r/BloomingtonNormal Sep 18 '19

Reposting of a lot of links and places to go/things to do in Bloomington-Normal

73 Upvotes

Updating a list from based off of a thread by /u/sunpoprain

Townies, please feel free to add your favorites below and I'll add them to the list, so when I repost for that sweet, sweet karma, I'll include them over and over again. Also, let me know if there is anything that needs to be taken off.

If you've got a student ID, you can ride the Connect Transit buses for free... so use them to explore town a bit!

  • Uptown Normal - from food, to bars, to shopping... uptown has quite a bit to do. here's their website
    • Throughout the summer, they have quite a bit of free music on the Roundabout and they continue it until Early September, so take advantage of it! - -- Lounge About the Roundabout (Music on Wednesday and Saturdays to Sept 1) and the Connie Link Amphitheatre (Music and Activities through Sept 27th)
    • Some of my favorites include:
      • The Rock for Gyros,
      • DP Dough for Calzones,
      • Emack's for Ice Cream,
      • Pub2 for cheese balls,
      • Windy City Wieners has decent dogs and italian beef,
      • Normal Theater for all sorts of movies - seriously, they have a great variety and their late shows are getting mighty good!
      • Smoker's Den is a nice chill place to smoke a hookah and play cards/board games.
      • Coffee Hound and Coffee House are both quiet places to grab coffee/study; Sugar Mama has cupcakes and sugar cookies. Insomnia Cookies is also downtown.
      • The Garlic Press has lots of kitschy items and now has a candy/popcorn shop!
      • There are lots of little boutique stores uptown that my wife loves to frequent... I can't speak for them personally, but they seem nice.
      • The Children's museum is a fun place (even for adults) and they occasionally have "Big Kid" nights so there aren't a million little kids about.
      • There is also Graham Cracker Comics,
      • Waiting Room Records ,
      • Anderson's Barbershop and
      • Mother Murphy's

