Champaign-Urbana (Chicago: houses, buy, tornado)

[crazylilkelly]

Hi,
I'm currently going to UofI in CU. My husband & I are thinking about staying here (as opposed to going back to the suburbs) to raise our family. we really like it out here b/c there is so much in such a small space. it takes about 10 min to get anywhere we want. plus the community seems to be really active & houses are cheaper. i mean i can live 10 mi from CU & afford a much nicer house than a house 10 min from chicago!!! so, i was just wondering from ppl who grew up in CU if you enjoyed it? thanks

[Switch625]

I've lived in the Champaign-Urbana area (in various places) all 42 years of my life. I've traveled all over the US and seen a lot. I have yet to find a place I would like to live more than this area.

If you live in C-U, you don't need a car. You can take the bus pretty much anywhere worth going, plus you can get to the Amtrak station and the airport via bus.

If you live outside C-U, getting to C-U is easy. With three interstate highways converging on it, C-U is a crossroads of interstate traffic. Speaking of traffic, there is nothing like the traffic problems in Champaign-Urbana that you find in Chicago. North Prospect Avenue may clog up occasionally, but that's the worst spot in town and there are alternative routes to the shopping district for those who live in town.

If you want to live outside of town, property values are quite a bit cheaper. Except for upscale communities like Saint Joseph, of course. Affordable living options in Saint Joseph are fairly limited.

Finally, if you want to visit the big city, it's not hard. Chicago and Indianapolis are both about two hours away, and Saint Louis is about three hours away. The Amtrak line will take you to Chicago, so you don't even have to drive there if you don't want to.

I love it here. I can't picture myself moving away.

[crazylilkelly]

Originally Posted by Switch625

I've lived in the Champaign-Urbana area (in various places) all 42 years of my life. I've traveled all over the US and seen a lot. I have yet to find a place I would like to live more than this area.

If you live in C-U, you don't need a car. You can take the bus pretty much anywhere worth going, plus you can get to the Amtrak station and the airport via bus.

If you live outside C-U, getting to C-U is easy. With three interstate highways converging on it, C-U is a crossroads of interstate traffic. Speaking of traffic, there is nothing like the traffic problems in Champaign-Urbana that you find in Chicago. North Prospect Avenue may clog up occasionally, but that's the worst spot in town and there are alternative routes to the shopping district for those who live in town.

If you want to live outside of town, property values are quite a bit cheaper. Except for upscale communities like Saint Joseph, of course. Affordable living options in Saint Joseph are fairly limited.

Finally, if you want to visit the big city, it's not hard. Chicago and Indianapolis are both about two hours away, and Saint Louis is about three hours away. The Amtrak line will take you to Chicago, so you don't even have to drive there if you don't want to.

I love it here. I can't picture myself moving away.

Thanks bunches for your input! I think my husband & I decided that we will stay out here. Right now we live behind pages for all ages in savoy & really like it for all the reasons you stated. Everyone I talk to who's from here have nothing but great things to say about the area. I'm glad you live in a place that you love & a place that we are growing to love!

[crazylilkelly]

i have a Q, why does it seem that a lot of homes i find in the listings don't have basements? is that normal for around here? thanks

[Switch625]

It is normal around here. The water table is very high, so basements are prone to water seepage. Waterproofing a basement is possible, but rather expensive. Before this area was settled, it was a wetland. Nature remembers, even if people don't. Because building a usable basement is harder than usual in this area, most builders don't bother to build basements.

[crazylilkelly]

what about tornados????? i've grown up in IL & am used to em but I always feel so much safer w/ a basement. thanks for your info

[crazylilkelly]

so, my husband & i did some web surfing about storm shelters. We decided that if we end up falling in love with a house that has no basement we'll just invest in a shelter.....just in case.

[Switch625]

You would be pretty safe taking shelter in an interior room that has no windows. A bathroom in the core of a house would be ideal. Then again, investing in a storm shelter would work also.

[crazylilkelly]

i'm not a freak about tornados but would rather have a safe place to go in case a big one hits. my friends parents house was completely leveled by a tornado (yrs ago) & all that saved them was their basement. we'll see, it's still a few yrs til we buy a house. nonetheless, it's fun dreaming & planning early! hope your enjoying this great november weather!!!