Bloomington or Champaign? (Chicago, Peoria, Springfield: car rental, real estate, rentals)

[XACseminole]

My husband has a job offer near Clinton, IL, and we are looking to buy a home within about a 30 minute drive. We'd like to be fairly close to parks, farmer's markets, basic shopping (a good grocery store, home improvement store, Target, etc.), and a few nice restaurants. We are just starting our family, so low crime rates and good schools will be increasingly important over the next few years. We both grew up in small, conservative towns, but have since lived in several progressive places and enjoy that too. Any info on the area vibes would be much appreciated.

[Maintainschaos]

Bloomington is going to be your closest drive to Clinton. The towns of Bloomington and Normal have a pretty white-collar feel to them, and the presence of the universities such as Illinois State and Illinois Wesleyan help the area feel a bit more progressive. There's decent enough shopping in the area and easy access to several interstates. As well, the Bloomington-Normal Amtrak station is pretty nice and has good connectivity to Chicago and St. Louis. The drive to Clinton may suck a bit during the winter, though, so you may want to consider being closer to Clinton and planning to drive less.

[linicx]

You'll find Meijers, Krogers, Schnucks, Simply Yours, Jewel-Osco, Walmart, Sams Club, Aldi and other grocers in Normal. There is a mall in both towns. ISU is roughly 22,000 students. It as always had a good reputation. Univerity-High is a 4-year college prep school that usually has a two year waiting list. The Normal Amtrak is new. It is the second busiest train depot in Illinois. Normal is smaller than Bloomington which is the County Seat. Because it is the seat of county government it tends to be a bit more reserved and conservative. Normal is infused with large college, and therefore is conservative with a different vibe. I personally think all Illinois K-8 schools do a good job of preparing kids for high school. Many of the U-High kids stay local and attend ISU, not all do.

The best description of U-High is a lottery. 1- Normal students; 2-Bloomington students 3- other Illinois students. It is a very good high school. ISU is one of 14 top Actuary Schools in North America. It was recently awarded for its campus "Circle" design. It is not an Ivy League school, but it well respected. Graduates often work for State Farm. There is mall and a hospital in both towns. BTW, not too far south of Bloomington, at Funk's Grove, one can buy fresh maple syrup tapped and made on site every Spring.

The nearest Top 25 Ranked Hospital in America is Barnes-Jewish in St. Louis. The nearest Level 1 Tertary Critical Care chidrens unit (age pre-birth to 18) is is Children's Hospital in Illinois on the OSF campus in Peoria. Most of the Pediatricians in central Illinois send critical patients to the Children's Hospital in Peoria.

BTW, B-N should have lower electric rates due to its large wind farm.

B-N is about 35 miles from Peoria or Champaign. Peoria is an old city with a large historical, cultural, and religious population that is very active. Peorai is a STEM, business, and port city that sits on the Illinois River. It offers a Riverfront with museums, sports center, river cruises and a free water umbrella in the summer for kids. Peoria is also a kids city. It offers 5 hospitals, three massive parks, with free weekend movies. There are two malls, a dozen small shopping centers, two zoological parks, a soon to open children's museum, children's theatre, performing arts, sports, a lookout tower, and many restaurants, etc.. The MSA is 6 counties is nearly 500,000 population. If you are a sailor the IVY Club is the closet deep draft, full service, sail club to B-N. Peoria also has a regional state fair that is very popular, and a juried art fair that is also very popular, and other events all years.

Nearby East Peoria has exploded with it new shopping district on the river. Here is where the only Costco (outside of Chicago and St. Louis) is located. It is also home to one of the largest night time Christmas Parades and displays in America. For kids there is water park, and for dad there is a Bass Pro Shop. For both there is the Wheels O' Time Museum, and a larger planetarium.

Urbana-Champaign is home to the flagship UIUC with over 33,000 students. It is a big sports town. Illinois residents support it especially when home games are played. Urbana is the County Seat. The stores are very similar across Central Illinois. Target, K-Mart, Old Navy, etc, do very well.

The Illinois River is the longest and largest river in the state at one-mile wide and nearly two hundred miles long. The Illinois River Valley is 7 counties and 95 miles long. It divides the state inhalf. In the Peoria area there are seven bridges that carry commercial traffic across the river.

The cities of Peoria and Springfield are approximately 100 miles apart. Springfield is the state seat of government. It is home to Lincoln museums, a Frank Lloyd designed home (the largest collection in the world is in Oak Park, IL outside of Chicago). If you like coffee one of the best is the BUNN coffee maker in Springfield. It has a zoo and Lake Springfield, and tons of events. First Night is a very big deal. As far as I know it is the only one in central Illinois. And of course it has hospitals.

There really is a point. IL is an Ag state. Regardless of where you go you will find corn, beans and cows. IL is the 5th largest state in the union with the second largest county in America. Two-thirds of the population lives in Cook County or very near it. I just listed the 4 largest areas between Chicago and the Mississippi River. In between are many other cities, towns, and villages. Each is different from the other. However. there is always something to do on most weekends, and a place to shop 24/7.

