Illinois is Exciting!

Hello y'all -

Results of a great little study were released this past week:
MOST EXCITING PLACES IN ILLINOIS


Read all about it here:

They used this set of criteria:
  • Nightlife per capita (bars, clubs, comedy, etc.)
  • Live music venues per capita
  • Active life options per capita (parks, outdoor activities, etc.)
  • Fast Food restaurants per capita (the fewer the better)
  • Percentage of restaurants that are not fast food (the higher the better)
  • Percentage of young residents ages 18 to 34 (the higher the better)

Here's some of my observations, impressions, and opinions:

- Decatur is #34!!  Really??  Really!!  That's higher than Alton, Normal, and Naperville!  GO US!!

- where are the young adults concentrated?  the top 5 in the 18-34 category: Carbondale, North Chicago, Urbana, Dekalb, Normal (the university towns... duh)

- more interesting.... where are the young adults NOT located?  the bottom 5:  Glenview, Huntley, Highland Park, Northbrook, Wilmette  (lots of canes, walkers, and wheelchairs in these places)

- East St. Louis, with its terrible reputation, ranked #1 in the 2 food categories; ESTL was #63 overall

- Rock Island (1 of the quartet of Quad-Cities) was the only non-Chicagoland, non-university town to crack the top 10

- Charleston, Mattoon, Paris, Effingham:  were not ranked, because of populations under 10,000

- Springfield ranked #17, killed by its fast-food score  (plus worthless politicians just aren't real exciting)

- 2 Mississippi River towns that I really, REALLY enjoy visiting are in the upper half of the list:  Quincy at #15 and Alton at #39

- We have good friends in Orland Park; we love visiting them and we think O.P. is a great place, but it only ranked #82, pulled downward by its young adult and fast food scores

Such interesting stats;  stuff that I could pour over and study for an extended period.

Illinois is exciting!

Out for now.....

Matt

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