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Find a place to live on the Iowa side. Lower taxes, less crime. IA is gun friendly, IL is not. IA has stand your ground, suppressors, SBR, and SBS.
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The Iowa side isn't doing you any favors in the taxes and crime department, especially when you consider generally higher housing prices. Iowa is in infinitely better financial shape than Illinois, much friendlier about gun laws and generally moving in the right political direction. Illinois has short barrels and "stand your ground" is, essentially, law in Illinois, though not under that name.
Be careful, the area will grow on you. Lots of people have come to the arsenal as part of a deployment and decided to put down roots. The outlying areas are probably the best places to look for housing in either state. I would strongly urge you to try to get a place on the Iowa side, outside of Scott county if possible.
We have several unique things here. For food you have to try QC pizza, Frank's is the original but Harris, Stashu's, Fields, and a few others make similar pizza. Happy Joes invented taco pizza (no really, it was invented here and they still make the best, you haven't had taco pizza unless it came from Happy Joes.) For sandwiches we have Hungry Hobo. And Whitey's Ice cream is pretty damned great. Plenty of brewery's and bars, Front Street, Blue Cat, Bent river. Museums, Theaters, Stadiums, Parks, the area has it all, unless you are a hunter, the midwest just doesn't have the hunting that you will find in Idaho.
The people here are generally friendly, down to earth, hard working, and don't tolerate bullshit.