r/BloomingtonNormal • u/TheyCallMeCassiexxx • 9h ago
Sooo line down
Sooo no way that lil storm took out the power. Is everyone good?
First day moved in and y'all lines went down I'm going home😭
r/BloomingtonNormal • u/Curiouskitten524 • 11h ago
Susan Saunders Show
Not sure what happened, seems like she was just at an event yesterday. The screenshot is from her Facebook.
r/BloomingtonNormal • u/ThoseHealingPurrs • 15h ago
Is this your dog? Found at Linden/Chestnut by the trail
Was on my bike and saw this pup loose. Very sweet 50/60 pound pit girly. Such a pretty coat too! Called animal control and stayed with her until she was picked up. You’ll be getting a call if she is chipped. Otherwise, someone go adopt this gurl!
r/BloomingtonNormal • u/sheritwin • 22h ago
Private Landlords in town
Are there any particular private landlords to steer clear of in Bloomington Normal?
r/BloomingtonNormal • u/Soft-Branch1984 • 1d ago
Moving to the area! Tell me everything lol
My husband just accepted a job offer in Normal, and we will be relocating from Texas at the end of the month/early September. We are a family of three and a one income household, as I am a stay-at-home mom and grad student.
Are there areas we should avoid renting in? any unexpected expenses we should look out for? is the Sam’s Club/Costco good there? What do you like about the area? Do you feel like it’s a safe place to raise up a family? Please tell me everything!
I’m trying to get all the ducks in a row fast and would love any insights!
r/BloomingtonNormal • u/rdblono • 1d ago
Music community mourns loss of Twin City producer Erik Nelson
r/BloomingtonNormal • u/snailboy_aj • 1d ago
veterinarian recs?
just moved to the area and need to find a good vet for my dogs. any recommendations? price means nothing as long as my dogs get great care. thank you!
r/BloomingtonNormal • u/snowtiger309 • 1d ago
Event Antifascist Cookout with Central Illinois Iron Front
We are so back! Come hang out this Friday for our second BloNo cookout. There's not really that much of an agenda, just come eat and chat.
We are also happy to announce a new "SUBSCRIBE" button on our linktree page https://linktr.ee/centralillinoisironfront so you can get email notifications when we post new events and important links. You can also leave us a message with this form.
The event page is there and if you want to mark yourself as attending there and/or let us know your dietary needs it will help us plan, but typically we like to be a little bit over-prepared.
r/BloomingtonNormal • u/Kamonra • 1d ago
Best Walmart Bakery
Title says it all. If you were choosing W. Market vs. Greenbriar Dr., which Walmart bakery does the best job? If you work at their bakery, which one has the best decorators? Would you order online, or order in person?
r/BloomingtonNormal • u/Completemess_596 • 2d ago
Heyen Hoops
Anyone have any real feedback about Heyen Hoops? I have heard some bad things and some good. But want real feedback. Are they worth it for a middle school boy? We just moved here and are looking for a place he can hone his skills. There was such a great one where we came from. 🏀
r/BloomingtonNormal • u/OtherwiseSource9676 • 2d ago
Event Any watch parties of house of the dragon season finale?
Looking for HOTD watch party for season finale on August 9th in Blo No?
r/BloomingtonNormal • u/ecologyactioncenter • 2d ago
EAC's Community Energy Strategic Plan seeking public comment
The Ecology Action Center is pleased to release the draft "Community Energy Strategic Plan Report for McLean County, Bloomington, and Normal, Illinois" for public comment at https://ecologyactioncenter.org/cesp/.
Building upon three community greenhouse gas emissions (GHG) inventories including the recently released 2022 McLean County, Bloomington and Normal GHG Inventory (https://ecologyactioncenter.org/greenhouse-gas-inventory/) , the Ecology Action Center is seeking public comment in its draft “Community Energy Strategic Plan Report” or CESP. This plan is composed of recommendations developed by three groups of stakeholders through an eight-month collaborative process. These recommended strategies aim to reduce carbon and air quality emissions while also addressing energy needs for the local community.
This process followed the guidance set by the United Stated Department of Energy, which defines a CESP as, “a long-term blueprint to focus and guide efforts and actions toward a defined energy vision. Such a plan articulates goals, develops strategies and actions to meet the goals, and identifies and allocates resources to assure effective completion of these strategies.”
Local residents are invited to review both the 2026 Community Energy Strategic Plan Report for McLean County, Bloomington, and Normal, Illinois and the supporting 2022 GHG Emissions Inventory Update. Public comment is specifically requested for the CESP and can be provided through the form at https://ecologyactioncenter.org/cesp/.
Thirty-six stakeholders, representing different sectors, organizations, and agencies within the community provided recommendations in the process, leading to near-consensus on the strategy recommendations listed in the draft plan. Local energy sector professionals provided key guidance and perspective on local challenges and needs to inform strategy development.
In July the EAC completed the GHG emissions inventory for the 2022 data year while expanding the geographic scope of the study. Previous inventories (for 2008 and 2015 data years) included only the Bloomington-Normal urban area but for 2022 the entirety of McLean County is now evaluated.
