Champaign, Illinois - where to live?

[M TYPE X]

I call it an excess of planning. Anytime a driver should be able to make an intelligent yield or right on red, Champaign-Urbana and many college towns, and many cities in the Midwest outside of Michigan, make the driver stop regardless of traffic conditions. I take Church westbound and University eastbound any time I need to go to the west end of Champaign, and I take neighborhood streets in Urbana instead of the parking lot that is Vine.

To the untrained eye, North Prospect is "unrestricted sprawl." I contend that is a planned congestion district ... basically a 35 mph city street, lined with big box stores and traffic lights galore. I prefer to shop in Savoy, which will be possible as long as growth (or sprawl, as Neil Street south of downtown in Champaign hollows out) continues on that side of town.

I actually bought a $1.50 copy of the Sunday News-Gazette today. I typically read it online every day. Lots of drivel and not a lot of investigative reporting on local matters. Yep, it's a junior impersonation of the Ann Arbor News. Maybe I'll just read the comics.

[Switch625]

You actually read the Snooze Gazette? The only thing useful are the classifieds, which are available online.

[M TYPE X]

Originally Posted by Switch625

You actually read the Snooze Gazette? The only thing useful are the classifieds, which are available online.

I read the news, editorials, and letters online. The news reporting is mildly informative in terms of crime reports, but I think the real culprit are the C-U police departments' disinterest in sharing accurate reports with the public.

[DukeK]

St. Joe and Mahomet are both great options. Both locations have extremely easy access to shopping and some of the best school systems in the county. Just south of Champaign is Tolono which could be another option. Monticello is in a world all its own and the old world charm there should be explored just for the experience. Paxton, I hate to say, is 25 miles in the wrong direction from Champaign. They have NOTHING up there for shopping with the exception of a well run IGA grocery store. I live in Danville (25 miles east) and would recommend you try everyplace else first. Danville, however is one of the lowest priced real estate markets in the US right now. The price you can pay for a large Colonial or Victorian is absurdly low.

[M TYPE X]

My ranking:

1) Mahomet (nice)
2) St Joseph (ok)
3) Monticello (kinda far, but nice)
4) Paxton
5) points south of Savoy