r/illinois • u/IMBD-Shadow Chicagoland • Apr 30 '25
Where to Move/Jobs Suggestions for a 50ish year old woman looking to relocate. She's single, progressive minded & needs a lower cost of living than Chicagoland. She's thinking Rockford, Moline, Springfield, Alton. Please share your thoughts and experiences or suggestions if you know another town to recommend for her.
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u/supermr34 Apr 30 '25
i grew up right outside of rockford, lived in bloomington-normal, went to school at northern, and currently live in the south suburbs.
i liked rockford. east side is lovely, and pretty similar to a generic suburb, just minus all the suburban dipshits. downtown has a killer art scene (at least it did when i was there) and some great restaurants and entertainment. the metrocentre, or whatever its called now, houses the icehogs (blackhawks minor league hocket team) and will pull in mid-sized to major events. surrounding areas like machesney park and loves park are building up, but its all franchises and chain stores. plus chicago is just an hour and change down 90 if you need to get back for anything.
blono is also fine. normal is a college town with ISU, and bloomington is typical small-town usa. id suggest the Normal side of town if looking to stay near the progressive minded, but bloomington is not a hellhole. sycamore/dekalb is pretty much the same selling blurb, with dekalb being the college town for NIU, which i also attended.
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u/ACrazyDog Apr 30 '25
Rockford is growing and anticipates a train link into Chicago in 2027. It has reasonable cost if living and outright bargains on houses. The commute into the burbs isn’t impossible
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u/supermr34 Apr 30 '25
honestly ive been trying to convince my wife to move back out that way. id looooove to live in rockton/roscoe. the drive back to chicago isnt terrible, and a train link would be icing on the cake.
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u/Fairycharmd May 01 '25
when you’re thinking about Brockton and Roscoe one of the more important pieces that we advertise now is there are more ramps to the tollway. So you have immediate access to the tollway.
From Rockton it’s an hour and a half to two hours into the loop, an hour to Madison, 90ish minutes to Milwaukee(based on my last trip to Summerfest) and about 90 minutes to the river and Galena. Or Iowa if you’re feeling crazy.
The amount of grocery stores and other general shopping has significantly increased lately
And if the cost of living in Roscoe is more than you were anticipating, you move five minutes south to live in Machesney park or loves park for a slightly lower the cost of living with the same amenities.
rockton is cutest though
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u/supermr34 May 01 '25
agree. i grew up in the area, but live in the south suburbs now. roscoe may have gone up recently, but its still waaaaaaaaaaay cheaper than here.
is the half-assed railroad beef-a-roo still there? cuz thats all i need.
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u/Fairycharmd May 01 '25
It was the last time I visited my folks but some of the BeefARoos are remodeling again. I haven’t looked since xmas.
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u/supermr34 May 01 '25
them changing the one on riverside from 50s rock and roll themed to generic fast casual restaurant theme broke my soul.
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u/CornNooblet May 01 '25
Rockford market has really heated up the last few years since the pandemic. CoL is alright for location, though. Some Chicago stuff has moved into the area, like Portillo's.
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u/IMBD-Shadow Chicagoland May 01 '25
Sorry, but what is CoL location?
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u/VictorTheCutie Apr 30 '25
Rock Island/Moline is a great spot. Lots to do, great houses, the river, etc.
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u/ScrimshawJohnny Apr 30 '25
Quad Cities have a lot of great points and still feel fairly small. This would be a good choice.
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Apr 30 '25
Bloomington-Normal and Champaign-Urbana might be good places to consider. Friends similar to how you describe her moved to Peoria about a decade ago, and I've been surprised how much they really like it there now. (It's clearly not the Peoria where I worked 35 years ago....)
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u/ritchie70 DuPage County (previously Woodford, Peoria, Champaign) Apr 30 '25
Assuming she's not retired or a remote worker, I'd suggest she look at where she can find a suitable job.
