Illinois State University - Local Atmosphere

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.

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Students Speak Out

amcoron says: Illinois State University 2013 Other

ISU Couldn't Give Students More to Do A there is alot of things todo on the ISU campus alone, but if you go beyond that there are many resturants, a mall, and downtown area. right now it's rough because of all the construction but it will be a hot spot in a couple of years. 12345 Local Atmosphere: February 01, 2010 Report

maeganrice says: Illinois State University 2010 Communication and Journalism

Enough to Do B+ The town is pretty big, and there are other colleges here. The bar scene is about 10 minutes from campus, which is kind of a hassle, but they make ways to get around. There is not a huge area surrounding campus like some other big school have. It is nice to be at a big school though and still be able to get around. 12345 Local Atmosphere: January 20, 2010 Report

klredig says: Illinois State University 2010 Communication and Journalism

Uptown Normal Businesses B Just a few blocks away from campus, Normal provides many students with restaurants, bars, and convenience stores. Uptown Normal is very fun for social lives (21 and older), and has really nice and entertaining restaurants available. 12345 Local Atmosphere: March 17, 2010 Report

mahorra says: Illinois State University 2010 Business

Fun Bars, but Not Much Else C- Bars in downtown Bloomington are fun, and there are party buses to take you anywhere. In the actual town of Normal, there is little to do. Only one mall, which is very small and not very good stores. Safety is a huge issue, tons of crime, break ins, rape. I am always scared to walk alone, especially at night. 12345 Local Atmosphere: January 21, 2010 Report

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. 12345 Local Atmosphere: May 10, 2009 Report

Facts

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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