqua, which is part of the wildlife refuge and sanctuary in Mason and Fulton Counties.
Between Peoria, B-N and Springfield you will find 4 zoological parks, 5 malls, 2 dozen grocers, meat markets, fish markets, and anther 18-24 shopping centers, 2-3 botanical gardens, planetarium at Lakeview museum, and an observatory run by the Peoroia Astronomical Society, art galleries, regional state fair, juried art fair, renaissance faire, car show, national TT finals, 4K race, power boat race, and sail boat regatta.
There is hunting, fishing, skeet, bow hunting, walking, riding, jogging, gps biking, and camping, There is something every weekend from the Rubber Ducky Race to the oldest, largest, newest, biggest, XYZ, but First Night in Springfield is the last night of the old and the first early morning of the new year. And of course there are watches from the first eaglet hatched to Santa Claus.
If you like to dance there are plenty of places from an artist studio to local clubs to the fireman's ball. If you want something a little less harried, there is symphony, orchestra, band, theatre, summer theatre in the round, chamber music, ballet and opera. Peoria's park district is the oidest and largest in the state; parks range in size from one square city block to three parks 300-600 acres each. IF youw ant to fly a model airplane or go fly a kite you can do it in Peoria. If you want to experience something totally different you can sleep to the wolf lullaby.
You will find a yacht club, skeet club, social club, and political groups. If you like to continue your education there area 4 universities 4 colleges, 2 medical schoosl, 4 nursing schools, 14 hospitals, and a half-dozen communitiy colleges. Peoria is fortunate to have a very diverse religious and cultural community that ranges from Anglican to Universalist. There is a niche for you whether you like ice cream and bbq or upscale classic and modern cuisine.
Metamora is a very small farm town with Catholic and Public schools. All ittle towns are clannish until you have lived there a while. Not much night life but a lot of history. Unless you like a lot of solitude you will find you are in Peoria or B-N more than not. Peoria is a big sprawling town with small universities. Normal is a small town with 23,000 university students. The sister city, Bloomington, is the home of State Farm and Country insurance companies. Normal and Bloomington share a common border that blurs. and is B-N. It is 35 miles from Peoria and 65 from Springfield. You can live any where between B-N and Peoria and not have a long commute to work. Peoria has five bridges; there is seven in the area. I-74 and I-474 are the busiest.
The McCluggage Bridge aka Iron Workers Bridge is closest to Metamora. If I wasted to live in Peoria and work in Metamora I would look in Peoria Heights. It is small but upscale and very safa. It is surrounded by Peoria and therefore not far from anything you want to do. I almost forgot. Peoria has sports, too, from baseball and bowling to hockey and ?
Having lived in and around the area for many years, I can easily say you will only be bored if you chose it over exploring what is available for you to find and enjoy. Peoria is not Tallahassee; Illinois isn't Florida. But it might be a new page in your life journey. Come find out.
I live in Normal and I fly out of Peoria. Slightly better selection of flights than at Bloomington and to me paying a little extra in airfare is worth not having to make the 2.5-3 hour drive to St Louis or Chicago. One of the perks of regional airports is free parking. And I've never flown out of St Louis but Chicago-O'Hare is a nightmare. Even when I lived in the Chicago suburbs I avoided it and flew out of Milwaukee.
The O was a nightmare years ago. Now a plane lands and departs every 1o seconds 24/7 except when planes are grounded. I think to determine an airport one would have to compare flight paths, time, and how close the airport is to your destination. Peoriai has one flight to Florida whereas B-N offers two. If the OP is going to northern FL he can probably fly into Georgia and rent a car cheaper than other options.
I moved to Pia from NC nine years ago as a new college grad. I'm not sure what the cost of living is like in Fla but the major difference that I saw between here and NC is property taxes. They are outrageous here. Otherwise cost of living was about the same. Living downtown is gonna cost a little more though. I suggest renting a townhouse or condo or something and finding a roommate. Your employer's classified website (if they have) would be a good place to find a room to rent if you were interested in that route. The nicer (newer) apartments are going to be in Dunlap which is a nice area but a good distance from downtown. Nightlife will probably be the biggest adjustment because while there are plenty of bars, there is not the happy hour type scene that you see in some larger cities and there are only a few good clubs that come and go actually. It is relatively safe walking around down town during the day and there is a lot of foot traffic downtown during club hours at night so I have always felt pretty safe then too.
