I Think Illinois is Underrated, But 5 Places Really Do Scare Me

I am full of unpopular opinions and this will feature several of them. First, I do think Illinois is an underrated state that gets a bad rap. But, there are 5 places in the Land of Lincoln that really do scare the living daylights out of me.

I was not born in Illinois, but have lived and worked in the state many times in my life. That doesn't make me an expert, but I feel like I've earned the right to have an opinion about the good and bad places in the state.

Let's start with the positive. I think Illinois is a much better state than many give it credit for. I even think Chicago has some endearing qualities which is not a popular thing to say if you're downstate. I've always found that natives to be friendly and while I do think the taxes suck, that's not the fault of the people that live here.

Now that's out of the way, let's point out 5 places in Illinois that I really feel trepidation about. Some are scarier than others, but all are on my "don't go there unless you have to" list.

Peoria, Illinois

There's a reason why Peoria, Illinois gets an F rating by Area Vibes for its crime rate. It may be my imagination, but I get a Haddonfield, Illinois feeling when traveling through Peoria. No, Haddonfield is not a real place, but it was for Michael Myers in the Halloween movies.

Danville, Illinois

I had family members that lived in Danville once, but they just kind of disappeared. When I visited them once, the people in Danville didn't seem to like me much which is probably a compliment to them. The fact that they're nearly in Indiana is not a plus. Sorry, David Letterman.

Metropolis, Illinois

This is an awkward admission as it's not cool to hate on the Superman's hometown in Illinois, but Kentucky is right across the river and I simply don't have enough leg tattoos to feel comfortable.

Taylorville, Illinois

Do not go to or near Taylorville, Illinois unless you are a perfect driver otherwise you will end up with a ticket. Don't ask me how I know. I used to attend many concerts in Taylorville and I swear I never went there without seeing flashing lights of some sort. If I could describe Taylorville with two words, it would be "CITIZEN'S ARREST!".

East St. Louis, Illinois

The last time I drove through East St. Louis, Illinois was by accident. I took a wrong turn and ended up driving through the main drag there and (I'm not making this up) there were smoldering homes and people walking by them like nothing was wrong. For East St. Louis, Illinois, a house that has just burned down is the least of your worries I suppose.