The place I identify with most is my hometown Belleville, Illinois. It’s a small town, so not many people know where it is, when people ask me where I live I usually say, “I live across the river from St. Louis”, because everybody knows where St. Louis is. Belleville may be small, but it does have perks, that you don’t get living in a big city. Downtown is one of the greatest things about Belleville. In the center of the town is a big fountain, which is the center of most of Belleville’s fair and parades. Downtown Belleville also has the Lincoln Theatre, which is a fairly small movie theatre, designed like an old timey theatre, organ player and all. There are many good restaurants in downtown that I would recommend to any tourist: Mariachi’s, Panera Bread Co., Jimmy John’s, and many more. If you have interest in re-sale stores or thrift shops, there is a fairly new store in downtown Belleville called the TOCO shop. TOCO is a non-for profit organization and the store is thrift shop style and extremely inexpensive.
If you like to jog, walk your dog, bike, or just sit and have a nice picnic, Belleville also is home to a very nice park called Bellevue Park. The park contains a concrete stage, a nice long trail, and miles of beautiful green grass. If you like to shop, St. Clair Square Mall is right in Fairview Heights, a neighboring city to Belleville. St. Clair Square has it all, and it is a popular hang-out for local teens. Another perk of Belleville, is that it is only about twenty minutes away from St. Louis, so if you would like to see the arch, or walk around the Delmar Loop to the Tivoli Theatre, all you need to do is drive across the Mississippi River and you are there.
Belleville is where I have lived for a good eight to nine years of my life, and I have enjoyed every minute of it. Even though a small mid-western town is not exactly the most ideal vacation spot, the quirks and perks of Belleville make is a great attraction, and welcoming for all kinds of people.
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