Quincy, Illinois SperlingViews

re: The Ugly Truth About Quincy--Part II- 4/13-10/22/2009
To Clint: I have only lived in Quincy less than a decade, but what I have discovered is that it has all of the opportunities and pitfalls of most other cities I've lived in. When I was looking for slumming it was available, but when I decided life was meant to be filled with new experiences those options were available too. Quincy offers the opportunity to receive a great education, theater productions, Friends of the Library events, Blues in the park, Art fairs, etc. Know what you are looking for is the key! This is the only town I have ever lived in where I have spotted over 50 bald eagles in one sitting. Really, lighten up and try to open yourself up to the opportunities available here.

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Quality of Life in Quincy, Illinois is superb - 8/29/2012

Quincy, Illinois is a great place to live and raise a family. It is a beautiful city. It has great older homes and an abundance of large beautiful trees. It is safe and low in violent crimes. Everything you could want to do is a 2 & 1/2 hour drive to St.Louis. It is a relaxing place to be. If you want Chicago or a big city, then you do not want to live in Quincy. Quincy has great art, community theatre and of course the great Mississippi River. The parks are fantastic. People in Quincy are nice. The schools,public and private, are excellant. They prepared me and my siblings to succeed in graduate school and our careers. The cost of living is very low. Housing is reasonable. Sports and fun activities for kids are excellant. I lived there 22 years. I have lived 54 years and in 4 states. I have travelled extensively. I have never seen a city so beautiful, freindly or safe. I still have family there and visit as often as possible.[read more...]

Nice, family place - 7/14/2012

Well Quincy is a town of roughly 40,000. There ia a wonderful section of town around Maine street of older, big, mansions and smaller homes that is mapped out by blocks. One of the most beautiful streets to drive down. Starts at the Mississippi River all the way out to the newer end of town where they are building new construction homes, condo's, and restraunts, shops, etc. It really is for the most part a very safe place to raise a family. The schools are very good. Public or private there is not one school in this town I wouldn't feel comfortable sending my child to. My son is 20 now but we had a good experience with the public schools. There is pretty much one or two small parts of town I would not live in and really they are not that bad. Probably the worst crime would be drugs, dui, some burglary, vandalism, etc. really nothing too bad. I feel very safe living here. Problem - nothing to do. There is a bar and a church on every corner is what I always hear about this town. Aside from boating on the river, which I don't do anymore (no boat) there is nothing to do. In the summer they have Blues in the Park, there are bowling alley's, roller skating, races on sundays, lots of parks, couple public pools, a good fair amount of restraunts, and probably the biggest draw for people around here would be the gambling boat about 30 minutes away in Canton. So bottom dollar, safe place for families, good people, clean town, pretty boring, good schools, it is not so bad but I am ready for some adventure and some beautiful mountains, or white water rapids. Not spell checking so hope I didn't make too many typo's. Thanks [read more...]

Quincy is a great place to live - 7/23/2011

I totally disagree with Clint from Barry who said Quincy is trashy. It is a charming small city with quite a lot of historic architecture and many more good points than bad. Kids who leave Quincy for college and the early years of their careers often return when it's time to raise their families. There are many festivals, free summer concerts and a vibrant Arts community.[read more...]

Air Quality - 3/21/2011

I dont understand why the air quality is ranked so high. According to USAToday special report of the Smokestack Effect, the air here is polluted. They state toxicity assessments for each school are based on emissions data collected by the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency as part of its Toxics Release Inventory program. They have a large Soybean oil mill releasing over 600,000 lbs of toxic chemicals in the air and a couple other manufacturing companies releasing (burning) toxic stuff in the air. [read more...]

