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I just find it sad, that the nicest thing someone can say about Harrisburg, is about the damned KFC buffet.....................
Yep, Harrisburg's a dump. But, it's a nice drive through the Shawnee National Forest from Metropolis, the food is good and the senior discount kicks in at 55.
Anyone who spends their entire life in one place, is going to have some limits on how they view the world. The difference being, living your entire life in Chicago, or any other large urban area, your worldliness is going to be greater. Your chance of reaching your lifes potential is greater.
We live in a free country, and everyone can live where they want to live. But living your entire life in rural Southern Illinois is the equivalent of selling out. You will never be as smart as you could have been, and chances are, you will have alot less money than you would have had if you had lived somewhere else.
I used to think that way too . . . I said I refused to die in the small town where I grew up so we moved to "the big city" in Wisconsin for my husband's dream job. We moved from a small SI town with a population of 1200 to a town with a population of 100,000 in Wisconsin. We have tried to fit in, thinking the city meant lots of opportunities for our family. Instead it means we encounter rude, hateful drivers on a daily basis and people that won't stop and help you because they obviously have better things to do or are just plain suspicious. We hate it here and go back to southern Illlinois every chance we get because we have family, friends, neighbors and roots there. Even though we don't have jobs there yet, we are starting the process of moving back to SI, taking a load of furniture and possessions with every visit. Last time, our neighbor across the street saw us struggling to move our couch in the house so he dropped what he was doing and ran across the street to give us a hand. My 80 year old mother couldn't get her lawn mower to start and was stressing out--another neighbor ran over and tried and when he saw it was dead battery, he offered to charge it up for her or go get her another one. Another neighbor helped pull down dead limbs off the trees after a recent storm so we invited them over to roast hot dogs over the fire with their kids and had a blast! That is the reason people stay in southern Illinois. It is the people you can count on that make it home, not the opportunites. By the way, my husand's dream job here only lasted 8 months and we just about starved to death trying to get by on unemployment. I know there aren't jobs in SI, but there are caring, honest people who will help us get by. Given the choice of going someplace new with lots of "opportunities" and going back home where we know we have people who know and love us, we will take SI anytime! I finally understand Dorothy, "there's no place like home!"
I used to think that way too . . . I said I refused to die in the small town where I grew up so we moved to "the big city" in Wisconsin for my husband's dream job. We moved from a small SI town with a population of 1200 to a town with a population of 100,000 in Wisconsin. We have tried to fit in, thinking the city meant lots of opportunities for our family. Instead it means we encounter rude, hateful drivers on a daily basis and people that won't stop and help you because they obviously have better things to do or are just plain suspicious. We hate it here and go back to southern Illlinois every chance we get because we have family, friends, neighbors and roots there. Even though we don't have jobs there yet, we are starting the process of moving back to SI, taking a load of furniture and possessions with every visit. Last time, our neighbor across the street saw us struggling to move our couch in the house so he dropped what he was doing and ran across the street to give us a hand. My 80 year old mother couldn't get her lawn mower to start and was stressing out--another neighbor ran over and tried and when he saw it was dead battery, he offered to charge it up for her or go get her another one. Another neighbor helped pull down dead limbs off the trees after a recent storm so we invited them over to roast hot dogs over the fire with their kids and had a blast! That is the reason people stay in southern Illinois. It is the people you can count on that make it home, not the opportunites. By the way, my husand's dream job here only lasted 8 months and we just about starved to death trying to get by on unemployment. I know there aren't jobs in SI, but there are caring, honest people who will help us get by. Given the choice of going someplace new with lots of "opportunities" and going back home where we know we have people who know and love us, we will take SI anytime! I finally understand Dorothy, "there's no place like home!"
A population of 100,000, doesn't meet my criteria of a large urban area.
Chances are the hospitality you experience in your SI town, is the result of growing up there, and everyone knowing everyone else. If a stranger moved into that little town, I guarantee they wouldn't receive that treatment. The locals would be just as "suspicious" as what you experienced in the larger WI town.
There are good people and bad people everywhere. It's merely a reflection of you leaving the place you call home, to a place that was strange and different.
Chances are the hospitality you experience in your SI town, is the result of growing up there, and everyone knowing everyone else. If a stranger moved into that little town, I guarantee they wouldn't receive that treatment. The locals would be just as "suspicious" as what you experienced in the larger WI town.
There are good people and bad people everywhere. It's merely a reflection of you leaving the place you call home, to a place that was strange and different.
I disagree.
I came from a larger population center in western Michigan and have found the nicest people generally seem to live in the central and southern parts of Illinois.
I have also been offered "dream jobs" in other parts of the country, including a high-profile position at the USMA at West Point, NY, but when we went out there to investigate housing and church possibilities, we quickly came to the conclusion that we would be "fish out of water" in that part of the country, compared to what we were used to in this part of the country. Central IL has been "home" for us for the past 32 years. In my profession, I travel widely and generally speaking, I have never found anyplace I like so much more that I would "cash it all in" just to go and live there instead.
