Growth poll (Stickney: to live, race, Polish)

[runninfiend]

Good thread.

I'm in Eureka, west central Woodford County, 17 miles or so from Peoria, 20 or 25 from BN. Woodford County has seen growth, but not a ton in Eureka. We have a lot of old farm families around the edge of town and in the rural areas that won't sell their land for development. There are some new subdivisions but not as many as say Morton or Dunlap.

I like our slow growth. I'm not against growth, per se, but I detest sprawl--unplanned wanton growth that fails to take into account and work at all with the environment they're paving over and is aesthically ugly as sin/soul killing.

Much of the growth around Midwestern cities is pure sprawl. Around here we have Dunlap, Germantown, Morton, Washington etc. I would not choose to live in those places. Dunlap has gotten ugly in a hurry. No slight to those who love it there, but it's not for me.

I plan on staying in Eureka for awhile. I like it rural. There are woods in my backyard, trails, and I have 100 acres of land outside of town that has a creek and a pond.

My suspicion is we will grow in the next 20 or 30 years, I'll be here at least 15 or 20, then will most probably go somewhere more remote if Eureka isn't to my liking by then. I already have that plan in place.

No way on God's earth I'd make it in Chicago or burbs. Just not for me, but bless you'all that like it.

[BUalumni]

Glad to share. Good post!

From Chciagoland the drive is a breeze. I can be in Aurora in under two hours if weather is good. If you tend to drive fast it takes no time at all. As of now, there is no direct route to Chicago from Peoria. You can travel to Peru, and then make your way down, or you can come down to Bloomington and then make your way over. I-55 is boring no doubt, but I find it to be faster even though Bloomington is technically south of Peoria. Weird I know! That way you could spend a little time in Bloomington, and then come check out Peoria. Peoria has lots of local festivals and what not. The best time is to come during one of those times. If nothing else, use the weekends. If you choose a mid-week there won't be as much to do. Of course right now everything is frozen so there is hardly anything going on.

[BUalumni]

Originally Posted by runninfiend

Good thread.

I'm in Eureka, west central Woodford County, 17 miles or so from Peoria, 20 or 25 from BN. Woodford County has seen growth, but not a ton in Eureka. We have a lot of old farm families around the edge of town and in the rural areas that won't sell their land for development. There are some new subdivisions but not as many as say Morton or Dunlap.

I like our slow growth. I'm not against growth, per se, but I detest sprawl--unplanned wanton growth that fails to take into account and work at all with the environment they're paving over and is aesthically ugly as sin/soul killing.

Much of the growth around Midwestern cities is pure sprawl. Around here we have Dunlap, Germantown, Morton, Washington etc. I would not choose to live in those places. Dunlap has gotten ugly in a hurry. No slight to those who love it there, but it's not for me.

I plan on staying in Eureka for awhile. I like it rural. There are woods in my backyard, trails, and I have 100 acres of land outside of town that has a creek and a pond.

My suspicion is we will grow in the next 20 or 30 years, I'll be here at least 15 or 20, then will most probably go somewhere more remote if Eureka isn't to my liking by then. I already have that plan in place.

No way on God's earth I'd make it in Chicago or burbs. Just not for me, but bless you'all that like it.

Eureka is very nice town, and I would have no problem living there. I don't know though if it will grow as much as Dunlap or Morton has within the time frame you gave. There is no doubt that Metamora and GH are going to have a big shift in population within the near future. It is possible that Eureka might get a sizeable population boost from that too. Both Metamora and Eureka have the correct formula for big growth.

[sgresident]

I live in Sugar Grove and we have seen quite a bit of residential growth over the 20 years that I have been here. When new developments were approved, some sold rather quickly. Now, there is the real estate slowdown and the pace is barely a crawl. We are seeing growth in the commercial area. We finally got a jewel, then we got an aldi. I know to some, that doesn't sound like much, but to us, it is huge. we are seeing a lot of office space coming in, and growth in the industrial parks. A small retail area is moving forward and our own town vet is planning to build a new animal hospital. there is the inevitable Walgreens on the horizon. One of the most exciting things around the corner is the planned Honda Jet sales facility to locate on the grounds of the aurora airport..in sugar grove. Our library will be starting it's new 27,000 sq ft facility this spring and a new middle school will also be built here starting this year. We have worked to have a good transportation plan to avoid a lot of the problems that they have along Randall Road, however, if the State of Illinois doesn't come up with a major road repair bill...we will all be sitting in some gigantic pot hole very soon!! I am glad I found this site, I enjoy the posts!

[BUalumni]

Originally Posted by runninfiend

Good thread.

I'm in Eureka, west central Woodford County, 17 miles or so from Peoria, 20 or 25 from BN. Woodford County has seen growth, but not a ton in Eureka. We have a lot of old farm families around the edge of town and in the rural areas that won't sell their land for development. There are some new subdivisions but not as many as say Morton or Dunlap.

I like our slow growth. I'm not against growth, per se, but I detest sprawl--unplanned wanton growth that fails to take into account and work at all with the environment they're paving over and is aesthically ugly as sin/soul killing.

Much of the growth around Midwestern cities is pure sprawl. Around here we have Dunlap, Germantown, Morton, Washington etc. I would not choose to live in those places. Dunlap has gotten ugly in a hurry. No slight to those who love it there, but it's not for me.

