Moving to Urbana/Champaign IL

[Jaimee]

Dh just got a faculty position at UI Urbana/Champaign so my family is relocating around May/June of this year.  We have two kids so I've got lots of questions about where to live, schools, pediatricians, grocery stores, and parenting groups.

I have done some preliminary searches and found the following things.  I would love any other information, suggestions, or recommendations you have as well!

• Schools: our dd is 4 and will need some sort of preschool, half days preferably and a nice mix of play, structure, nature, and academic learning.  Here are the schools I've found so far...

Montessori School in Savoy

Montessori Habitat School

Lab School in the Child Development Lab at UI

• Grocery Stores: we're vegetarians that eat mostly organic and local when we can get it

Strawberry Fields

Common Grounds

• Pediatricians: we do not vaccinate and would also love a doctor that is supportive of extended breastfeeding, co-sleeping, etc.

??

• Parenting Groups: AP, NP, buying clubs, playgroups, LLL, API, etc.  What groups are active and welcoming?

LLL in Champaign

API in Peoria

Natural Family Living Yahoo Group in Champaign

Mothers and More Yahoo Group in Champaign

Attachment Parenting Meetup in Bloomington

The Champaign Urbana Parents Meetup

Urbana Champaign Holistic Health Meetup

• Neighborhoods: where to buy a house??  We are looking for a 4bd house with room for a garden.

We've heard of the "Faculty Ghetto" or "Professor Row" to the east of the University

What is the flavor of Urbana vs. Champaign?

Where are the new houses?

Where are the nice, remodeled older homes?

Recommendations for realtors that really know the area and can take care of business efficiently?

• Natural parenting stores?  Baby carriers, cloth diapers, etc.?
• Weather: we live in Baltimore, MD right now... many months of cold and how much snow are we talking?  :)

Thanks for all your help!!!

[Rachel727]

Hi Jaimee! I live in the C-U area, also called Chambana by the local ;)  We are actually outside of town, trying to sell our house with the hopes to move to Urbana soon!  For more information on the schools and other general info I'd check out chambanamoms.com  it is a local blog/website done by two moms.  They have done a lot of posts lately on preschools, including the ones you've mentioned.  As far as where to live, Champaign, Urbana, and Savoy are all connected.  If you are planning on public school for your kids I'd check out the website I mentioned Champaign schools (which is also what Savoy is a part of) has what's called School of Choice, that website has done several articles about it and I would look into that before buying in Savoy or Champaign, just so you know what you are geting into!  Not that it is neccesarilly bad, but it is the reason we will be moving to Urbana, i just don't want to deal with it :)  Common Ground food Co-Op is a great store, as is Strawberry Fields although lately they have gotten a little too into the supplements for me!  We also have a great Farmer's Market in Urbana.

Doctor's I'm not really sure of, we have a great Family Medicine doctor, but I don't think she is accepting new patients (I believe she cut her hours cause she has young kids).  We have done some vaccines and not others and changed the schedule around and she has never tried to get us to do anything we didn't want to....Groups- I was/am in a great one, we used to be on meet-up but changed to a facebook group because out kids were al getting older and we just didn't have the time to meet-up regularly (my oldest is 5.5 and youngest 2.5).  We do still do a few things together, if you're interested and on facebook send me a message and I can send it to you.  The C-U parents meetup group I know is a pretty big group, I had some friends in and last I knew they seemed to do a lot.  I have never went to a LLL meeting, although always wanted to- maybe if we have another baby!  Bloomington is about 45minutes and Peoria is at least 2 hours (although I'm thinking more like 3).  the Mothers and More group was featured on that website so you can check that out as well.

If you are interested in certain types of neighborhoods I'd be glad to send you some more info.  I have the ones I like, but would have to double check on their actual names.  Keep in mind though, I am not into new construction :)  C-U is a really great place to live, there are also a lot of big nice parks!  Lots of big old trees too, I actually think they have the most trees for a city that size (I remember my husband mentioning he read that somewhere).  There are also several local CSA's, we actually just joined one this year.

Natural Parenting stores- a great store B. Lime baby- they have a website and are on facebook check them out.  There is also BabyLand in Savoy and they sell some cloth diapers too.  B-Lime is a "green" store.  they sell all different sorts of "green" things it's a great store.  babyland is mostly a baby store (furniture, car seats, strollers) but they also sell diapers and baby carriers.