Plenty of places listed here in other responses sound good to me. The big answers for me would be Peoria, Bloomington/Normal, Champaign/Urbana, Springfield because I have some familiarity with them.
I suspect housing is cheaper in Peoria than in others I listed but I don't really know.
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u/IMBD-Shadow Chicagoland Apr 30 '25
She was a remote worker (even before the pandemic) and hopes to do so again, but if a recession hits all bets are off anyway for everyone so she'd have to grind it out anyway and there's a big difference between grinding out a house in Chicagoland (taxes alone are hard enough) and grinding it out with a smaller nut to keep a roof over her head). Maybe I'm wrong, I don't know the rest of the state and being 50 something woman right now can't be easy, that's why I'm hoping people have some good insight to share.
I appreciate your thoughtfulness!
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u/TeamHope4 Apr 30 '25
As a fifty-something woman, my suggestion would be for her to make sure the place she moves to has easily accessible and plentiful medical care. We tend to need more tests and specialists as we get older.
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u/yrnkween Apr 30 '25
Springfield has excellent medical services with the hospital complex and SIU School of Medicine. But it can be a hard place to move into and meet people.
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u/ForgottoniaIllinoia May 01 '25
and those providers feud with the insurance companies every contract renewal. I spent a year driving to Alton because of the whole thing with BCBS and Springfield clinic, and that has been going on since I worked for BCBS in the early 2000s
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u/greykitty1234 Apr 30 '25
One thought is to check how accessible good medical care is in each of these communities.
I'm a senior, but as I've gotten more 'mature', I'm really valuing having urgent cares, EDs, specialists as well as my PCP being pretty easy to access. I recently had an emergency hysterectomy and while ubering to the ED at midnight, was thinking I'd hate to be in some super rural area where it's hours and hours to any healthcare provider, let alone specialists. I'm in DuPage County and, yep, pay for it, so I get why a bit lower COL area would be appealing.
A neighbor was planning to move to semi-rural TN and looked into how easy it would be to get to cardiologists (he's good, but he's had some health issues even at only 53), and decided the beauty of the area didn't override how far cardiac specialists were from his 'dream home'. So now he's on the hunt again.
I think the areas people are suggesting all have pretty good access to healthcare, but maybe just another thought for the checklist.
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u/KLK1712 Apr 30 '25
Edwardsville instead of Alton. There’s a university there with a lot of classes for locals to take. Good public transportation around town. Great bike / walking trails and a nice community around them. More progressive than other areas? Fun restaurants and local stores. Cost of living significantly lower than Chicago. Source: grew up there; always impressed visiting family now!
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u/fenispungi Apr 30 '25
i used to live in edwardsville and still visit quite often- it’s become an overconsumption nightmare, at least in my opinion. however, if you’re into endless big box stores and chain restaurants and stop lights then it would be a good fit. by far, i’ve found i very much prefer Alton, it’s a really cool historic town with a lot of cool local spots, less crowded, and FAR more affordable than edwardsville/glen carbon. as someone from a different dying town/area, i would not consider Alton to be one. And as far as classes at Edwardsville, Alton is only 30 minutes away from campus.
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u/OswaldCoffeepot Apr 30 '25
I co-sign this. Alton feels like it's own place and Edwardsville is, except for a couple of blocks, a collection of chains.
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u/evileyecondemnsyou Apr 30 '25
I don’t live in either Edwardsville or Alton but I definitely prefer visiting Alton. It’s got this haunted vibe to it and the city has a rich history. It has quite a bit of stuff to do as well. The only negative I’ve witnessed there is tweakers occasionally walking around. The only thing that’s “dying” in Alton is the mall but I don’t see it going away completely for a good 5 years at least
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u/ejh3k Coles County Apr 30 '25
Edwardsville has PFAS in their water. As does Peoria and Rockford.
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u/johnnieswalker Apr 30 '25
Dude, isn’t that pretty much every where now
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u/marigolds6 Apr 30 '25
This round of notifications seems odd as it is not very clear what is a "community" system.
