1000 things about Champaign-Urbana and University of Illinois

44. Vietnamese restaurants in Champaign-Urbana

noreply@blogger.com (Ragib Hasan) — Wed, 22 Apr 2009 22:14:00 +0000

Do you crave for Vietnamese food?

At one time a couple of years ago, the Vietnamese food connoisseurs would have no option to satisfy their cravings in Champaign-Urbana area. The last vietnamese restaurant, Pho-Tran, on University avenue, closed a couple of years ago.

But last year, and early 2009, there opened 2 new Vietnamese restaurants in the area.

Here they are:

1. Xinh Xinh Cafe

Xinh Xinh Cafe
114 North Vine Street
Urbana, IL
217-337-7600
Open Monday through Saturday 10:30 a.m. to 9:30 p.m.; closed on Sundays

It is the newest Vietnamese place in the area. Located right next to Schnucks on Vine Street in Urbana. The prices are quite low, and the food is amazing. The best part is the smiling owner, Shai Mauth, who will occassionally chit-chat with you.

One small catch, they only take cash, so better fill your wallet. Of course, most of their prices are less than $8-10, so you won't need too much.

You can get regular updates from Xinh Xinh Cafe on Twitter.

Also, check out Champaign Taste's Review of Xinh Xinh cafe.

2. Saigon Vietnamese Cuisine

Saigon is in Savoy, it opened in 2008. It is in the same place where a Chinese buffet used to be, but closed after a short while.

According to Champaign-Taste's review, the food is good, though people have commented that their prices are a bit high.

Saigon Vietnamese Cuisine
On South Neil St. in Savoy, next to Friar Tuck (Savoy Plaza)

Phone: 217-351-8880

Open 11 a.m. to 9 p.m. Sunday through Thursday, 11 a.m. to 10 p.m. Friday and Saturday

43. Filing Taxes in Champaign-Urbana

noreply@blogger.com (Ragib Hasan) — Sun, 05 Apr 2009 02:07:00 +0000

So, it's tax time again. Ugghh. Like death, Taxes are an inevitable part of our lives. And if you are baffled by the complex hotchpotch also known as the Tax code, and frightened at the thought of IRS, you might try some help!!

If you need help preparing your taxes, following are the places in Champaign-Urbana where you can get it done. Typically, they charge you something around $100 or so for Federal taxes, and similar amounts for state taxes. Remember, you can probably get these done free by using software like TaxCut, or TurboTax.

Happy Tax Season!! Remember to file before April 15, that's the deadline!!!!

---

Jackson Hewitt Tax Services

405 N Broadway Ave, Urbana, IL - (217) 328-3278
1704 W Bradley Ave, Champaign, IL - (217) 355-8200
807 Bloomington Rd # A, Champaign, IL - (217) 352-8300
2610 N Prospect Ave, Champaign, IL - (217) 355-8100
124 S Century Blvd, Rantoul, IL - (217) 893-9500
505 S Dunlap Ave, Savoy, IL - (217) 356-2063

H&R Block Income Tax Preparation Services

2704 N Prospect Ave, Champaign, IL - (217) 356-3841
114 N Vine St, Urbana, IL - (217) 328-3457
2000 N Neil St, Champaign, IL - (217) 351-9074
105 N Mattis Ste B, Champaign, IL - (217) 352-1462
1605 S Prospect Ave, Champaign, IL - (217) 355-1041

Accounting Plus Tax Solutions
2404 Windsor Pl, Champaign, IL - (217) 351-5010

Bray Drake Liles & Richardson
1606 Willow View Rd # 1E, Urbana, IL - (217) 337-0004

Larry D Buhrmester & Associates Inc
202 W Springfield Ave, Champaign, IL - (217) 352-0022

Brya Insurance Agency
2002 South Neil Street, Champaign, IL - (217) 355-5555

Clifton Gunderson LLP
2511 Galen Dr, Champaign, IL - (217) 351-7400

Franklin Financial Planning
1606 Willow View Rd # 2F, Urbana, IL - (217) 337-7526

