Moving to Decatur, IL (Chicago, Naperville: real estate, insurance, crime)

[Maintainschaos]

With the price of energy fluctuating and remaining volatile, it'd probably be in your best interest to live in one of the nicer areas of Decatur (sort of few and far between, but they exist) instead of driving 90 miles round trip everyday from Bloomington. I don't think it's worth it. If I recall, there are some pretty nice residential areas near Millikin University or near the lake, although I'm not sure how far your budget will stretch.

[AnimalLover]

I think the poster is going to want the smaller town schools - which you can find on the fringe. Mt Zion, Meridian, Maroa-Forsyth, Argenta-Oreana school districts all have homes with Decatur addresses and/or they are all a short drive into Decatur.

[irish setter girl]

Originally Posted by AnimalLover

I think the poster is going to want the smaller town schools - which you can find on the fringe. Mt Zion, Meridian, Maroa-Forsyth, Argenta-Oreana school districts all have homes with Decatur addresses and/or they are all a short drive into Decatur.

Very good point, I agree!

[BUalumni]

Originally Posted by Drover

Try re-reading my post if you want to know why I suggested Champaign or Bloomington over Springfield. (Hint: urbanity was not the only criterion.) I didn't include Peoria because it's nowhere near Decatur, or at least not near enough to consider a daily commute.

If you want to have a conversation about the actual thread topic, then have it. If you want to have a conversation about me, feel free to PM me. I'll ignore you there too, but at least everyone else won't have to read along as you try to make it personal about me instead of addressing the actual topic.

I'm sorry, but I fail to see how what I wrote has anything to do with you personally. I however, do not agree with your statements, and find it hard to believe that someone from a world so far removed from Central Illinois, can give, or even has the room to give, and accurate picture of life down here. I don't mean to sound harsh, but really; Do you honestly believe that you can possibly live in Chicago, and still have an objective, or even realisitic understanding of educational standards outside of the city? Chicago isn't known for having much grey area in terms of public schools, that's for sure. Leave that to us.

I understand that "ubanity" was no the only "criterion". You mentioned education as well. But this is where, once again, you are off, and I guess I will have to fully explain myself for those of you that make frequent misjudgements about the state of our schools. Out of the five cities, Decatur is no doubt last in line when it comes to public education. But this isn't to say that they are the definition of the lowest of the low performing. They simply have gone, (a pattern that is visible in every state in almost every region of the country) the way of the city. I work with several people that attended K-12 in Decatur public, and are very smart and very successful members of society. Heck, I just hired two last year.

I can understand though how people might be more inclined to put their chilren in schools in C-U metro or B-N metro. It just makes sense, not to mention that although B-N and C-U sadly look like any bug Chicago suburb, they are still nicer places to live than Decatur. But to say that Springfield metro has schools that are less than C-U is incorrect. At the end of the day C-U and Springfield schools are very similar. Neither one has the coveted Blue-Ribbon, but each is hardly the worst in the state. They tend to be big school districts that you have the possibility of getting a good education out of. That was not stated, or implied in your first comment. It is no secret that out of the other cities outside of Peoria metro, B-U is the most popular, and the probably most comprehensive place to recieve an education downstate. But once again, you infer that every school in B-N is better than those in Decatur. If you really understood Central Illinois, you would know that the central area of Bloomington, (I forget the distrcit) is really not that special, and is probably on the same level as the best HS in Decatur. It is Unit 5 that all of the young families are sending their kids too, and even then, with all the growth, overcrowding is huge is problem over there. Although Normal is a very intelligent community, I think the last time they voted, the school board got the feeling that the taxpayers were about at their limit. That can have a big impact on education in the future.

As far as a Peoria to Decatur commute goes, I totally agree that would be insane! But considering you have people up their commuting from DeKalb/Sycamore to Chicago everyday, one can believe it is possible. What I was infering was the Peoria area. One could possibly live in the far reaches of Tazewell County, and still have a more realistic drive to and from Decatur. I think that it would grow very tiresome, very quickly, but so would a Springfield/B-N/C-U commute into Decatur. In the end, as already stated, it is best to look into the towns surrounding Decatur. But before looking into places like Monticello, go first to places like Lincoln. Lots of more to do and more intersting place to live I'm sure.

[Drover]

Originally Posted by BUalumni

I'm sorry, but I fail to see how what I wrote has anything to do with you personally. I however, do not agree with your statements, and find it hard to believe that someone from a world so far removed from Central Illinois, can give, or even has the room to give, and accurate picture of life down here. I don't mean to sound harsh, but really; Do you honestly believe that you can possibly live in Chicago, and still have an objective, or even realisitic understanding of educational standards outside of the city? Chicago isn't known for having much grey area in terms of public schools, that's for sure. Leave that to us.