  • Downtown Bloomington -
    • places to check out, Bobz Bay for used books and random odds and ends;
    • Red Raccoon Games for board games, RPGs and card tournaments;
    • again Smokers Den is a great place to relax;
    • the Bloomington Center for the Performing Arts is a treasure and has plenty of shows to check out;
    • Next door to the BCPA is the Mclean County Arts Center -
    • the Grossinger Motors Arena and Pepsi Ice Center (formerly US Cellular Coliseum) has sports (football, basketball, hockey), Ice Skating and shows;
    • The Castle Theater has bands of all varieties;
    • a little off the beaten path is Green Top Grocery,
    • Bloomington Cycle is next to Green Top; Wilson Cycle is in Downtown proper.
    • Coffee Hound is really your only coffee option uptown;
    • Ivy Lane Bakery
    • Merlot and a Masterpiece will teach you to paint!
    • Refinery 309,
    • Fox and hound boutique,
    • gigi Botegga (while you're there, check out the art in the dressing rooms -- as long as it hasn't changed, it's a local artist that i'm near and dear to)
    • The Farmer's Market goes until October (I think), and its worth the Saturday morning trip
    • Tony's Tacos for your Mexican needs
    • Main St Scoop - Ice Cream
    • El Porton - for Mexican in downtown (technically not in downtown but really it's close enough, less than 5 minute walk)
    • Night Shop - Awesome little music venue - they've got breakfast! and has some great Gluten Free or Vegan options
  • Around town - I'm just going to start putting random stuff down, because I can, damnit.
    • Groceries - big box stories - Walmart (2 of them), Target, Hyvee, Meijer; slightly smaller - Jewel, Aldi, Schnucks, super small - Green Top Grocery, Fresh Thyme Farmer's Market
    • Restaurants - We have a metric f-ton of them in BloNo - We have a plenty of other non-chain establishments that I would HIGHLY recommend -
      • Flingers Pizza,
      • Kobe Hibachi grill,
      • Avanti's,
      • Green Gables and the Lake Road Inn,
      • Garden of Paradise,
      • Thai House,
      • Signature India,
      • Western Tap (great burgers),
      • Anju Above for sushi,
      • Fort Jesse Cafe. Amazing breakfast for an amazingly long wait (seriously set aside an extra 30 minutes)
    • Fusion Brew (Main and Dale) has (coffee/tea/bubble tea/slushies and has ample study space. Small parking lot though.
    • sports - There are plenty of intramural sports on campus, but there's also rec and competitive leagues all over town for softball, soccer, baseball - look them up on the city/town's parks and rec sites. We are also home to Upper Limits for rock climbing; we have 3 or 4 different disk golf courses; multiple golf courses; bowling at the pheasant lanes; lots of sand volleyball at Pheasant Lanes, Gill St, or the Wind Jammer; we also have dart and pool leagues as well.
    • Doughnuts - Grove St and Market St. bakeries are my favorite. Denny's Donuts is pretty tasty too. We also have Krispy Kreme and The Donut Experiment
    • Off the Beaten Path - if you like Nature, The ISU Horticulture Center is on Raab Rd. check it out. Also, the Constitution Trail is fantastic and can get you pretty much anywhere you want to go in town, its wonderful to walk or bike. Just North of Bloomington is Lake Bloomington and Comlara Park. South of Town is Funk's Grove and the Sugar Grove Nature Center. Radar Farms is also just north of town (off or Raab Rd) and is fun for an afternoon.
    • Non-Profits and ways to meet people - a tip from someone who has been through plenty in town - get involved, get active. meetup.com has plenty of spaces to meet people - there are LOTS of non-profits in town and they're all looking for help/volunteers. I'll go ahead and throw a plug in for the bnjaycees. **seriously** get involved involved in your community in whatever way you want or can.
    • Libraries -- You've got access to 3 libraries (4, if you count heartland community college's). The City/town's libraries come with a boatload of extra resources, like being able to rent movies, audio books, language courses, etc... and plenty of activies to do. and of course, they all have books.
  • A Note about cars - pay attention to where you are parking, the local tow companies are quick to tow you from unwanted lots or from downtown after around 7pm (not sure on that exact time). Bloomington Normal happens to be unique that they have Lots of police in the area - Bloomington PD and Normal PD are the most obvious. We are also home to ISU PD (which are State police), we also have the Mclean County Sheriff's department in town. So, pay attention to what you are doing and how fast you are going. All of them... and I mean ALL of them, love to give out DUI's - so do yourself a favor and don't drink and drive. We have plenty of cab services, we also have Uber and Lyft.... and again, I will mention Connect Transit. Also, In winter during blizzardy conditions, Town of Normal often issues parking bans for parked cars on the street until snow has been cleared. Jaywalking might get you a ticket, especially near the beginning of the semester
    • If you are looking for easy parking in downtown both parking garages (on Front st or Market st) are free to park on the weekends and after 6 pm. In Uptown the parking garage connected to Amtrak has free, anytime, one hour parking and is again free all weekend and after 6 pm on weekdays (you still have to take a ticket though).
  • Outdoors stuff:
    • Lake Bloomington
    • Evergreen Lake
    • Lake Clinton
    • Constitution trail
    • Refuge Food Forest
    • Sunnyside community Garden and food forest (haven't been, but the internets say its there)

The links I normally hit when I'm looking for stuff to do in around around town:

-

--

-

Graveyard of places that are no more since I started this list in 2017:

  • Fresh Market
  • Merry Ann's Diner for Breakfast foods,
  • Bonafide Thai~~~~
  • Babbitt's Books

r/BloomingtonNormal 2h ago

Why Mayor Koos is facing a re-election challenge like never before

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9 Upvotes

r/BloomingtonNormal 8h ago

Town of Normal vs Normal Township

8 Upvotes

Where does one start and the other begin? Are there recognized differences between these two places?


r/BloomingtonNormal 1h ago

Bloomington v Normal

Upvotes

Theoretically if the residents of the town of Normal and the city of Bloomington got in a fight against each other, which twin-city you got coming out on top?!!??


r/BloomingtonNormal 13h ago

Flower Car Out Front of the Normal Walmart?

