moving north and need advice please! (Chicago, Peoria: extended stay, apartments, lease)

[hevelynndustin]

We are moving north from NC and looking for a place that is affordable (low cost of living), easy to find a job in, good neighborhood and such... any info helps such as how much you pay for rent, a good neighborhood, anything really. The good and the bad. I would rather have raw info from someone who actually lives there than some website that says everything is wonderful.

Looking to move June next yr...

thank you so much for any help

[Steve-o]

In Chicagoland? Downstate IL? Will you be renting or buying? Where will you be working? Do you mind a long commute? Do you need public transportation? What can you afford?

All those will be helpful to know so we can point you in a good direction. ;-)

[hevelynndustin]

Anywhere we arent familiar with the north as I moved to NC from FL and he has lived in NC his whole life. As inexpensive as it gets? I work in the hotel business so I think i should be able to transfer but we would take any job that would have us be able to pay our bills really. Dont mind a drive. Dont think we'll need public transportation we have 3 cars in between the 2 of us unless parking or anything else is a problem. Right now we afford $625 rent about $30/2 mos water bill, $65 light bill, $302 for one car $233 for another, $200 car insurance no cable or anything like that and still have a little bit of money left over for groceries. So I would say we make about $2500/mo. together?

thanks for posting

[propmanager_2001]

what hotel chain do you work for now?

[JerichoHW]

Originally Posted by hevelynndustin

Anywhere we arent familiar with the north as I moved to NC from FL and he has lived in NC his whole life. As inexpensive as it gets? I work in the hotel business so I think i should be able to transfer but we would take any job that would have us be able to pay our bills really. Dont mind a drive. Dont think we'll need public transportation we have 3 cars in between the 2 of us unless parking or anything else is a problem. Right now we afford $625 rent about $30/2 mos water bill, $65 light bill, $302 for one car $233 for another, $200 car insurance no cable or anything like that and still have a little bit of money left over for groceries. So I would say we make about $2500/mo. together?

thanks for posting

Indeed what hotel chain/group do you belong too. For instance if you work for Hilton your options will likely be more limited to urban areas. But right now based on your description you would probably be best off in the Chicago Suburbs as the city itself could be a bit overwhelming. However you might feel more at home in Southern or Central Illinois as well, if that were the case you should probably check out mid-sized urban areas like Decatur, Springfield, Bloomington/Normal or even small cities with a large hotel business like Effingham or Mount Vernon.

[hevelynndustin]

ihg but i work at holiday inn... but any ihg brand would be fine. what would be overwhelming about it? oh and i have worked for hilton so i guess that would be a broader range?

[linicx]

If I were you and I could, I would transfer into the Holiday Inn Express in East Peoria. There is also a Holiday Inn in Peoria in the heart of the downtown. There is benefit and downside to both, but EP is a good place to begin. The towns I listed are ranked according to size. Peoria is the largest at 112,000+ population. Peoria offers more due to size, location and community need. You can fly into Peoria and rent a car.

Take a short-term rent lease at Timeberlane Apartments. It is a very decent location and affordable. It will give you some breathing room and plenty of time to get acquainted with your new city and surrounding area. Timeberland is conveniently located near most of the things you will want or need such as mall, groceries, restaurants, church, doctors and ten miles from work. If you take the East Peoria property, you will exit I-74 on Il Route 116 West. . Go to the first light (Camp St) Turn right and go to the next light (Altorfer Drive) and turn right to the motel. This property has good reputation and gets overflow from the casino.
Timberlane Apartments - Apartment homes conveniently located in Peoria Illinois - Edward Rose & Sons

Here is the list of towns and motels
Peoria: HOLIDAY INN, Baymont, Mariott, Radisson, Red Roof, Springhill, Staybridge, Days Inn, Embassy Suites, Courtyard, Residence, Jameson Inn, Sleep Inn, Ramasa, Extended Stay America, Peoria Wingate (Wyndham Hotels) and Fairfield on the Peoria side of the river. Mariott has several properties in Peoria, plus they are renovating and expanding a $I0M+ hotel project. .

East Peoria: HOLIDAY INN EXPRESS. Hampton, Embassy, Motel 6, Super 8, Fairfield, Stoney Creek, Par A Dice Casino Hotel and a couple of independents. This is a good location with easy access and close to everything.

Pekin is about 25 minutes from Peoria: HOLIDAY INN EXPRESS, Super 8, Concorde, Econo Lodge
and a two independents.

Morton is about 10 minutes west of East Peoria on I-74: Days Inn, Belmont Inn, Travelodge, Best Western, Howard Johinson, Quality Inns and two independents.

The bottom line: Your bf will probably have a better chance of finding a job in or near Peoria than if you look in surrounding smaller towns. Local hospitals are located in Peoria, Pekin, Eureka, Canton and Havana. Peoria has 3 hospitals, medical school, and is affiliated with St. Jude and Children's Hospital of Illinois. There are also a couple of "after hour care clinics" in Peoria.

If you want to know more about Peoria, click on my name and send a Direct Message.

[JerichoHW]

^ I have stayed at that Holiday Inn Express in East Peoria before, its not a bad place at all and the surrounding area with the Kohls, restaurants and businesses seems pretty nice. Going back to the OP, it can be a bit overwhelming living in a city in Chicago if you are not used to it and parking is at a premium. But if your looking to try something new then I would give it a shot!

[linicx]

Wait until the OP finds out what rent costs in a safe neighborhood. I wonder if she realizes just exactly how big Chicagoland actually is. .

[linicx]

Originally Posted by hevelynndustin

ihg but i work at holiday inn... but any ihg brand would be fine. what would be overwhelming about it? oh and i have worked for hilton so i guess that would be a broader range?

Chicagoland is 12 million people. The expressways are 8 lanes - pay or not. The Outer Drive is 8-10 lanes with a hydruslic divider. In the morning two lanes are coming out of the city and at night it is reversed. Two lanes are going in and the others are coming out. You have no ideas what areas of the City are "safe" to drive or shop in. You do not understand the rail or bus system. They are colors: Blue line, Red Line, etc. You do not know the streets or where they end. You don't know where the safe clubs are or what Boystown is.

There is no doubt you can learn, but what you do not know can get you into a peck of trouble. And that is what is overwhelming. .