Shimmy- those are some cool pictures. I have always been a fan of Springfield, Ill. My wife, son, and I spent a weekend there about three weeks ago to check out the Route 66 International Mother Road Festival. The main attraction, of course, was the assembly of hundreds of classic cars associated with Route 66 in its heyday, but it also proved to be a good time to check out downtown Springfield extensively.
Springfield, like you said, is a great town with great people. Downtown has come a long way in the last decade as there are many newer restaurants and specialty shops side-by-side with old favorites that survived the mass exodus of businesses to White Oaks Mall in the mid-1970s. The Lincoln Library and Museum have helped downtown, and I expect the Korean War Veterans' Museum will have a similar effect when it is completed. Downtown is a fascinating combination of renovated buildings and urban grit, and the older neighborhoods of Springfield are teeming with charming homes, including countless bungalows that resemble their counterparts in Chicago and St. Louis.
I can't mention Springfield without thinking of the horseshoe. For those of you that haven't had it, it is an open-faced sandwich served on Texas toast with your choice of meat, topped with French fries (the nails in the horseshoe) and cheese sauce. I've eaten several of them in several places throughout Springfield, and I haven't had one that wasn't absolutely delicious! I have to imagine that Springfield cardiologists are also quite fond of them, as the horseshoe must keep them in business.
There may not be a lot of things to do in Illinois' capital city, but I would consider living there as it offers a great compromise between urban amenities and a small town setting. Its proximity to St. Louis doesn't hurt either, and you'd also shave 90 minutes off of the ride to Chicago. Aside from the downtown area, there are also great parks, the beautiful Lake Springfield, and a surprising array of cultural amenities (especially at University of Illinois at Springfield). I love it there!