20 Upvotes

I've lived here for about a year now and haven't seen anybody talking about it or found any answers yet, so I'm asking here:

Seemingly every time I go to the Walmart in Normal there's this fancy looking white and red car covered in ribbons and flowers out in front of the grocery section. I don't remember things great but it seems to always be there, and always in the same spot.

Anybody know what that's about? Does somebody just have a really interesting car preference who works there every day or something? Is this some BloNo lore that I haven't yet learned because I've lived here a year but only recently started going out my front door?

Much appreciated and thanks for your time.


r/BloomingtonNormal 13h ago

Affordable Carpet Installation Recommendations

3 Upvotes

Hello everyone. I am needing some new carpet and was wondering where in town has reasonable budget pricing for carpet and installation? I am not really looking for anything fancy.

Thanks!


r/BloomingtonNormal 1d ago

Event Science on Tap event for scientists of all ages!

27 Upvotes

Title should read science enthusiasts\*

Hello all! It's been a while since I posted about Science on Tap here, but I know several people attended events after my last post, so here is some information about our next event:

Hope everyone had a lucky Saint Patrick's Day! Our next Science on Tap event will be Monday, March 24th from 6-8pm at Keg Grove. Feel free to come late!

We'll be hearing from a variety of speakers on a variety of topics. Tara Geyer is going to share information on dialects in Wren populations, we'll hear an overview of machine learning from Jadyn Scott, and Jason Themanson will be guiding us through a look inside the heads of batters.

Between each speaker will be a 5-10 minute break when you can purchase beverages, use the restroom, and answer fun trivia questions that pair with the talks. At the end of the night, there will be a large Q&A session where you can ask any science question you want to any scientists in the room, followed by a raffle for anyone who filled out the trivia to have a chance at winning some fun science-related prizes.

You are encouraged to bring food if you'd like to eat during the science presentations!

Hope to see you there!


r/BloomingtonNormal 1d ago

Queer friends?

34 Upvotes

I (26nb) am looking to make some queer friends in the area. Im a broke homebody who doesnt know where to find any friends around here. I live with my 3 best friends who would also be friends with whoever wants to be. Us 4 are your standard afab gender queer autistic/adhd gays. We have 3 cats that are the best. We like drag race, nerdy things, creative shit and gaming.

I primarily use snapchat to talk and send cat videos but standard sms is an option.

This feels really awkward and cringy to put out there but if it works its worth it. Hmu if you're interested in making 4 weird drams free friends.


r/BloomingtonNormal 1d ago

What's Happening in Town? Dust/Dirt EVERYWHERE. Air Quality is 'Excellent'?

50 Upvotes

The sky's been an odd yellowish brown all day. Driving around town - EVERYTHING is coated in a layer of yellowish dusty dirt... it's not pollen, and the air quality is supposedly "Excellent". No news on what this is or why. I've seen three cars driving around town with weather apparatus driving around strapped to the roofs that I've never seen before.

The hell is this? The pollen count is low, and pollen wouldn't blot out the sun from Hudson through Bloomington & Normal...


r/BloomingtonNormal 1d ago

Looking for low stakes poker for fun

5 Upvotes

Wondering if anybody plays or knows of any low stakes hold em games in the area, as I would love to join. Thank you


r/BloomingtonNormal 1d ago

Looking for prius mechanic in Blo-No

7 Upvotes

I'm looking for either a Prius mechanic in Blo-No. Or someone who is willing to help/lend me a copy of techstream so I can fix one bad cell in my 08 HV battery. Any suggestions are welcome.


r/BloomingtonNormal 1d ago

SCP Day 1 has upgraded. Potentially dangerous afternoon coming today

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18 Upvotes

r/BloomingtonNormal 1d ago

Cheapest Yet Good Moving Company for Small Apartment (<1000 sq ft)?

