Here are 16 of our favorite things about Peoria
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The perception of Peoria varies significantly.
Countless people take pride in the city and value what it offers. Peoria also has a crowd of the relentlessly negative; many can be found in the comment section of the Journal Star Facebook page.
The reality is somewhere in between. No matter your opinion, it doesn't represent the perspective and experiences of everyone else.
For this article, we have chosen to focus on the positive, the things we love about Peoria.
1. Grandview Drive in Peoria
Nothing caps a summer date night better than a twilight cruise on that winding and incredibly scenic road.
That 2.52-mile stretch almost transports you to the Eastern Seaboard where old mansions find themselves mixed with modern architecture. Grandview Drive is a treat, no matter what direction you drive – facing the lush valley down to the Illinois River, or all the beautiful homes with the perfectly manicured landscaping.
Grandview, especially enchanting around the holidays, remains a destination even long after President Theodore Roosevelt trotted along and declared it as the "World’s Most Beautiful Drive."
2. Warehouse District in Peoria
It's clear Peoria is trying to make the Warehouse District and downtown the places to go on a Friday or Saturday night. They offer plenty of cool bars and restaurants.
Attending a Peoria Chiefs game on a warm summer night with some friends and a beer in hand is a fantastic way to spend an evening. Downtown and the Warehouse District are not finished products, but they are both still well worth a visit.
3. Peoria's skyline
Several picturesque views in Peoria are ready-made for a postcard or a canvas photo in your home. My favorite is the downtown skyline. It's brilliant at night, under the stars, when the buildings are lit up. And there are a few vantage points that stand out, especially from East Peoria near the river.
My favorite view? Driving on Interstate 74 West toward the city, near Exit 96, you come around a curve and the downtown reveals itself, illuminated in the dark. Love it.
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4. Walking with my daughter at Forest Park Nature Center
Raising a child with special needs is challenging and complicated. Sometimes, the simple things make that challenge a bit less complicated.
Forest Park Nature Center is an oasis for my daughter, who is severely and profoundly autistic, non-verbal and emotionally unpredictable. She's hypersensitive to noisy people, especially children. The park and its network of well-maintained trails is a tranquil source of fresh air and exercise for her, far from the madding crowd. She's all smiles when we pull into the parking lot and doesn't mind huffing and puffing up a steep hill.
Forest Park Nature Center is an invaluable resource for her health and well-being. For my family, that makes it one of the best things about Peoria.
5. Higher education in Peoria
What gives Peoria a reputation outside central Illinois and brings new blood here? Higher education.
For many, this means Bradley University, founded by Lydia Moss Bradley, whose influence in the city runs deep.
Or it can mean Illinois Central College, especially with its recent focus on job training and certifications for growing local industries. And don't forget Eureka College, which educated a president.
With the top industry here being health care, is it surprising the University of Illinois College of Medicine-Peoria, Methodist College, St. Francis Medical Center College of Nursing and UIC College of Nursing all thrive? Many grads from each stay and enrich this community.
Read more: Lydia Moss Bradley's contributions helped shape Peoria
6. Commuting in Peoria
Peoria can be called the 20-minute town — it almost never takes more than a 20-minute drive to get anywhere in the city. Those who have worked and lived in bigger cities can appreciate that sometimes more than lifelong Peorians can.
In the Chicago area, it can take 20 minutes to go not even 1 mile, depending on the road and time of day. The average one-way work-commute time in Chicago is more than 34 minutes. (And that's just in the city. Commuting from the suburbs is even more interminable.) In St. Louis, the typical intra-city commute is almost 24 minutes.
In Peoria? Try 16.3 minutes, almost 10 minutes below the national average. Non-commute driving times are manageable, too. It all leaves more time for family and friends. Or for messing around on the internet.
More: A park above I-74 in Downtown Peoria? Here's how Kim Blickenstaff believes it can happen
7. Peoria's climate
A native Minnesotan and ex-suburban New Yorker, I wanted to return to the Midwest. Just not the Upper Midwest.
I like the heartland's open spaces and friendly faces. I like its easier pace. I like the civility and practicality of Midwesterners. I like our casual temperament, our tolerance. We know how to run a society.
I also like the four seasons. In balance. Peoria gives me three weeks more of spring and fall, and six weeks less of Minnesota winter.
So, I appreciate Peoria's climate — social and literal.
Throw in the terrain — the wooded hills and bluffs — and its uncrowded urban amenities, and Peoria is a prime example of a livable small Midwestern metro area.
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8. Springdale Cemetery
Peoria has no shortage of parks, but one of the city's best recreation sites is this historic cemetery on the East Bluff.
Sprawling over 200 acres, Springdale is listed on the National Register of Historic Places and is the final resting place for many influential Peoria citizens. But it's also a peaceful and accessible spot for walking, running, biking and appreciating nature and history within the city. There's even a tunnel that runs under War Memorial Drive, linking the cemetery to the Rock Island Greenway trail.
Think of Springdale as Peoria's version of Central Park — only with graves dotting the landscape.
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9. Quality of life in Peoria
A lot of people aspire to live in big urban areas, but I’ve found that life in Peoria is pretty sweet. You don’t have to make a ton of money to buy a nice house, and there are plenty of cool houses to choose from.