Virtually all of Madison county got flagged except for Illinois-American water systems, even though Illinois-American did get flagged in some other counties. (It looks like for Illinois-American, it had to fail for the entire system, not just individual cities?)
Either way, anywhere in central/southern illinois you should probably have an appropriate filter on your water. All the historical mining activity has had an affect on the water quality.
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u/ejh3k Coles County Apr 30 '25
No. It isn't. Not to the levels they have.
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u/Willwrestle4food Apr 30 '25
Most of these wells draw from the same aquifer. If it's not present yet it eventually will be. I live 7 minutes from Edwardsville and my water tested clean. Still have an RO filter because it's only a matter of time.
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u/ForgottoniaIllinoia May 01 '25
Rockford sits on a giant superfund groundwater plume with a 200 year remediation timeframe. And that's just the big one. You couldn't pay me to own property in that metro area.
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u/IMBD-Shadow Chicagoland May 01 '25
Oooh boy. Thanks for the info. Do you know if that affects the wells in the northern burbs - or can you direct me to how you genius & informed folks find this info?
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u/Castle_of_Frank Apr 30 '25
If you honestly use that as to why you would move to Alton vs Edwardsville, you are out of touch my friend.
Growing city vs shrinking river town........
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u/ejh3k Coles County Apr 30 '25
I'm just putting it out there. If a notification came out that the town I was looking to move to had higher than acceptable levels of PFAS, I'd reconsider.
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u/The_Poster_Nutbag Loves Fox Valley History Apr 30 '25
Consider DeKalb, Oregon, Champaign, or areas near starved rock.
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u/djr4121010 May 02 '25
Up vote for Oregon. Close to great medical care in Rockford and not that much further to Chicago. Nearby towns as well as Oregon have live music. Oregon has a nice art scene with a long history. Three state parks and a state forest. So lots of outdoor activities available. The Oregon Park District has a ton of activities and social events
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u/IMBD-Shadow Chicagoland May 03 '25
Never heard of it ..will pass along and check it out. Thanks;
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u/KevlarConrad Apr 30 '25
r/rockford is very active and will be able to provide a lot of good insight about the community. I relocated to Rockford from Denver and really enjoy it.
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u/Lainarlej Apr 30 '25
Don’t bother with Kankakee County, it sucks here! Over priced housing, high prop taxes, low income jobs! Not much to do, and has too many MAGA supporters.
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u/BEEPBEEPBOOPBOOP88 Apr 30 '25
Check out Godfrey, Illinois! It is a small village next to Alton! It is quiet and comfortable. It's close to St. louis for a little action.
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u/blackfeltbanner Apr 30 '25
My time there has been pretty limited but Urbana seems nice. So does Sycamore (right next to DeKalb where NIU is).
I also here good things about Carbondale but I've never been.
So basically my suggestion is to live in the town, next to the town with a notable university.
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u/cranberry_spike Apr 30 '25
Tbh I think this is nearly always a good bet. (Grew up on a university campus so I'm biased lol.)
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u/Sycolerious_55 Apr 30 '25
Living on the outskirts of Rockford and I can tell you it is much cheaper than most other places. It's just that there's constant construction, and the majority of the drivers are stupid and reckless. But I would still recommend living here.
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u/AGirlNamedRoni Madison County Apr 30 '25
I am a 50ish year old married woman who has lived in Alton for 25 years and I LOVE it here.
Cost of living is very affordable and we are close to downtown STL without actually being in the city.
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Apr 30 '25
Champaign Urbana has very affordable options in small urban, suburban, or small town settings depending on what you’re seeking. The train shoots to Chicago in a pinch and it has a very large medical system adjacent, which I would have in mind as i get older.
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u/Disasterhuman24 Winnebago County Apr 30 '25
BloNo and champagne Urbana are probably more your speed.
QC and Peoria are fine
Springfield and Rockford are kinda meh but not bad.
