wanting to move out of illinois (Chicago, Peoria: apartments, job market, school)

[manda83]

I am currently in my 20's and just ready to move...but not sure where. Everytime I think I have found a good place, i read posts on here and change my mind. I work at hospital and make pretty good money and would like to continue doing that wherever i go-- along with finishing nursing school. I like a laid back small town feeling but would like to go somewhere bigger than the 4,500 pop. town I live in now. I would like to have a good night life and different cultures without breaking the bank. Anyone got any advice

[sgresident]

Not knowing where you live right now, makes it a little difficult to recommend something. I think that you might try researching some of the more respected hospitals in areas that you might be interested in. this would give you some idea of the job market in those areas. My son is currently attending college in St. Louis and they have Barnes Hospital there. it is affiliated with Washington University and is highly respected. there is a lot to do in st. louis, yet some smaller areas just outside of the downtown area. There is also St. Louis University in the same vicinity. so, i would think that there would be some reasonable apartments etc.

[Steve-o]

Originally Posted by manda83

I am currently in my 20's and just ready to move...but not sure where. Everytime I think I have found a good place, i read posts on here and change my mind. I work at hospital and make pretty good money and would like to continue doing that wherever i go-- along with finishing nursing school. I like a laid back small town feeling but would like to go somewhere bigger than the 4,500 pop. town I live in now. I would like to have a good night life and different cultures without breaking the bank. Anyone got any advice

Give Chicagoland a try, sounds like youre in a cow-town right now. Its a whole entire different world in Chicagoland.

[alwaystraveling25]

Originally Posted by manda83

I am currently in my 20's and just ready to move...but not sure where. Everytime I think I have found a good place, i read posts on here and change my mind. I work at hospital and make pretty good money and would like to continue doing that wherever i go-- along with finishing nursing school. I like a laid back small town feeling but would like to go somewhere bigger than the 4,500 pop. town I live in now. I would like to have a good night life and different cultures without breaking the bank. Anyone got any advice

Someone else suggest Chicago, but it is VERY expensive to live here. If someone were to move here from a town of 4500 to a town of 3 million, they would be in for a HUGE culture shock...but it is awesome!

If you want something bigger but a small-town feel, maybe try Kansas City. I did not personally care of it (it was too small town for me). The people there are laid-back and it is a much slower pace of life then Chicago. It is very affordable to live there, definitely slightly under the national average. Be forewarned that it is EXTREMELY religious, so if you are not of a faith or are atheist you might feel like an outsider to some people, since they really bond there over religion/talk about it a lot.

Good Luck! :-)

[linicx]

Peoria is another option with three larage hospitals in the city and two smaller hospitals about 15 miles away. Nursing students at St. Francis used to have a residence nearby.

Peoria has an advatage in that it has the Uof I medical school plus Bradley University. East Peoria has an ICC campus while Eurkea's claim to fame is the Eureka College where President Reagan graduated with a double major.

Peoria is a multi-cultural, multi-religious metropolitan area that has always had a "night life". Today that 'nightlife' includes everything from carriage rides to jazz. Peoria also has a rich cultural and ancient history, wonderful photo opportunities and good food. The Peoria Park District that is not only HUGE, it also offers low cost classes from A-Z all year. If you have an interesting skill, the park might pay you to teach it. And the Peoria Civic Center brings in national acts once a month.

Across the river in East Peoria is the Par A Dice casino, and one of the largest night time Christmas festivals in the nation. .

The only top rated hospital in the mid-west is Barnes-Jewish in Saint Louis.

[manda83]

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

[chet everett]

Florida gets like 1000 new arrivals a week...

[Avengerfire]

Try Lexington KY, Indianapolis IN, or Madison Wisconsin....

[manda83]

I have heard some good things about south carolina....specifically the charleston area.....anyone got any advice?

[AnimalLover]

My daughter is a physical therapist in Indianapolis and really likes it there. She grew up in a town of less than 8,000. There are several hospitals in Indy - check out Clarian Health look under Hospitals and Locations.