There's also plenty to do. Want to learn a new skill? Many venues offer classes. Like the outdoors? We have bike trails and plenty of fishing. Enjoy live music? There’s lots of that too.
And if the big city does call, Peoria is only about three hours from either Chicago or St. Louis. On the way home, the weary traveler is greeted by another of Peoria’s assets - the view. Name another central Illinois city where the skyline and river provide such a pretty picture on the drive in.
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10. Historic splendor
The indivisible duo of High Street and Moss Avenue provides a mile and a half of Peoria's stateliest homes and trees to match. On stressful days, a stroll offers not only fresh air and exercise, but needed perspective. What would those who built these houses think of today?
Looking for something less grand? Malvern Lane is tucked away behind Westminster Presbyterian Church, an urban fossil from Peoria's early days. A road abandoned in 1985 to Mother Nature, not destroyed by human hands.
The entire stretch of grandeur increases in magic right before dusk. Lights glow from windows, easily erasing any rough edges from time.
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11. Presidential shoeshine service
Walking into George’s Shoeshine and Hatters, 101 NE Adams St., is like stepping into a time machine — with the bonus that you’ll step back out with dazzling footwear.
The proprietor is George Manias, a spry 90 years young, who since 1946 has shimmied a shine rag like a master violinist wields a bow. Outside of major cities, shoeshine parlors have gone the way of most neighborhood taverns, barbershops and other community touch points. Yet at George’s, $5 will buy you a sparkling shine, plus convivial conversation from chatty customers.
Manias has hosted countless political luminaries, including presidents Barack Obama, George W. Bush, Ronald Reagan and Gerald Ford. Meantime, he has shined well over 1 million shoes — and counting.
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12. Peoria Park District amenities
The Peoria Park District offers several ways to enjoy the outdoors and relieve a bit of stress from everyday life.
The district just installed new pickleball courts at Glen Oak Park and offers miles upon miles of trails to hike and walk. Added bonus: the dog park that my pooch loves to run around in.
Forest Park, Camp Wokanda and Robinson Park offer terrific hiking trails that range from just flat gravel paths to hikes that can challenge even the most adventurous Boy Scout. And Kinsey Park offers nearly 11 miles of hiking and biking trails that feature gravity dips, hops and downhills that can suit a beginner or a more experienced rider.
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13. Peoria is a sports haven
Peoria has a sports scene more diverse than most markets its size.
There are the pro hockey Rivermen and pro baseball Chiefs, each of which have seen more than 200 players and coaches go to the NHL and MLB. There is NCAA Division I basketball at Bradley, and a nationally respected soccer team, too.
High school sports is a tradition-rich bedrock. Our Greater Peoria Sports Hall of Fame shows major-leaguers from the area in the NFL and MLB. We have former Olympians. There is an array of running, tennis, biking events, the oldest pro motorcycle race in the country, a generations-old adult amateur baseball league and the annual territorial split between Cubs and Cardinals fans.
More: 6 reasons the sports world might know Peoria
14. Peoria Zoo and Peoria PlayHouse
Glen Oak Park is one of Peoria’s most unique spaces — but also is home to two family-friendly gems: the Peoria Zoo and the Peoria PlayHouse Children’s Museum.
You can have a nice Saturday with a stroll around the zoo’s myriad exhibits (the giraffe tower is a favorite) before stepping across the parking lot to the playhouse, a playfully renovated and repurposed space once home to the Peoria Park District business offices. There, the kids can dig, splash and build their way through three levels of interactivity.
Both locations charge for entry, but a membership for a family of four at either pays for itself in three visits.
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15. Theater plays in Peoria
The famous phrase “Will it play in Peoria?” originated in vaudeville and burlesque with the idea that if a new show had success in Peoria, then it would succeed anywhere. The Peoria area theater scene has definitely “Played in Peoria."
Corn Stock Theatre, Peoria Players Theatre and Eastlight Theatre are three that come to mind. There are also opportunities for children to participate in theater events through the Community Children’s Theatre and Nitsch Theatre.
There are also live productions at the Peoria Civic Center, Bradley University, Illinois Central College and Eureka College. We are lucky to have so many choices so close to home.
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16. Comics and collectibles
There's nothing quite like walking into a nice comics and collectibles store, and the Peoria area has a couple of great shops.
Acme Comics & Books, 2218 W. Glen Ave., has been serving up all your favorite comic books weekly since 1991. The owner and staff are knowledgeable and will do their best to help you track down that missing piece from your collection. The shop also has a wide selection of vintage toys, records and board games.
More: 17 ideas to make Peoria a better place to live, play and visit
The newer Zeek's Comics and Games, 30 Cherry Tree Shopping Center, Suite A4, Washington, also delivers a weekly helping of new comics and stocks a nice selection of back issues, but has a greater emphasis on tabletop and trading card games.
These shops, along with The Zone in Pekin and Peoria and Warp Drive Toys in Creve Coeur, make the Peoria area a haven for fans of all things pop culture-related.
This article originally appeared on Journal Star: 16 things we love about Peoria, a charming Illinois city