Learn to find what you are looking for - 11/17/2010

re: The Ugly Truth About Quincy--Part II- 4/13-10/22/2009 To Clint: I have only lived in Quincy less than a decade, but what I have discovered is that it has all of the opportunities and pitfalls of most other cities I've lived in. When I was looking for slumming it was available, but when I decided life was meant to be filled with new experiences those options were available too. Quincy offers the opportunity to receive a great education, theater productions, Friends of the Library events, Blues in the park, Art fairs, etc. Know what you are looking for is the key! This is the only town I have ever lived in where I have spotted over 50 bald eagles in one sitting. Really, lighten up and try to open yourself up to the opportunities available here.[read more...]

Quincy life as a youth - 3/31/2010

Being very young in Quincy was pretty easy. Being a teenager on the other hand was not. There simply isn't enough to do to keep people out of trouble between the ages of 13 - 20. Of course, once you're 21 there are plenty of bars and clubs to get into trouble at. Activities mainly include: seeing movies, sporting events (seasonal), swimming pools (seasonal), the YMCA, and plenty of parks. Parks being the only place to go that doesn't cost money. I suppose that the children of wealthy parents aren't so bad off, but what about those that are not? As far as I'm concerned, Quincy is a place for the rich and the retired. Other than that all you will find is trouble. I'm very glad that I got away from Quincy and hope I never find myself living there again.[read more...]

Reffering to views from Cliff from Barry. - 1/14/2010

Hey! Why do you attack the city of Quincy so badly. Oh I lived in Barry for about a year now thats a bad place everybody is a busybody there. I could not wait to leave. I love Quincy and I want to move back there. I live in a big city. San Jose,CA 927,000 people you want a to see bad come here.[read more...]

Nice Place to Live - 6/4/2009

I think Quincy is a nice place to live. I grew up there, left for 10 years and came back. There are a lot of parks and recreational family activities. There is also some beautiful architecture, and the shopping and dining are pretty good, too. It is an easy drive to Springfield, St. Louis, Chicago and Indianapolis. We also have Amtrak service twice a day direct to Chicago.[read more...]

Family-oriented city - 1/26/2009

I grew up in Quincy, and I never thought I would move back there. However, now that I have children I realize what a great community it is. It is very family-oriented, there are a lot of parks and trees, and the river front provides fun opportunities as well. Lots of good local restaurants, too![read more...]

The Ugly Truth About Quincy -- Part II - 4/13/2008

Quincy and surrounding towns are very polluted. Sidewalks littered with lit cigarettes, as well as careless people who smoke in areas where there are children, are the norm here. Trash (soda cans, candy wrappers, etc.) seems to be everywhere. Pollution in Quincy may not be at the same level as Washington DC or Los Angeles, but it is worse than most big cities I've been to (Seattle, Denver, Dallas, etc.) Quincy seems to have a lot of smokers, so maybe that's why the air has a very unclean feel to it in my opinion. The water in Quincy also tastes terrible. Let's not get started on the downtown area. Quincy claims to be full of historic charm, but nothing could be further from the truth. The historic buildings are concentrated in a small area south of downtown, and those buildings do look nice, but that's about it. Since Quincy was an industrial town until the mid-1970s, closed-down factories are a common sight in and near downtown. Other buildings in the downtown area are about as plain as they can get. Quincy also seems to have urban decay in areas near downtown, especially on the northwest side, with houses that look like they're ready to fall apart. For the most part, Quincy is not a beautiful city at all. Quincy does have some positive aspects. Blessing Hospital is Quincy's largest employer by far, and it offers some of the best healthcare in the Midwest. The cost of living and housing is very low, and aside from the areas with urban decay, housing quality is very good for the price. Quincy also offers a decent public transportation system for a town its size. Unfortunately, that's not enough to make up for a high crime rate, bad public schools, drug problems, a lack of things to do, pollution, and urban decay. If the small-town life and a low cost of living are what you're looking for, there are far better options for your family than Quincy. Galesburg, which is in the northwest-central part of the state, is about the same population as Quincy, yet has a lower cost of living, much lower crime, and a much better public school system. Hannibal, Missouri, across the river 15 miles south, is also a decent option, but you'll still have to go to Quincy for higher-end shopping. But whatever you do, avoid Quincy at all costs, and don't say I didn't warn you![read more...]

