Belleville vs Edwardsville vs O'Fallon

[FoxValleyTrotter]

Originally Posted by aga412

Would Waterloo be a good fit if you're looking into Columbia?

Waterloo would also be a great option compared to Columbia if you're looking for a sparse/small-town feel.

[tw71]

I've been told the same by friends who have relatives in Belleville. It has a "good part of town" apparently, but much of it is pretty rough and run down.


I never cared much of O'Fallon, IL because it sits adjacent to East St. Louis. I considered buying a house there at one point, but when you look at a street map, it was literally a matter of just driving a few blocks the wrong way and you'd end up in East STL. It seems like it's a perfectly good place to get off the highway exit and go shopping or out to eat. But I wouldn't want to live there, just as I wouldn't want to live anyplace where you're right up against a city that has a severe crime and poverty problem.


Edwardsville would seem to me like the better choice of the 3 cities originally mentioned.


As an Alton resident, I think it might be a good option too. Alton is pretty much politically purple. (I think registered Democrats outnumber registered Republicans here by about 3 percentage points at most. A decent percentage of people claim to be Independent.) But practically speaking? There's Alton itself, and there's East Alton. East Alton is going to have a little bit lower performing public schools and more "working class" types in it. If you're one of the people concerned with "inclusion" because you're LGBTQ? You want to be in the right neighborhood of Alton as opposed to any of East Alton, really.


In Alton, there are some beautiful historic homes in neighborhoods like Christian Hill. Also some great homes like that in the area roughly around 4th. or 5th. and Henry Streets. If you come to Alton prepared to spend $350-500K, you could basically purchase any of these you liked that went up on the market. (And IMO, they'd be worth 2x what you get them for here if you bought them someplace like over in St. Louis, MO.)

Originally Posted by nyyfanatic85

I'd consider Edwardsville, Glen Carbon, or Alton. Belleville has its decent spots, but it's seen as a generally rougher area and I personally would avoid it. If you're looking for another option, Alton might be a good fit too.

[tlw]

O'Fallon Illinois is 14 miles from East St. Louis.

You can find a wonderful house in Alton or many places in the metro east for much less than $350-500k.

[actionsub]

Originally Posted by tw71

I never cared much of O'Fallon, IL because it sits adjacent to East St. Louis. I considered buying a house there at one point, but when you look at a street map, it was literally a matter of just driving a few blocks the wrong way and you'd end up in East STL. It seems like it's a perfectly good place to get off the highway exit and go shopping or out to eat. But I wouldn't want to live there, just as I wouldn't want to live anyplace where you're right up against a city that has a severe crime and poverty problem.

Adjacent to East St. Louis?? A few blocks??? You have to drive all the way through Fairview Heights (which bases its whole existence on NOT being East St. Louis) before you even get close!

The distance is why O'Fallon has seen explosive growth over the last 20 years. You need to check the scale on your street map.

[Bulldawg82]

You may be thinking of Centerville or Cahokia. O'Fallon is just north west (by a mile or two) from Scott AFB.