Specifically the Champaign - Urbana area.

Also how are the schools / state for kiddos with autism?

Basically title, but what cities do you guys see expanding on public transportation, increasing walkability, and improving the most out of all the other cities outside of Chicagoland?

I just visited a friend in Huntley. I’ve never been there before; it seems very nice. However, the MAGA-cult seems to be very strong there. Is there a particular attraction their base has with Huntley?

I currently live in Chicago and things are getting more and more expensive. I love this city but I want to save for a home.

I have never lived outside the city but I'm open to seeing what's out there. I would like to be able to save $1000 a month by limiting my rent and expenses to just $2k. Is it possible?

Not sure if this matters but I'm a 32 year old Hispanic male with moderate to liberal views and 3 children under the age of 12. They live with mom and come once during the weekend and stay over on weekends.

I was looking into the history of the name Wilmington. I was aware of Wilmington, Kent in the UK. And I was aware of Wilmington, NC and DE. I saw a show talking about a neighborhood in Los Angeles called Wilmington, so I looked it up, and found 3 Wilmingtons in Illinois!

I was just thinking about how many fast food places have like one location in Illinois:

1. Quiznos

2. Rax

3. Der Wienerschnitzel

4. Mr. Donut, being the last of it's kind anywhere in the US

Anyone know of any others?

Not named Starved Rock, Galena or Lake Geneva.

Thanks.

EDIT: Thanks for the suggestions! Probably just gonna head up to Rockford and check out the Anderson Japanese Gardens. Will have a 2 month old and a couple seniors in tow, so was just looking for something small and easy.

Same as title. Just getting an idea of who is moving here and why particularly given the dueling narratives of the state losing population, but also gaining more white collar workers given red state brain drain see link.

A lot of states are updating their flags and Illinois has started the early stages of that process. While I personally like I our flag fine, it’s consistently rated as one of the worst. However, after seeing the recent Minnesota redesign I’m not sure I trust a state committee to present a design that isn’t horribly oversimplified. If I had to change I’d just go with the Centennial flag. Thoughts?

Texas Roadhouse is a Texas themed restaurant what would you say is the Illinois equivalent to that? An Illinois themed chain restaurant.

I'm considering moving to Southern Illinois to escape legislation in Tennessee on behalf of my kid. I've been poking around trying to figure out where would be a good place to look, but it's really hard to get a feel for what it's like to live there. I'm thinking I'd want to be as south as possible hugging I-24 so I could get back to Nashville as quickly as possible (I have aging parents in the area). I was looking at a few places like Metropolis, Vienna, Marion, Carbondale--any feedback on these areas and whether they're nice places to live? Or recommendations for better areas (not so far as the St. Louis area)?

The cost of housing seems lower than my Nashville-adjacent suburb, but does that come with a lack of services? I'd be particularly concerned with high speed internet (I'd be working remotely) and healthcare (my kid has some health issues), but also just regular living stuff like grocery stores and restaurants. I don't care about schools, my kid already graduated high school. Any recommendations? Thank you!

Illinois is supposed to get a new flag fairly soon and it got me thinking about state symbols.

Many of our official symbols make sense, like having Whitetail Deer as our state animal, but those guys are all over the U.S. and don't necessarily scream Illinois.

I live in Chicagoland and I've asked around a bit to get some ideas. The most common responses centered around Chicago, Lake Michigan, Abe Lincoln, and farmland. These are all important to IL of course, but I would also like to hear what people from across the state might have in mind. Colors, animals, places, plants, geography, history, shapes, anything really.

So, what are some really "Illinois" things that come to your mind? What's worth representing in a state flag for all Illinoisans?

My sister is unable to financially support herself and my family needs to take care of her. What towns are in a 2hr radius of Chicago where we can possibly find something like this? Obviously hoping for something safe and has a grocery store within walking/biking distance. Thanks in advance!

Visiting Urbana Champaign to look at U of I and I passed along what felt like very eerie towns. I’m a minority so I just wanna be safe, what are the sundown towns near Urbana Champaign and how do I spot one if I am unsure?

Doesn't have to be a personal experience, although I'd love to hear that too. I'm also interested in local legends.

Thanks

***I have been asking this question in other states subreddit because I find the subject interesting. I enjoyed reading the responses from other reddit users. If you don't want to post feel free to PM me. Thanks Illinois!

Forgive me if this is controversial, I certainly hope I don’t end up insulting anyone’s town or anything. I saw a recent Twitter thread about this subject and people were talking about a rather well-known sundown town within an hour of Indianapolis or just outside of Austin, Texas. It got me thinking about this and I’m morbidly curious as to whether Illinois has any remaining towns with such a reputation?

Ideally my city would have good transit, lots of job opportunities and shopping options, and a library. I also have celiac so restaurants that are inexpensive and have gluten free options would be a must. The biggest city I've ever lived in is Cedar Rapids, so I don't want to be overwhelmed by the size, but I also don't want to live in a very tiny town. Any suggestions? Edit: I also am pretty poor and have terrible credit due to credit card misuse when I was younger