Decatur Illinois

[akamer]

Originally Posted by wionee

Thanks to all of you for your comments on Decatur. I appreciate your honest opinions. It's really hard to know where to go, when you have to go somewhere. I've sold my home in Washington, and will be moving out when school is over in June. I was really looking for inexpensive real estate, or a house I could fix up. It's like you said, real estate is dirt cheap in the Decautur area, but whats the point of cheap if thats all there is. The community I live in now is 90% retired people. The weather here is wonderful in the summer, and the winters are gray and rainy. Lots of green and mountains. But....it's not very exciting, and real estate is over the top for most of the working class. The property taxes just keep climbing higher. Thats one of the reasons I sold my house. The taxes were making my house payment almost unpayable. Washington State is an expensive place to live. The sales tax alone is almost 9%. When I sold my home I had to pay the State of Washington money on the sale of this house. Anyway... and so it goes. I'd really just like to find a nice place to occupy, with inexpensive living conditions, and some fun things to do. Maybe someone has some advice that might be helpful? Thanks so much-Wionee

Hello! We are relocating to Oregon due to our jobs.. We are in a town about 10 -12 minutes east of Decatur and we love it.. The town is Oakley there are maybe 20 houses in the town. Great place to live. You don't get the smell from decatur. Everyone is very friendly. Very quiet out here. Everyone has a golf cart and they ride around town on them you might even see a four wheeler running around. It is a great country feel out here. We are selling our home so we can head west. The schools are excellent here. Small town schools my youngest son had 16 students in his class including him.. That is what i liked about them. Teachers are caring and that is hard to find. Real estate is decent here. I feel that our home is priced right for what there is. We have 2.10 acres and a decent home with nothing to do to it but move in.. It depends on what you like to do. My husband and I like entertaining at home and we have the home to do that. Good luck on your venture..

[Abzp4]

Hello,

I am thinking of moving to decatur,il. I havent been there, so can anyone tell me how it is? I read the posts but I want to know about the Forsyth area. How are the schools in Forsyth? What kind of developments are there? Is the place good for shopping? I am in Youngstown, and looking to get out, so I know about high crime, that won't be much of an issue. But I especially want to know about the area developments.

[akamer]

Originally Posted by Abzp4

Hello,

I am thinking of moving to decatur,il. I havent been there, so can anyone tell me how it is? I read the posts but I want to know about the Forsyth area. How are the schools in Forsyth? What kind of developments are there? Is the place good for shopping? I am in Youngstown, and looking to get out, so I know about high crime, that won't be much of an issue. But I especially want to know about the area developments.

We just moved from Decatur in August of this year! Forsyth is a good place to live in my opinion. It is growing. We are in the Portland area now. No comparison. I would not move back. The only thing that I have found to be more expensive is the houses. Power is cheaper in Oregon. The schools are great. It would be Maroa - Forsyth Schools and they are in the process of building a brand new grade school and just built a brand new jr/sr high school. I have never been in it but it is very nice from the outside. Shopping -- not alot there. Forsyth is a high class town. Jobs there are not many there. You could always look at there paper online... www.heraldandreview.com and see what is there. I wish you the best in whatever you decide.. I'm sure you are used to the weather. Not alot of development going on..I lived there 20 plus years..I miss my little bit of family that is there but nothing else.. I would do as much research as possible before making that move..Just my opinion! Best of Luck!

[ScranBarre]

Oh dear God! I just spent the better part of a half-hour "exploring" Decatur via satellite imagery, and if there was ever a city to make my own rusty hometown of SCRANTON look "beautiful," it would have to be Decatur! Dear God! I like some of the residential areas with the cute little bungalows on the grid-shaped streets, but the city's core looks like a bombed-out wasteland! Is there really a GRAIN ELEVATOR right on the edge of the city's core?! No offense meant to the people of Decatur, but your downtown needs HELP!!!

[Maintainschaos]

I think the grain elevator is there because ADM, a gigantic food, corn, and soybean processing plant, is located right nearby.

