what is peoria like? (Chicago, Bloomington: crime, employment, neighborhoods)

[calistro]

charming? cold? boring? lots to do? good schools? etc.... thanks

[jwhittak]

I really enjoy Peoria's downtown riverfront area and the events that go on down there. I used to work downtown and enjoyed my lunches from the food vendors on a beautiful day. Me and my wife moved out of Peoria about five years ago. It seems the surrounding towns are growing much faster than the city. We left because of the high taxes and the school district. All the good/safe schools are in the communities surrounding Peoria. Peoria is in a valley which has many pretty areas. I just moved up the river because I still wanted to be near the water. The weather is typical midwest.

[calistro]

thanks for the input

[Paxtonian]

Have a look at the local news: http://www.week.com , also http://www.pjstar.com .

[Drover]

I'd be cautious about using a newspaper to get the flavor of a local area, as newspapers tend to put blood and mayhem on the front page while there is rarely a story that reads, "most people led quiet, normal lives today and enjoyed their time in their gardens, with their kids, and walking in the park."

[Paxtonian]

True. But at least with the TV site they can view video reports of the locals (and WEEK-TV does showcase Peoria and surrounding areas quite well).

[RikardW]

Peoria is first and foremost a river city. I always enjoyed the recreation the river provided. Numerous parks, marinas and scenic drives dot the landscape from Chillicothe to the north, and Pekin to the south. I cannot vouch for the employment opportunities that exist today, but in decades past the future seemed bleak. The city has shown its ability to change with the times. As with any city there are neighborhoods to be avoided. Crime statistics are average, if not below average, for a city this size.
I do not live in Peoria at the present time, but am proud to say that I was born and raised there. I read the Peoria Journal Star, online, each morning. I do not see murder and mayhem running rampant.
There are many little towns in the surrounding area that have fantastic amenities, but retain their small town appeal. I have enjoyed, firsthandedly, Metamora, Washington, Chillicothe, Dunlap and , honestly, just too many to list. There's something for everyone in central Illinois.

[calistro]

thank you all for your input...

[ILguy]

Peoria is a great city. The amenities are numerous for a city this size (370K in metro area). It has alot of big city attractions with still a small city feel. Housing is affordable , yet climbing, and Sperling had rated Peoria #51 best metro area out of 300+ citing one of the reasons being very attactive residential areas. Although Peoria's economic past has seen its up and downs, the future is very bright right now. Many things are going on - bitoech is becoming large in Peoria (with Peoria NEXT - a collaboration of the medical school, two major hospitals, the nation's largest USDA lab in Peoria, Caterpillar and Bradley University as well as the medical field. The hospitals are excellent with a reknown medical school (U of I) and the major two are both having 300+M expansion plans, the Civic Center is completing a $55M expansion due to demand, and a new 100M+ museum complex downtown. Job growth is expected in health sciences (over 1200 jobs) , construction, manufacturing, and bio sciences, as well as high tech. Peoria has gotten away from being just a Caterpillar town. Peoria has also been rated by Fortune as the most affordable large metroplitan area in the US out of the largest 150. Check Wikipedia under Peoria for more information. they have received numerous ratings. also, Peoria boasts a wonderful park system. Although the suburbs are growing, the NW and North ends of Peoria are growinfg with many new housing developmments ranging from mid 300s to over $1M. The population mix is changing with an ever increasing professional jobs in the area. Peoria is a great alternative to life in a bigger city and when you need to get away - Chicago and St Louis are both less than 3 hours away. I love it there but live in Chicago but planning to move there when I retire. The natural beauty of the area is outstanding without sacrificing quality of life in a city.

[llama214]

Location is the best! Right between St. Louis and Chicago, but still has stuff to do when not visiting these cities. Some that haven't been there for several years may look to it as a typical rustbelt, but it a city on the move. And if you can't find it in Peoria, just down the road is Bloomington/Normal which is another terrific city in its own right.