The Ugly Truth About Quincy -- Part I - 4/12/2008

I request that a moderator please delete my first two reviews for Quincy and all replies to them. This review is intended to replace my first two. Quincy's city government makes it look like a wonderful place to live and raise a family. They claim that it has a low crime rate, an easy lifestyle, good schools, and nice architecture. Unfortunately, Quincy is absolutely nothing like what the city government describes. So if you're planning on relocating to Quincy from crime-ridden Chicago or St. Louis, expecting Quincy to solve all of your problems, this review will make you think twice. And there are so many things wrong with Quincy that I had to divide the review into two parts! Low crime? BIG LIE. According to 2006 statistics (the most recent available as of this writing) from the Illinois State Police, Quincy has a violent crime rate that exceeds the national average by more than 60%. In crime statistics, a "violent crime" is defined as non-negligent murder, forcible rape, robbery, or aggravated assault. Quincy has 757.9 violent crimes per 100,000 residents -- where 473.5 is the U.S. average and 720 is considered high. Probably worsening the crime rate is the fact that most Quincians feel safe in their hometown, so much that they don't take enough measures to protect themselves from crime and eventually end up becoming a victim. And for those of you who use the usual defense of "the crime just happens in certain parts of town", keep in mind that there are not many different places to eat and shop in Quincy, and most of them are centered along Broadway Street. Everyone in Quincy -- including the criminals from these bad parts of town -- can be in any of these restaurants or stores. Also take a look at the Illinois Sex Offender Registry -- you'll be surprised at how many sex offenders per capita there are in Quincy. It's definitely not a safe place to raise a family. Quincy also has a bad public school system. Quincy High School, the only public high school in the city, only received a score of 6 out of 10 on greatschools.net based on standardized test scores, the most accurate measure of the quality of education kids are really receiving in public schools. In addition, use of tobacco, alcohol, and illicit drugs is rampant throughout the junior and senior high schools. Quincy Mayor John Spring even admitted that Quincy has huge problems with underage drinking and smoking, and I think it was the attorney general who said that cocaine was a huge problem in Quincy. Marijuana, heroin, and meth are also huge problems here (most of the meth comes from meth labs across the river in Missouri). Worsening drug use is the general lack of recreation in the Quincy area, maybe except for bowling and playing arcade games.[read more...]

Quincy - Pros/Cons - 2/9/2008

Pros: 1. Low cost of living and housing 2. Affordable place to live 3. The Bayview Bridge is really nice Cons: 1. High crime rate 2. Sidewalks are very polluted 3. Nothing to do 4. Poor school system 5. Drug problems 6. It's too small to have any "parts" of town, so crime is a city-wide problem[read more...]

re:Another horrible place to live. - 10/31/2007

So you are from Barry Illinois and you think Quincy is bad? Apparently you have never been to a big city or maybe Quincy is the largest city you have visited in order to express your slanted views. Ever been to Chicago or St. Louis. Maybe you should visit Detroit or even Kansas City before you make such stupid remarks. I am not sure what rock you pulled your crime statastics from under but they are all wrong. In fact they are just the opposite. The Quality of live in Quincy is good. Yes, not perfect but much better than most cities. So if you don't like the quality of life in or around the Quincy are I suggest you move to Iraq. Then let's hear what you have to say.[read more...]

