From KC to STL to Peoria,IL? (Chicago, Rock Island: gated, hotels)

[Norman87]

I'm in my last year of school and graduate in spring. In looking for internships related to my field I came across a very promising one in Peoria, IL. I know it is about half way between here (st. louis) and Chicago (where I'd like to live for a while) but that's about all I know. Any info about life in Peoria would be of most help. I am content with a city about the size of Kansas city or St. Louis, but am afraid Peoria might seem a bit small and confined. I am a 25 yr old female and don't demand a party, but are there any incentives to move to the area? And what opportunities are there for health and exercise?

[BUalumni]

The Peoria metro area is very much on its way up. Peoria itself is seeing a new upsurge of buisness, and opportunities abound. Peoria is a unique city in the sense that if you are in the downtown area you feel like you are in the middle of a much larger city, but just down the road are well established neighborhoods that seem like little towns all to themselves. The Riverfront is great, and the downtown area holds much in the way of nightlife, and restaurants. There is a new upscale townhome project that will have a "mall village" like sitting underneath it, that is being set up right next to the Riverwalk. The Riverfront is close to Bradley University, which attracts that younger crowd, but is still upscale enough for the head administrators of CAT to enertain clients from around the world. Shopping is everywhere, and if you can't find it in Peori,a it probably doesn't exist. In terms of exercise, Peoria is really underated. There are tons of parks and recreational facilities throughout the city that are heavily used. Not to mention the huge, state of the art Riverplex located right on the Riverfront that has everything you could ever want in terms of equipment or facilities. The beautiful Rock Island trail sits close to my house and is very popular with Peoria and the surrounding areas west of the river alike. Peoria is a fairly expensive city in terms of taxes, but you do get a fair amount. Not in terms of public education though. If you plan on having kids, and living in Peoria, private schools are the only option. Unless you live in the Richwoods High School Dist, which is the only high performing school in Peoria for the most part. There is supposed to be a new museum going in by the river, so taxes are expected to go up, again. But it also going to bring in several upscale hotels on both the Peoria and East Peoria side which will change the whole skyline of both cities. The town and subsequent subdivisions of Dunlap are close to Peoria and have amazing schools on all levels! But the area is expensive and finding a townhome that is under 250K will be difficult. I love the area, but they call it "CAT(Catepillar) Exec. Compound" for a reason. There is a new state of the art hospital right off Rt. 91 in Dunlap, and a regional eye care center right next to it. Peoria is home to OSF Medical Center, which is one of the highest performing, and biggest hospitals in the midwest. It houses the Illinois Trauma Center that tops even Chicago's. It really says something when the Life Flight from a city the size of Peoria's handles more patients a year than Chicago. Methodist Medical Center is right across the interstate, and though smaller, is the best place in the state for heart health treatment. Let me know if you need anymore info. Peoria is a unique city that has yet to be duplicated anywhere. If you are set on the same living that you would find in St. Louis you might not like it. The only way to describe Peoria's diversity is that is is just simply Peoria.

[newtopeoria]

Thanks for your info on Peoria. My wife and I are moving to Peoria at the end of Jan 2008 when my wife will begin working at OSF. We are still looking for a rental. Any tips on where to find a nice duplex or small home in the 600-700/ month range? I noticed from the police crime stats that crime drops off in the northern and western areas of Peoria. Any areas to avoid? Thanks.

[STLCardsBlues1989]

Peoria has the Riverman, so for me that would be an incentive for me (although I'd rather live in St. Louis closer to the Blues).

[runninfiend]

Originally Posted by STLCardsBlues1989

Peoria has the Riverman, so for me that would be an incentive for me (although I'd rather live in St. Louis closer to the Blues).

The level of play with the Rivermen now in the AHL is much higher than it was in the ECHL.

I will say one thing:

Blues glass seat ticket price: $135

Rivermen glass seat ticket price: $18

[timjoe48]

i recommend you look for rentals in east peoria or creve coeur...those communities are only minutes from peoria and, relative to peoria, are virtually crime free...in addition, you are much more likely to find a rental in your price range.