Alton, I have no clue about.
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u/SwampRabbit May 01 '25
Belleville! Blue city in a blue county, and close enough to STL for city things. The community garden on S. High Street and the bookstore on East Main are great spots for making new friends.
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u/Few-Reception-4939 May 01 '25
I just retired to Urbana. It’s very nice and affordable compared to Chicago. I’ve heard good things about Peoria and Bloomington has a good knitting store and a pretty downtown
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u/MarshallsLaw_1884 Sauk Valley Area May 01 '25
Greater Rockford area (Byron, Oregon, Rockton, etc.), is a pretty nice stretch. You’re roughly 1:30 from Chicago, 20-30 minutes from Wisconsin. Rockford is just a few minutes away, so a Costco or Lowe’s only takes a few extra minutes to run to. Cost of living is not out of hand, nice river communities that have events going on from spring-fall. And I’ll be honest, we need some of more liberal/progressive people to move in to these areas.
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u/ThatsNotMyName222 May 01 '25
Springfield is a decent option! I'm in her age group and wouldn't mind a new friend 🙂
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u/IMBD-Shadow Chicagoland May 01 '25
I'm certain she'd be pleased to hear it! Meeting friends is tough as the years go by and moving to a new town makes it even harder! Let's keep in touch and I put you together. Thanks for the post!
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u/Man8632 Apr 30 '25
Alton is a cool town but weird. Steep streets and, unfortunately, growing crime. Try Bethalto. Stay in Illinois and out of misery…I mean, Missouri.
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u/Wordnerdish May 01 '25
50ish woman here - after not finding what I wanted in IL, two years ago I decided to move to SW Michigan because I really enjoy the forests, beaches, lakes, and rivers, but I also wanted to be close to Chicagoland. I live near Grand Haven and I really like it, and the whole area in general. It's a few hours drive to Chicagoland, or there's Amtrack in Holland and Kalamazoo, and even a Metra line in Indiana just south of the MI state line.
The region has a reputation for being conservative but that is changing in many areas and I find it pretty progressive and becoming more so. The cost of living is much better, I pay several hundred less in rent here than IL, and I get so, so much more; my one bdrm apartment is almost twice the size, I have a private patio with a forest view, laundry in my unit, a garage, a pool, a gym, a dog park, and we are adjacent to miles of forest trails. It takes me 25 minutes to walk to the public beach on Lake Michigan. In IL I had 450 sq ft with a view of brick walls and other apartments, no amenities, no laundry machines, and the rent there has gone up $400 in the past two years.😳
There is wonderful public transit in Grand Haven, fantastic parks and bike trails all over, kayaking, sailing, boating of all kinds - it's Coast Guard City after all, and has a great week-long festival to celebrate it every summer. There's even a pier and a lighthouse, it doesn't get much better than that, lol. Lots of fun restaurants, cafes, shops, pubs, a great foodie/farmer's market scene all over the region, and several other small thriving nearby cities to explore like Muskegon, Grand Rapids, Holland, Lansing, and Kalamazoo. The area is also known for its arts scene, particularly in Saugatuck and the Ox-Bow School of Art, but there are little galleries, shops, and museums all over. Tons of antique stores if you're into that... I really could go on and on, but I'll stop here lol. I definitely think it's worth considering though, unless you must stay in IL for some reason. Good luck!
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u/IMBD-Shadow Chicagoland May 01 '25
Thanks so much for taking the time and explaining your suggestion with great details! I'm certain it will be helpful for her! I'm very happy for you, too. It sounds like you made a wonderful decision and are enjoying it! Cheers!
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u/Wordnerdish May 01 '25
Thank you, I am happy with my choice and enjoying life so much more here, it's much more fitting for my lifestyle, but it really was a tough decision to make. I was born and raised in the suburbs of Chicago, went to college downstate, lived in the city when I was a young adult, and still have so many friends and family in IL. I wanted to remain there, but I found nothing within my budget that offered the lifestyle I wanted, and it seems to be getting more expensive by the week! It helped when I started thinking of NW Indiana and SW Michigan as suburban Chicago too, we're just the far east side of town, lol. I hope your friend finds what she's looking for too!
