Sterling has a long and important history as an industrial center in the Midwest, with a particular focus on the manufacturing and steel industries. In fact, it's actually officially known as "The Hardware Capital of the World!"
Nowadays the city continues to adapt and diversify to keep up with the modern world
Sterling has a long and important history as an industrial center in the Midwest, with a particular focus on the manufacturing and steel industries. In fact, it's actually officially known as "The Hardware Capital of the World!"
Nowadays the city continues to adapt and diversify to keep up with the modern world. There are two industrial parks in the city, with plans for two more to be developed, and the city has also become an important retail hub as well. Around the city of 15,370 people there is little but agricultural fields, a common sight in the Midwest, and Rock River runs directly south along its border, with Rock Falls on the other side. Nearby settlements include Dixon to the east and Morrison to the west, while the cities of Davenport and Rockford are about 40 miles from the city to the southwest and northeast respectively. All of these communities are easily reachable via Route 40, 30, and Interstate 110 to the south of the city.
Due to its lack of proximity to any major settlements, most people tend to live and work in the city of Sterling itself, rather than commuting out for work (although some do). This tends to lower average income rates and, as a result, real estate prices are also generally lower. The vacancy rate in Sterling is about the national average, at a little under 12 percent, so it's hard to know how easy it will be to find apartments and houses to live in. About 25 percent of places are apartment buildings, which is quite high for a small city in the Midwest, so finding an apartment for rent in Sterling, whether one, two, or three bedrooms, should be doable. It's a good idea to start searching early to give yourself ample time to find a place that suits you, especially if you have specific requirements like finding all-bills-paid apartments where everything is included in the rental price.
Sterling has several small neighborhoods around the main city, as well as a couple of larger ones that stretch off beyond its boundaries.
City Center: This is where you'll find the downtown area, home to most of the restaurants in the city. Kelly's, Fung Ming Restaurant, and Maria's Pizza are all worth a look.
E 4th Street / 12th Avenue: Dillon Home Museum is right down by the water's edge on Rock River. There's a nice pond and a couple of tennis courts at Thomas Park in the north.
Freeport Road / E Lincolnway: Need to go shopping? Well, head over to Northland Mall Shopping Center and you'll find just about everything you might need.
Mccue Road / W 37th Street: You won't find so many rental apts in Sterling if you're looking out here, but you will have plenty of detached housing to choose from. You might need a car to get there, but there's a big Walmart Supercenter for all your grocery needs.
With a WalkScore of 97, Sterling is described as a "walkers paradise," with just about everything in town within easy reach of each other. That is, as long as you live in the center, anyway. If you live farther out, you'll need a car to get into the city, and you might want one anyway for longer trips outside of the city. If you commute to nearby Rockford or Davenport you certainly will, and for longer trips over to Chicago to the east, you'll need a vehicle of some kind.
There are lots of parks in Sterling, which is great for those sunny days, and plenty of sporting recreation to be enjoyed as well. Restaurants are pretty centrally located, and that's where you'll find the city's bars as well -- the Leisure Time Billiards Bar and Starlights Theatre and Lounge offering two different types of settings. There are also a couple of museums, ample local shopping, and plenty of banks to grab some cash when you're running low. All in all, just about everything you need can be found right there in the middle of town.