Originally Posted by newtopeoria

We are still looking for a rental. Any tips on where to find a nice duplex or small home in the 600-700/ month range? I noticed from the police crime stats that crime drops off in the northern and western areas of Peoria. Any areas to avoid? Thanks.

[BUalumni]

Originally Posted by timjoe48

i recommend you look for rentals in east peoria or creve coeur...those communities are only minutes from peoria and, relative to peoria, are virtually crime free...in addition, you are much more likely to find a rental in your price range.

Peoria crime isn't that bad. The poor, ghetto, southside is dangerous and most areas I would not walk around even in the day. That being said, the majority of Peoria today does not resemble that area in the least, and really could even be classified as two different towns in terms of everything. I find that the news media around here tends to make a big deal of every incident in crime, just because, well...., there isn't always something to report on. You find similar statistics and accounts from other cities that are the size of Peoria. I wouldn't say that Creve Coeur, or even East Peoria are that great. I wouldn't live in Creve Coeur if you gave me the nicest house in the area. It might not have high amounts of 'south-side' crime like Peoria, but it isn't anything special, or as nice as neighboring towns in the least. East Peoria is a very 'iffy' town. Some parts are very nice, others are not at all. One thing that has always bothered me about East Peoria is that for its size, it lacks cohesion on a massive scale. Random, and segregated are the best adjectives to describe East Peoria. I think the zoning commisioner just took a map and picked the most rediculous places to put residential and commercial zones That being said, you can find nice places to rent in East Peoria for 600-700 a month. Anthing in the northern corridor of Peoria would be more expensive than this.

[runninfiend]

Originally Posted by timjoe48

i recommend you look for rentals in east peoria or creve coeur...those communities are only minutes from peoria and, relative to peoria, are virtually crime free...in addition, you are much more likely to find a rental in your price range.

I'm not so sure I would call Creve Coeur "virtually crime free." C.C. does get a bad rap around these parts, but some of it is deserved.

Just a cursory glance at city-data shows a crime index of 676.3, the national average is 323.2.

In 2004 this index was 841.9.

In 2006 Peoria actually had a crime index of 581.3. Not great, but actually better than Creve Coeur.

Plus, the ratio of residents to sex offenders is 351:1 in Peoria and 308:1 in C.C.

East Peoria does fare much better, with a 2006 crime index of 349.9.

Housing is probably more affordable, and I'm not denigrating the community, but this is some hard data pointing to facts, lest folks get the impression that Creve Coeur is "virtually crime free." It isn't. Far from it.

[timjoe48]

folks, let's not lose our minds on the basis of "crime-index" or "ratio of residents to sex offenders" or other such purportedly definitive information...i was a police and felony court journalist in peoria and tazewell county for 20 years...in that time, i got a pretty good feel for severity of crime vis a vis communities in those two counties...creve coeur isn't even on the crime radar if there's a discussion about crime in central illinois...for a person looking for a rental, creve coeur literally is virtually crime free.

Originally Posted by runninfiend

I'm not so sure I would call Creve Coeur "virtually crime free." C.C. does get a bad rap around these parts, but some of it is deserved.

Just a cursory glance at city-data shows a crime index of 676.3, the national average is 323.2.

In 2004 this index was 841.9.

In 2006 Peoria actually had a crime index of 581.3. Not great, but actually better than Creve Coeur.

Plus, the ratio of residents to sex offenders is 351:1 in Peoria and 308:1 in C.C.

East Peoria does fare much better, with a 2006 crime index of 349.9.

Housing is probably more affordable, and I'm not denigrating the community, but this is some hard data pointing to facts, lest folks get the impression that Creve Coeur is "virtually crime free." It isn't. Far from it.

[timjoe48]

the journal star does not make a big deal out of crime but peoria tv news does --- and it's not because "there isn't always something to report on"...it's because tv news is pathetically understaffed and thus takes on the easiest --- and most sensational --- type of reporting: regurgitation of the police blotter.

Originally Posted by BUalumni

Peoria crime isn't that bad. I find that the news media around here tends to make a big deal of every incident in crime, just because, well...., there isn't always something to report on.