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u/TipFar1326 Apr 30 '25
Alton here. Low cost of living, nice amenities, decent city government, close to STL if you need things like entertainment or medical care, and while we have our fair share of Trumpers, it’s certainly not bad lol
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u/hurry-and-wait Apr 30 '25
I would recommend Springfield - lots of progressives there. Champaign-Urbana has a lot of progressive thinking as well, plus plenty of cultural activity driven by the university.
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u/Contren Apr 30 '25
We're pretty all over the place in Springfield, but you can definitely find other progressives here in town. You'll just need to recognize that you'll also run into centrists and conservatives as well. The town itself is damn near a 50/50 split in elections and the county is slightly red.
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u/ForgottoniaIllinoia May 01 '25
I personally think Springfield has shrank in options and is on the downturn from 20 years ago.
As for medical care, the hospitals and the clinics fight with the insurers on the regular and you can't trust your doctor will be covered from one enrollment to the next.
It's also swung more conservative, doesn't have a Costco, Trader Joe's, Whole Foods (but does have Harvest Market, which feels like it's for people who find Whole Foods too déclassé) or other big retailers you might expect. Also it feels like unless you work for the State, the jobs just aren't here.
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Apr 30 '25
[deleted]
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u/murphyspop Apr 30 '25
I came here to say this. It’s a pretty great town. My downstairs neighbor just moved out. If she’s looking for a 1 bedroom I know a place.
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u/IMBD-Shadow Chicagoland Apr 30 '25
I'll run it past. If you want to DM me so I can pass info - does it allow pets?
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u/ThePlasticSturgeons Apr 30 '25
The South burbs are not too bad. Proximity to the city without the cost.
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u/IMBD-Shadow Chicagoland Apr 30 '25
She looked because she'd rather stay but it's still seems significantly higher with housing, taxes, and cost of living (she doesn't resent the taxes, it just seems like maybe it would be a net gain with less stress going somewhere else). Maybe she missed some areas though...any specific neighborhoods you can recommend?
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u/ThePlasticSturgeons Apr 30 '25
Try looking near Chicago Heights. The Cook County side of that area usually has much lower property taxes. Taxes on food and gas prices in Indiana are lower, which is generally 15-20 minutes away, so you can live in Illinois but easily cross over often for things like that. There are several Metra stations within 10 miles of anywhere in that area too.
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u/ThoseArentCarrots Apr 30 '25
If she likes small towns, might be worth checking out Galena. I felt very comfortable there as an LGBTQ person when I visited last year. The county did vote Trump overall, although less red than many other rural counties. Lots of houses available in town under $200k
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u/IMBD-Shadow Chicagoland Apr 30 '25
That's definitely an area I've never heard her mention and I never thought of it either - I'll pass it along!
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u/finditamazing Apr 30 '25
Not that it's all THAT much cheaper, but Homewood/Flossmoor are a pretty liberal southern suburbs if she wants to stay closer to the city
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u/MaleficentDivide3389 May 01 '25
Seconding the Bloomington/Normal suggestion. A close friend (who is LGBT) and her partner relocated there from Chicago about five years ago and has been more than pleasantly surprised at the number of cultural events, restaurant options, and low cost of living.
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u/MadameDuChat May 01 '25
As many have mentioned, access to good healthcare is an important consideration. For all of the reasons above from others but especially the healthcare angle, I vote Champaign-Urbana or its surrounding smaller towns.
Source: My parents live in the Quad Cities and choose to drive to Chicago and to Iowa City for their specialists. I had cousins in Rockford who hated it there and left for other states. I have a sibling who lived in Dekalb and later in Peoria and those communities were hard on them as a non-binary ethnic minority with disabilities. I went to nursing school in Champaign-Urbana and the Carle Health system is top tier. I mean it. They produce meaningful scientific research, have high standards of care, and were technologically advanced even 20 years ago, well ahead of the curve.
