Help...information about small IL towns (Dixon, Sterling: new house, live, castle)

[linicx]

Local news broadcasters define Central Illinois as the following counties:
Peoria, Tazewell, Woodford, Mason and Fulton.

The counties that you listed are located in East Central Illinois and are much closerr to Champaign than to Central Illinois.
Arcola
Arthur
Atwood
Mahomet
Shelbyville

[StevenKrzak]

Hi, Steve-o,

I know exactly what you mean! I took Bethel Road off of IL-78 from Mount Carroll to get to Elizabeth during the snow storm, and what an adventure that was! I thought that route would be a short cut -- ha!

Everything was so white, it was like I was driving through the clouds. Sometimes I wasn't sure if I was driving on the road or in a field. I did the best that I could and slowly followed some fresh tire tracks in the snow, and then all of the sudden the tracks were gone. Yikes! There was some steep downhill driving as well. How do the residents cope with the winter driving?? They should get a medal for courage!

Thanks for sharing your experience! I don't feel so alone anymore! If I ever move to the Galena area, I'll share my winter driving tips with you!

[StevenKrzak]

Linicx,

Thanks for the information about the Central Illinois counties, duly noted. I was interested in the cities that I had listed despite how the local news broadcasters define East Central IL. Sorry for any confusion!

[arpschneider]

Originally Posted by linicx

Local news broadcasters define Central Illinois as the following counties:
Peoria, Tazewell, Woodford, Mason and Fulton.

The counties that you listed are located in East Central Illinois and are much closer to Champaign than to Central Illinois.
Arcola
Arthur
Atwood
Mahomet
Shelbyville

I beg to differ.

Since Chestnut has been designated as the geographic center of Illinois, and is located on the eastern edge of Logan County, I would think that any of the counties surrounding Logan would also fall within that classification.

[StevenKrzak]

Dear arpschneider,

Thanks for your reply.

To everyone who has replied to my question, I want to thank you very much. I would also like to let everyone know that I like to keep things as simple as possible.

Rather than get into any future discussions about the specific direction of any of the cities that I had mentioned, I would like to keep the focus only on information about the cities, not their compass bearing. I have an idea of where the cities are, and that's good enough for me.

I've received some really helpful information thus far, so if you have any stats or personal experiences about the cities, please don't hesitate to reply!

Also, I have narrowed down my list and am looking for information about the following cities in IL (I've added a few new cities to the list):

Fulton
Galena
Geneseo
Hanover
Lena
Morrison
Mount Carroll
Savanna

[iknowchicago]

So, I grew up outside Lena (2,700) and went to school there. I would say that on the whole it's a very pleasant town. NW IL has a lovely, rolling hill feel. Lena is no exception. It is predominantly a community of ex-farmers retiring and a few of their children making up the younger community. In a lot of ways the town revolves around the schools; they are some of the best in the state. There is a lovely state park outside the town that is wonderful for hiking and average for swimming. Surprisingly, there are two decent golf courses (an 18 and 9) in the actual town. The area is fairly old and has some interesting old buildings. The residents are fairly friendly on the whole and often have some deeply rooted traditions.

The majority of the economy is farming in Lena, and many commute to Freeport (25,000--15 mins east) or Rockford (150,000--45 mins east). Freeport, although on the whole pleasant, is slowly dying economically, especially since the US-20 bypass was completed and a tire plant went down. There are a few decent restaurants and your basic shopping. Rockford has some strong business but little financial/manufacturing. Galena (45 mins west of Lena), as mentioned by others, is beautiful and the most financially solvent of the NW Illinois towns. It's position near the Mississippi River and proximity to Dubuque, IA make it quite an ideal location for a transplant. The whole area, stretching from Galena to LaCrosse, WI, reminds me a bit of West Virginia. It's not quite mountains, but there are unique views and scenic byways. On the other hand, it doesn't create the travel chaos of winter in the mountains, either.

I actually find southern Wisconsin very pleasant, except that the taxes are very high. There are some delightful cheese/beer locations in the Monroe/New Glarus area. Lena actually has a cheese factory as well. There is significant Swiss heritage in much of southern WI.

One of the nicest things about Lena is that it's kind of a crossroads. Every major location (Rockford, Galena, Madison) is less than an hour away, and Chicago is just over two hours. Really, the biggest downside is that there are at times unusual numbers of deer in the area. It seems funny, but at night one must be more cautious since they are like capricious, living snowmobiles running around. They are tasty, though.

Hope it helps! Let me know if you have questions.

[StevenKrzak]

Originally Posted by iknowchicago

So, I grew up outside Lena (2,700) and went to school there. I would say that on the whole it's a very pleasant town. NW IL has a lovely, rolling hill feel. Lena is no exception. It is predominantly a community of ex-farmers retiring and a few of their children making up the younger community. In a lot of ways the town revolves around the schools; they are some of the best in the state. There is a lovely state park outside the town that is wonderful for hiking and average for swimming. Surprisingly, there are two decent golf courses (an 18 and 9) in the actual town. The area is fairly old and has some interesting old buildings. The residents are fairly friendly on the whole and often have some deeply rooted traditions.

