wanting to move out of illinois (Chicago, Flora: real estate, houses, pharmacy)

[dragally]

Originally Posted by manda83

I appreciate all of your input but i really want to get out of the state all together....just somewhere completely different.

Hi, I saw your post and had to register so that I could respond. I, like you come from a small town. I am originally from Manito, Il down by Pekin. I live outside of Phx.Az now and hate it.
One of the nicest towns I have visited is San Antonio, tx. The night life there is awesome and the jobs for nurses are numerous. If I had it to do over again that is the place I would settle down in. Do a search and check it out for yourself. Good luck.
Ronj

[Granny Sue]

A town I love and gets little attention is Chattanooga Tn.
It's been going thru a great rebuilding and the downtown is wonderful.
If you need the city, it's not all that far from Atlanta or Nashville.

Warning tho...I was 21 living in Lacon Ill and wanted out!!! I now want to come back but have to wait until retirement age.

Good luck in where ever you choose.

[dragally]

Originally Posted by captnemo62

A town I love and gets little attention is Chattanooga Tn.
It's been going thru a great rebuilding and the downtown is wonderful.
If you need the city, it's not all that far from Atlanta or Nashville.

Warning tho...I was 21 living in Lacon Ill and wanted out!!! I now want to come back but have to wait until retirement age.

Good luck in where ever you choose.

Lacons a lazy little river town. I love it there. I wish I could move back but wifes job is too good. I hope she gets fired and then we will move back to Peoria. ( Hopefully)

[ShampooBanana]

I've been to about 40 of the 50 states and so have seen a lot of different parts of the country.

My favorites:

Pacific Northwest - either Washington or Oregon. Seattle and Portland are great cities, very scenic and cosmopolitan, but expensive. Your best bet would be one of the mid-size or smaller cities in either of those states. Try Olympia, WA, Spokane, WA, Eugene, OR, Springfield, OR, or Corvallis, OR.

Arizona is nice if you don't mind a desert climate. Then again, you could do Flagstaff/Sedona and the climate is more bearable and you are in the mountains.

I enjoy Virginia/North Carolina/South Carolina. My favorite places in each are the Virginia Beach area, Charleston, SC, and Raleigh/Durham, NC. I've also heard great things about Asheville, NC, though I haven't been there.

Louisville/Lexington, Kentucky aren't bad places. Lexington is horse country and more of a college town. Louisville is bigger and thus has a more urban feel.

Colorado is great. Denver is a nice town and the mountains/great skiing are only an hour or two drive away.

Minneapolis/St. Paul is nice if you don't mind the cold winters. Plenty to do there, though.

Madison, WI is a great college town, and also scenic with the lakes.

If I were going to pick anywhere in Texas, I'd pick San Antonio or Austin. Great culture and nightlife. Both cities are booming, too, so there shoud be plenty of jobs relative to other places.

[Granny Sue]

Originally Posted by dragally

Lacons a lazy little river town. I love it there. I wish I could move back but wifes job is too good. I hope she gets fired and then we will move back to Peoria. ( Hopefully)

I never thought I would miss it...I only lived there for two years, my main base was Peoria since we moved to Lacon from Bartonville.
It's a great location, pretty little town. My dad just moved from there to Washington last year and I have yet to figure out why.
But I was 21.....alas....big sigh.....Orlando is just too big.

[mare07]

I agree with Nashville. It's a friendly city with lots to do, and I've heard that it's a big town with a small town feel.

I would pretty much recommend St. Louis to anyone, it's one of my favorite cities, as well as Indianapolis.

I have family in California (northern) who love it, but it's super expensive. Arizona is also a good place to live, esp. cities like Chandler or Tucson, and with the housing market the way it is, you could probably find some steals in that area.

I'd recommend checking out the top 100 cities list or the friendliest cities list and doing some research there, because they'll give you a good place to start in looking for a city in the size you want to try. It's all about fit. Find Your Spot is a fun way to figure out where to live, too, just google it.

[cubssoxfan]

manda83,

What do you like to do when not working? What are your hobbies. Are you a shopper, hiker, like clubbing/dancing, beach fanatic, cycling enthusiast. I would really spend time refelcting on these things. What kind of weather do you like/dis-like? Do you like snow, heat? Do you mind several rainy days in a row? Is church important-if so, research the potential area to make sure you have choices. Then plug in what you can afford. Now, this is Dad speaking here, make sure you pay yourself first and don't get into deficit spending just to afford a certain location. Different areas of the US have some BIG differences in affordability.
If you can share some of these things, the forum might be able to give more specifics.

[gander_65]

Originally Posted by Steve-o

Thats funny, because when Im in Texas, I cant WAIT TO GET BACK!

There is a shortage of nurses in Texas. In this area, pay is ~$18/hr to $21/hr + benefits. Unemployment in Montgomery County is <4%.
Very little union. Texas is a "right to work" state so no hassles or dues.
If you can stand 9 months of summer and want to get ahead, it may be for you.
Gander_65

[STLCardsBlues1989]

Originally Posted by mare07

I would pretty much recommend St. Louis to anyone, it's one of my favorite cities, as well as Indianapolis.

I love St. Louis myself.

Though I would assume by the title of the thread that the poster wants to be fairly far from Illinois.

But St. Louis is a nice city, affordable, seasonal. 3 Major Sports, lots to do. It has light rail and buses as well, though nothing like Chicago. Certain areas of St. Louis are depressed (though I find them fascinating) but the city is very beautiful. The architecture is nice (mostly red brick) and it has a strong history of beer and baseball (among other things). I would recommend St. Louis to just about anyone as well, except for those that can't handle weather changes. But I wouldn't think Illinois would be much different. The only thing I wouldn't recommend is city schools, but I guess that goes for any major city. St. Louis would be a nice choice, unless you want something completely different from Illinois (mostly in weather).

See my previous post as well.

Hadn't realized I had already posted. Sorry.

[gander_65]

Originally Posted by Steve-o

Thats funny, because when Im in Texas, I cant WAIT TO GET BACK!

Steve,
It's hard to break out of the small town mentality and initial discomfort. But, people are people where ever you go.
What I've found comforting is 2 months of winter, 8 months of summer, and 2 months of fall/spring.
There is opportunity unequaled in the midwest.
I like Flora and that area to visit but it is so sad to see people struggle to just exist there when their talents would carry them so far here.
Just my opinion.
gander_65