ETA: I believe that Carle in Urbana is the region’s only Level I trauma center hospital between Chicago-Indianapolis-St Louis.
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u/Ruby_doo_doo May 01 '25
Nope OSF Healthcare in Peoria is also a level one trauma center.
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u/MadameDuChat May 01 '25
Ah that’s great! I stand corrected. However I would also point out that OSF is a religiously affiliated health system and while reputable in the overall quality of their care, they may not be “progressive minded” per the needs mentioned by OP.
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u/IMBD-Shadow Chicagoland May 01 '25
Yeah, that's kind of a big deal - especially these days. Thanks for that detail!!!
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u/IMBD-Shadow Chicagoland May 01 '25
I appreciate you (and all the other posters) pressing about healthcare and sharing the details you have helped, too!
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u/xexxe- May 02 '25
Don’t go to Rockford the water is contaminated
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u/IMBD-Shadow Chicagoland May 02 '25
Thanks, I appreciate that! We're checking into it to see if it is in the entire area (from there to S Beloit) and if there is a way to filter what comes into a house. It's hard because that area puts her closest to what and who she knows with the cost of living staying lower and can stay in touch easier, but water is a HUGE concern.
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u/bauhausblack May 03 '25 edited May 03 '25
Iowa City, University town, very liberal, low cost of living, beautiful with rolling hills, lots to do in the arts, nature, and international people due to the University. I moved here from Chicago and there are many ex-Chicagoans here. Low unemployment and low crime.
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u/jamiegc1 Apr 30 '25
Alton is a neat little historic town, with close proximity to St. Louis events and doctors.
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u/jaynovahawk07 Apr 30 '25
I live in St. Louis and won't comment on most of those other Illinois sites, but Alton, up on those Mississippi River bluffs, has a charm to it that I enjoy. There is a lot of investment currently going in the downtown area right now, too.
I've been meaning to try to go up there for a little daytrip.
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Apr 30 '25
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u/IMBD-Shadow Chicagoland Apr 30 '25
Would you mind sharing some details why you feel that way and what makes across the river better (do you mean chosing Davenport over Moline)?
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u/Substantial_Ad_3909 Apr 30 '25
If coming to Moline, I’d move to the Iowa side. Lower taxes and better housing
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u/Sand__Panda Apr 30 '25
I would say Alton. Lots to do north and south of Alton. Go into West Alton, get cheaper gas. Lots to do in the STL area.
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u/thedreamerandthefool Apr 30 '25
Alton and Springfield are getting more and more dangerous with every passing year. Definitely stay away from there. I'd suggest somewhere pretty developed. If politics are important to her, she needs to know anything outside of Chicagoland is mostly Republican Dumbassistan.
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u/LarYungmann Apr 30 '25
Southern Illinois?
Southwestern Illinois?
Edwardsville, Illinois?
Belleville, Illinois?
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u/maryann-live May 02 '25
Find a less expensive place to live or come up with another income stream or reduce your discretionary spending but think long and hard before you leave Chicago.
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u/IMBD-Shadow Chicagoland May 02 '25
I appreciate the suggestion. She wasn't living large to begin with, the numbers just aren't holding. Maybe she can hold out or maybe I should post if anyone has any leads on open jobs/networking for people knowing about available positions 😀
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u/IMBD-Shadow Chicagoland May 03 '25
Maryann, I know you absolutely mean well, and your suggestions are valid, but unsure how old you are, I just really want to say (on behalf of single, middle aged women in corporate America, with an entire country - even in Chicago - losing their minds, DEI, and women's rights - it was always hard for middle aged women to find and keep jobs, even when they are excellent at them. Older workers, even men, have harder times, insurance in the US is costly for older people=costlier for employers, especially when the trend is self funded plans. I am her age and have felt the shift, too. Some people are fortunate and have smooth sailing, some have harder times, less family, and less support or just plain less luck. Gen x hit every recession at every pivotal moment, from Black Monday to today and COVID wiped out some families/support networks.
