Peorians are pretty darned proud of their little city. Ask a Peorian about the best places to live in the city and you’ll get a bunch of street names. Although official neighborhood names exist, nobody seems to use them. The city isn’t laid out on a square grid, so that might be part of the problem. I know this isn’t especially helpful for someone who isn’t familiar with Peoria, so let’s take a closer look and see if we can get yer livin’ sitch handled.
Peoria Partitions
West Bluff
Located north of Moss Avenue, the West Bluff neighborhood is broken down into sub-hoods: Columbia Terrace North, Armstrong Ellis, University East, The Orchard District, Moss-Bradley, The Arbor and The Uplands. Rentals in the area include some very cool apartments, located in what used to be mansions. These apartments will run you between $650 and $1,950 a month.
Northwest Peoria
This part of the city gets a little confusing for the newcomer. You may hear folks refer to the “Dunlap area.” While the town of Dunlap is an independent entity, some of it lies within the northwest portion of the city of Peoria so many Peorians consider it a neighborhood. Apartments in this area run from $450 to $965 a month.
North Peoria
North Peoria has a little bit of everything, for every type of renter. Homes and apartments with all the bells and whistles are more expensive in this part of town, but you can also find some bargains. North Peoria has extended-stay type efficiency studios that run from $45 to $65 a night. Some newcomers take advantage of these units while they get the lay of the Peoria land and figure out where to rent permanently. Studio and 1 and 2 bedroom apartments will run you from $550 to $1,500.
Peoria Heights
Although Peoria Heights—“The Heights,” to locals -- is considered a village within the city of Peoria, it is usually included in discussions about Peoria neighborhoods. Although apartments aren’t exactly abundant in the heights, there are several complexes that offer 1 and 2 bedroom apartments with rents that range from $430 to $650 a month.
East Bluff
The East Bluff neighborhood apartment rents start at $550 a month, and you can rent an entire house for as little as $625 a month.
Downtown
Downtown Peoria offers some nice high-rise tower condos with city views and a doorman and several riverfront lofts. There’s usually an extra monthly fee to park in the downstairs garages. Smaller complexes offer rents that start at $550 with reasonable security deposits.
South Peoria
Known as “southside” to locals, the South Peoria neighborhood is located south of West Martin Luther King Drive. This is mostly a rural residential area of single-family homes. There are a few duplexes and some residents rent out rooms in their homes.
Peoria Tips
The lowest rent you’re likely to find in Peoria is right around $500 for an apartment. Types of rentals, aside from single-family homes, include condos, apartments, duplexes, suites and lofts. Some complexes have waiting lists and the process of renting an apartment can take some time as most property management firms perform a background check.