Moving from Tampa, FL to Mt. Vernon (Peoria, Springfield: real estate, lawyers)

[bfabian]

Removing due to a better job and wife's family live up there I'm very hesitant I feel like its going to be so much different and scary compared to FL. How is living in Mt. Vernon ? Is the weather crazy? What are some fun activities to do outdoors in this part of town ?Moving there in less then a month Im use to going to the beach all the time and fishing I've never been in snow!!

Thanks

[CShel24]

I haven't lived IN Mt. Vernon, but I did live in a town that Mt. Vernon was the closest sign of civilization. I can make these observations about southern, IL.

It should be hot enough in the summer to suit you or even Satan, that's for sure. Winter is a roll of the dice, some years it can be pretty doggone cold, others not too bad. Watch out for tornadoes!

Outdoors activities... I think hunting is the major thing, there are also places to go fishing in southern IL. Of course their version of good fishing would probably pale in comparison to what you might be used to.

I am sure there is going to be a lot of culture shock when moving from somewhere like Tampa to a place like Mt. Vernon, IL. You are going to have to drive to either StL, MO or Evansville, IN to find all the "city" type stuff....and neither of those things is a short trip. Of course I lived so far out in the middle of nowhere that Mt. Vernon was the "city" for us.

[linicx]

Fishing for fresh water bass, catfish, crappy, bluegill, etc.. Snow is wet, white and cold. Central Illinois had windchill of -50F last winter. You learn to layer. Wear boots, gloves, face and head covering to protect your extremities. Winter is generally 90 to 100 days. Your nearest beaches on a large body of Water is probably either the Indiana sand dunes on Lake Michigan or the Gulf of Mexico -- not that far from Florida.

Mount Vernon is a farm town of about 16,000 population and the seat of Jefferson County government. Illinois is one of several top producers in the Grain and Livestock Belt. Trucks, guns, dogs, and John Deer are common. Cardinals/Cubs games and the Fighting Illini are a big deal. Everyone hates the real estate taxes and complains about the 5% Float income tax which is less than the surrounding states.

Mount Vernon is in southern Illinois near 57/64 and about 15 miles east of IL 51. It is few short miles north of the Confluence of the Ohio and Mississippi Rivers, and not far from Rend Lake. The City of Mount Vernon is most likely the largest community in the county. Most county seats in Illinois are the largest communities with the most services. Generally a hospital, EMS, doctors, lawyers, a public library, county police and fire, county records and county buildings ae found in a county seat.

You should understand that Internet in rural America is turtle slow compared to download speed in large cities. The internet connection to city and county building will be faster and more stable than to the home. The only utilities in Illinois that are regulated by our public utilities commission are electric, natural gas, and telephone. Neither cable or Internet are regulated; both are WYSIWYG services. I live in central Illinois in a town one quarter the size of Mount Vernon. The average download speed in the four county area is 4-10Mbps with upload speeds of .512-.768 or a little higher. And generally speaking the SAT TV has a better picture and a better channel line up. SAT TV bundled with a phone company is not a good deal. It is a third party service the phone company has no control over.

The largest Illinois communities south of I-80 and north of St. Louis are Springfield and Peoria at over 100,000 population each, thence the combo cities of Urbana-Champaign, and Bloomington-Normal which have a combined population of nearly 100000.

In this general area you find museums, water parks, theatre, state and city parks, sports, major shopping, Meijer's and Costco, meat and fish markets, state and regional fairs, farmer's markets, natural food stores, and more. However, the closest Trader Joe's to Mount Vernon is in St. Louis. Southern Illinois is probably more KY/TN southern in its politics that across the rest of the state.

[Beachgoer44]

The public school system in Mt. Vernon is terrible. Winters for the past 5 years have been pretty brutal too. Snow, ice, below freezing temps. "Better job" are generally not two words out together regarding Mt. Vernon. You need to see if your pay increase is worth it after you pay state income taxes, which you currently do not pay in Florida. Your property taxes will be higher too. I have property in both states, so this is first hand.

[linicx]

IL personal income is 5% flat tax. Real estate taxes stay local to support hospitals, schools, city and county services, parks and more. Generally speaking the K-8 education is much the same across the state. The biggest problem with high schools across the state are teenagers.

A parent who is involved with homework, teachers and schools have better educated children than those who parents do not. The involved parent make the difference.

The county seat generally has a better internet connection and download speed than the county. City real estate taxes are higher than in county. Rural internet as a whole is not very good from coast to coast. It makes little difference who supplies it. And it is expensive.

[brtangcsco]

nice read!http://weber.ninecomputer.com/1.jpg

[Beachgoer44]

Originally Posted by linicx

IL personal income is 5% flat tax. Real estate taxes stay local to support hospitals, schools, city and county services, parks and more. Generally speaking the K-8 education is much the same across the state. The biggest problem with high schools across the state are teenagers.

A parent who is involved with homework, teachers and schools have better educated children than those who parents do not. The involved parent make the difference.

The county seat generally has a better internet connection and download speed than the county. City real estate taxes are higher than in county. Rural internet as a whole is not very good from coast to coast. It makes little difference who supplies it. And it is expensive.

Our roads are terrible, even though ET Simons works on them all the time. I-57 continues to have an egregious amount of traffic accidents..there are limited city and county resources down here, and what we do have are being cut.....this person is coming from St. Petersburg, FL where there is an abundance of resources, beautiful parks, beaches, etc. Mt. Vernon cannot compete. Regarding the schools...that is the only thing comparable..Florida public schools are awful too. I agree on parental involvement 100%.....however, there are about 6-7 hours a day our kids are required to be in school without us parents....the teachers and administrators need to do their part too....agreed on the Internet...

[bfabian]

Originally Posted by Beachgoer44

The public school system in Mt. Vernon is terrible. Winters for the past 5 years have been pretty brutal too. Snow, ice, below freezing temps. "Better job" are generally not two words out together regarding Mt. Vernon. You need to see if your pay increase is worth it after you pay state income taxes, which you currently do not pay in Florida. Your property taxes will be higher too. I have property in both states, so this is first hand.

just what i want to hear

[Beachgoer44]

Originally Posted by bfabian

just what i want to hear

Sorry.....you'll see. I worked in Mt. Vernon for 5 years and am very Blessed because my job is not dependent on the economy. My son goes to private school too. Graduates in May and we are either moving to St. Pete permanently or to Nevada. We haven't made our final decision. I spent 3 weeks in St. Pete in July. I have a lot of family and friends in that area. Florida Polytechnic is one of my son's chosen schools. .Eckerd made his list too.

[bfabian]

update :
been up here for a month and a half man is it boring up here in mt vernon absolutely no entertainment for kids or adults