Carbondale, Illinois is a small university town of 25,902 people that is located in Jackson County in the State of Illinois. It is located just north of the Shawnee National Forest and the Big Muddy River and it is home to the main campus of the Southern Illinois University. The city gets its name Carbondale from the historical fact that it used to be near the largest deposit of coal in the area.
The city has a history of political activism including support for LGBT causes. The Occupy Movement, the Shawnee Green Party, the Illinois Fellowship of Reconciliation are very active in Carbondale. The American Civil Liberties Union, the Sierra Club and the National Audubon Society also have Chapters here.
Aside from being a progressively minded university town Carbondale has a many unique cultural institutions including the University Museum with over 60,000 artifacts, the African-American Museum and a Science Center. It also has several stage companies and large theaters.
The city is also known for its network of seven parks that are connected with bike packs. It also has a spray park in Attucks Parks. The Southern Illinois University Recreation Center is open for public use and provides swimming, rock climbing, tennis, weight training and many other amenities. The city also has a large reservoir that allows canoeing another activities. There are also many small lakes nearby for summering and swimming including Little Grassy Lake, Devil’s Kitchen Lake, Crab Orchard Lake and Kinkaid Lake.
If you love nature and the great outdoors then there are many places for people to hike. There are fourteen parks just outside the area including the Crab Orchard National Wildlife Refuge, the Giant City State Park, Little Gran canyon, Pomona Natural Bridge, Garden of the Gods and the Trail of Tears State Park.
One of the most desirable areas to live in is the Historic District at the Heart of Carbondale, Illinois. The most gay-positive area to live is likely the Arbor District, which is a quaint collection of neighborhoods near the University. The homes here tend to be over 100 years old. This is also the most diverse neighborhood in town and buying an old historic home in this neighborhood would be a good investment opportunity if you were planning to rent it out to students.
Most of the gay clubs and restaurants such as Club Traz and the Newell House are located on Main Street in the downtown. There is also the gay-friendly spa-style Davie School Inn to stay in while you search for a property to buy in this lovely eco-friendly city.
Discover more about Carbondale http://www.ci.carbondale.il.us/.
