"Our party is a diverse one, as is my home state of Illinois." -Dick Durbin
One thing that Salem, Illinois is best known for is its pervasive spirit and activist mentality. From the day this city was first founded, it has been the hot spot of debates and results. In fact, you know the G.I. Bill (which you will no doubt be familiar with if you're in the military)? It was founded here. Aside from this, there isn't much history here, but it does have a history of citizens that don't take any crap. According to the governor, that activist spirit still lives on in the city and many of the locals work hard to preserve the city's historical building and landmarks--just try to touch them and see what happens.
If you're looking for places to live in Salem, you'll definitely be able to find apartments with paid utilities, plenty of rental properties like house rentals and apartments, and even studio apartments
"Our party is a diverse one, as is my home state of Illinois." -Dick Durbin
One thing that Salem, Illinois is best known for is its pervasive spirit and activist mentality. From the day this city was first founded, it has been the hot spot of debates and results. In fact, you know the G.I. Bill (which you will no doubt be familiar with if you're in the military)? It was founded here. Aside from this, there isn't much history here, but it does have a history of citizens that don't take any crap. According to the governor, that activist spirit still lives on in the city and many of the locals work hard to preserve the city's historical building and landmarks--just try to touch them and see what happens.
If you're looking for places to live in Salem, you'll definitely be able to find apartments with paid utilities, plenty of rental properties like house rentals and apartments, and even studio apartments. You won't find any neighborhoods here, but you came for the spirit, right? It's all in the close-knit, one-big-neighborhood feel of this town.
If you're thinking of moving to Salem, you need to bring a few of the most common documents to secure a place once you find one. You'll also need these same documents to go through the application process. No matter what season you decide to begin your search (and vacancies are showing up throughout various times of the year), you will need to secure your place at least a month in advance. Here are the documents you need on hand: identification documents (marriage license if you have a name change), tax papers, W2 Forms, and the deposit and application fee.
Home of the Free, Land of the Weird
Salem is home to some very quirky artists and eccentric designers, and you'll see evidence of that around just about every corner. One place in particular that gains a lot of attention is Pollard's Collection.
Richard Pollard is a man who sees most junk as hidden treasure, so he refuses to throw away most things and decides to re-purpose them instead. Taking a tour through his collection off of the ever bustling Highway 37, you'll see what appears to be the victimized spot of a really strong tornado or hurricane. Mr. Pollard has crashed planes in his front yard--nose down to add to the appeal. And if you think that is weird, ask about the World War I cannon that he had sitting around until it was forcefully towed away. If you're in the area, stop in and visit this collection, so you can walk away saying you really have seen it all.
Check in a B&B for some R&R
In Salem, there are loads of bed and breakfast style inns for your benefit. Whether you have an out of town guest that you just don't want to deal with or you want to escape your own home, these inns offer some of the finest amenities in the area--and some may even have ghosts.
Get Active!
There are so many parks in this area that it would be impossible not to feel the urge to get out and give the track a quick whirl. However, if running or power walking isn't your thing, you may want to stop into Salem Bowl to show off your gutter skimming skills. Or you could just save yourself the embarrassment and enjoy a movie at Mac's Drive-In. Yes, they still have those around!
Getting Around
There are many things to do in and near Salem, but you will need your own car or you're going to have a problem here. You'd be smart to invest in four wheels around these parts.
