Do you like newspaper cartoons? Well, it might interest you to know that Helen E. Hokinson, a former resident of Mendota many years ago, was a cartoonist for The New Yorker for nearly 25 years between 1925 and 1949. Who knows what she came up with during the Wall Street Crash of 1929!
Mendota is a small city in LaSalle County, Illinois, with a population of 7,372
Do you like newspaper cartoons? Well, it might interest you to know that Helen E. Hokinson, a former resident of Mendota many years ago, was a cartoonist for The New Yorker for nearly 25 years between 1925 and 1949. Who knows what she came up with during the Wall Street Crash of 1929!
Mendota is a small city in LaSalle County, Illinois, with a population of 7,372. It's fairly well isolated, with the cities of Moline and Rockford being 70 and 55 miles to the west and north, respectively. If you travel about 80 miles to the east, you'll hit Chicago and the coast of Lake Michigan, just close enough for some motivated people to commute by rail or road.
There are almost 3,000 homes in Mendota, and many of them are vacant. Finding a property shouldn't be too difficult, and it won't be competitive like it would be in a major city or suburb. Most people tend to work in the city itself and the local area, driving to work as there's no transit system operating in the city.
There are one or two mobile homes around, but about 75% of the city is made up of detached housing in general, and the other 25% of small apartment blocks and the odd complex. House rentals are, therefore, easy to find, and generally rental prices are low. However, don't expect to find much high-paying work in the local area. This isn't New York, and there certainly isn't any Wall Street here! Studio apartments in Mendota are rare, so if you're on your own, be prepared to have to upgrade to a one-bedroom apartment rental. Two bedrooms, however, are common, so if you're moving in with someone, that would help.
You only have the choice between two neighborhoods when moving to Mendota, and they pretty much divide the city down the middle.
City Center: This area primarily comprises the southeast corner of the city which is dominated by detached housing, so there are plenty of places to rent here. Route 52 runs up the middle, while you'll find Interstate 39 going north over to the east. Mendota Community Hospital is also in the area.
Peterstown: There is more happening here. You've got the Mendota Amtrak in the southeast for travel across to Chicago, so it's good for commuters. Over in the northwest is the town's main recreational area, with two lakes -- Lake Mendota and Lake Kakusha -- sandwiching the best local park in the region.
The two lakes and park mentioned above are the center-point for outdoor recreation in the area, with fishing, boating, canoeing and swimming all popular, especially through the summer. The town is also home to a few museums, like the Hume-Carnegie Museum that shows off the local history of the city and surrounding area, and the Union Depot Railroad Museum for any train enthusiasts among you. Interstate 39 is easily reachable, while Routes 34 and 52 run through the city as well, heading in all major directions. The city has no transit system, however, so getting around is usually done by car or by the old-fashioned method of walking!
