Where is Carbondale ? (Chicago, Naperville, Peoria: apartment, rental, layoffs)

[floyd10]

I am a Native of Carbondale and I have been living in Los Angeles CA for almost 30 years. It is funny that all the Chicago natives here in California dont know where Carbondale Illinois is they think it is suburb. The rest of the world seems to think that everybody from Illinois is from Chicago and East St Louis is not in Illinois and a world of its own. Growing up in Carbondale is unique because of the diversity I really get tired of people from Chicago and St Louis calling Southern Illinois Country there seems to be a label either you are from the country or a city slicker, after living in Los Angeles everything east of the rockies seems country to me. I love Illinois but it is impossible to make a livng there and for $15 an hour you can live like a king, that is poverty level in Southern California you can make that working at the local Wal Mart. The stress of living in Los Angeles is great and everything seems to revolve around money. Everyday I wake up I somebody is digging in my pocket and it took me years to adjust to this concept. There is no way to live cheap here unless you stay in a cardboard box public housing is almost non existent . I look forward to the day I retire from my job so I can kiss Los Angeles goodbye. Everybody wants to come here for what reason I dont know and all the native Californian's who left here never came back because they realaize that life is more peaceful in the other 49 states. My girlfriend Is a native of Los Angeles and she love visiting southern Illnois anything is better than living here where they think living in a 3 Bedroom Apartment is golden. The San Francisco Bay area is far worse I dont see why anybody would want to live there. To me the Golden State is not so Golden. I think we should give California back to Mexico the state is 52% hispanic soon i will have to learn spanish in order to survive.

[Steve-o]

Your comments about making a living in IL are ridiculous. And no, for $15 you cant live like a king anywhere in this state. Some areas $15 might be decent where you can afford a small place of your own, but $15 an hour in the suburbs? Are you kidding me?!?! Youd be practically living on the streets. At one point my wife and I BOTH were making around $15 an hour, and combined we could afford a small, one bedroom apartment in Naperville, 2 used cars, and we didnt have much money after all utilities, etc, were paid.

[linicx]

I think I can make the case that $120 per diem is not chicken feed. It is #2540 per month gross income. It certainly may be poverty level in Chicago, but It not oiverty leve throughout the entire state. Two years ago the local union grunt was making $33 per hour with benefits.

Conversely Walmart, and local grocery stores continue to pay real poverty wages part time to uneducated adults while they make huge profits and pay no benefits. It is a fact of life in rural America and that includes Illinois. .

[bulldawg1594]

california isn't even 35% hispanic.

[chicago103]

Originally Posted by linicx

I think I can make the case that $120 per diem is not chicken feed. It is #2540 per month gross income. It certainly may be poverty level in Chicago.

I am sorry but $30,000 a year is not poverty level at all in Chicago, thats enough for a single person to afford a pretty nice apartment within city limits and have a CTA monthly pass that would suit all your transportation needs. If anything its worse making $30K a year in the suburbs than in the city because rental housing is still fairly expensive and in most cases you must own a car which will cost a lot of money.

Anyways this thread is supposed to be about Carbondale and I think its pretty funny that someone would think its a suburb of Chicago. Its like some people think Illinois has a landmass as small as Massachusetts or something.

[css9450]

Originally Posted by chicago103

Anyways this thread is supposed to be about Carbondale and I think its pretty funny that someone would think its a suburb of Chicago.

Yeah no kidding; I only clicked here because I wanted to read about Carbondale. The guy was all over the map (literally!) in his post.

I'm reminded of the 2005 baseball playoffs, when ESPN's Chris Berman described White Sox reliever Neal Cotts as a "local boy" because he grew up in "suburban Belleville."

[ccjarider]

Hey - At least due to having Chicago, people on the coasts have heard of Illinois here in flyover country.

I cannot tell you how many times when I have said I am from Wisconsin - the followup question is something like "Where is that - Europe?"
Yikes

[mdand3boys]

I used to live near Peoria - and worked in Chicago Loop 3x a week (across street from Sears Tower). My manager was a born and raised Chicagoan, had been all over the country and had no clue where Peoria was and had never been anywhere in Illinois except Chicago and the 'burbs. When he finally came to my Peoria office, he was stunned. He had no idea what the area looked like.

[dcisive]

what a strange thread. Well I grew up till age 13 on the South Side of Chicago moving to Highland Park till leaving Illinois in 1978. I went to SIU Carbondale in the early 70's so I certainly know where it is. No doubt many "northerners" in Illinois have no clue what Carbondale is like or where it is. I found it very quaint, with a slower paced lifestyle (which I happen to like). The recreation and hiking abounds and it is quite beautiful. Certainly making a "good" living down there would be a challenge to say the least as the job opportunities aren't lining up. As for LA with a very few exceptions (where there's a LOT of $$) it's basically a cesspool if you ask me. Not everyone can live in Laguna Beach or Malibu, but if one has the bucks that's not a bad choice. I lived in the SF Bay Area for 10 years in the early 80's, before it got crazy crowded, and back then it was a superb place to be. Not so much anymore as it is just gridlock most of the time. Not my lifestyle of choice. So now I'm in the Salt Lake City area and by comparison a LOT easier to deal with. Not a half bad bit of scenery either as we're surrounded by mountains. Oh well......to each their own.....

[tonythetuna]

Originally Posted by css9450

I'm reminded of the 2005 baseball playoffs, when ESPN's Chris Berman described White Sox reliever Neal Cotts as a "local boy" because he grew up in "suburban Belleville."

Wow #1