Martin Hood Friese & Associates Llc
2507 S Neil St, Champaign, IL - (217) 351-2000

Kemper CPA Group LLC
1701 Broadmoor Dr # 120, Champaign, IL - (217) 351-2073

Hutchens John P
620 W Church St, Champaign, IL - (217) 398-0016

Lynch Tax Services
900 S Mattis Ave, Champaign, IL - (217) 355-6647

Michael J Smith & Associates
3127 Village Office Pl, Champaign, IL - (217) 378-4311

Commercial Services Co
3203 Brentwood Dr, Champaign, IL - (217) 352-3362

Lafferty & Associates
308 W Hill St, Champaign, IL - (217) 352-4132

Tax Shop
2108 W John St # B, Champaign, IL - (217) 352-4884

Yettke & Associates
409 Devonshire Dr, Champaign, IL - (217) 359-1065

Lain Accounting Services
4 Henson Pl # 5, Champaign, IL - (217) 356-4701

Kallembach & Associates
701 Devonshire Dr # 201, Champaign, IL - (217) 355-8979

Lichti Barbara
909 Devonshire Dr, Champaign, IL - (217) 355-2244

Hays & Associates PC
401 E Springfield Ave, Champaign, IL - (217) 352-4743

Katsaros & Associates
2301 Village Green Pl # B, Champaign, IL - (217) 356-6977

Accounting & Tax Office Llc
121 W Water St, Urbana, IL - (217) 367-5409

Stegemeier Henriette C
604 Hessel Blvd, Champaign, IL - (217) 355-4514

Nelson CPA & Associates
303 S Mattis Ave # 201, Champaign, IL - (217) 352-3788

Nelson CPA & Associates
426 E Champaign Ave, Rantoul, IL - (217) 892-4887

Liberty Tax Services
1403 E Washington St, Urbana, IL - (217) 344-5659

Tax Doctor
804 Eastwood Dr, Mahomet, IL - (217) 586-1196

42. The Unofficial St. Patrick's day in Champaign Urbana

noreply@blogger.com (Ragib Hasan) — Sat, 07 Mar 2009 01:08:00 +0000

If you have been anywhere near the campustown on certain Fridays in March, and come up with a huge throng of greenish looking leprechauns, don't start pinching yourself to see if you are dreaming or not. You have just stumbled into the "Unofficial Saint Patrick's Day" in Chambana.

Here is what UofI wiki has to say about it:

Unofficial Saint Patrick's Day, or commonly known as Unofficial, is a local event on the Urbana-Champaign campus, which aims to replace the celebration of the official Saint Patrick's Day holiday with excessive drinking of alcohol.
Champaign bar owner Scott Cochrane created the event to increase business because the week of spring break on the academic calendar usually includes Saint Patrick's Day, which leads students to celebrate away from the campus.
The event is celebrated usually the weekend before the official Saint Patrick's Day holiday. Bars might open as early as 7 a.m., and students wear T-shirts with slogans such as "Drink 'til you're Irish" or "Irish I were drunk." One T-shirt slogan read: "Tap the keg, forget the class... it's Unofficial, so fill my glass!"

Things are not really as rosey as the above note suggests. On this day, you'll find a lot of underage drinkers, passed out here and there, or coming to class drunk. The police (Champaign, Urbana, County, and of course UofI ones) have a field day ... and nab a lot of underage drinkers.

However, things can often get deadly ... a few years ago, a UofI alumnus died when the motor bike she was riding crashed into a pole on Wright street between Green and Springfield. So, be careful when you are driving through campustown , better avoid going through the area altogether.

There is of course, the "official" Saint Patrick's day, but the drinking frenzy is much less on that one.

