Peoria vs. Rock Island????? (Chicago, Springfield: how much, hotel, big home)

[TootsieWootsie]

Well if you mean old folks over 65 the Quad Cities is loaded with us here..ha!ha!
I did see that The Temptations were coming to the Quad Cities and Peoria, and saw the price for tickets was similar.
Since I'm constantly surprised by some of the quality acts that come here like Cirque de Soliel, I was interested if Peoria had the same thing...but we get the Bret Michaels of the world, too. A little of everything at good prices.

[linicx]

Off Topic creeps in when city vs. city appears in the forum threads. It is difficult enough to compare two cities without introducing a 4/1, two state sidebar. I think we can agree that neither area has a Trader Joe's, Costco, Whole Foods or IKea. This honor belongs to Chicago. Having said this, a recent article stated Chicago was home to 41% of Illinois millionaires. It was poorly written as more millionaires live in the suburbs than the City itself.

I wondered then how the other 59%? was dispersed around the state? It seems to me many would be in the larger populated areas throughout the state. I am quite sure one or more of Peoria's trust fund babies is represented. Springfield has its politicians, Bloomington its insurance executives, C-U has the largest university. What about Rock Island?

We have not talked about city geography or suburbs, either. The largest towns included in the Peoria MSA are Bartonville, Chilleothe, Lacon, Eureka, Metamora, Germantown Hills, Washington, East Peoria, Pekin, Farmington, Canton, West Peoria and the Villages of Morton and Peoria Heights.

Peoria is located on the Illinois River in the Illinois River Valley. Of this area 124 miles and 12,000 acres of water is part of the National Wildlife Refuge System under the management of the U.S. Fish & Wildlife Service. Nine thousand acres are yet to be developed. Another 7,000 acres is owned and managed by The Nature Conservancy in Illinois. Currently nearly 9,000 acres of this natural beauty is open and located about 40 miles SW of Peoria. The geography of Peoria is a mix of riverfront, tree lined streets, hills, forested bluffs, large parks and pockets of health, business, technology, science, shopping, dining, entertainment and sports.

The first bridge in Peoria to connect the east and west sides of the river was affectionately called "Old Toothpick". The idea of moving residents has grown in size to eight bridges and two Interstate routes that carry vehicle traffic over the Illinois River. Regardless of where Peoria employees live there is a bridge nearby.

Practically speaking Peoria and Peoria County sprawl along the river from the southern border of Marshall County to the northern border of Fulton County, an estimated forty miles m/l. Peoria County is 631 square miles of which 11 square miles is water. The total county population is approximately 184,000, includes the City of Peoria with a population of approximately 112,000. The City of Peoria holds County and Federal Courthouses.

The County and the City of Peoria are larger than the City of Rock Island and Rock Island County. Both cities are county seats. Peoria is approximately 100 miles SE of Rock Island. I-74 connects Peoria County and the Quad Cities.

The Peoria MSA and the Quad City MSA which includes two cities in IOWA are very similar. However, since the topic is Illinois cities, the total population of the three largest Illinois cities counted in the Quad-City MSA is 103,078 m/l, which is somewhat smaller than the City of Peoria.

Here is the question. The Peoria MSA does not include a second state as does the the Quad Cities MSA. What events do the Quad Cities hold in Illinois?

[QuadCityImages]

Originally Posted by linicx

Here is the question. The Peoria MSA does not include a second state as does the the Quad Cities MSA. What events do the Quad Cities hold in Illinois?

The Illinois side has the Quad City Airport, Niabi Zoo, the iWireless Center, and all of the John Deere attractions. Off topic: These places are all in Moline. The subjects are Rock Island and Peoria!

As far as events, Edit: OFF TOPIC the Illinois side has Gumbo Ya Ya, the John Deere Classic (PGA tournament), Ya Maka My Weekend, QC Criterion (bike race), Rock Island Grand Prix (kart race), Erin Feis, and probably some others I'm forgetting. There are also some parades and events that span both sides of the river.

EDIT

[linicx]

The topic is Peoria vs Rock Island. It is not Peoria vs five cities in two states. Iowa is not part of this conversation despite the fact Davenport is almost as large as Peoria.

Caterpillar has committed several million dollars into building a CAT museum downtown. Peoria County hosts the National TT finals. Peoria hosts the Heart of Illinois Fair. Peoria has parades. The most obvious are St. Pat's and Christmas. Peoria has festivals: ITOO, Italian, Cinco dd Mayo, Steam Boat Days, Oktoberfest and others. Peoria has events, a Civic Center and fair grounds large enough to handle most venues. There is an airport, the top rated Peoria Zoo that just opened a new seven acre exhibit called Africa!. and a new indie movie theater. The zoo is getting ready to break ground on a new three acre entrance. .

[QuadCityImages]

Actually by your definition, Peoria doesn't even have an airport, since its in Bartonville.

MOD EDIT

[Scio42]

Originally Posted by TootsieWootsie

Well if you mean old folks over 65 the Quad Cities is loaded with us here..ha!ha!
I did see that The Temptations were coming to the Quad Cities and Peoria, and saw the price for tickets was similar.
Since I'm constantly surprised by some of the quality acts that come here like Cirque de Soliel, I was interested if Peoria had the same thing...but we get the Bret Michaels of the world, too. A little of everything at good prices.

Well, not necessarily 65+, but Peoria does cater quite a bit to the baby boomer crowd. Anyway, to answer your question, yes the concerts/musicals/shows you'd find in the Quad Cities you'll also find in Peoria for similar prices (e.g. Cirque de Soliel did several shows in Peoria about 2 years ago). Peoria has a very nice civic center downtown which, I believe, is the largest in Illinois outside of Chicago and draws some decent acts with generally a few big headline acts a year (e.g. Cirque de Soliel, Trans Siberian Orchestra).

[linicx]

Bartonville is in Peoria County. The Rock Island International Airport is in Moline, Rock Island County.

The topic is still Rock Island vs. Peoria.

[GraniteStater]

Originally Posted by linicx

My bad. Bartonville is in Peoria County. Where is the Rock Island Airport? Rock Island is still a small town and the topic is still Rock Island vs. Peoria.

The Quad City Intl Airport is south of 280 just south of Moline.

[linicx]

Thank you, Granite Stater, Moline is in Rock Island County. The location is not much different than Bartonville in Peoria County.

[QuadCityImages]

How in the world was what I said off topic? Read the original post. She's trying to decide between Rock Island and Peoria. She even mentions airports. So discussing the amenities and airports available to Peoria and the Rock Island are off topic?

I'd like to hear the OP's opinion of these things' relevance before all my posts get edited arbitrarily.