The majority of the economy is farming in Lena, and many commute to Freeport (25,000--15 mins east) or Rockford (150,000--45 mins east). Freeport, although on the whole pleasant, is slowly dying economically, especially since the US-20 bypass was completed and a tire plant went down. There are a few decent restaurants and your basic shopping. Rockford has some strong business but little financial/manufacturing. Galena (45 mins west of Lena), as mentioned by others, is beautiful and the most financially solvent of the NW Illinois towns. It's position near the Mississippi River and proximity to Dubuque, IA make it quite an ideal location for a transplant. The whole area, stretching from Galena to LaCrosse, WI, reminds me a bit of West Virginia. It's not quite mountains, but there are unique views and scenic byways. On the other hand, it doesn't create the travel chaos of winter in the mountains, either.

I actually find southern Wisconsin very pleasant, except that the taxes are very high. There are some delightful cheese/beer locations in the Monroe/New Glarus area. Lena actually has a cheese factory as well. There is significant Swiss heritage in much of southern WI.

One of the nicest things about Lena is that it's kind of a crossroads. Every major location (Rockford, Galena, Madison) is less than an hour away, and Chicago is just over two hours. Really, the biggest downside is that there are at times unusual numbers of deer in the area. It seems funny, but at night one must be more cautious since they are like capricious, living snowmobiles running around. They are tasty, though.

Hope it helps! Let me know if you have questions.

Dear iknowchicago, thanks for the information. It's very helpful to hear from people who have lived or are still living in the areas where I'm planning on moving.

I've seen some older homes for sale there that I'd consider, some near Waddams Grove.

I've only driven past Lena on my way to Galena and it sounds like a nice place to live. The next time I drive out that way (this summer) I'll give Lena a visit and get a feel for the town. I'm also considering Stockton.

Thanks again for taking the time to educate me about Lena. I appreciate it!

[GolfLover2]

Originally Posted by StevenKrzak

I am a 41 year old single male, have lived in the Chicago/O'Hare area my entire life and have always wanted to move to a rural area (my preference would be population 0-5,000, but that's not written in stone.)

I am not looking for perfection, just an area that is decent (I love nature and quaint towns/villages) and not too far from work (would like to keep the commute under 20 miles one-way, if possible.) The night life is not for me; I know how to keep myself entertained. I would just like to work, contribute to a community and spend time living a quiet life. The larger cities will always be there if I would be inclined to visit a museum, shop at a mall, etc.

Although I have worked as an administrative assistant at a major university for 15+ years and was an assistant to a real estate agent for 2 years, I would not be opposed to a different line of work. For me, finding a decent job seems to be the number one challenge in making any kind of rural move. I've been thinking of starting a cleaning business (residential/small businesses) and am also doing a bit of direct selling (scented candles.) I've always wanted to work with animals, particularly with dogs.

Can you please give me your opinons about the following areas? I'd greatly appreciate your input! Thank you!

NW, IL:
Apple River
Galena
Geneseo
Leaf River
Lena
Mount Carroll
Oregon
Polo
Scales Mound

Central, IL:
Arcola
Arthur
Atwood
Mahomet
Shelbyville

Steven:
You mentioned that you like the Galena area, so I'm writing to give you the thumbs-up on that opinion. We have a second home in Eagle Ridge/Galena Territories outside of the city. We love going up there year round ... including winter. We too had thoughts that the roads might be treacherous with snow or ice, but happily found that they maintain the roads very well, especially within the Galena Territories, and driving was not an issue.
With your side business of candles, the downtown of Galena might provide an income opportunity. Other small towns in that area have great little shops that might be interested in your products, as well.
We'd move up there in a heartbeat year-round right now, if possible. We just love the area, the countryside, and the people. With Dubuque so close, it's a great mix of living styles.
Best of luck to you ... and don't be afraid to ask more questions, if need be.

[StevenKrzak]

Hi, GolfLover2,

Thanks for your reply! I love to hear from people that know that area and your information is very helpful. While in Galena, I love to sit in Grant Park and walk around some of the little shops in the area. I've also ventured out a little bit and drove around on some of the backroads, but I've never been in the Eagle Ridge/Galena Territory area. I've seen homes for sale there - beautiful. It's good to hear how well the roads are maintained during the winter in that specific area.

I've thought about bringing some of my candles to the local shops but wasn't well prepared when I was there. Food for thought, though, thanks for mentioning that.

I agree about the beauty of the area, and on several occasions people waved to me as I drove through some of the smaller towns - that was nice.

It's very kind of you to make yourself available for other questions. If I have any, I'll be sure to send you a message. Thank you!

[stac1023]

Polo is a nice little town, but there is not alot to do there. You have to go to Dixon or Sterling to go to a walmart or malls. I lived in Polo for 26 years and I don't think it is the same as it use to be.