41. Schools in Champaign Urbana

noreply@blogger.com (Ragib Hasan) — Sun, 18 Jan 2009 21:34:00 +0000

There are several good schools providing quality education in Champaign Urbana area. Whether you are looking for a high school, middle school, or a grade school, you'll find one within a few miles ...

Following is a list of schools in Champaign Urbana, and nearby towns.

---------

CHAMPAIGN

Champaign Centennial High School
913 Crescent Drive
Champaign 61821
(217) 351-3951

Champaign Central High School
610 W. University Avenue
Champaign 61820
(217) 351-3911

Champaign Unit #4 School District

Edison Middle School
306 W. Green Street
Champaign 61820
(217) 351-3771

Franklin Magnet Middle School
817 Harris Avenue
Champaign 61820
(217) 351-3819

Jefferson Middle School
1115 Crescent Drive
Champaign 61821
(217) 351-3790

URBANA

University High School
1212 W. Springfield Avenue
Urbana 61801
(217) 333-2870

University of Illinois
(217) 333-1000

Urbana High School
1002 S. Race Street
Urbana 61801
(217) 384-3505

Urbana Middle School
6th Grade: 1801 S. Philo Road
7th & 8th Grades: 1201 S. Vine Street
Urbana 61801
(217) 384-3590 (6th) and (217) 384-3685 (7th-8th)

Urbana Unit #116 School District
205 N. Race Street
Urbana 61801
(217) 384-3600

HOMER

Heritage Community Unit
School District

Heritage Elementary School
512 W. First Street
Homer 61849
(217) 896-2421

Heritage High School
206 E. Diller
Broadlands 61816
(217) 834-3393

Heritage Jr. High School
512 W. First Street
Homer 61849
(217) 896-2421

LODA

Loda Grade School
301 E. Jefferson
Loda 60948
(217) 386-2712

MAHOMET

Lincoln Trail Elementary School
102 E. State Street
Mahomet 61853
(217) 586-2811

Mahomet-Seymour Jr. High School
201 W. State Street
Mahomet 61853
(217) 586-4415

Mahomet-Seymour High School
302 W. State Street
Mahomet 61853
(217) 586-4962

Mahomet-Seymour School District

Middletown Early Childhood Center
101 N. Division Street
Mahomet 61853
(217) 586-5833

Sangamon Elementary School
601 E. Main Street
Mahomet 61853
(217) 586-4583

MONTICELLO

Lincoln Elementary School
700 N. Buchanan Street
Monticello 61856
(217) 762-8511 Ext. 250

Monticello High School
1 Sage Drive
Monticello 61856
(217) 762-8511 Ext. 210

Monticello School District
#2 Sage Drive
Monticello 61856
(217) 762-8511 Ext. 200

Washington Middle School
3 Sage Drive
Monticello 61856
(217) 762-8511 Ext. 230

PAXTON

Clara Peterson Elementary School
580 E. Franklin
Paxton 60957
(217) 379-2531

Paxton-Buckley-Loda School District
PO Box 50
Paxton 60957
(217) 379-3314

PBL High School
700 W. Orleans
Paxton 60957
(217) 379-4331

PBL Jr. High School
341 E. Center
Paxton 60957
(217) 379-9169

RANTOUL

Rantoul School Listing

Rantoul Township High School
200 S. Sheldon
Rantoul 61866
(217) 892-2151

ROSSVILLE

Rossville-Alvin High School
350 N. Chicago Street
Rossville 60963
(217) 748-6600

TOLONO

Community Unit School District #7
408 N. Central
Tolono 61880
(217) 485-6510

Unity High School
1120 County Road, 800 N
Tolono 61880
(217) 485-6230

Unity Jr. High School Library
1121 County Road, 800 N
Tolono 61880
(217) 485-6735

ST. JOSEPH

St. Joseph Community
Consolidated School District
404 S. Fifth
St. Joseph 61873
(217) 469-2291

