Ooh, lovely. Bridges are great, and so is night.

Hey man,can you even call Peoria a fake city? have you even lived there? You know it isnt nearly as bad as everyone makes it to be.

I'm biased (grew up in/around Chicago,) and meant the comment to be light hearted. But yeah, I lived in Peoria for a bit over four years while in college, living both on and off campus in different sections. I have nothing but fond memories for the city, and still enjoy going there once every few months to see friends. Peoria has a little bit of everything, but still feels small and hardly urban compared to some of the major metropolitan areas of the US. It's not a bad thing... it's just, I think of it more as a big town rather than a little city.

*shrugs* True. It's all those little suburbs around us like Dunlap that make us feel like a Big town rather than a City. That and where in Peoria did you live?

I attended Bradley University (The intersection of Main and University on the outskirts of downtown Peoria,) so I spent some time at the dorms there. I then had an apartment for a short time up further north by Knoxville and Pioneer Parkway. Lastly, I lived in the Industrial Warehouse section of Downtown Peoria along Adams and whatever road University turns into when it gets that far East. I also had some friends that lived in East Peoria, and one that lived a couple blocks from the War Memorial bridge. Currently, some of my friends from college are either still attending Bradley or have settled down in Peoria, so now when I visit there's a few other scattered sections I go to.

I've been to the crime-ridden south side (a friend's great grandmother still lives there.) I've seen most (if not all) of the downtown sections. I've driven past some of the trailer park sections. I've seen some of the very suburban looking houses along Willow Knolls. I've seen what have to be the million dollar mansions along (is it grand view drive?) I definitely saw a lot of the industrial sections, given that I lived in that area for about two years. I've walked through the historic sections (really beautiful old houses) a couple blocks east of Bradley. I went to different fests there (forget what they were called, but I saw a destruction derby for the first time at one,) went hiking/bike riding along forest preserves/trails. Between the different jobs/internships I had there, and the people I met both in and out of college, I felt I got a really good feeling of the place. I even kept up with a bit of the local politics, at least what was sometimes broadcasted on the public radio stations. Peoria really has a little bit of everything... but still just doesn't feel like a full city to me. (I do miss 105.7 "The X" though.)

lol no need to describe all that to me man....Peoria is my home and I love it and know it inside and out.