Decatur Illinois / Peoria Illinois

[STLgasm]

A blast from the past. I went to Bradley University in Peoria (blah), and I've only been through once since I graduated. I can't say I miss it, but I think I'd appreciate it a little more now. Not exactly a happening place, especially considering it's home to a major university.

[Chicago103]

Originally Posted by the urban politician

^ Looking back at my comment from 2 years ago, there is something I said and noted that all of you are missing. I said,

"What's up with the torn up rebel flag?"

I find it noteworthy that the rebel flag is torn up and the American one is in perfect condition. Before we all go around condemning Decatur for its rednecks, it would be interesting to look into that and determine if that is intentional or not. It could simply represent that person's pride in the union defeating the south a long time ago. Who knows?

One can only hope that is the reason it is torn up. I also don't see the average resident of Decatur as redneck at least not when I was there. Most of the people living in suburban and in-town neighborhoods where just your typical moderate midwesterners and included many union members and they usually spoke with generic midwestern accents.

Now the people who lived in the outlying towns sometimes had a bit of a drawl but I never noticed any huge right wing bent even with them. Granted this was the 1990's and either people were less polarized then or perhaps I was just sheltered. I always thought of it as a very boring place where my dislike of sprawl was born but I have no ill feelings towards the normal people who live there. It would be a tragedy if it has now tilted more towards the right and the rednecks have become more assertive as I have heard from some former classmates, I hope they are wrong. The odd thing is I remember in 1988 when I was in second grade Catholic school our teacher talked about the presidential election and polled the students who they are supporting, meaning who their parents supported (would never happen today, evidence to me the nation was less polarized then) and a majority supported Dukakis (which is how Macon County went) and my parents the Chicago transplants both voted for Bush, to think my family was arguably to the right of people in Decatur in 1988. In 2012 Macon County went for Romney by a narrow margin.

I fear that today the rednecks would yell at my family "liberal Chicago trash go home, this is MURICA!" Hyperbole yes but there is some evidence to back it up, Decatur has now become a hotbed for people who want to kick Chicago out of Illinois, at least that is what the two state representatives from the area proposed. Most of my former classmates that are college educated have left the area, some moved to Chicago. I also think a number of the Democratic leaning union people have moved out to find jobs elsewhere. It is a quintessential rust belt small city and all these factors could be the reason that a segment of the population has found solace in the right wing reactionary politics of late.

[Cashville]

Peoria always felt like a mini-Cincinnati for me when approaching it from I-72/74 (cant ever remember which one it is) and when you actually get to downtown the buildings seem so tiny, almost like they are made out of legos, kinda cute really.

Decatur on the other hand you could smell from 30 mile away.

[Centropolis]

Originally Posted by Cashville

Peoria always felt like a mini-Cincinnati for me when approaching it from I-72/74 (cant ever remember which one it is) and when you actually get to downtown the buildings seem so tiny, almost like they are made out of legos, kinda cute really.

Yep, the way the expressway carves through the bluffs down to a downtown along the river. I've thought the same thing. There's an approach to Kansas City that is somewhat reminiscent, too.

[Wheelingman04]

Peoria's skyline has always impressed me. I have never been to Decatur and truthfully don't know much about it because I always stayed in the Chicago area and lived there for a short time. I have stayed in downstate Collinsville near St. Louis and I have been to effingham,Il and Vandalia along I-70.

[PEORIA]

Here's one of the latest photos (see below) of MY hometown skyline by a local professional photographer. Sorry about it's giant size.



Change happens very slowly in Peoria. But, when IT happens, it's dramatic. Which is, often, the case in small cities outside major population centers. Several downtown and neighboring development projects are in varying states of construction and planning.

[libtard]

Great thread

Theres an attention to detail in American cities you just don't see up in Canada

[Chicago103]

Originally Posted by libtard

Great thread

Theres an attention to detail in American cities you just don't see up in Canada

Explain what you mean by that.

[DeBaliviere]

Originally Posted by STLgasm

A blast from the past. I went to Bradley University in Peoria (blah), and I've only been through once since I graduated. I can't say I miss it, but I think I'd appreciate it a little more now. Not exactly a happening place, especially considering it's home to a major university.

I remember checking out Bradley when I was in high school and thinking the campus was really nice, but the neighborhood around it was a little sketchy, IIRC. Peoria's a cool city overall though.