Can Anyone Tell Me About Chillicothe? (Peoria, Bloomington: jobs, hospitals, housing)

[DogDawn]

My husband has family there & we're thinking of moving to Chilli. Could anyone please tell me the pros & cons of that town? Would love to raise our child in an area with alot of country around. ANd have heard (from the husband) that the school system is excellent. Thank you for any thoughts!!

[jwhittak]

I can't tell you to much but me and my wife have lived in Chillicothe for five years now. Our children are not old enough to attend school yet. We left Peoria for cheaper housing and a safer school. We also wanted a quick route to Peoria for work and shopping. I love watching the boats go by on the river. I can't wait for the new waterpark (small) at Shore Acres to open. I also enjoy the disk golf course. Other than that their is not much more that we do in town besides eat. Overall I feel safe in this town but I wish I was a little closer to Peoria.

[DogDawn]

jwhittak, thank you for your response! Are there no preschools? Our boy is 3.5yo and currently attending a preschool. I think it definitley would be important to continue that education & socialization.
And feeling safe is a good thing! We moved here for pretty much the same reason, tho cost of living in CA is so high. So that would definitley be a plus in Chilli's favor. That & being able to grow up on a farm (non working).

[jwhittak]

The phone book shows ABC Day Care Center (274-2766) and Plymouth Congregational Church (274-2585). Both are listed under preschools but I don't have any input on them. Our oldest is 3 yrs and 4 months. My wife doesn't work so we haven't checked into it. Our socializing is just taking him to the park I believe their is another preschool but I would have to do some research.

[DogDawn]

jwhittak, I think we can put someone in the family to work on investigating the preschools thank you!! I'm a stay at home mom myself, so I hope I can pick yours/your wife's brain in help w/ what to do to entertain our guy. And may I ask where's the best place to look for a job for my husband?

[Paxtonian]

The Peoria Journal Star is good for a start: http://www.pjstar.com .
Also, the State of Illinois has a website for job seekers, which I don't recall the address to, if you Google up "IDES job search" you should get a result. What kind of jobs are you looking for? BTW, many Peoria area people work over in Bloomington-Normal. The paper out that way is the Pantagraph: http://www.pantagraph.com . Bloomington-Normal is a real happening place, you may want to check it out too.

[jwhittak]

Peoriahelpwanted.com is a local area site for job searching. All jobs are going to be in Peoria, for the most part. Caterpillar is the largest employer in the area. We also have three hospitals in Peoria. Methodist, OSF, and Proctor. The following link mentions some of the larger employers: http://www.villageprofile.com/illino...a/peoria2.html.

[DogDawn]

Thank you for the leads! My husband was very busy on the computer today! He is looking for a management position and has a strong background in security & safety.

[jwhittak]

Why are you guys wanting to leave California? If you are planning on moving here I hope that you have visited. I'm guessing it's going to be a much slower pace of life for you. I've never been to California so I'm not quite sure of the lifestyle. I noticed you mentioned your husband has a background in security. I believe that Guardsmark is the company that Caterpillar uses for it security.

[DogDawn]

The cost of living in CA is outrageous! What we paid for our home here, we'll be able to buy land AND a home there! We haven't been back to Illinois in about 2yrs, but I'm familiar w/ the town & my husband grew up there. And the slower pace really is no different from wheren we live now. We live in an unincorprated part of the mountain here. While beautiful, I'm getting pretty tired of the mountain roads! LOL