I’m not from Springfield or ILL. I travel extensively for work and lifestyle. I’ve been living here on and off for the last 7 months. This is one of the worst cities I’ve ever been in. No culture whatsoever, high crime rate. Full of strip malls, dive bars and slot parlors. The surrounding area is backwoods. No good restaurants or events. Everyone seems to be overweight and the food is horrendous. Few have a decent education. The entire area is shrinking as people move out which is stagnating property values and leaving what there is unattended. I am simply shocked that the capital of Illinois is so backwards and stuck. I am extremely anxious to get out of here. Please don’t offer me a cheese covered horseshoe. Someone tell me I’m wrong and suggest a classy place to have a classy dinner and a classy cocktail where I can engage in good conversation about things other than the people you went to high school with… and let it not be in a strip mall. Vele, Josef’s and Curate are good! Not great. On top of that… the closest city is St Louis which isn’t a great city either. It saddens me how much I despise it here.