HELP! Choosing where to live between Champaign, Bloomington, or Peoria?! (Chicago: rentals, crime)

[sweetie0110]

Hi there. This is my first post so please bear with me. I am in desperate need of help. I am a student from Carbondale and I need to do a clinical internship for my last year of school. Most of the clinical internships are in central Illinois, and I get to choose where to go and where to live. I've researched these cities and I'm getting mixed reviews about each of them. I've never visited either city before but I plan on doing so sometime next month.

I'm 22 years old. I'll be living by myself. Safety is my number one concern, as well as affordable housing (under $900/month; 1bd). Of course, I would like to live in an area where there's good shopping centers, malls, nice restaurants, some entertainment places, possibly clubs, a nice clean city/town; a nice fit for a young adult, ya know?

Out of Bloomington/Normal, Champaign and Peoria, which city would be a better fit for me? Thank you!!

[Caglee]

The pros and cons are fairly balanced between all of them. Having spent time in all three cities, there are various reasons to choose each one. Peoria has the most urban/city feel to it, but I also think it's the sketchiest of the three. You'll have shopping, restaurants, nightlife, and access to many different medical facilities and hospitals in Peoria. You'll want to stay on the north end of the city when looking for rentals.

Normal and Champaign are very much college towns if that's what you're looking for. Normal is the more balanced of the three options, with Peoria having some "college town feel" around Bradley University, and Champaign being almost entirely consumed by U of I. Normal is also located in the middle of Peoria and Champaign and you could easily commute between the cities from that location if your internship were to change or you are switching hospitals.

If I had to live in any of the three cities I'd choose Normal. It has the most "normal" feel to it of a midwestern city. I think being your age and maybe still connecting with the college crowd, you'd prefer Normal or Champaign.

[847mom]

I actually totally disagree with the above. I think Normal is kinda boring unless you are at ISU. Champaign-Urbana has much more going for it and more to do. Peoria is okaay but also not the most exciting unless you are looking for strip malls.

[Curly Q. Bobalink]

I actually like Peoria, with the Riverwalk and all. You just need to be careful to avoid some areas near downtown after dark - I remember speaking with a Physical Therapy "intern" twenty years ago, she was attending PT school in Peoria. Having a friend in East Peoria, I asked her where she resided. She replied, "The Scarea". "What and where in the heck is that?", I asked. She said, "You know, it's that really scary area just southwest of downtown". Twenty years later, I still chuckle at that, and wonder if and where she's doing PT these days, she was a nice young girl.

[kazimierz]

I live in Peoria and frequently visit the other two cities and can just can echo the above. Champaign has the university town feeling, but imo Peoria has the best medical facilities. You will find affordable rentals in all three places, probably Normal would be the cheapest. Peoria may be the least safe from these, but 99% of the crime is drug/gang violence and can be avoided by not visiting the east/south bluff. We have been here for 4 years and encountered zero troubles, plus the locals are pretty friendly.

[debsrace]

You could also live in East Peoria or Morton, here by Peoria. And, I live in the Northpoint area in Peoria and it is very nice. The little town of Dunlap is just North of the Northpoint Shopping area and the school district is great.

[Jon998877]

I would choose B-N, by far the cleanest of the 3.. with State Farm, ISU and IWU brings in good residents, college feel but not overwhelmed by it like Champaign is with UofI... as for Peoria, just never seen a reason to go there although I live within an hour or so of all 3..

[GWoodle]

Originally Posted by sweetie0110

Hi there. This is my first post so please bear with me. I am in desperate need of help. I am a student from Carbondale and I need to do a clinical internship for my last year of school. Most of the clinical internships are in central Illinois, and I get to choose where to go and where to live. I've researched these cities and I'm getting mixed reviews about each of them. I've never visited either city before but I plan on doing so sometime next month.

I'm 22 years old. I'll be living by myself. Safety is my number one concern, as well as affordable housing (under $900/month; 1bd). Of course, I would like to live in an area where there's good shopping centers, malls, nice restaurants, some entertainment places, possibly clubs, a nice clean city/town; a nice fit for a young adult, ya know?

Out of Bloomington/Normal, Champaign and Peoria, which city would be a better fit for me? Thank you!!

I think I would put Champaign first. Hop on I-57 or Amtrak to get back to Carbondale. Same route north to Chicago once things calm down & open up.
Bloomington/Normal would be 2nd. I-74 takes you to Champaign. You can use US 51 then get creative to Carbondale.
Peoria would be 3rd. The same I-74 to Champaign then south on I-57. All depends how much you want to drive. Some may use I-55 to Springfield then get creative to Carbondale.

For a clinical internship it may not matter where you are as long as you can afford rent & etc.

[Rag King]

I agree with 847mom. I am writing assuming you are single.

A few more things: If you enjoy crappy chain restaurants and sleazy college bars, then Bloomington/Normal is the area that you want. There is absolutely nothing to do there if you are single. The buses line up on campus at ISU every Thursday night to take most of the Chicago-area students back home for three day weekends.

Out of Bloomington/Normal, Champaign and Peoria, Peoria is the largest of the three choices and offers the best medical care and shopping. Yes, Peoria resembles a small city with outlying suburbs. Fun activities exist, but they are scattered throughout the area. There is no central "go to" core neighborhood for hanging out.

Champaign is an amazing place. Keep in mind that the C-U area is dead when the U of I is not in session. Provided you want to take advantage of the various activities both on and off campus during the school year, making friends should be easy. As a single person, this would be my first choice, followed by Peoria, and then Bloomington/Normal.

[Bitey]

Originally Posted by Curly Q. Bobalink

I actually like Peoria, with the Riverwalk and all. You just need to be careful to avoid some areas near downtown after dark - I remember speaking with a Physical Therapy "intern" twenty years ago, she was attending PT school in Peoria. Having a friend in East Peoria, I asked her where she resided. She replied, "The Scarea". "What and where in the heck is that?", I asked. She said, "You know, it's that really scary area just southwest of downtown". Twenty years later, I still chuckle at that, and wonder if and where she's doing PT these days, she was a nice young girl.

It seems maybe they were onto something.

13 people shot in gunfight between groups at Peoria, Illinois, riverfront