There are a lot of areas in and around Springfield that fit the description of a "nice, clean, safe & friendly place to raise small children" and the area near Athens certainly fits. It is relatively convenient as well, from there it is a short drive to downtown, the airport and shopping on the west side. Overall, I would describe it more as rural than upscale. From what people tell me the schools there are good. You might also want to consider either Sherman or Williamsville which are just to the east and have schools with an even better reputation. Yes, to the surprise of some, and the mockery of others, there is a elementary school in Sherman. Rochester is another suburb with excellent schools and a good reputation. Someday, if Rochester ends prohibition, you might even be able to buy a beer there
I believe the nicest parts of Springfield in general are the west, north and south sides of town as well as the rapidly improving downtown. The west side is growing, tends to be more white collar and is where most of the shopping is located. Most of the chain stores you are familiar with are there. The shopping areas on the west side reminds me of the shopping areas in most cities I have lived in, and has a mid sized shopping mall and all the familiar stores like Best Buy, Lowes, etc. Meijers offers a nice alternative to Wal-mart. Conspicuously missing are Home Depot and Costco. The north end is also nice, also growing, and tends to be more working class than other parts of the city. There is a Lowes and a Super Wal-Mart, but shopping choices are far more limited on the north end than they are on the west side. The area near Lake Springfield is also very nice. Property on the "lake" (it's really a flowage) is very expensive.
Unfortunately, the east side of town needs some work. I doubt it will improve until people agree that there are problems in that part of the city with crime, poverty, substandard housing, and poor infrastructure. Far too many people here are convinced that it "isn't that bad" or "it's worse in Decatur" or some other excuse to tell people to "pull themselves up by their bootstraps" and not actually teach them to fish as the parable goes. Still, for the first time in a long time, I see some movement toward recognition of the problems that exist here, and a willingness to actually work with government and charitable organizations to begin to fix some of those problems. For a city with a history that this one has, I'd say it's about time.
Work in the trades tends to be up and down, but I don't think union plumbers have much to worry about.
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I'm thinking about moving to Springfield from Northern Illinois
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