I understand that "ubanity" was no the only "criterion". You mentioned education as well. But this is where, once again, you are off, and I guess I will have to fully explain myself for those of you that make frequent misjudgements about the state of our schools. Out of the five cities, Decatur is no doubt last in line when it comes to public education. But this isn't to say that they are the definition of the lowest of the low performing. They simply have gone, (a pattern that is visible in every state in almost every region of the country) the way of the city. I work with several people that attended K-12 in Decatur public, and are very smart and very successful members of society. Heck, I just hired two last year.

I can understand though how people might be more inclined to put their chilren in schools in C-U metro or B-N metro. It just makes sense, not to mention that although B-N and C-U sadly look like any bug Chicago suburb, they are still nicer places to live than Decatur. But to say that Springfield metro has schools that are less than C-U is incorrect. At the end of the day C-U and Springfield schools are very similar. Neither one has the coveted Blue-Ribbon, but each is hardly the worst in the state. They tend to be big school districts that you have the possibility of getting a good education out of. That was not stated, or implied in your first comment. It is no secret that out of the other cities outside of Peoria metro, B-U is the most popular, and the probably most comprehensive place to recieve an education downstate. But once again, you infer that every school in B-N is better than those in Decatur. If you really understood Central Illinois, you would know that the central area of Bloomington, (I forget the distrcit) is really not that special, and is probably on the same level as the best HS in Decatur. It is Unit 5 that all of the young families are sending their kids too, and even then, with all the growth, overcrowding is huge is problem over there. Although Normal is a very intelligent community, I think the last time they voted, the school board got the feeling that the taxpayers were about at their limit. That can have a big impact on education in the future.

As far as a Peoria to Decatur commute goes, I totally agree that would be insane! But considering you have people up their commuting from DeKalb/Sycamore to Chicago everyday, one can believe it is possible. What I was infering was the Peoria area. One could possibly live in the far reaches of Tazewell County, and still have a more realistic drive to and from Decatur. I think that it would grow very tiresome, very quickly, but so would a Springfield/B-N/C-U commute into Decatur. In the end, as already stated, it is best to look into the towns surrounding Decatur. But before looking into places like Monticello, go first to places like Lincoln. Lots of more to do and more intersting place to live I'm sure.

I realize that you think people in Chicago live in a bubble and know of nothing outside of Chicago. But I have been other places, even lived other places -- including downstate. I have lots of family downstate, including in Decatur. "Leave that to us" as if downstate has some sort of monopoly on understanding educational standards. Give me a break.

Again, you seem more interested in arguing with me than in helping the original poster. If you want to argue, take it to PM. Otherwise I'll just put you on ignore.

[mcgraw1]

If you are moving there because of the job (ADM, etc.) then, Bloomington would get old commuting. I agree with the post about buying in areas around Decatur. I wouldn't go any farther than Clinton, IL (North) or Pana/Shelbyville area (South) for commuting purposes. Do not live in Decatur though. Sinking ship. I was born and raised in Macon, IL (school now called Meridean) which is South of Decatur. Outlying areas all have "decent" school districts but I don't know what you are used to. This is farm country you are moving to. If you want big school systems, then yes, you need to send your kids to Bloomington, Champaign, Springfield, but will have to commute a ways for work. I would send my kids to St. Theresa H. S. if I had to live in the city limits of Decatur. Mt. Zion is pretty close to Decatur and they have a bigger school district than the outlying farm areas

[BUalumni]

Originally Posted by Drover

I realize that you think people in Chicago live in a bubble and know of nothing outside of Chicago. But I have been other places, even lived other places -- including downstate. I have lots of family downstate, including in Decatur. "Leave that to us" as if downstate has some sort of monopoly on understanding educational standards. Give me a break.

Again, you seem more interested in arguing with me than in helping the original poster. If you want to argue, take it to PM. Otherwise I'll just put you on ignore.

Well oddly enough, our situations are very much the same, only mine is the other way around, with, in my case, more understanding of the western suburbs than actual Chicago proper.

I'm not saying (or trying to drag on an argument) that you, as a Chicagoan, are completely ignorant of downstate. But I would expect the same argument from you and your fellow neighbors if I was giving impartial advice about a place that I did not live in or around. I tend to give lenghty advice about the western burbs however, because I lived there for almost fifteen years!, and like you, have friends scattered througout the area. I wouldn't have said anything if you weren't incorrect in your assumption that C-U schools are better than Springfield's or that B-U and C-U represented "urban" enviroments. Such misconcpetions could make or break quality of life factors. This is even more true when talking about such long commuting distances. I'm sorry, but if stating facts that are contrary to what you believe is seen as an "argument", than yes, I am guilty of an argument. But this thread is not where near the level of anomosity of threads that I have seen you post on in the past.

[Drover]

First of all, it's not an "assumption" that Champaign schools are better than Springfield schools (notice I never said anything about Urbana schools). It's an opinion formed by my own research -- admittedly not thorough, but more than just cursory -- as well as feedback from people who have had to deal with both -- or in the case of Springfield, chose another option after doing their research.

