Metropolis, Ill. Crime stats, etc. (Chicago, Nashville: rental, homes, theater)

[Griffis]

I am thinking of applying for a job in Metropolis. I noticed the crime statistics are pretty high for a city of its size, although they do seem to be of a less-violent nature.

I have searched the forum and not found a great deal of info on Metropolis. Can anyone speak to the quality of schools, cost of living, availability of rental housing, the weather, and so on?

I really appreciate any information.

I am a librarian and there is an opening for the position of library director in Metropolis. Is the library well thought of and does it get a lot of use by the members of the community?

My wife and I have two daughters in middle school. We dislike hot, humid summers but enjoy small towns.

I appreciate any and all info.

[BLS2753]

Originally Posted by Griffis

I am thinking of applying for a job in Metropolis. I noticed the crime statistics are pretty high for a city of its size, although they do seem to be of a less-violent nature.

I have searched the forum and not found a great deal of info on Metropolis. Can anyone speak to the quality of schools, cost of living, availability of rental housing, the weather, and so on?

I really appreciate any information.

I am a librarian and there is an opening for the position of library director in Metropolis. Is the library well thought of and does it get a lot of use by the members of the community?

My wife and I have two daughters in middle school. We dislike hot, humid summers but enjoy small towns.

I appreciate any and all info.

I've lived in Metropolis most of my life. Grew up here, and now retired here. I had a 20 year career in the military, and have lived in several large cities, including Chicago.

I'll give you the good and bad.

The crime statistics are misleading. Some is the result of strict enforcement of drug laws. Another is the presence of a casino, which tends to attract petty criminals to some extent. There is a large underclass in the town, which tends to solve conflicts with domestic violence. The women's shelter has a long waiting list if that's any indication. This theme carries over to other personal relationships. Friends, neighbors etc. If there is a disagreement, a fist fight between the parties, or retribution in the form of theft or vandalism will often be the result. This socioeconomic group makes up approximately 1/3 of the town's population.

The positive side is that random crime is virtually non-existent. Crime is mostly contained within certain social circles.

Sex crimes are rare, and as above, are within certain social circles.

Historically, there's about one murder per decade.

Most small town crime stats are skewed because of the small sample set.

This isn't a town where people break into homes regularly. You can walk the streets at night without fear. People won't steal your car.

The library was remodeled recently, and is arguably the most beautiful building in town. It's an old Carnegie library, and has been completely updated. However, other than younger school kids, I don't think it gets much use. There isn't much interest in literacy among adults, except for bible study in the many churches that exist here.

Metropolis is across the Ohio River from Paducah KY. About a 15 min drive on the interstate. There is a large shopping area along the interstate in Paducah.This area contains all the major chain stores and restaurants you would find in a larger suburban area. Minus a Target store, Barnes & Noble, Borders, or any of the luxury department stores like Nordstrom's, Sak's etc.

Most all goods and services will require a trip to Paducah.

Metropolis has one supermarket. But it is small, outdated, and overpriced. Basically it's a glorified convenience store.

The nearest large cities are Nashville and St. Louis, which are about equidistant at 150-170 miles. Usually expect a 2 1/2 hour drive to either one.

Paducah has non-stop service to Chicago via United Express 50 seat jets. Some people drive to Nashville or St. Louis to get lower fares.

Metropolis has average small town schools. One elemenatary school K-6, which feeds into a county junior high and high school. There are four elementary schools in the county, which some parents perceive as superior to the one in town. There is only one school district, and it includes all the schools, so the difference in quality among the elementary schools is debatable. The more likely reasoning, is that parents don't want their kids attending school with the lower income kids that live in town.

Extra curricular activities in high school are limited. Mainly athletics and not much more. A weak music program, and there is no drama/theater program.

Although in Illinois, Metropolis' main cultural influence is the rural south. It wasn't always that way, but it is now.

There are worse towns, and there are better ones. Metropolis can be a Norman Rockwell painting or a scene from "Dukes of Hazzard", depending on your previous experiences and expectations.

[Griffis]

Wow. Thank you for that informative post. Really appreciate it.

It sounds like it has its charms, but after some investigation, the job unfortunately doesn't pay well enough to coax us from the area in which we now live.