[irish setter girl]

Originally Posted by ScranBarre

Oh dear God! I just spent the better part of a half-hour "exploring" Decatur via satellite imagery, and if there was ever a city to make my own rusty hometown of SCRANTON look "beautiful," it would have to be Decatur! Dear God! I like some of the residential areas with the cute little bungalows on the grid-shaped streets, but the city's core looks like a bombed-out wasteland! Is there really a GRAIN ELEVATOR right on the edge of the city's core?! No offense meant to the people of Decatur, but your downtown needs HELP!!!

I LOVED this post! At least in Scranton you have "The Office" to be proud of Decatur was the original home to the "Staley Bears" but I'd rather have "The Office".

[EC1989]

Decatur's downtown is improving... more restaurants, retail, apartments/condos(thats what they call them) etc. But one thing I've noticed about the Decatur and Springfield areas is that they have more family restaurants and businesses than ANY other place I've been to. Other places I've been to have had some but they mostly just have the regular chains. Decatur and Springfield have many other options to choose from than just chains.

ANYWAY.... Decatur itself is not the best place to live. Mt. Zion and Forsyth are good though like I'm sure you've heard everyone else say... But it's not that bad... I honestly think Decatur is improving, people just read all these posts and don't even give it a chance. BTW crime is not THAT bad here, as long as you don't sell drugs or act like a gangbanger you are FINE! I don't think it's going downhill, even though it's still not on peoria or champaign's level. There are better places to live and there are worse places to live.

[BUalumni]

Originally Posted by EC1989

Decatur's downtown is improving... more restaurants, retail, apartments/condos(thats what they call them) etc. But one thing I've noticed about the Decatur and Springfield areas is that they have more family restaurants and businesses than ANY other place I've been to. Other places I've been to have had some but they mostly just have the regular chains. Decatur and Springfield have many other options to choose from than just chains.

ANYWAY.... Decatur itself is not the best place to live. Mt. Zion and Forsyth are good though like I'm sure you've heard everyone else say... But it's not that bad... I honestly think Decatur is improving, people just read all these posts and don't even give it a chance. BTW crime is not THAT bad here, as long as you don't sell drugs or act like a gangbanger you are FINE! I don't think it's going downhill, even though it's still not on peoria or champaign's level. There are better places to live and there are worse places to live.

I actually find all of this Decatur bashing to rather funny. Sure, the city isn't Evanston, and at times the whole area smells like corn products. Ok, no one argues that fact. But people on this site make it out to be some sort of bigger version of Danville or a smaller version of Rockford. Although the latter may be true'r' in many respects, Decatur still has much more going for it than Danville ever has or will.

[Decaturite]

Wow! Lots of animosity towards Decatur! I will not deny most of these claims as they are true. However, let me say Decatur is not the only place like it. I will also say that it is not that bad everywhere in Decatur. As long as you have some common sense, a bit of street smarts and don't go into areas you have no bussiness in you will be fine generally speaking. Having said that, would that not be appliable to many other cities with a substantial population? As for the public schools yes they can be a bit rough but, Decatur Public Schools are not a one of a kind. I went to Mt. Zion schools during my younger years and finished in Decatur public schools. I recieved no less of an education there than Mt. Zion. I believe having gone to Decatur schools was an eye opening experience and helped me prepare for the real world. It was not a cushioned, unrealistic experience that some recieve elsewhere and are then booted out into the world with there brains being the only thing they can rely on. I was able to learn how to interact with a multitude of diffrent people from all walks of life by attending public schools. Maybe, by having been born and raised here I am more able to navigate through life living in Decatur than someone who has not and more able to maintain some optimisim. I really do not think bashing Decatur is part of the solution to our problems. If anything you are only contributing to the problem. If people could be as passionate about changing Decatur and making it a better place as they are about bashing it we would be closer to putting ourself and our community on the right path to improvement. I myself am doing my part and if you live here so should you!