618 N James Ave, Centralia, IL 62801

"Once upon a time ago I relocated to Centralia, IL back when industry was still arriving and while times have changed and there are more empty warehouse properties then operating the bones of this town are still in tact and the town itself still has value. For those who still live there and have known better times it is important for us to all dig deep and remind yourselves that positivity breeds positivity. All towns have less industry, all towns have homes that are foreclosing. Not all towns have beautiful outdoor spaces like Foundation Park, not all small towns have a lucrative balloon fest every third week of August, not all small towns have a highly decorated high school marching band and a basketball team to be proud of. There are multiple opportunities for families with teenagers to move here and be awarded scholarships for better lives through hard work. Centralia has an entire industrial park move in ready for industry just as soon as the better part of America wraps their educated minds around investing into America is a smarter choice. Centralia should be very proud of their annual Halloween Parade rich in tradition. There are a lot of negative words to use about any place in the united states but if you have liked anything about where you live or lived then you should encourage others to find plenty to enjoy about this town as well. I no longer live in Centralia however, the town I live in now also has crime also has empty buildings and does not have the small town appeal that Centralia holds. Remind yourselves you are centrally located to St Louis just under an hour from tremendous cultural opportunities, three hours from Indianapolis. This town holds enough positive to be considered a choice if you needed to live in the vicinity of Centralia, IL."