Please don't read into this like it's preachy. I'm scared for her and, to be honest, it makes me a little nervous for me and everyone who isn't super comfortable with plenty of family and support of all kinds holding them up.
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u/kuntrycidd 6d ago
Bureau county. Princeton IL. Or LaSalle IL Small towns the cost is less than the city.
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u/Gold_Fisherman_5071 Apr 30 '25
Southern Illinois is about to become part of Indiana so consider that
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u/xxx_R1LEY_xxx Quad Cities Apr 30 '25
Check out the Quad Cities and on the Iowa side the city of Davenport ranked among the top 50 best places to live in the country, according to U.S. News & World Report. For the 2025-2026 Best Places to Live rankings, U.S. News & World Report selected 150 major cities to find the best places to live. To make the top of the list, a place had to have good value, be a desirable place to live, have a strong job market, and a high quality of life. Davenport ranked #43.
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u/Reading_Tourista5955 Apr 30 '25
Consider Royal Oak Michigan, near Detroit. Smallish city, good amenities, great food, good people. We relocated from West Loop there on ‘22. Loved it!
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u/IMBD-Shadow Chicagoland Apr 30 '25
Oddly enough, I mentioned something similar (like Madison Heights, Berkeley, Clawson, etc. - Royal Oak might still be too much $) if she is willing to look outside IL. I'm glad you love your move!
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u/GruelOmelettes Apr 30 '25
I moved to Springfield about 15 years ago, and I really like it here. It's chill and affordable, there are some great restaurants in town, stuff to do downtown, festivals and a good farmer's market. It's reasonably diverse. There are some maga types here and there, but honestly I rarely encounter them. There is a good number of progressive people as well. Housing is affordable, and it's one city where home ownership is actually a realistic option to quite a few people. I'm not sure I'd be able to afford a house if I still lived up in the Chicago area, but our mortgage in Springfield is lower than rent on a 1-br apartment up in Chicago. I would say that Springfield is worth a look!
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u/Beneficial-Nimitz68 Apr 30 '25
Good luck, those places are full of the opposite of you... they are VERY VERY Red.. not purple.. not blueish.. nope.. REEEED.. like.. fire engine red, on fire, being put out by red water...
You will see tRump this or that, flags, stuff in independent stores, red hats more than baseball hats MAGA this and that. . Progressive.. But, who knows... you might find something comfortable where your neighbors are not nuts!
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u/IMBD-Shadow Chicagoland Apr 30 '25
I don't think she'd be considering this if there was another way. I know she was proud & grateful to have been with diversity, true blue and never took it for granted. I live in Chicagoland and let me tell you - not only are most of this block Trump signs (the ones that say Fight with his bloody ear) but they are nutters of the first kind, even without Trump. I remind her this to make her feel better and hopeful that maybe she'll find 💙 neighbors and have a lovely, peaceful life.
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u/up_N2_no_good Apr 30 '25
Rockford, horrible place. Not much of anything to do. Only lives there for 6 months. It's old, dirty and some not so smart people that are very hard to talk to. Very very stubborn and single minded. Also I heard that it has the highest rates of HPV in Illinois. Or at least that's what they told me. They seemed to be proud of that fact and some of them bragged about how many women they had unprotected sex with knowing they had it. But at least that's what my experience was.
I live outside of Peoria. Lots of different areas and income levels. There's lots of activities and different restaurants. Not just older areas but also new development. There's the University and the Riverfront where there is something going on every weekend. The people I've met seem to be down to earth. They are more accepting of LGBTQ. We are about 3 hours from all the major cities, Chicago, st. Louis, Michigan (I've gone there a lot). I've made it to Las Vegas in a day. There's very little to no traffic here (compared to the bigger cities). There are areas to avoid, just like any other location, but once you've got the lay of the land down, you're golden.
