Sterling/rock falls (Chicago, Byron, Phoenix: job market, schools, university)

[midwest1]

I've only been on this forum for a few days and am amazed at the amount of negativity I see.

This is particularly true for comments about Rockford, which, last time I checked is one of the faster growing metros in the entire Midwest. I have friends in the area and trust me, Rockford offers much of what larger Midwest metros have (diversity of food, population, shopping etc.) at like, 1/2 the price.
It is rapidly evolving into Chocago's largest (450,000) satellite city, yet still retains its own vibe (Cheap Trick, Danica Patrick).

Within a decade or so, it will be considered a very desirable and up-and-coming area.

And this fact extends to places like Rochelle, Dixon, and yes, Rock Falls/Sterling.

Don't listen to the haters, who obviously have other issues to deal with.

[midwest1]

Originally Posted by M TYPE X

Northern Illinois outside of Chicago is depressing. I refer specifically to the Kankakee and Rockford areas. I don't know about Peru/Ottawa firsthand.

Mid-state Illinois outside of Danville and Decatur is livable, and Wisconsin outside of Beloit/Janesville and the worst parts of Milwaukee is really nice. Between Peoria, Chicago, and Madison, it seems to be something of a Bermuda Triangle.

to illustrate M Type X's ignorance, let me post a few pics of Beloit, part of his Bermuda Triangle..



yes this was a community reenactment of..


The Green Roof on ABC Supply's Headquarters, a billion-dollar company headquartered in Beloit...




















for more info, check out the following

http://www.hendricksgroup.net/news/abc.pdf

[jo_bee]

Originally Posted by aloo

Honey, I am sorry that you have to move into this area of northwestern Illinois, but as others have said, try hard to do your best in school and then get the heck out.

I've lived here for 7 1/2 years. I came here as a young adult and married a native. Now I have two kids and am hoping to leave this area before my children get in school. The schools are terrible. The education standard in this area is abysmal. The future for the towns is seriously in question.

Lucas is right. Dixon is a much nicer town than Sterling or Rock Falls. But it also has major problems with rising crime rates, falling property prices and lack of education. These are towns in transition -- moving from places dependent upon manufacturing industries to goodness-knows-what. They have been inwardly focused for far too long. It was possible for people to grow up here, get a job at some mill, and then stay here until they died, doing all of their shopping and basic living in at 20 mile radius. Additionally, Sterling and Rock Falls have a terrible and tragic rivalry between the two towns borne from the tradition of wealth settling in Sterling while less wealthy factory workers settled in Rock Falls. It's led to an independence that is just ignorant, in the full sense of that term.

It is possible that in 20 years, this area will have seen an influx of people who want to work in Chicago and are willing to drive the hour to DeKalb to get on the train to do that, but it is also possible that the towns will just further deteriorate. I'm usually an optimist about most things (you could guess that, right? ), but my guess would be the latter. I love small towns, but these are not healthy hometowns. They are sick. And dying.

Good luck. Work hard. Get out.

Stop dissing on my home-town people. Why did you move here in the first place anyways if u dont like it. And why diss Sterling if you haven't been through the whole town anyways either.

[M TYPE X]

Originally Posted by midwest1

to illustrate M Type X's ignorance, let me post a few pics of Beloit, part of his Bermuda Triangle..



yes this was a community reenactment of..

That's a funny illustration!

I like impressionist art. I'm still not impressed with the area, though. It's a place to stop to get gas on the way up to Madison.

[golfcoach]

The Sterling, Rock Falls area isn't all that bad. It depends on the type of lifestyle you would be happy living. Life out here is pretty laid back. Housing is considered cheap, but so are wages. Wallmart opened a new distribution center here that pays around $10-15 per hour and people flocked there for the high paying jobs. But you can buy a decent home for under 100k. You will find the people here much more friendly than farther east toward Chicago. Out here neighborhoods are still just that and not just investment property. You can say good morning to your neighbor without worrying about being slapped with a lawsuit.

[Scribbler]

Good call, midwest1.

Face it, if you're a high school student and forced to move from a suburban area to a rural area, you're probably gonna hate it...maybe not, but it's likely. It's too bad kids don't have much say in all that.

As a person who grew up in rural N. IL, and moved on to a variety of other settings, then back to small town U.S., I have to say that it's easier to be adaptible if you grew up in small communities...I adjusted with far greater ease to urban dwelling than any urban dweller I've ever known transplated to country life. Inner city, isolated farm, I can live with ease in either end of the spectrum. I don't enjoy the middle ground at all, suburbia, no thanks. Give me the 'hood or the cow town. But the truth is, if you've only experienced suburban living, you're less likely to adjust well to small town living...especially early in life.

That reality is still not a reflection on small towns and rural communities. It's simply a testimonial to people's overwhelming overall inability to consider stepping outside comfort zones without reacting with negativity.

[Scribbler]

Originally Posted by golfcoach

The Sterling, Rock Falls area isn't all that bad. It depends on the type of lifestyle you would be happy living. Life out here is pretty laid back. Housing is considered cheap, but so are wages. Wallmart opened a new distribution center here that pays around $10-15 per hour and people flocked there for the high paying jobs. But you can buy a decent home for under 100k. You will find the people here much more friendly than farther east toward Chicago. Out here neighborhoods are still just that and not just investment property. You can say good morning to your neighbor without worrying about being slapped with a lawsuit.

All good points. It really does have a lot to do with expectations.

[aloo]

Originally Posted by jo_bee

Stop dissing on my home-town people. Why did you move here in the first place anyways if u dont like it. And why diss Sterling if you haven't been through the whole town anyways either.

Um... as I stated, I moved here with my job. I stay with my husband. It would be difficult to not visit the entire town of Sterling. It's not that big.

When one grows up in a place and your memories are intricately tied to the place, it is hard to have perspective on it. Sometimes the people who see things most clearly are those who don't have emotional attachment or detachment to a place. So, because I don't like it, perhaps I don't see things so clearly.

That being said, based on sheer numbers-- crime rate, educational standards, unemployment, standard wages, etc -- compared with other towns of its size in Illinois, Sterling and Rock Falls don't have a great showing. Gotta agree with the golf guy though that one can buy a great house very cheaply here. Of course, you might not be able to sell it again, but if that's not a concern... well...

[boxerbelle]

Originally Posted by krystalcarlson

Ya know, it's kinda crappy how people are sitting here diggin on sterling rock falls...I lived in Sterling for 20years. I'm now only 22, and have move on, ONLY because my husbands job. I miss that town like crazy because that's were I grew up, Jay...It may be hard at first but once you make friends your going to have blast. I graduated from the high school and those were some of the best years of my life, we make good friends and get really close to them. I think you will really like it there, Good luck!!

Since you live in the area, do you know a girl by the name of Traci Ann Leach? That was her maiden name. I think she might be married now.

[c.adam]

I grew up in Sterling/Rock Falls, and yeah Dixon too. Rock Falls has a failing school system, and not because of the teachers. you have several school districts splitting resources. But that's more for your parents to worry about.

As for being a high schooler... there's SOME activities, but because of budgets even that is limited. Yeah, Chicago Road Trips... Peoria isn't too far either. But on a daily basis, it's a hick town.

I spent 20 years there, escaped. Now I live in Alaska. But before that I've lived in Washington DC, Chicago, Decatur, and Colorado Springs. I can say without a doubt Rock Falls/Sterling just sucks. Everyone was so tied to the Mill, which you'll no doubt hear about. The economy in the area went to crap since nothing else is really there.

So what to do? Stick with learning... do the Vocational School, or Sauk Valley Community College. Basically, whatever you need to get out of there with some dignity.