One Illinois city was once compared to New York City, and no, it WASN'T Chicago.

Chicago is a "major market." When it comes to media, when it comes to pro sports teams, Chicago is the #2 or #3 market in the country, depending on who you ask. So basically, Chicago was and is a big deal...But when it comes to "World News Tonight" with Peter Jennings, Chicago isn't that big of a deal when it comes to the state of Illinois!

Photo from Spirit of Peoria YouTube Channel
Photo from Spirit of Peoria YouTube Channel
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Investors, real estate tycoons, big business people, welcome to....

PEORIA, ILLINOIS

That's right in the year 1988 this new piece surfaced, talking about how New York City was OUT and Peoria, Illinois was IN. Say what?

Photo from YouTube Spirit of Peoria Channel
Photo from YouTube Spirit of Peoria Channel
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There was an article in Business Week Magazine that stated that Peoria was going to overtake New York City as the hot spot for business, for real estate, and for the richest of the rich in America to MOVE TO.  What type of drugs were the people at Business Week Magazine on, and why weren't they sharing?

Adam Wineke via Facebook
Adam Wineke via Facebook
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So New York is out and Peoria is in, this even comes with a fancy little Peoria, IL song...

"There's a town I know, South of Chi-Cagooo..."  Oh man this video is priceless.

Check this out:

I don't think this aged well, what do you think?

Peoria is America's heartland, and "yuppie" with their sushi and fancy cars are not a thing anymore. Theatre folks tried out new material, to see if the people in Peoria would like it...This is like a Nyquil dream come to real life.

 

LOOK: Here are the 25 best places to live in Illinois

Stacker compiled a list of the best places to live in Illinois using data from Niche. Niche ranks places to live based on a variety of factors including cost of living, schools, health care, recreation, and weather. Cities, suburbs, and towns were included. Listings and images are from realtor.com.

On the list, there's a robust mix of offerings from great schools and nightlife to high walkability and public parks. Some areas have enjoyed rapid growth thanks to new businesses moving to the area, while others offer glimpses into area history with well-preserved architecture and museums. Keep reading to see if your hometown made the list.

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