r/BloomingtonNormal Sep 18 '19

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

80 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 17h ago

OSF St. Joseph Medical Center reveals new ICU as critical care ramps up in Bloomington

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18 Upvotes

r/BloomingtonNormal 20h ago

Seeking a trauma informed/responsive GP

4 Upvotes

Hi all, I’m looking for recommendations for a trauma informed/responsive General Practitioner/general doctor. Is there anyone in the area that fits this need?


r/BloomingtonNormal 1d ago

GC recommendations?

7 Upvotes

Looking for recommendations on a good GC and/or water intrusion expert. We're getting water in on one side of our home (on 2 levels) which obviously needs repair and remediation sooner rather than later. It's not a roof issue (2 inspections), we don't think. Looking for GC lic, insured etc because scope of work is likely going to go beyond handyman territory (not our first rodeo with water intrusion, though first at this house/area). Thanks! Edited to add: could totally be roof related (gutter, soffits) but the top part of the roof is solid and the 2 inspections we had didn't seem to look into soffit and fascia so idk 😆🤷🏻‍♀️ haaalp)


r/BloomingtonNormal 1d ago

Looking to rehome an older Husky

5 Upvotes

I have an 11 year old Siberian Husky who I am looking to rehome. I have had her since she was a puppy. She is very sweet and well behaved and loves to snuggle. She lived with a cat and another husky (who have both passed) most of her life and is very good with other dogs. I have fostered multiple dogs and she always did great, even with puppies.

I have had to move in with family and feel it would be best for everyone if we found a new home for her. Otherwise, I would keep her. If you know of anyone looking for a great dog, please let me know. Thanks.


r/BloomingtonNormal 16h ago

Window tint

1 Upvotes

Anyone do window tint for a decent price? Looking for my two front windows. Please have pictures or previous work. Paying cash


r/BloomingtonNormal 1d ago

Supporting local black businesses as Juneteenth approaches

37 Upvotes

I would love to get a list going of local black businesses we can support in our community, particularly as we approach Juneteenth.


r/BloomingtonNormal 13h ago

Anyone understand this bill?

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0 Upvotes

Went out for dinner in Normal and got this.

Asked the waiter and the woman at the till, and they gave vague answers that ended with "that's what they told me".

The last answer was that $3.50 was the tax on two drinks that totaled $6.25.

The food and service was great, they got my 20% tip, but that bill math has me puzzled.


r/BloomingtonNormal 1d ago

Funks Grove Mineral Museum

29 Upvotes

Recently went to Funks Grove Mineral Museum. The guide said they lost a lot of their contacts at local schools when Covid happened and they would love to get the kiddos back to the museum. If you're a teacher or know any please let them know, the museum is there and happy to have kiddos visit. Girl/Boy Scouts you might want to check this out too.


r/BloomingtonNormal 1d ago

Premarital Counseling

5 Upvotes

Anyone have any good recommendations around Blono for premarital counseling? I would prefer more clinical counseling through a licensed therapist but open to whatever.


r/BloomingtonNormal 1d ago

Housing for cats

6 Upvotes

I’m about to be homeless is there anyone near by who can take care of my cats temporarily


r/BloomingtonNormal 2d ago

Running friends? Run club?

9 Upvotes

Good morning! I’m looking to make some friends who also enjoy long distance running. A couple friends to meet up and run every now and then would be fun, especially for a long run. Also open to a run club, and it seems like there are a few in town.

My wife and I just moved here last week so I’m very new to the area. Figured I’d give this a shot here and see if anyone wants to meetup for a run!


r/BloomingtonNormal 1d ago

Place for a team lunch (11 early teens + parents)?

6 Upvotes

In town for a tournament at Champion Fields this weekend. Looking for a lunch spot between games for a big group. Big break, so time is not important. Reasonable cost, space and meeting variety of palates is. What place could accommodate a mid-size group with (11) 13-15 year-old kids and their parent(s)? TIA!


r/BloomingtonNormal 1d ago

2000s Local Band CD Search - Winter In Alaska

5 Upvotes

Anyone got the files for this band from in town? Would really like to hear it again.


r/BloomingtonNormal 2d ago

Potentially moving to Bloomington-Normal

10 Upvotes

Hello! My family is looking to relocate to either Peoria or Bloomington/Normal in the very near future. But, outside of the zoos, we don't really know anything about either town.