Second, I'm not sure how you got the impression that I believe Champaign and Bloomington are urban environments when what I actually said is that they "reasonably mimic urban environments," which anyone who isn't trying to nitpick would recognize as an obvious qualification that they are not, in my opinion, actual urban environments. And it's interesting that you claim my "assumption" that Champaign or Bloomington are urban environment is "wrong" (when that's not even what I said anyway) as if there were some objective consensus as to what constitutes an urban environment and it's objectively incorrect to consider C-U or B-U to be urban environments.

You might also take into consideration, as I did, that the OP is not moving from New York or Boston or Philadelphia. They're moving from Memphis, which has a lower population density than either Bloomington or Champaign, so the chasm between the urbanity of those two versus Memphis is one of scale more than form; and it certainly isn't nearly as wide as the differences between C-U/B-U and Chicago.

[BUalumni]

Originally Posted by Drover

First of all, it's not an "assumption" that Champaign schools are better than Springfield schools (notice I never said anything about Urbana schools). It's an opinion formed by my own research -- admittedly not thorough, but more than just cursory -- as well as feedback from people who have had to deal with both -- or in the case of Springfield, chose another option after doing their research.

Second, I'm not sure how you got the impression that I believe Champaign and Bloomington are urban environments when what I actually said is that they "reasonably mimic urban environments," which anyone who isn't trying to nitpick would recognize as an obvious qualification that they are not, in my opinion, actual urban environments. And it's interesting that you claim my "assumption" that Champaign or Bloomington are urban environment is "wrong" (when that's not even what I said anyway) as if there were some objective consensus as to what constitutes an urban environment and it's objectively incorrect to consider C-U or B-U to be urban environments.

You might also take into consideration, as I did, that the OP is not moving from New York or Boston or Philadelphia. They're moving from Memphis, which has a lower population density than either Bloomington or Champaign, so the chasm between the urbanity of those two versus Memphis is one of scale more than form; and it certainly isn't nearly as wide as the differences between C-U/B-U and Chicago.

Well, you can choose to believe what you will. I have met people that love both school districts, and some that don't. Like I said, neither one offers anything off the charts in either direction. Just good/comprehensive overall education on both sides, as long as you are willing to put forth a little effort. Both are cities that have a significant amount of white-collar professional employers, so that is always a good sign that schools are better than not. You might want to look at the types of metros they are also. Springfield is not only bigger than Champaign, but has smaller towns around it. While Chatham is growing at a good pace for Springfield, Mahomet-Seymour, and St. Joseph are bigger, and thereby show a greater amount of people that choose to live there to make up for what C-U must lack. In this case, it is no doubt the schools. Keep that in mind.

Listen, I'm not going to keep this up with the "specifics" about what was said, and how it was interpretated by who. If you really want to say that B-U and C-U are "urban enviroments" (which I understand now is not what you meant it to be) than I guess you could, in the sense that there is a lot stores, a lot of houses, a lot of people, a lot of cars, a lot of etc., compared to the other towns. Yes, one could make a justifiable argument to support the fact that they are looked upon as "urban" in the eyes in desolate places in Southern Illinois. But in my case, (living outside of Peoria) that is hard to swallow, when I know many that live in B-U, and commute into the city (Peoria). Like I stated before, there is nothing besides the campuses in either B-N or C-U that gives off any short of urban enviroment in the least. There doesn't need to be a concensus, because it is pretty much fact that both are very suburban. Only in places like Wyoming or North Dakota would B-N or C-U have any sort of urban feel to them. No poll needed. Even the cores of each, away from the very suburban fringes, feel like an older Chicagoland burb. It all depends on how you look at it. Perspective my friend. Think perspective.

[RogMar]

I was born and raised in Decatur and stayed there until I was 33, then took a job in the Chicago suburbs for 20 years, so I think I can coment on both.

First, to the OP, if you're still around, Decatur is a shadow of what it used to be, but it's still not a bad city.

I return once a year, and still get a Decatur paper, and the city is certainly in decline from what it was, but I don't see it as the wasteland others do. The public schools are not the best, and never have been. Millikin University is there, and is considered a very good university.

Decatur has an excellent park system, a large lake with recreational opportunities, a plethora of restaurants, and a large amount of shoping available.

A lot of Decatur folks have moved to the smaller towns on the outskirts.

I suggest you have a look around, and keep in mind that a one week vacation at any locale doesn't really give you the whole picture.

I see a lot of people talk badly about Decatur, but when I lived in Chicagoland and they did so, I always felt amused at the degree of the pot calling the kettle black.

As other posters have suggested, Bloomington, Springfield, and Chanpaign-Urbana are not that far away and offer adventures if you get bored in Decatur.