For all of its faults, I believe that all three of our kids grew-up here, and I would like to think they turned out to be intelligent, well-adjusted human beings. As a matter of fact, our middle son sought a "better economic opportunity" by moving to Phoenix, AZ several years ago, and while he may now have his "dream" job, the emotional price he has paid for having that is that he lives a very lonely existence. He's a good, outgoing person, but simply does not fit-in because the Phoenix social culture is a shallow "dog-eat-dog" and "it's all about ME!" attitude, rather than genuine, down-to-earth people helping their neighbors in the kind of ways the other poster alluded-to.
So, while the economic opportunities may be somewhat thinner, the human aspects and quality-of-life issues certainly trump them. It certainly is much less stressful overall to live here than in "the jungle", where I spent my growing-up years.
Myself and husband are thinking of moving to SI.... mayve Makanda,Golconda,Marion...??? I have never lived there.. he has and LOVED IT... I am afraid I will not be able to find work and survive.. I LOVE the small town feel... we visited on our 1st date there.... aaaawwww.... it was so beautiful and the thought of going "home' for us would be great. We are 49 yrs young, love the simple life... live in Mundelein IL. now, I moved from Chicago and am getting used to the life... BUT PLEASE tell me can we survive there.. work... etc..
Thanks
Karen
Myself and husband are thinking of moving to SI.... mayve Makanda,Golconda,Marion...??? I have never lived there.. he has and LOVED IT... I am afraid I will not be able to find work and survive.. I LOVE the small town feel... we visited on our 1st date there.... aaaawwww.... it was so beautiful and the thought of going "home' for us would be great. We are 49 yrs young, love the simple life... live in Mundelein IL. now, I moved from Chicago and am getting used to the life... BUT PLEASE tell me can we survive there.. work... etc..
Thanks
Karen
The 3 towns you mention are very different from one another. Marion would be best for job opportuniies. It is the most progressive town in far SI. Has more of a suburban feel, than that of a small town.
Makanda is just south of Carbondale, in the hill country. It's sort of an artsy little village, and a haven for SIU drop-outs seeking a simpler life. Many old 60's hippie types living there.
Golconda is well off the beaten path. No direct highways to any of the major towns in the area. Has one grocery store of limited size, some interesting antique stores, and not much else. Expect a 45 minute drive for anything more than basic grocery needs. Pope County is the most sparsely populated county in IL (less people per sq. mile).
Job opportunities are not good. Economy is stable. Meaning upturns and downturns on a national level, seem to have little effect here. Things are always bad economically, no matter what happens in the rest of the world.
For whatever reason, most white collar jobs here are held by women. Men are expected to do blue collar work. It's not openly stated, but generally educated, well spoken men, are seen as uppity or lazy if they don't perform a job requiring physical labor.
Best opportunities are in the healthcare field. Most revolving around care of the elderly, as the population is skewed toward senior citizens.
Most jobs pay 8-12 dollars an hour.
There's a few large unionized power and chemical plants, where a man can make $60K a year as a laborer. These operations have few openings, and are considered the career goal of many natives. Often, these jobs go to the celebritized high school athlete, who doesn't go to college.
There are government jobs. Prison guards, mailmen, etc. Openings in these jobs are competitive.
I don't recommend relocating unless you have secured employment in advance. The best situation is to wait until you can retire here. Because of the low cost of living, economically this area is ideal for retirees. CPI based pensions/Social Security, will outpace the local cost of living over time.
I'm probably just repeating what everybody else has said, but I love southern Illinois! People are casual and friendly. I love the land; I love driving on roads that actually curve and I love the hills. I like hiking on weekends. I like hanging out on the Makanda boardwalk. I love, love the wineries! I love the Salukis, Quatro's Pizza and Harbaugh's. I like the diversity of Carbondale mixed with the small-town feel. I love cheering for the Cardinals and not apologizing for it!
But mostly, I love that when I'm there it's on average 20 degrees warmer than Chicago, which is great 75 percent of the year!
Hopefully you will let an out of stater have a word. My mom and dad both came from southern Illinois. My dad's heart never left. He was a farmer and moved off the farm in the late 50's. If we were able we went back to visit at least twice a month in the summer and once a month in the winter. Some of my fondest memories are tied to southern Illinois...just south of Mt. Vernon. The friendships, family (all but one now gone), the ease of life, the history...it all comes back. I now live in a place that is very similar to southern Illinois...Arkansas. Anyone who gets to live there is indeed blessed. The only thing I respectfully disagree with is the concept of "hills" in Illinois. When I see a hill in Illinois it is usually a overpass.
Also, from my memories, southern Illinois is much more "southern" than "northern" in makeup. In researching my family it came to my attention that many of the original families that made up southern Illinois would have roots to Virginia, Maryland, North Carolina, etc.
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Suspicions
My mom and dad both came from southern Illinois. My dad's heart never left. He was a farmer and moved off the farm in the late 50's. If we were able we went back to visit at least twice a month in the summer and once a month in the winter. Some of my fondest memories are tied to southern Illinois...just south of Mt. Vernon. The friendships, family (all but one now gone), the ease of life, the history...it all comes back. I now live in a place that is very similar to southern Illinois...Arkansas. Anyone who gets to live there is indeed blessed. The only thing I respectfully disagree with is the concept of "hills" in Illinois. 
