Springfield Info Needed (Peoria, Lincoln, Arthur: real estate, insurance, houses)

[Sonic]

Springfield is the state capitol, but what type of city is the capitol? Does it have a small town field? How's the economy doing overall? Where's the best place to live? How reasonable are property taxes in this area? Thanks

[llama214]

Springfield is first and foremost the political center for the state. LOTS of politicians and doctors call this place home. In fact, Panther Creek(I think thats is what it is called?) has homes in it that I don't think the money I make in a year, could even pay the taxes on. Clean and well kept, except for this dirty ghetto area. There is a mall and lots of other chain stores. Very down to earth and abundant in green space. I have never seen a city that is filled with more soccer moms before in my life!! Everybody there seems to drive a Toyota Sienna minivan and they are all filled with moms on cell phones, taking their kids to practice. I think houses are very reasonable. In fact I think you can get alot for you money. Like B-N and C-U, it is nice because it isn't real big, but has everything you could ever want. The newest and coolest thing in Illinois is the new'er' Abraham Lincoln museum. When building it they spared no expense. Toss all previous notions about what you think of the traditional museum, because it breaks those walls and then some! The economy is sound. Some of it is based on the basic midwest steel and mill thought, but like I said, medicine and politics are everywhere. Schools are decent. Nothing like upper central Illinois, but not bad. I know SIU has a big extension there for anything medical. Hope this helps you better understand the area. While I would hate to leave where I live now, I would not mind moving to one of the most historically significant areas in the nation.

[jwhittak]

Plus, it is the only area I know of that still has a Shakey's buffet. I'm really burnt out on it but my wife still loves it.

[doll lady]

I live a mere 20 minutes from Springfield in a quiet little village. Springfield is strictly a white collar small city. The west side grows daily and who knows where the money comes from. The huge houses on the west side are mortgaged to the hilt. If one of the spouses loses their jobs, it's bankruptcy for sure. State of IL is the largest employer. No factories. Does have a large teaching hospital via the Southern Illinois School of Medicine. Best place to be if you have a heart condition or a premature baby. Jobs are scarce unless you are a democrat and have some pull to get a state job. Shopping mall prices are ridiculously high compared to other cities. The whole city has a smoking ban in public places which is nice if you are a non-smoker and not so nice for smokers. Average blue collar hard labor average wage is probably $30,000 to $35,000 unless you can get into the Laborers Union. But jobs are scarce for people over 35. The Teamsters Union is noted for taking the dues and doing nothing, with a lot of their members unhappy Unskilled clerical and retail starting wage average is probably $7.00 to $8.00 per hour.

The Shakey's buffet is NO MORE! It's called Diamond's Buffet but they still have similar food. My county is fastest growing county around. My 11 year old house is appraised at $150,000 by a realtor and $114,000 by the county for tax purposes. My real estate taxes are $2900.00 per year and usually raise $200 ro $400 per year.

Nothing to do in Springfield unless you lean towards the arts. Summer open air muni opera and Springfield Theater. Peoria is about 60 minutes north with lots more to do including a riverboat casino. St. Louis is an hour and a half away, with loads of shopping. I've live here all of my life and I wouldn't move here if I lived elsewhere. Just my honest opinion.

[jwhittak]

My wife is not to happy about the buffet news. Does Diamond's still have the same pizza, chicken, and mojo potatoes?

[doll lady]

RE: Diamond's Buffet>>>>>used to be Shakey's

Yes the same pizza (yukky) and same potatoes now called JoMo rather than MoJo and same chicken. Higher price though. Same Location on McArthur Blvd.

The original franchisee was a guy by the name of Diamond...he was always there and usually at the cash register and had this franchise for years and years.....Shakey's was changing how their franchises were run and he didn't want to go with their changes so he removed himself from the Shakey's franchise.....then almost immediately decided to retire and sold the business to an asian couple who now run it, I believe with the understanding the food would remain the same and not be changed to asian....but don't know how long will last. Springfield has more asian food resturants than China, Thailand, Japan, etc...combined. LOL

Springfield was pretty torn up with last March's tornado's especially on the west side business area....some businesses didn't rebuild. Then the huge snowfall and ice storm came before Christmas which damaged almost everyone's trees....The city streets are still littered with branches....some areas look like a war zone...kid you not. There is just too much debris for the city to handle efficiently.

There currently aren't any Wendy's in Springfield....the franchise holder went belly up so they closed.

Ameren utilities last year announced a HUGE rate increase so people in the area with Ameren have almost double rates now. The old Franklin Life Insurance Co. quite some time ago sold out to American General....and they used to be I think the third largest employer and now down to 500 employees, which is probably a third of yesteryear employees. Horace Mann Insurance Company used to be a good company to work for but it is tumbling down the tubes also.

So if you're employed in a government job, it is the place to be....although Blowjobavich has done a good job of moving lots of jobs from Springfield to his home town of the windy city. Jesse White's Secretary of State office has just had some convictions of custodial people and their management for being ghost employees and I heard they are looking at the securty guards too for same reason. Of course the state/Springfield is still
reeling from the conviction of the crooked govenor George Ryan.

The medical field is pretty wonderful though. Memorial Medical Center and the Prairie Heart Institute have the midwest health care cornered on excellent care. St. John's Hospital is rated one of the best premature baby centers in the USA. And Memorial Medical Center likewise for burns. But St. John's Hospital is having financial troubles....with employees being laid off and when you go there it is so old and looks and in fact is dirty.

The city alderman don't want the city to be involved in much of anything. They drove out the Street Machine Nationals, the Hot Rod Nationals, the annual street festival and have made moves to get the Junior Rodeo to hightail it out of town. Springfield still hosts the Route 66 Festival but it suffered this past year. The Annual Air Rendezvous has done so poorly in the last couple of years it has been cancelled for 2007. These are some of my reasons for saying there is not much to do in Springfield. You can only visit the Zoo so many times. Yep the museum is nice but EXPENSIVE to go see.

Sorry this is windy but just my opinion. LOL

[Paxtonian]

Those electric rate increases are state-wide, not just Springfield. In their infinite wisdom, the State Legislature froze rates ten years ago. The rate freeze just expired, and those rates are now assuming balance with the rest of the country.

[doll lady]

While the rate increase info may be accurate, the rest of the local utilities have not increased their rates accordingly.

Ameren did a very poor job in restoring electrical service after both the tornado last year and the ice storm this year. They implement the rata increase then couldn't provide the staff to get the job done. Wonder whose pockets are receiving the rate increase amounts.....they sure don't have as many employees here.

Fortunately I have Rural Electric and our very rural subdivision is on a road that has about 30 or 40 other Rural Electric customers. All the rest in the entire area plus the village have Ameren. I used to cringe because I had the very expensive Rural Electric utilities...but I am dancing a happy dance because my bills are significantly lower than Ameren customers. After attending the REA meetings, there doesn't appear to be a move to implement a rate increase. YAY Counting my lucky stars. Now if my durn taxes would just stop increasing. From $1300 to $2900 in 11 years. That's a Yikes for me when you live in the sticks of rural american where some people don't know what kleenex are used for....they still use their sleeve.....isn't that what it's for??????