College Prowler Take
It doesn’t matter what road you take to get to ISU—you will constantly be surrounded by cornfields. The town of Normal can always be counted on for having one of the best farmer’s markets. Nothing beats getting an ear of corn and listening to great music on a Saturday. The streets are full of restaurants and small boutiques to explore during the day, and at night
people flock to check out the local bar scene. During the day in downtown Normal, students can ravage through thrift shops and local pizza joints. Bloomington-normal is the typical college town and environment, and downtown Bloomington is one of ISU’s greatest social scenes. Illinois Wesleyan University is also
just a walk away, giving ISU students the chance to branch out to people at another university.
The town of normal may not have a great looking environment to offer students, but the people and the places make up for it. Another drawback is the lack of a city surrounding the campus. While Bloomington-normal is one of the biggest towns in Central Illinois, it is not a close comparison to Chicago or St. Louis. This may be one of the reasons why there is a lack of
activity at times in the town. Bloomington is also not within walking distance, so students without transportation are usually unable to experience what that part of town has to offer. Luckily, students who do have the opportunity to roam around
Bloomington generally have only good things to say about it.
Students Speak Out
Love your school more than free food? Hate your school more than term papers?
Somewhere in between? Show the world what YOU think of YOUR school:
ilstufan says: Illinois State University 2013 Business  |
About 150,000 people live in...
About 150,000 people live in Bloomington-Normal, so there is plenty going on without it being too big. It is an upper-middle-class town with State Farm and Country Financial being the major employers. Chicago, Indianapolis, and St. Louis are all within 2-3 hours, and Champaign and Peoria are within 45 minutes. IWU is also just five minutes up the road.
Local Atmosphere: May 10, 2009
Report |
Anonymous says: |
It is very calm here, but the...
It is very calm here, but the weekends are hectic. You will almost be certain to find something to do, no matter what you like. Students here definitely love their weekends. |
Anonymous says: |
People should stay away from frat...
People should stay away from frat parties, but go to the bowling and billiards center. Students will have a lot of fun bowling and playing pool. A lot of people go there, also. |
Anonymous says: |
The atmosphere in normal is very...
The atmosphere in normal is very relaxed and easy-going. There are other universities, including Illinois Wesleyan, which make it even more fun. |
Anonymous says: |
The town is loud and busy with a...
The town is loud and busy with a lot of party-like activity. You can always count on ISU to give you a good time. Illinois Wesleyan is present as well. Students from both schools tend to hang out together once in a while. |
Facts
Points of Interest
- Children’s Discovery Museum
- Constitution Trail
- Prairie Aviation Museum
Distances
- Chicago - IL - 2 hours
- St. Louis - MO - Less than 3 hours
Shopping Centers
- Beer Nuts Outlet Store
- College Oak Square
- Eastland Mall
- The Shoppes at College Hills
Major Sports Teams
- Bloomington Extreme - arena football
- Chicago Bears - football
- Chicago Bulls - basketball
- Chicago Cubs - baseball
- Chicago White Sox - baseball
Movie Theaters
Normal Theater
209 W. North St.
Normal
(309) 454-9720
Parkway Cinemas Theater
2103 N. Veterans Pkwy.
Bloomington
(309) 661-9114
University Cinemas
1010 S. Main St.
Normal
(309) 862-2221
Did You Know?
Fun Facts about Normal:
• Normal is the home to the first Steak ’n Shake in the world!
• Watterson Towers is the highest building in Illinois between Chicago and St. Louis.
• The VISA credit card was born in Bloomington-normal and stands for Vacation Insurance Savings Account.
• Bloomington-Normal ranks 15th in the nation on the list of towns with the most frequent restaurant patrons.
Famous People from normal:
Rachel Crothers, Clark Griffith, McLean Stevenson (M*A*S*H)
Local Slang:
Soda – otherwise known as “pop.”
Townie – an ISU student who was raised in Normal or Bloomington.
Y’all – shorten version of “you all.”
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