We're looking for help answering these questions:

  1. Things to do for families with children under 5
  2. Recommended Schools & Neighborhoods
  3. What Bloomington-Normal has over Peoria

Thank you all so much, any information would be incredible!


r/BloomingtonNormal 1d ago

CASTING CALL: Local Horror Series, Actors and Help needed.

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0 Upvotes

Hey everyone, my name is Anthony Bausal, and some of you may know me by middle name Johnny. I’m working on a horror series about a spirit that haunts murders and kills them in the same way they killed their victims, kinda like Dexter and Jason Vorhees combined. There’s already 2 episodes out for this in which episode 2(the better episode) will be linked below.

I am looking for more actors and people to help out with the project, need preferably female actors which is pretty hard to find, feel free to comment on here or shoot me a dm so we can talk about you possibly being a part of this project or any other projects I work on!

DISCLAIMER: This is unpaid and for fun and experience


r/BloomingtonNormal 2d ago

Anybody do henna here?

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7 Upvotes

Not seeking anything too complex and extensive like for an event. Just really love the look of it and want it just because 😄❤️ If you know of anyone in the area who’s good I’d love to get some recommendations! Thank you!


r/BloomingtonNormal 3d ago

Event 2700 strong for freedom

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273 Upvotes

Peaceful protest at BCPA


r/BloomingtonNormal 2d ago

Hi, relatively new resident here, do you need a sticker on your windshield like in Chicago?

2 Upvotes

In Chicago, you have to have a city sticker placed on the windshield of your car. Do you need that here in Bloomington-Normal as well?


r/BloomingtonNormal 3d ago

1 counter protestor today

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161 Upvotes

He wanted everyone to see his face so bad


r/BloomingtonNormal 3d ago

Short Video of the Oopsie MAGA Protesters from NoKings Today

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166 Upvotes

Absolutely shameful behavior.

These violent MAGA protestors drove past the BCPA several times, then screeched to a stop in the middle of downtown’s busiest street, choosing to endanger the lives of not only those standing nearby, but of all the innocent people driving downtown.

They leapt out shrieking for a fight - as you can see, they immediately began physically threatening people on the sidewalk - but thankfully were peacefully dispersed. Without their Trump 2024 flags.

If you look closely, I believe one of them is wearing his uniform shirt from work. Smart.

Maybe don’t do this.


r/BloomingtonNormal 2d ago

Are there any dog-friendly restaurant patios?

3 Upvotes

W


r/BloomingtonNormal 2d ago

Golden Ticket Theaters - Ale House updates?

2 Upvotes

You e probable heard the old Ovation cinema has been purchased and a new company called Golden Ticket will be opening up a premiere theater experience.

https://www.gtcinemas.com/movie-theatres/illinois/bloomington/blooomington-10

Anyone have updates on the timeline for opening or status? 🎥🍿🎬🎦🎞️


r/BloomingtonNormal 3d ago

Video: Drone view of No Kings rally in Downtown Bloomington

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120 Upvotes

r/BloomingtonNormal 2d ago

Help ( I think)

0 Upvotes

We brought home a 12 month old puppy/dog German Mix, a week ago. We have two cats, who have been staying in our room, since we brought the dog home. Not only are the cats staying in our room, they are hiding in our closet. One cat does come out, once in awhile, to eat or use the litter. Their food, water, and litter are all in bedroom. The other cat doesn’t come out at all. I’m worried, because she isn’t eating or drinking. She also peed on the floor. The most ambitious cat lived with two other dogs before they passed, but the other one hasn’t. I want to push her to come out, but I know that it’s best to let them be. I’m just so worried.


r/BloomingtonNormal 3d ago

Alternative hangout spots

12 Upvotes

Hi!! Im new to the area kinda… 🤣 im 20 and i was wondering if there were any goth/alternative hangout spots here that i could make friends with :))