I plan on staying in Eureka for awhile. I like it rural. There are woods in my backyard, trails, and I have 100 acres of land outside of town that has a creek and a pond.

My suspicion is we will grow in the next 20 or 30 years, I'll be here at least 15 or 20, then will most probably go somewhere more remote if Eureka isn't to my liking by then. I already have that plan in place.

No way on God's earth I'd make it in Chicago or burbs. Just not for me, but bless you'all that like it.

Please don't feel like I am attacking you or your opinion with my remarks. I just think people are very confused about what is actually Dunlap. Remember, the village of Dunlap boundaries are the not the same as the school district. Dunlap school district covers a broad area extending down into Alta, (the area I believe you are speaking of as ugly), into the Edwards area, and of course the rest of the village proper. It even goes into the Orange Prairie area! Basically anything outside of Rt. 6 is the unofficial town markings. There are thousands of residents that of have a Peoria or Edwards address, but due to school boundaries, send their kids to Dunlap schools instead of Richwoods. Many of these people work in Mossville, shop in north Peoria, and spend most of their time in the Alta area. Except for using the sectors of War Memorial, and the downtown/riverfront, they have far less interaction with Peoria on a day-to-day basis, than someone who lives on Nebraska. As a result, you have far more people saying they live in Dunlap than actually do. As for the town itself, I don't know how it has become ugly? Dunlap is an old farming town, and still has a distinct look of that way of life. I would venture to say that Eureka may even look more modern than Dunlap. Even with all the growth from Alta, their is still a wide gap between both areas. Sure, Dunlap added a brand new subdivision that tends to cater to the upscale crowd. I don't see what is wrong with that? It hugs a forest and has stayed cohesive with the rest of the town. Not to mention the fact that it not only doubled the population for the village, but boosted its per capita income. The second subdivision on Dickison Cemetary Rd does not directly attach to the town's roads, but that area has always been considered Dunlap even before the growth took place. The Woodland Ridge subdivision may not be connected either, but is just down the road from the high school and very much associated with Dunlap. While these areas are indeed new, I don't think anyone would argue that most these homes are very attractive, and bring a whole new feel to an otherwise sleepy farm town. The school district has continued to expand both the high school and middle school, keeping them both in the town limits, as well as ensuring that the new middle school is located inside the village as well. Are there a few cookie-cutter subdivisions around the Alta area? Yes. Do these individuals attend Dist 323? Yes. But are these few subdivisions in Alta the common norm in Dunlap? No. Dunlap and Alta may be considered by the general population to be one and the same. But to people living in these areas, there is a distinct seperation not only in space, but in the way the areas are choosing to grow. I do however wish that all that growth in Alta, was connected with Dunlap's grid system. Dunlap would be pretty big by now, and would be even more attractive in my opinion. That way we wouldn't have these problems.

[bungalowdweller]

Cicero has changed tremendously in the last 15 years. When I moved back from the East Coast, the population stood at about 60,000. It was about 80%white (mainly retirees from the old Hotpoint, Western Electric, and Danly plants and European immigrants) and 20% Hispanic, mainly Mexican. For an urban town, Cicero was pretty quiet and it was no problem finding parking in front of ones home. The retail strips were tired and dated-looking although there were many bakeries, restaurants, cleaners, banks,etc. The town was greying.

Today the population is over 100,000 and stands at 80% Hispanic and 20% white. By and large, the white immigrant families have moved away, leaving the retirees. Legal Hispanics have left in droves because of a h-u-g-e influx of illegals. It is not unusual to have two or three families to a house. Parking on the street is impossible.

The town residents are quite young, I think the average age is 26. The Mexican stores are booming and traffic is a constant problem. There is no doubt that the town has become "vibrant" as real estate people call it, but with the added businesses and people we have crime. Even though the town has built several new schools and the taxes are reasonable. it is no longer a good starter community for a young family with children unless they are going to move out before starting school. The housing stock is old, but generally good. This is a Chicago Style Bungalow town and there are man beautiful homes here. Close to the Loop but the travel time downtown has increased,mainly because the Ike is so choked with cars.

[Maintainschaos]

Originally Posted by bungalowdweller

Today the population is over 100,000 and stands at 80% Hispanic and 20% white.

I thought Cicero's population was only ~80,000?

Cicero, Illinois (IL) Detailed Profile - relocation, real estate, travel, jobs, hospitals, schools, crime, news, sex offenders

[Avengerfire]

Originally Posted by Maintainschaos

I thought Cicero's population was only ~80,000?

Cicero, Illinois (IL) Detailed Profile - relocation, real estate, travel, jobs, hospitals, schools, crime, news, sex offenders

According to the town itself it is around 109,429.

TheTownOfCicero.com

[Maintainschaos]

Originally Posted by Avengerfire

According to the town itself it is around 109,429.

TheTownOfCicero.com

29,000 person discrepancy? It doesn't really matter...it's all part of the Chicago area anyhow.

[Avengerfire]

Originally Posted by Maintainschaos

29,000 person discrepancy? It doesn't really matter...it's all part of the Chicago area anyhow.

Well it gained 18,810 from the 1990 census to the 2000 census so 29,000 since 2000 should not be too hard to believe.

State of Illinois: Illinois Census 2000