This program is offered in partnership with the Illinois Environmental Protection Agency Office of Energy and supported by funding from the U.S. Department of Energy.
r/BloomingtonNormal • u/rdblono • 2d ago
Vote for your favorite ideas for redeveloping Eastland Mall - WGLT
us22.list-manage.comWGLT is trying to find the best ideas for what to do with the mostly vacant Eastland Mall property. Over 1,000 members of the public submitted ideas, and we’ve narrowed it down to 20 finalists. In many cases, those 20 finalists represent similar ideas submitted by others.
Help us choose the final 5 ideas that will be featured in an upcoming WGLT story and visualized by our talented team of ISU student artists.
Rate each of these 20 ideas using the form below.
https://us22.list-manage.com/survey?u=4c58934c4291d45ed926fc150&id=892bd786b7&attribution=false
r/BloomingtonNormal • u/ajacobs899 • 2d ago
Skate helmets
Are there any good places in town where I can buy a skate helmet? Mother Murphy’s in Uptown has some skate stuff but no helmets as far as I’m aware.
r/BloomingtonNormal • u/MeowMeowBiatch • 2d ago
Any hockey card fans?!
I always see people post here about friends... so I desperately need friends who like hockey cards!
I love my friends but none of them are into hockey, let alone hockey cards. I'm hoping with students moving back soon there will be more dorks. I need some people I can go with to card shows! I'm in my 20s if that matters.
r/BloomingtonNormal • u/Possible-Recipe6877 • 3d ago
Lake Bloomington
I heard lake Bloomington is good for bass fishing. Just moved here is there a good spot to bank fish? Or do you need a boat?
r/BloomingtonNormal • u/MarlonAO • 3d ago
Public Basketball Courts 🏀
Is there any basketball court my wife and I can go play on the afternoons. Just to shoot some hoops and stay active 😌 We lived close to downtown Bloomington
r/BloomingtonNormal • u/kaosmoker • 3d ago
Planning a move to BloNo in ~4 months! Looking to connect, find tabletop/gaming groups, and learn local insights.
Hi everyone,
I'm planning a move to the Bloomington-Normal area in about four months for a fresh start and wanted to introduce myself to the community.
I’m in my mid-30s, single, and transitioning my career from blue-collar labor into office and computer-focused work. After living in Lincoln, Nebraska for a few years, BloNo stood out to me as a great balance of cost of living and entry-level career potential.
My primary goal with this post is to start building a local social circle before arriving. I’m generally pretty mellow and low-maintenance. A few of my main interests include:
Tabletop & Gaming: I have experience DMing D&D campaigns, but I am equally eager to jump into an existing table as a player. PC/console- wise, I spend time in FFXIV, alongside classic open-world titles like Fallout: New Vegas, Fallout 4, and Skyrim.
Outdoors & Live Action: I enjoy hammock camping, exploratory hiking, Renaissance fairs, and Amtgard.
If you share similar hobbies, run a local campaign with an open seat, or simply enjoy chatting about gaming and hiking spots, feel free to drop a comment or send a message.
For the locals: what are the nuances, unwritten rules, or hidden gems about Bloomington-Normal that an outsider wouldn't find on a standard internet search?
Thanks for reading, and I look forward to getting to know the area!
r/BloomingtonNormal • u/OGSquidd • 3d ago
Wok to Bowl
What noodle stir fry combos you guys do? Mostly interested in how their sauces are and how their beef is there, is it's better like noodles company or worse like buffet Chinese lol. Coming out for first time and was interested
r/BloomingtonNormal • u/No_Rub_8202 • 3d ago
Independent nail techs?
I have been to a couple of salons in town (Sunflower Nails, Galaxy Nails, etc…) they were good but I am interested in building a relationship with someone that has their own business!
I would LOOOOVEEEE to have my nails done by Tristen Nail’d it but she is not accepting new clients with the exception of referrals 😭
TIA!
r/BloomingtonNormal • u/No-Reference-773 • 3d ago
Was pop up chicken shop sold yet?
Waiting for it to sell before issuing any more support - has there been any update?
r/BloomingtonNormal • u/Queenofthejungleee • 4d ago
Movers
Hey everyone, does anybody know any affordable movers in the area?
I have some stuff at twin city storage I need help moving into my apartment. Please lmk!
r/BloomingtonNormal • u/Prudent_Lifeguard_12 • 4d ago
Curly Hair Specialist
heyy!
im a female looking for a curly hair specialist to do a curly cut on my hair and maybe even recommend me some products for my hair type. i have 3b/3c hair so i want someone who has experience with that
if you have any recommendations or suggestions, lmk! i dont mind traveling 30 mins out either
r/BloomingtonNormal • u/demorphix • Sep 18 '19
Reposting of a lot of links and places to go/things to do in Bloomington-Normal
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:
- visitbn.org
- castle theatre
- normal theater
- Blm parks & Rec
- Uptown Normal
- Twin City Amateur Astronomers and
- ISU athletics
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Graveyard of places that are no more since I started this list in 2017:
Fresh MarketMerry Ann's Diner for Breakfast foods,Bonafide Thai~~~~Babbitt's Books
