LOCAL, TRUSTED, EXPERIENCED, FRIENDLY.
We sold this home in Urbana –one of the many we have helped Champaign Urbana sellers with in recent months.
This home in Myra Ridge Urbana had wood floors, new carpet, fireplace, great yard, big clean garage, and perfect location for Carle Clinic, U of I, and Urbana shopping.
Here are some photos:
The Mexican eats at Maize–soon to open a second location in downtown Champaign
If you’re like most people (including me) you like to eat out on occasion and let someone else do the cooking 🙂 Here are some of my favorite spots for yummy food in Champaign-Urbana IL:
Siam Terrace – Located in downtown Urbana, this is a great place for Thai cuisine.
Papa Dels – Best. deep. dish. pizza. ever.
Rainbow Garden – My favorite Chinese restaurant has a location both in Champaign and Urbana!
Black Dog Smoke & Ale – Mmmmmm. Smoked catfish, pulled pork, beef brisket…if you like Southern style barbecue, you will LOVE this local gem.
Escobar’s – When you want to spend a nice evening out, Escobar’s is an excellent choice.
Fiesta Cafe – To me, nothing beats Mexican food and margaritas. There are a gazillion Mexican restaurants to choose from in Champaign-Urbana, but this one is my go-to.
Sun Singer Wine & Spirits – Sun Singer is both a wine/gifts shop AND a cafe. The food is inexpensive but oh-so-good (with plenty of gluten-free options available). The wine’s pretty tasty, too. *wink*
Zojo Cafe – Most everyone has a favorite coffee shop and this one is mine. It’s located in south Urbana. If, on the other hand, you live on the other side of town and need some place closer, then try Cafe Kopi in downtown Champaign.
Wedge Tequila Bar and Grill – This place has really decent Mexican food (same outfit as El Toro) and great assortment of tequilas. A good addition to the downtown Champaign scene.
The University of Illinois is front and center in our lives here in Champaign-Urbana. Founded in 1867, it’s the 2nd oldest public university in the state.
Residents of Champaign-Urbana and surrounding communities are fortunate to have access to a wide variety of lectures, galleries, performances, museums, and other projects maintained by the university. One example is the U of I Arboretum pictured here in early spring and again in late fall during full bloom.
The Krannert Center of Performing Arts is a fantastic venue managed by the University. Here students and residents alike gather for “Krannert Uncorked,” a wine-tasting event most Thursdays featuring local businesses and local musicians.
One trait for which Urbana is well-known is its abundance of towering trees. Notice the “tiny” people sitting on a bench in the picture below taken at Carle Park in autumn.
Urbana is the county seat here in Champaign County, and this county building on Main Street is one of the most prominent features of downtown Urbana.
Drive just 5-10 minutes to the west and you’ll discover that downtown Champaign also boasts lovely and historic buildings and storefronts including the Virginia Theatre, home to Roger Ebert’s yearly EbertFest.
Surrounding Champaign-Urbana are miles and miles of some of the richest soil in the world. There is much beauty to be found in Illinois’ countryside.
And in the picture below, residents take advantage of easy access to local produce, meats & goods at the farmers market on First Street in Champaign. Urbana also runs its own farmers market at Lincoln Square during the warmer months of the year.
Moving to a new location can be complicated when you just don’t know where to find the information you need! This article is designed to help make your move to Champaign-Urbana, IL a little easier.
Below I’ve compiled a list of links to official websites or other articles I’ve written about topics related to moving to Champaign-Urbana IL. If you have any questions, feel free to get in touch with me anytime. Hope it helps!
Government:
Urbana City Government
Champaign City Government
Champaign County Government
Utilities:
Ameren IP (electric & gas)
Illinois American Water
Urbana & Champaign Sanitary District
Trash Services (all are privately owned):
ABC Sanitary
Allied Waste
Chris’s Service Co.
(There are other trash services that I am less familiar with, but are easily found through a Google search.)
Schools:
Urbana Public Schools
Champaign Public Schools
An Overview of Public & Private Schools, plus Home School Resources
University of Illinois
Parkland College
Transportation:
Willard Airport located in Savoy (just south of Champaign)
Amtrak Train Station in downtown Champaign
CUMTD (Champaign-Urbana Mass Transit District) – We have a wonderful bus system, and those affiliated with the University are able to use this service free of charge.
Other:
Champaign Public Library
Urbana Free Library
Champaign Park District
Urbana Park District
Even if you know very little about Champaign-Urbana, IL, you probably know that it’s flat, we have cold winters, and not many people outside of Illinois have ever heard of this town. Put it that way and it doesn’t sound too appealing.
So why on earth would you want to move to Champaign-Urbana? Believe me, there are plenty of reasons. Those of us who DO live here LOVE living here, so I’m going to share some of the reasons with you to put your mind at ease…and give you something to look forward to!
1. We’re home to the prestigious University of Illinois, a Top Ten school. The university keeps this town alive and kicking with performances and concerts, nationally-broadcast sporting events, thousands of jobs for our residents, museums, and gardens, and so much more. We’re a college town and we love it.
2. This area boasts some of the richest soil on Earth. You can load up on tasty, wholesome fruits & veggies at our farmers markets, or have one heckuva garden in your own backyard.
3. Are you “going green”? Join the club! In 2007 Champaign-Urbana was ranked 10th in a survey of the top 25 green cities by Country Home Magazine. Our streets are full of pedestrians and bikers, we’re constantly adding bike paths, and Urbana was recently awarded recognition as a Bicycle-Friendly Community.
4. Roger Ebert was born and raised in Urbana, and each year we host the internationally-known Ebertfest at the Virginia Theatre in downtown Champaign, which brings dozens of distinguished actors and directors right here to our little town. Yes, Roger Ebert attends every year, too, so if you attend, you’ll no doubt have the chance to see him!
5. Champaign-Urbana is quite old having been chartered in the early to mid 1800s. If you like historic homes and buildings, you’ll love exploring this town, and we offer historic walking tour brochures just for the occasion.
6. We may be in somewhat of a country setting, but we happen to be centered between a few major cities. Chicago, Indianapolis and St. Louis are all within a 2-3 hour drive from Champaign. Or you can take the train and make it a day trip.
7. Depending on where you go for this information, the Champaign-Urbana area has about a 30-40% chance of having a white Christmas any given year. I grew up in southwest Virginia where the chances were more like 3-4%, so for me this is a beautiful thing.
8. And lastly, there are some really great people here. It may sound corny, but it’s true. The people in Champaign-Urbana are just as friendly as they come, making our town that much better.