Weather-  Well today it's sunny and I feel hopeful that spring will come, yesterday i was pretty sure it never would!  This has been one of the worst winters ever, and I have lived close to here my whole life.  I hate winter and the cold, but you live and learn to deal with it...or you just complain the whole time :)  You really never know what you are going to get here!

Hope this helps, feel free to PM me with any other questions.

[Jaimee]

Thank you Rachel!  I will definitely PM you!

[tschifo]

This was very helpful for me, too. We are moving to Mahomet in June.

What about parks and swimming pools? What are good places to take a 5 year old and 2.5 year old?

We are expecting mid-June, so maybe I'll check out my first LLL meeting. It's on my bucket list.

[NettleTea]

Great music scene in Urbana/Champaign

[hlwadw]

We are moving to C-U in the next couple of months.  We have a 2 year old and a newborn.  Did you find any recommendations for a peditrician that supports no vaccinations or an alternate schedule?  

[Jaimee]

We moved here about two weeks ago and our stuff just arrived today!  It's been a rough time, but we are excited to finally be in our house with our things.  Anyway, we did find a ped that is supposed to be non-vax friendly.  I haven't officially interviewed him and my first appointment isn't until September, but I've heard great things about him.  His name is Dr. Melvin and he's at Carle Clinic.

I'm still looking for recs for a family doctor or general MD for me and my dh.

[hlwadw]

Glad you made it and are settled!  Moving is never fun.  This is the second time I have heard Dr Melvin's name.  I will check him out.  If I hear any suggestions for general MD's I will let you know.

[Jaimee]

We decided to sign up for Dr. Uzodike at Christie for our doctor.  She's gotten some good recommendations, so we'll see.  We're down in SE Urbana, so Carle and Christie clinics on Windsor are within walking distance.

[pabm42]

Are any of you sill living in Champaign? We are moving there Saturday! I was google-ing non vax friendly Dr's in Champaign and came across this thread. Have you found a Dr? I also read there are a couple naturopaths there? I have a two year old and am moving to Union and Prospect area. Let's hang out! 

[Jbred1978]

HI there!

I also just moved back into town with my 16 month old and am looking for a no vax dr. I have two names, Dr Melvin and Dr Uzodike from this website, but haven't checked them out yet.  I've tried looking everywhere, Chambanamoms, and asking around, but not with a lot of luck.  Any info you find would be very helpful!!

[Jbred1978]

Did you end up liking Dr. Uzodike?  I have to choose a dr soon for our no-vax baby and was hoping for some feedback.  Thanks!

[momnom]

Hi Jaimee,

I was googling about moving to Urbana-Champaign and came across this thread. My husband is also about to take up a faculty position at UIUC and we will be moving to U-C soon.

Would you mind sharing your overall experience so far? Were there any surprises? Do you wish you had know something before you moved?

Thanks

Edited by momnom - 2/6/13 at 8:58am

[Jaimee]

Sorry, everyone, I haven't kept up with this thread!  We are using Dr.  Melvin as our ped and he's fine.  What I need from a ped is someone that is fine with no vaxing, supportive of breastfeeding, and doesn't push meds.  He works just fine for all these things.  He has cut back on his hours, though, so getting in with him is more challenging than it was.  Dr. Uzodike is fine as well.  I haven't used her much since I've moved here- just for a physical- and it was nice that I could get my gynecological check ups taken care of at the same time since she's family practice. 

My overall impression of this place is that it is okay... not my favorite place I've lived by far, but the people are nice.  Mostly I'm not a big fan of the weather.  There haven't been any surprises and not really anything I wish I knew before moving as I did a ton of research and was pretty prepared.  Do you have some more specific questions I could answer more thoroughly?

[momnom]

No problem. Thanks for getting back.

Here are some specific questions:

• What about safety? Do you feel safe getting around with the kids? 
• Do you have any suggestions for nice family friendly neighborhoods for house-hunting?
• When you say you don't like the weather - is it the cold? Is it generally sunny or are the winters cloudy and gloomy?
• Are there things to do as a family - you know festivals, farmer's market - that sort, to take the kiddos to?
• Do you have any suggestions for a day care center?

