An overall good place to live and work - 1/16/2022

While not a perfect town by any stretch of the imagination, I have lived in Normal my entire life and I have to say that there are FAR worse places one could live. The schools are overall good from K-12 to higher education. The Bloomington-Normal community has State Farm, Country Financial, Illinois State University, Illinois Wesleyan University, Carle Bromenn, OSF, and Rivian as its major employers to name a few. The Uptown Normal area is also nice with retail, restaurants, and nightlife. The Constitution Trail spans for multiple miles and areas. Lots to do and explore from agriculture, industry, and education.

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Quality of University - 10/12/2009

I would like to know more about the quality of education at Illinois State University

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Great place to raise a family - 5/18/2009

With relatively low crime, good schools and excellent access to higher education, Normal is a great place to raise a family. The city is trying to update its city center with the Uptown Normal revitalization project. Positives are having Illinois State University cultural and sports events to attend. Negatives are crumbling streets and slow progress on some projects.

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Normal - Pros/Cons - 2/10/2008

Pros: 1. Low crime rate 2. Excellent school system 3. Affordable place to live 4. An overall good place to live and raise a family Cons: 1. High housing costs 2. Not much to do

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Nice place to live. - 1/26/2008

We have lived in Normal, IL for 6 months after living all over the US and in several places in IL. It is not the most exciting town on earth but the living is easy. Costs are reasonable and an average person can still afford a nice place to live. People are pleasant and crime is low. I feel very safe here. Traffic is good even during "rush hour". The town has all the restaurants, shopping and services you need. If you want something special (fine dining, museums, pro sports) Chicago is only a couple hours away. There is a cultural life here with two universities and various clubs. Residents have access to three libraries, Normal, Bloomington and the U of I. In the summer there is a decent Farmer's Market in Bloomington. There are also several gyms, an ice rink and sports clubs. My only major criticism is the landscape is boring outside of town with cornfields all the way to Chicago. But there are a few little enclaves of nature for the die-hard enthusiast. The town also has a well used walking/biking trail. Normal is very family oriented. I like it here much more than I thought I would.

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