I strongly suggest you rent for one year and be well accustomed to the area before you buy a house. You may find what you like best is not where you rent; it is not uncommon. One of the things you will learn is real estate taxes are different in every county,,, and living outside a city in the county is less expensive. The trade-off is distance, plus services are provided by the county rather than the city. Illinois can have some brutal winters with deep snow. Snow is removed first from Interstate routes, followed by US routes, and state routes. County roads are not generally cleared unless it is a major route.

Electricity is generally more stable in cities. If the internet is very important, then you will want to stay in a city. You can bet Ameren does not want to lose power at ISU or at UIUC or any hospital. This is a consideration as it is not uncommon to live rural with a 1.5 Mbps download speed in the county.

Welcome to your new home!

[XACseminole]

Thank you both for your very helpful replies! Definitely given us lots to think about. I really feel that being in a city would be best for us for a few of the reasons mentioned, but I can see where that drive during the winter would get tedious. Living in Clinton or another small town around there is not out of the question, but I'm worried about resale value of our house in 5-7 years. Any thoughts real estate in the area and potential resale value in a few years?

[rhawkins74]

Between the two in question, I would say you would be better off with Bloomington/Normal rather than Champaign. The commute between Bloomington and Clinton is not one you really need to worry that much about, yes a couple of times during the winter it can get sketchy, but for the most part it is not an issue.

I would suggest considering Clinton itself instead of your other choices. The housing market is steady and doing well in Clinton, the difference is, the cost of property in Clinton is lower. A house that costs 100k in Clinton would cost closer to 200k in Bloomington and 250k in Normal. The city of Clinton is a good place for raising a family. Crime is not a big issue, and the schools are good.

Basic shopping and eating can be done in Clinton, but when wanting to go for more, it is nothing to drive the 20 minutes to Bloomington or the other direction to Decatur/Forsyth for all of your needs.

[linicx]

I bought and sold houses for a number of years. You need some practical information. In central Illinois a 3 bed/2 bath, full basement, and attached double garage in a good neighborhood sells first and fastest. You pay more, but you get more when you sell it.

The house on the larger lot sells faster than on the smaller lot. The flat lot better than the sloped lot. A lot with mature trees sells better than one without a tree. A house with e-windows sells better than a house with the older non e-windows because e-window house is less expensive to heat and cool. The average home insulation is worn out in 20 years or less. A brick home sells better than vinyl siding. It also has heating and cooling properties the frame house does not have. The proper size heat/air make a difference as does the 80% vs the 93% furnace.

But there is a caveat.

If you have been in the house 10 years you need to paint it inside and trim the outside. Replace and repair. And stage it: minimal furniture, nothing on the walls, minimal decoration inside and out. Clean, de-cluttered inside and out; neat inside and out. . Let the woman imagine HER things in your house. Update the kitchen and baths. It might be just as simple as new paint, faucets, or new light fixtures. If the toilet is stained so badly you cannot clean it, replace it before you try to sell the house.

Traditionally city houses sell faster. However retirees, and those who do not like big city living look to the house in the county that is near a larger city. Even in a bad economy you can get your money out.

It pays to know your cities. Eye candy sells, but it does not mean the city is not rotten to the core. People buy county because they are looking for certain things... such as nature, more land, less traffic and city noise, etc.. I bought in an isolated place because the city sprays for mosquito all sumer, and the local hospital is very good. it is what I needed at the time I moved. Most counties have some rules regarding 100 year old homes that need rehab. The taxes are next to nothing as long as it is being renovated.

Before you chose an area, what are your priorities in the future? BTW, in this area it is very common to drive 30 miles to work or farther. Peoria and B-N employees drive each way every day. This is the least of the issues. When you have a family you think about things like school, parks, doctors, hospitals, groceries, clothing, sitters, insurance, yard and home maintenance, etc.. You will think more about family vacations than theatre.

Your home will not lose value in Normal or Bloomington. Normal is smailer at 52,000 than Bloomington at 77,000; It is also has a slower growth rate. Use the Census as a guide to tell you more about each city including the demographics. Normal (town) QuickFacts from the US Census Bureau

The two largest newspapers in the area is the Bloomington Pantagraph and the Peroia Journal Star. The state newspaper is the State Journal-Register. The Illinois Times is an interesting source too. These are all online. ISU has a campus bus that serves the campus, but Bloomington has the city bus that serves both communities. Grayhound and Amtrak in in Normal with Trailways and plane in Bloomington. You will find taxi, limo, and car rentals, too.

Here is a little about higher education schools in B-N. Eureka College in Eureka, Il -- not too far from B-N - is ranked as one of the Top 25 four-year Liberal Arts Colleges
Normal, Illinois (IL) Colleges and Universities

For what it is worth, my opinion the Town of Normal is a little less conservative, and a little less expensive to live in than its sister city. The least conservative is probably Peoria. Most river cities are not as conservative as their landlocked cousins. If you like nature the three largest parks in Peoria average about 500 acres each, and each offers something different for families. I lived in Peoria and B-N, but I lived longer in Peoria where I could find butcher shops, fish market, furrier, restaurant wholesale that sells to the public, etc.. Peoria is not a one church town; it has many choices, and fun events not found elsewhere in the area.