Dunlap will be nearly an hour from Metamora in normal rush hour. Its a community of 2-3000. Yes Peoria real estate taxes might be more expensive, but you are paying for schools, hospitals, fire and police, EMT, libraries, airport, and more.
If you want to hit the bars after work you will find plenty open. But if you want happy hours you have to know where to look. Peoria has never been a college town. It is a STEM city. If you want the tailgate party town you have two choices: ISU at Normal or UIUC at Champaign. Normal to Metamora will probably be 45-60 minutes. Add another 45 minutes from U-C to Metamora.
Let are a many, many roads in Illinois. But. There is also tons of beans and corn that separate the roads. There are only 4 towns of size between Chicago and St. Louis. Peoria is the largest metro area. Peoria - BN is approaching a population of 600,000 in a area of roughly 90 miles x 40 miles. This translates to miles of driving before and after work.
Morton is not quite half-way between Peoria and B-N. You will increase your drive time perhaps 20 minutes. Here is the basic problem. Regardless of where you live in the area the only road into Metamora is IL 116. Peoria Heights, Morton or Metamora is he most logical. From Peoria Heights it is War Memorial Drive to the 116 junction. From Metamora it is 1-74 to 116 exit. Othewise you will be driving a combination of two-lane or four-lane and/or Interstate, and possibly county roads to get to work.
What are your options? Between Metamora and Germantown Hills you'll find a dozen or more restaurants and/or bar and grille, Casey's delivers pizza. Most restaurants serve liquor and beer. Personally I would rather live near work and go out on weekends, than face a long drive every morning. In Peoria you can get just about anywhere in 20 minutes. In Metamora it is 10 or less.
Right now you're stoked. After you start work you will settle into a routine and wind down. Country folks are low key and the first to help. If you want high energy, noise, lights, and constant traffic you need to live in Chicago where the COL is 2 to 3 times higher than central Illinois, but everything is at your fingertips and the transit system is wonderful.
The one thing to understand is IF the Internet is important then you need to live in Peoria or Peoria Heights where you are served by AT&T and Comcast. When you move out of this area the Internet speed decreases, and the providers change unless you move into B-N. It's served by Comcast and Frontier. The other thing to understand is cell phone. Not all work the same in all areas due to hills, cliffs, trees, forests, and tower placement. Your co-workers can tell you. I have friends in Germantown Hills; I can find out if you are interested.
I lived in FL. It was a big decision to move. I've also lived in CA and in the Midwest.
Small aside: Internet is starting to improve a bit in Tazewell county with ITV3 deploying fiber. I live in Peoria Heights and would love to have such a connection but you'll never see it in Peoria because of Comcast.
Very true. The proprietary contracts with cities strangle competition. ITV3 has most of Pekin and Morton finished and now they are deploying in East Peoria. They might get into Washington due to density, but, like the others they won't come into rural areas. Can you imagine 100/25 ala carte fpr $90? It is enough to get me into Pekin.
Aside. These city fathers welcome choice for residents.
Quote:
Originally Posted by Zoness
Small aside: Internet is starting to improve a bit in Tazewell county with ITV3 deploying fiber. I live in Peoria Heights and would love to have such a connection but you'll never see it in Peoria because of Comcast.
Very true. The proprietary contracts with cities strangle competition. ITV3 has most of Pekin and Morton finished and now they are deploying in East Peoria. They might get into Washington due to density, but, like the others they won't come into rural areas. Can you imagine 100/25 ala carte fpr $90? It is enough to get me into Pekin.
Aside. These city fathers welcome choice for residents.
No joke, I'd totally move to one of those towns for those service if I stay in the area longer term. The cities and their contracts and regulations are bent on strangling out any hint of competition.
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