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NWR-Possibly moving to Normal

wittykitty14wittykitty14 member
First Comment 5 Love Its Name Dropper
in Illinois
Hi everyone,

I was hoping you could help me out. I was accepted to a graduate program at Illinois State, and I'm having a hard time deciding if I want to go there or my other top choice. If I go, FI (by then H) and I would be moving in August.

So, I guess I was wondering if you could give your thoughts on what it's like to live in the Bloomington-Normal area. What's the cost of living like there? I've looked it up, but just reading numbers makes it harder to put in perspective! How about employment? I'm worried about my FI being able to find a job. He's not afraid to take whatever he needs to. Any insight on that? Anything else (good or bad) that you'd like to tell me about it? I can google search all I want, but sometimes it's just nice to hear what actual people have to say!

Thanks so much!
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Re: NWR-Possibly moving to Normal

  • AllieS421AllieS421 member
    First Anniversary First Comment
    edited April 2013
    Hi! I am getting married in BloomingtonNormal in June and lived there for 4 years while going to ISU for my undergrad. My FI grew up in Bloomington, so we go back frequently and I hope to move back there eventually as we currently live in Peoria. I'm originally from the Chicago suburbs and found BloomingtonNormal pretty comparable to where I grew up. It is a little less busy but not boring; you have all of your major stores and plenty of things to do. With companies like State Farm, Country, and Illinois State and Wesleyan Universities, the community is bustling and safe. From what I know, BloomingtonNormal's employment rate is pretty much like the rest of the state it depends what field you are in. I'm a teacher and know many of the school districts are not hiring, and State Farm is in a bit of a hiring freeze too at the moment. But, there are plenty of other businesses. Plus, Peoria is another huge city in the area and is only 45 minutes or so away, which is like a typical commute in the suburbs. For what it's worth, I loved going to ISU and plan on going back in a few years for grad school. The campus is beautiful and I loved my experience. I also loved the town that I called home for 4 years, so I say go for it! Good luck!
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  • AllieS421AllieS421 member
    First Anniversary First Comment
    Also, sorry for the lack of paragraphing and missing dashes. I'm posting from my phone and the formatting, or lack thereof, makes me crazy.
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  • wittykitty14wittykitty14 member
    First Comment 5 Love Its Name Dropper
    Thanks for replying!  Sorry I didn't check back here sooner!  It's official-I'm going to ISU!  I'm thrilled to move to Illinois and start classes!  Glad to hear you've enjoyed the area and the school!
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  • rcw61214rcw61214 member
    First Comment
    Welcome to the Illinois State family! I recently graduated from ISU in May. Spending my last four years in Bloomington-Normal has not been bad at all. There are many resources and the community is a great one to live in. I actually think you will find a bigger bang for your buck in that area! Let me know if you have any other questions -- I also know of a few cool places for venues if you were still looking. 
    ~August 1, 2014~
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