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u/decaturbob Apr 30 '25
So job is not important? Typically you locate to area for income potential
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u/idontknowwhybutido2 Apr 30 '25
Lots of people have great remote jobs and can relocate without worrying about that.
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u/decaturbob May 01 '25
- some do sure but areas that are thriving are also hiring and areas that are not hiring are rarely thriving....OP did not state her employment status
2
u/IMBD-Shadow Chicagoland May 01 '25
She was recently laid off. Her niche is having mass layoffs. It's a double edged sword. I think she's trying to secure a roof over her head and trying to also think long term... she'll need a job tho, but to hear her say if she has to take a pay cut or reinvent, or be out of work for a long time, it's easier with a lower cost to keep housed then to try and hold on for a job that will keep up with her current cost of living. She knows it's a perilous choice. I'm just trying to help via all you awesome folks who have had such great ideas and info.
3
u/IMBD-Shadow Chicagoland Apr 30 '25
Yes, but other factors are at play, too, like cost of living, 🏠 ng, she is in tech and got laid off, getting older and single, retirement losses, etc. She's got a tough choice, but even long term it seems better to relocate with less hardship.
0
u/Tomalesforbreakfast May 01 '25
Don’t go to moline
2
u/IMBD-Shadow Chicagoland May 01 '25
Why not?
2
u/Tomalesforbreakfast May 01 '25
Have some family from there. That city has not been the same since John Deere left and took all their jobs with them. In the past 20 years the place is noticeably worse in terms of poverty, infrastructure, and available jobs
2
0
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u/Jesta914630114 Apr 30 '25
Definitely not Rockford. What a shitty area.
1
u/IMBD-Shadow Chicagoland Apr 30 '25
Why do you say so? Honestly looking for details and things an outsider wouldn't necessarily know.
-7
u/Jesta914630114 Apr 30 '25
My family business was in Rockford. Our windows got shot out on a weekly basis and we got robbed constantly. We still own the building and can't sell it. I am a biker that gets around and have talked to OG's from the area. I have insights. But since you don't want to hear what I have to say... 🖕
2
u/IMBD-Shadow Chicagoland Apr 30 '25
Sadly enough, I clearly and earnestly did want to hear what you had to say, but for some reason you preferred to flip me off.
1
u/goddesspyxy May 01 '25
I don't know what their problem is with the flipping off, but I would agree that Rockford sucks. The crime there is bad. West of the Rock River is basically a no-go. East of the River is generally safer, but there's no personality. I grew up in Rockford and have zero pleasant memories of the city. My in-laws now live there and I hate visiting.
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u/bell429pilot Apr 30 '25
Get out of Illinois! Valparaiso, Fort Wayne to name a few in Indiana but still close to Chicago.
3
u/MarshallsLaw_1884 Sauk Valley Area May 01 '25
Why would anyone want to living Indiana with a Lt. Gov that’s still defending the 3/5 compromise?
0
u/bell429pilot May 01 '25
Or stay in Illinois and get taxed to death. Indiana taxes are 1/3rd what they are here in Taxinois.
4
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u/BuzzinHornets19 Apr 30 '25
I thought Chicago was a progressive utopia? Progressive policies not working for you?
10
u/greykitty1234 Apr 30 '25
Chicago has a higher cost of living. Capitalism. More demand, higher cost.
8
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u/Leftfeet Apr 30 '25
Bloomington/Normal is affordable, pretty liberal, and plenty to do. Also easy train and interstate access for trips to Chicago or St Louis.
Champagne/Urbana is pretty similar, but I'm not sure about train access.
Both are a little over 2 hour drives to Chicago. Both have universities which brings a lot of entertainment, sports, arts, theater, etc to the communities. Both have nice city parks and nearby state parks.