Moving to Decatur, IL (Chicago, Peoria: neighborhoods, best schools, quality of life)

[divine_grace]

We will be moving from Memphis, TN to Decatur, IL. We have three children - 6th, 5th and will be starting K next year. How are the public schools?

What are the residential areas? How bad is the commute if we decide to live in Blookington, IL? Is Decatur very rural? What is comparable city?

Thank you all.

[waldo]

Decatur public schools are in bad shape. If you live in the city then you must go private. No knowledge of Blookington, IL.

[Maintainschaos]

I think the poster means Bloomington, not Blookington...

[irish setter girl]

I would recommend Bloomington over Decatur. The commute would not be bad, very little traffic. Decatur public schools are not the best. The north side of Decatur (Forsyth) goes to Maroa schools and is the nicer part of town. I think a family would find Bloomington much more appealing than Decatur!

[miamccrory]

I would recommend Bloomington. Decatur is ok but it is not alot to do there. The North side is the best side to live on. But that isn't really saying much. The schools are okay. Bloomington is a much better choice over Decatur.

[AnimalLover]

I am originally from the Decatur area. There are several towns on the fringe with popular school districts. Maroa/Forsyth (North), Mt Zion (East), Argenta-Oreana (North East) and Meridian (South). If you're going to be working in Decatur - those are better options in my opinion than a daily commute to/from Bloomington, especially in the winter if you're not used to driving in the ice and snow.

[cubssoxfan]

Bloomington is not an easy commute IMO. It's about 50 miles. The road, US 51 is good, but you do have slower speed limits around Clinton and the other small towns with some stop-lights. The road is generally 65MPH limit, but it's not interstate. I think Bloomington/Normal is more interesting than Decatur, but for a typical suburban family lifestyle parts of Decatur are OK. As previous posters said, watch the school district you move into and research carefully. The winter snow storm drive would be treacherous. And why commute 50-60 minutes each way? Takes away family time, increases costs.
However, it really depends on other things such as what does your family like to do with its spare time? Research park district offerings, the quality of the local libraries and other important (to you) quality of life issues. If Bloomington has things important to you that Decatur doesn't, then maybe the commute is worth it. It's much better than commuting into downtown Chicago because traffic is pretty light and moves at, or above, the speed limit.
Can anyone else tell OP if Monticello, Clinton or even Heyworth are worth considering? These are smaller towns, but closer than Bloomington. Heyworth is about 10 miles south of Bloomington and has some nice residential neighborhoods and would cut 10-20 minutes off your commute from Bloomington but be close enough to Bloomington for shopping and things to do.

[Drover]

There isn't a job that pays enough to intice me to live in Decatur. If you simply must live some place that almost mimics an urban environment, consider Champaign or Bloomington. They're about the only remotely substantial cities in the area with schools that don't totally suck. If you don't mind living in a small town for a change of pace, give a good hard look at Monticello. Nice downtown, good housing stock, very good schools.

[BUalumni]

Originally Posted by Drover

If you simply must live some place that almost mimics an urban environment, consider Champaign or Bloomington. They're about the only remotely substantial cities in the area with schools that don't totally suck. If you don't mind living in a small town for a change of pace, give a good hard look at Monticello. Nice downtown, good housing stock, very good schools.

I find it very interesting that although you tend to be outspoken on your dislike for Decatur, you can still justify the ills of living in Chicagoland? A place that "there isn't a job that pays enough to intice me to live in." I think you Chicagoans have taken our general dislike for Decatur, and now for some reason turned it into your own as a way to help justify all of the negatives of Chicago. Sorry, but it isn't working. We down here can make these statements, because the majority of the cities down here are better places to live than Decatur. If you took the residents that lived on Chicago's west and south sides, and moved them to Decatur, they would probably treat it like they just moved to Evanston or something!

Besides, your argument is without a basis. You would give Bloomington or Champaign the nod for an urban enviroment before Springfield or Peoria. I don't mean to be rude, but you obviously have no idea in the least what you are talking about. Or if you do, maybe you could humor me be trying to elaborate at how B-N, or C-U even strike you as "urban." While you at it, maybe you could give me the run down on how Danville is the new Glencoe. As with you arguments that Monticello has the best schools in the area......? I'm not sure what you classify as "area", but it obviously isn't what most people define it as down here.

[Drover]

Originally Posted by BUalumni

I find it very interesting that although you tend to be outspoken on your dislike for Decatur, you can still justify the ills of living in Chicagoland? A place that "there isn't a job that pays enough to intice me to live in." I think you Chicagoans have taken our general dislike for Decatur, and now for some reason turned it into your own as a way to help justify all of the negatives of Chicago. Sorry, but it isn't working. We down here can make these statements, because the majority of the cities down here are better places to live than Decatur. If you took the residents that lived on Chicago's west and south sides, and moved them to Decatur, they would probably treat it like they just moved to Evanston or something!

Besides, your argument is without a basis. You would give Bloomington or Champaign the nod for an urban enviroment before Springfield or Peoria. I don't mean to be rude, but you obviously have no idea in the least what you are talking about. Or if you do, maybe you could humor me be trying to elaborate at how B-N, or C-U even strike you as "urban." While you at it, maybe you could give me the run down on how Danville is the new Glencoe. As with you arguments that Monticello has the best schools in the area......? I'm not sure what you classify as "area", but it obviously isn't what most people define it as down here.

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.