"I wanna be your kingpin, Living in Pekin, I wanna be your bigwig, Living in Pekin" (-- Wilco, "Kingpin")
Not to be confused with the city in China, Pekin, Illinois has a small-town feel yet offers pretty much everything you need to live well. It is popular with families and people who like the rural ambiance. Just don’t expect a whole lot of action here, or even in neighboring Peoria. For that, you’ll need to make the two-hour trek to Chicago or St. Louis.
What'll It Cost?
"I wanna be your kingpin, Living in Pekin, I wanna be your bigwig, Living in Pekin" (-- Wilco, "Kingpin")
Not to be confused with the city in China, Pekin, Illinois has a small-town feel yet offers pretty much everything you need to live well. It is popular with families and people who like the rural ambiance. Just don’t expect a whole lot of action here, or even in neighboring Peoria. For that, you’ll need to make the two-hour trek to Chicago or St. Louis.
What'll It Cost?
Living in the sticks has one main advantage: the rent is super very low. There are some truly amazing deals to be had in this town, and you can get a stylin pad for the same rent as a run-down shack in Chicago. A studio apartment for rent in Pekin won't set you back too much. It should actually be a bit less than the rest of Illinois, if you find a good spot. If you are willing to splurge a bit more (a few hundred bucks more, sometimes), you can often find two bedroom apartments that'll treat you right.
What About Pets?
Pekin is still a rural place, and animals are usually welcomed in houses and apartments. Since you can rent an entire house with a yard at a low rate, get a place where rover can have a fenced-in backyard to enjoy.
What You Need
The majority of the homes for rent are landlord managed, which tends to make the renting process easier. A neat appearance goes a long way, as do some decent references and a job.
When to Start Looking
You can get a better feel for the town in the spring and summer, when the sun is out, the flowers and trees come back to life, and families are out and about. Having said that, you can move in anytime. Start your search for apartments in Pekin at least a month before you want to move since the town is pretty small and turnover tends to be on the low side.
Washington Street: This neighborhood is just a couple of blocks from downtown and has a lot of historical mansions still standing. There arent too many places left in the country where you can live in a 150-year-old six bedroom home for the same price as you’d pay for a cramped apartment in a big city.
East Pekin: This east-of-town area is golf course central. If living on the green is your cup of tea, then this is where you want to be. Here you can eat breakfast on your porch, walk down the steps, and tee off.
Myers Lake: This southeast-of-town neighborhood has the advantage of being right on a cool little lake. If you search for rental homes on Westshore Drive or Rosewood Lane, you can have your very own dock. Before you get too excited, though, this lake is pretty small. You can swim across it in a few minutes, and there are plenty of other people to share it with.
Lakeside:Just north of the downtown area along Pekin Lake, you'll find another cool neighborhood. There are plenty of tree-lined streets with single family homes, duplexes, and apartments to be found here. One of the best things about living in this neighborhood is the proximity to Pekin Lake and Illinois River. There are no lakefront homes with private docks here.
Although Pekin is too far away for a timely commute to either Chicago or St. Louis, you can zip up to Peoria in about 10 minutes. This part of Illinois is home to a whole slew of companies, which is where most of the residents work. The people of Pekin enjoy their small-town lives, with rural Illinois literally right outside of town.
Get a Car
Unless you are content to wander the small downtown area, you will need a car. Public transportation is nowhere to be found here, but you can get around the area by bike if that's your thing.
Fun and Even More Fun
Most of the activities in Pekin revolve around enjoying the outdoors, at least in the summer. Swim or kayak in one of the lakes, take a run along the river, or play golf. There is the Dragonland Water Park, which is pretty decent for a town this small. As for the nightlife, Pekin pretty much shuts down after dinner, so those looking for more entertainment than what Netflix has to offer will need to head up the road to Peoria.
Food Options
Being right in the middle of rural America, Pekin doesn’t stray too far from the usual mid-west fare. There are some locally owned cafes in town as well as a few restaurants dishing up a little more exotic cuisine. Of course, there are also plenty of fast-food chains.
Festivals
Pekin puts on the Marigold Festival every year around Labor Day. The name sounds pretty dull, but it is actually a lot of fun. It draws crowds of over 100,000, and has a carnival, a 5k race, and lots of other good stuff. Other nearby events include the Washington Cherry Festival and the Festival of Lights.
