Moving from CA to Cairo...Where and what kind of work is available? (Chicago: trip)

[allelle]

Hi there. I'm considering moving to Cairo to fix up a lovely old victorian and would like to get information on employment in the area. Where and what kinds of jobs are available. I'm very used to driving (I drive 25 miles to work now) and would just like to get an idea of what opportunities are available. I'd also love to know what gives Cairo it's sense of community? Are there bookstores, cafes, or any places locals can hang out.

Any and all info will be much appreciated.

[dubuqueaskme]

I have seen A TON of negitavity expressed toward Cairo, Illinois on this forum...

And rightfully so...

On our trip to Texas, we cut down through Cairo and it was ugly. Cairo looks like a ghost town, it is pretty dumpy, and when we stayed in Cape Giradeau, we heard about job losses and education problems in the city...

I don't think I would move to Cairo...

google Cairo and see if you can find any images, it has really gone downhill in the past decade, or so.

[Maintainschaos]

Being from Illinois myself, all I've ever really heard about Cairo is that it's essentially a ghost town. There are many, many more prosperous towns and cities in Illinois where you could build a life rather than in Cairo.

Cairo, Illinois - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

[jojojohnson76]

Wow...Somebody wants to move to Cairo? That's a first.

[jojojohnson76]

I mean...I know a lot of these posts aren't really helpful...but really...seriously...Re-think Cairo. It is a ghetto. Nothing there but abandoned businesses. Think East St. Louis on a smaller scale.

[Bugqueen]

Cairo is ripe for development. Many abandoned buildings which would make for great rehab projects. Yes, I've been there more than once and have considered moving there myself. It COULD become a GREAT TOWN, but I have to agree with the others about Cairo, ever see the old movie Deliverance with Burt Reynolds?. Southern Illinois as a whole is a poor place to find a job, but a beautiful part of the state.

[Drover]

Cairo has an unemployment rate of about 15%. That should give you some clue as to your job prospects there. And yes, it is a ghost town. It has suffered about 80% population loss in the last 35 years. That is not an exaggeration. All of downtown is abandoned. Literally. Whole blocks of nothing but empty storefronts. If it were in Arizona, tumbleweeds would blow down the street.

[arpschneider]

Originally Posted by Bugqueen

Cairo is ripe for development. Many abandoned buildings which would make for great rehab projects. Yes, I've been there more than once and have considered moving there myself. It COULD become a GREAT TOWN, but I have to agree with the others about Cairo, ever see the old movie Deliverance with Burt Reynolds?. Southern Illinois as a whole is a poor place to find a job, but a beautiful part of the state.

I just read the Wikipedia link for the town, which included a link to the community Chamber of Commerce. Unfortunately, the link does not work, so apparently the town is so bad off that it can't even afford to keep its Chamber of Commerce page up and running!

[arpschneider]

Originally Posted by Bugqueen

Cairo is ripe for development. Many abandoned buildings which would make for great rehab projects. Yes, I've been there more than once and have considered moving there myself. It COULD become a GREAT TOWN, but I have to agree with the others about Cairo, ever see the old movie Deliverance with Burt Reynolds?. Southern Illinois as a whole is a poor place to find a job, but a beautiful part of the state.

Any number of small towns throughout Illinois have buildings such as that ripe for re-development. What I don't understand is why a group of people from Chicago, who are sick and tired of the rat-race and 2 hour one-way commutes don't leave en-masse and export their economies to under-served areas like this, rather than continuing to live like crowded rats in a cage? Everyone would benefit: the crowding around Chicagoland would be reduced and the under-served areas would have some much-needed economic development!

Who makes these kinds of "decisions" anyway??

[CarolinaBredChicagoan]

Originally Posted by arpschneider

Any number of small towns throughout Illinois have buildings such as that ripe for re-development. What I don't understand is why a group of people from Chicago, who are sick and tired of the rat-race and 2 hour one-way commutes don't leave en-masse and export their economies to under-served areas like this, rather than continuing to live like crowded rats in a cage? Everyone would benefit: the crowding around Chicagoland would be reduced and the under-served areas would have some much-needed economic development!

Who makes these kinds of "decisions" anyway??

Yep. They'll just need to bring the magic pots of money that leprechauns fill up while they sleep and they'll be all set to create Utopia.

You know. Unless they LIKE where they live.


and their jobs.


and... having stuff to do.