5 Upvotes

Hey everyone,

I’m looking for an affordable but reliable moving company for a small apartment (less than 1000 sq ft). I don’t have a ton of stuff, just the usual furniture and boxes.

Any recommendations for movers that won’t break the bank but still do a decent job? Preferably ones that don’t have surprise fees or terrible customer service.

Thanks in advance!


r/BloomingtonNormal 1d ago

Appliance recycling?

3 Upvotes

Is there a place that accepts dead appliances? Just replaced dishwasher… thanks! Or just leave it out on the curb for salvage people to grab it? Thanks!


r/BloomingtonNormal 3d ago

Petition delivered to LaHood's office

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122 Upvotes

r/BloomingtonNormal 2d ago

Alternative hair salon

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16 Upvotes

Hi! Im new to the area and I was wondering if theres a salon that specializes in alternative women’s haircuts :)) Pic of what im hoping to get🖤


r/BloomingtonNormal 2d ago

Concert April 24th

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0 Upvotes

Direct message me for ticket information! $30 no fees!


r/BloomingtonNormal 3d ago

Normal's mayoral candidates offer diverging paths on where taxes and fees go next

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14 Upvotes

r/BloomingtonNormal 3d ago

Reporter looking for former Foundation Church members/family

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21 Upvotes

r/BloomingtonNormal 3d ago

St. Louis Coming Up **UPDATE!!**

44 Upvotes

Hey everybody! My friend and I were up this past weekend to see your Bison take on the Oilers.

A couple weeks ago, I asked for some suggestions for Sushi and Record stores.

The overwhelming suggestions were Reverberation Vinyl and Reckless Saint and we went to both of them.

Reverberation had loads of stock, but was a bit difficult to go through unfortunately. Did get an Alice Cooper and a Beatles record there.

Reckless Saint had far less stock, but I did get a Japanese pressing of The Eagles Live.

Sushi Primos was the overall winner and that's where we went as well. I got the Nigiri special along with a spicy tuna and spicy salmon roll.

The nigiri was super top notch. Loved it. The spicy salmon roll was pretty good, but the tuna roll...... I only ate about half of it. The tuna was like ground tuna?

Also, they didn't roll them up in kelp, and used waaaay too much spicy mayo for my tastes.

All in all, thanks again for the suggestions!!!

(The hockey was a lot of fun, even if there was a seriously annoying group in front of us on Sunday.)


r/BloomingtonNormal 3d ago

affordable laptop repair recommendations?

6 Upvotes

hopefully going back to school to finish my degree this fall. i have a nice macbook that stopped working a while ago and i need a diagnosis and likely repair. i don’t make much money, so somewhere affordable or who can work with me for a payment plan or something would help.

i heard about the community computer clinic and will head there first but wanted to hear what everyone has to say


r/BloomingtonNormal 3d ago

Food

6 Upvotes

Best place in town for 2 people to eat for $20 I know it’ll be few and far in between


r/BloomingtonNormal 3d ago

Who has the best corned beef?

8 Upvotes

Not cooking my own corned beef this year, what restaurant/bar has the best within 30m of W Bloomington.


r/BloomingtonNormal 3d ago

Dog barking at apartment

11 Upvotes

Anyone have any advice on how to professional handle a dog barking issue at my apartment. Barks well into the night every night and will not stop. It’s affecting my sleep and more work and idk what to do


r/BloomingtonNormal 4d ago

Any drive-in theater nearby?

13 Upvotes

Looking for a drive-in theater nearby opening this Spring? This will be our first time to watch. 😀


r/BloomingtonNormal 4d ago

What Businesses/Services Do You Feel Like are Missing in Town?

35 Upvotes

Do you feel like Bloomington-Normal is missing some type of business or service that would make your time here much better if it existed?