Small town feel with enough big city amenities.

Ignore all the types on this reddit that wont stop ranting about "Muh Trumpers MAGA bigots" everywhere. They have an unhealthy obsession and are best left to themselves to rant about it - which is why they often coincidentally complain about not having friends. (I wonder why people - even with similar political and worldviews don't want to hang out with them. Misery loves its company)

Springfield is actually pretty diverse in terms of subcultures. A crazy mix here. Alot of parks that are pretty nice despite low property taxes. Schools aren't terrible either.

You get alot of bang for your buck. Moved from Illinois in August 2022 as a family of 5 and its amazing how much affordable it is to go downtown with your family then it is in Chicago.