[Jaimee]

Some updates....

Originally Posted by Jaimee 

• Schools:

*Montessori School in Savoy (nice, but expensive)

*Montessori Habitat School (disorganized and hard to get a hold of... basically if they don't call you back, there isn't any room)

*Lab School in the Child Development Lab at UI (only does full day now, except for half day 4's next year and then that will be it... I can't really recommend it for 4's, but for younger kids it would be good.  I say this b/c I was super unimpressed with the fact that they do not instruct the kids at all- they only follow their lead.  For 4 year olds, I personally want some instruction mixed into the play that introduces the kids to phonics, counting, etc. to prepare them for kinder)

*Campus Cooperative: I've signed my 3 year old son up for this program this coming academic year.  Great reviews.

*Cooperative Nursery School: unimpressed with the facilities and program for 4's, but younger might be fine

*Mother's Morning Out: has a preschool as well as drop in hours

• Grocery Stores: we're vegetarians that eat mostly organic and local when we can get it

Strawberry Fields (good for natural supplements)

Common Grounds (great for produce)

Meijer (actually has a fair number or organic items)

• Pediatricians: we do not vaccinate and would also love a doctor that is supportive of extended breastfeeding, co-sleeping, etc.

Dr. Melvin

Dr. Uzodike

• Parenting Groups: AP, NP, buying clubs, playgroups, LLL, API, etc. 

*CU Buying Cooperative Yahoo Group (I started this group and we're very active)

*LLL in Champaign (semi-active as far as I can tell, though I haven't been to a meeting)

*API in Peoria (too far)

*Natural Family Living Yahoo Group in Champaign (very active group... definitely join!)

*The Champaign Urbana Parents Meetup (semi- active as far as I can tell)

*Urbana Champaign Holistic Health Meetup (unsure)

*Chambanamoms website

• Neighborhoods: where to buy a house??  We are looking for a 4bd house with room for a garden.

*We've heard of the "Faculty Ghetto" or "Professor Row" to the east of the University: yes, nice brick lined streets with tall trees, older homes.   To get an updated home, the prices were out of our range.  If you're fine with a fixer, then this is a great neighborhood with a great school (Leal), a nice neighborhood park (Carle), close to the Urbana Library, the co-op, and the Farmer's Market

*We purchased a home in the Myra Ridge complex, which is south of Windsor and east of Philo.  We like it here a lot- nice neighborhood, close to stores, neighborhood park, close to Meadowbrook park, great neighbors and larger yards.

What is the flavor of Urbana vs. Champaign?  I would say that east Champagin (like Old Town) and west Urbana feel similar to me with the older homes, tight knit neighborhood feel, etc.  Urbana has an over all crunchier feel to it while Champaign has more newer housing developments as you head out west, and more of a developed feel as you head out NW to where all the big stores are (and the mall)

• Natural parenting stores?  Baby carriers, cloth diapers, etc.?  BabyLand in Savoy, the other two stores are now online only
• Weather: we live in Baltimore, MD right now... many months of cold and how much snow are we talking?  :)  Well, it's cold from October through April with January and February being the coldest, usually.  We haven't had a ton of snow, but some.  It's not often grey, mostly sunny actually so that helps, but cold for so long is tough with the kids and the germs.

[glassesgirlnj]

I have not lived in UC in 20 years, and never as a parent, so I didn't add anything to this thread... but I want to echo what Jaimee said about the weather, ESPECIALLY in winter. 15-20 degrees below zero (Fahrenheit) is not uncommon, and the prairie winds are FIERCE. I remember walking from my dorm to my class about two blocks away, wearing two layers of gloves, and by the time I got to my classroom building, my hands were too numb to turn the door handle.

If you're from Canada or something, that probably sounds like nothing to you... ;) But those from warmer climes may want to be aware of it.

[leighton2]

Hello everyone! I'm also looking into preschools in the Champaign area. I toured Campus Cooperative Preschool and really liked what I saw. I was also looking at the Montessori school. Does anyone what the weekly tuition is?

[leighton2]

Jamiee- Do you have anymore info on Campus Cooperative Preschool?

[Jaimee]

The Montessori in Savoy is great, but pricey.  It's about $4500 for the year.  The Reggio Emilia school is similar in price.