Urbana, Illinois SperlingViews

I have lived in Urbana for 6 years now and it is great place to live if you want to reduce your auto dependence. The neighborhoods are well connected to local grocery stores, schools, jobs, and the transit system is fabulous.

The schools have been great for my children. The schools are diverse, which presents its own challenges, but the curriculum offerings are great with lots of AP classes and great teachers.

Urbana-Champaign was ranked on of the top ten places in the USA you can live a green lifestyle. Urbana is the green jewel. There is an excellent farmer's market, locally grown organic food, clean air, excellent water, and biking and walking to work are easy in most of the town.

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single source - 1/27/2009

Greetings: Urbana is a good college town to live but it comes with the usual dependency on the university for most of its cultural entertainment. Thankfully, it has a good channel for decent options. The city itself takes care of its parks although the recent controversy, early 2009, is in the closing of the city's only outdoor pool b/c the leadership thought the price for repairing it was too high. (The setting is a wonderful park and yet private). The indoor facility is great but definitely not enough to accommodate the hot summers. There are few novel choices to go out and most of the good restaurants are in Champaign.[read more...]

Okay For Some People - 10/10/2008

Urbana really doesn't have much in the way recreation unless, your into the partying scene and even then there are only a few hangout places. Urbana is more of a residential town. We have to go to Champaign, IL to do any thing. The people that are born and raised here have a tendency to be rather narrow-minded.[read more...]

Good and Green Lifestyle - 7/2/2007

I have lived in Urbana for 6 years now and it is great place to live if you want to reduce your auto dependence. The neighborhoods are well connected to local grocery stores, schools, jobs, and the transit system is fabulous. The schools have been great for my children. The schools are diverse, which presents its own challenges, but the curriculum offerings are great with lots of AP classes and great teachers. Urbana-Champaign was ranked on of the top ten places in the USA you can live a green lifestyle. Urbana is the green jewel. There is an excellent farmer's market, locally grown organic food, clean air, excellent water, and biking and walking to work are easy in most of the town.[read more...]

Summer in Urbana - 7/1/2007

There are lots of little parks (forest preserves, town parks, state parks) in town and within 20 minutes away with lots of fun things to do (boat rentals, float trips, horse back riding, bike rides, picnics). The farmer's market every saturday morning is great too. The town is very geared toward families, especially ones with very young children.[read more...]

Urbana rocks! - 2/5/2007

Urbana has a great vibe! It's a very well-educated city with a lot of culture and entertainment. The downtown is thriving with art galleries, bakeries, restaurants, an organic grocery store, and other terrific shops. Krannert Center for the Performing Arts hosts an amazing number of shows each year, featuring artists like Yoyo Ma, the Chicago Symphony Orchestra, and the Royal Philharmonic featuring guest conductor Marvin Hamlisch. A lot of new housing developments have been constructed within the last few years, so you have a wide variety of living options (old neighborhoods, downtown apartments/condos, upscale housing subdivisions overlooking golf courses, etc.). And the Urbana Free Library is one of the best libraries I've ever been to.[read more...]

Informal information about Urbana Illinois - 7/6/2006

culture in this relatively small university town is complex and interesting. There is a wide nternational community and diversity due to the strenght of the universtiy of illinois, and i view this as a positive characteristic. Urbana is also fairly politically liberal most likely for similar reasons, as well as the high level of education among its population. Also positive. It is easy and safe to live here. 2 hours driving distance to Chicago.[read more...]