Quote:
Originally Posted by c1pher
I mean you might as well live in the middle of the Sahara where that is. I'm surprised it's not cheaper, and I grew up in Champaign.
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There are downsides to living here for sure, but we've learned to adjust to them. I was just back in Hartford, CT last week and it was great having decent stores and restaurants all over, but the traffic about drove me nuts. Plus the people there drive like total morons and always seem to be texting while driving. I can take my bike out for a 25-30 mile ride here and encounter maybe 3 or 4 cars over the whole trip. I wouldn't dare cycle on the streets back east.
Champaign has improved tremendously since we moved out here 17 years ago. We went up to the Campus Town area around Green Street a few weeks ago and were stunned at how much new construction there is compared to the last time we were in in that neighborhood about 2 years ago. It's still not super cosmopolitan, but it's a whole lot better than it used to be.
The thing about the low housing cost that is the biggest bonus here is that we just needed a 15 year mortgage and it's paid off. We have no debt at all and bank/save a ton, so we're looking pretty good for retirement. That wouldn't have been so if we'd stayed back east.
So yeah, it's all a trade-off.