Another note about crime and pollution... - 10/21/2007

I'll probably win a lot of enemies with my SperlingView of Quincy, but I stand by what I said. Sure, the pollution in Quincy may not be as bad as in Washington DC or Los Angeles, but I've been to many cities in the United States -- these include Seattle, Oklahoma City, Dallas, and many smaller cities -- and Quincy is the most polluted of all those cities. I mean, at least in those places, people don't lay their lit cigarettes on the sidewalk or smoke carelessly near children. People are always complaining about how dangerous Hannibal, Missouri (the city across the river about 15 miles south of Quincy) is and how safe Quincy is. Again, people are grossly misinformed when they think that. Hannibal has a violent crime index of about 450; Quincy's is 850. And those are based on crimes committed per 100,000 residents, so don't say that Quincy's larger population is distorting the crime statistics. By contrast, the violent crime indexes in New York City and L.A. are both about 700. You heard that right. Quincy is more dangerous than NYC and LA. That says a lot, considering the negative image that both cities get when it comes to crime. People will say, "But if you stay away from the bad parts of town, you'll be OK". That's not true, either. The crime rate affects the entire city because everyone from all parts of Quincy go to the same part of town to do their shopping, eating, etc. So somebody could get beat up at the Quincy Mall by someone from the bad parts of town. Since there's only one public high school and one public middle school in Quincy, every teenager from every part of town goes to the same school (unless they go to Quincy Notre Dame, which is a private religious school). This creates a good opportunity for drug-dealing kids from the projects to be making drug deals to non-project kids at school.[read more...]

Another horrible place to live. - 10/20/2007

Quincy and the surrounding area is one of the most boring, polluted, crime-ridden, and overall worst places you'll ever live. All of the comments posted mentioned that Quincy has "low crime". This is absolutely not true. If you look at the crime statistics for the city, you'll notice that about 850 (I couldn't remember the exact number) violent crimes were committed per every 100,000 residents, where an 800 is considered high. Yes, I know it's a larger city, but I said "per 100,000 residents". In crime statistics, a violent crime is defined as murder, forcible rape, robbery, or aggravated assault. Except for murder, all of those crimes are very common in Quincy, especially aggravated assault. You should also take a look at the Illinois Sex Offender Registry -- you'll be surprised at how many sex offenders live in Quincy. It's definitely not a safe place to raise children. Quincy and surrounding towns are also very polluted. It's not uncommon to see a sidewalk littered with lit cigarettes, or even people carelessly smoking in areas where there are children!!! The air seems to have a very "unclean" feel to it, and the water tastes terrible. I have not been to Quincy Public Schools yet, but I should probably be glad I haven't. Quincy Mayor John Spring actually admitted that his own city has a huge problem with underage drinking! I have also heard of problems with illegal drugs (marijuana, cocaine, heroin, etc.) in the high schools, which further aggravates matters. This is probably because of a lack of things to do in the city, except for bowling and (not surprisingly) smoking, drinking, and doing drugs. On the positive side, housing is very affordable and the quality of housing is very good for the price. Unfortunately, that can't make up for a high crime rate, pollution, drug problems, and a lack of things to do. Unless you're masochistic, you should stay away from Quincy.[read more...]

Good points and bad points - 5/21/2007

As someone who grew up in Quincy, IL, all I could think about was getting out. It's a small town without a lot to offer for teenagers. However, as I get older, I can appreciate it more. There is a lot of history in this town, beautiful architecture, lower crime rate, low cost of living, low average home price, beautiful parks, right along the river, etc. Beware of extreme Midwest temperatures in summer and winter, and if you have teenagers, prepare to hear about how bored they are :) But if you enjoy small town things like Arts in the Park, a Dogwood Parade celebrating the blooming dogwood trees, or Octoberfest in South Park, Quincy would be a good place for you.[read more...]

A good place to live. - 1/7/2007

I have lived here for over 25 years, low cost of living, no bad traffic problems, good business climate, low crime, climate is cold in winter, but bearable, summers are hot, but you do get breaks from the heat. An old time feeling that first attracted me away from Chicago area. Population is increasing, people coming in slowly though (like the drivers) lots of retirees. Pretty boring night life, limited selection of restaurants. Seems like Quincy has what a lot of people are looking for that have been subjected to the rat race of larger cities. If this is what you are looking for, then this is your Utopia![read more...]

Quincy - A slow pace - 12/29/2006

Quincy is a small town that has not changed much from the time that I grew up here. It is physically isolated from large cities and pretty much immune to cultural phenomena that hit other parts of the country. If you're looking to re-capture the feel of your youthful environment, Quincy has that "retro" ambience.[read more...]