TUSCOLA

East Prairie Elementary School
409 S. Prairie Street
Tuscola 61953
(217) 253-2828

North Ward Elementary School
400 E. Sale
Tuscola 61953
(217) 253-2712

Tuscola Community High School
500 S. Prairie Street
Tuscola 61953
(217) 253-2377

Tuscola Community
Unit School District
409 S. Prairie Street
Tuscola 61953
(217) 253-4241

40. Snow removal in Champaign Urbana

noreply@blogger.com (Ragib Hasan) — Wed, 14 Jan 2009 21:53:00 +0000

Hey, it snowed a lot since last night in Champaign Urbana!!!

However, the city is slow to remove snow from a lot of roads, especially the side roads. Besides, a new City ordinance requires homeowners to remove snow from the sidewalks adjacent to their properties. Especially, in Downtown and Campustown areas. As of January 14, this ordinance has been activated in Champaign.

So, if you are looking for a snow removal service (i.e. snow plowing, removal, shoveling services), here are some links for snow removal services in Champaign-Urbana-Savoy area. Please remember that shoveling heavy snow is a very strenuous task, and I recall several people, especially the elderly senior citizens, had heart attacks during the huge snowfalls of 2007. It might be better to let a professional handle the service.

So, here are the links (courtesy of Google)

On Time Snow Removal‎ -

105 1/2 N Lynn St, Urbana, IL‎ - (217) 390-5493‎

Directions‎

Deem Landscaping‎ -

2052 Co. Rd 1800E, Urbana, IL‎ - (217) 369-7119‎

Category: Snow Plowing & Removal Service

Website‎ - Directions‎

Easy Chair Lawn Care‎ -

810 S Webber St, Urbana, IL‎ - (217) 344-1076‎

Category: Snow Plowing & Removal Service

Directions‎

R & D Ground Services‎

1308 E Florida Ave, Urbana, IL‎ - (217) 337-0522‎

Category: Snow Plowing & Removal Service

Directions‎

Muddy Medrow Mowing‎

Urbana, IL‎ - (217) 344-3284‎

Directions‎

AOS Snow Removal
(217) 841-6561 Champaign, IL

Ambassadors Snow Removal
(217) 637-4243 1609 W University Ave, Champaign, IL

Merrill Landscape Services‎ - Write a review

852 County Road 2550 North, Champaign, IL‎ - (217) 417-4781‎

Category: Services - Snow Plowing & Removal

Kingdom Lawn Care‎ - Write a review

4204 N Rising Rd, Champaign, IL‎ - (217) 351-8527‎

Category: Snow Plowing & Removal Service

Directions‎

Miller Dick Enterprise‎ - Write a review

691 County Road 1600 E, Philo, IL‎ - (217) 684-2377‎

Category: Snow Removal Equip Repairing

Directions‎

Parklawn Services‎ - Write a review

108 W Sangamon St, Mahomet, IL‎ - (217) 202-2450‎

Category: Snow Removal Service

Directions‎

Martin Trucking & Excavating‎ - Write a review

513 N Ohio Ave, Rantoul, IL‎ - (217) 892-8002‎

Category: Snow Removal Service

Directions

Natural Landscapes‎ -

312 W White St, Champaign, IL‎ - (217) 840-5476‎

Directions‎

Ambassadors Lawn Care‎ -

1609 W University Ave, Champaign, IL‎ - (217) 637-4243‎

Directions

39. Weather records in Champaign - Urbana

noreply@blogger.com (Ragib Hasan) — Sat, 27 Dec 2008 20:42:00 +0000

If you are depressed by the rainy, foggy, winter weather of Champaign Urbana Savoy, you might pass the time reading the weather records of the area. Following are some bits and pieces of info on weather in this area. Just for the record, Today's high of 61°F (17° C) was the highest for this day (December 27) in the last 100 years!! It tied the all time high record for this day ... the only so hot December 27 in recorded history was in 1907.

Average warmest month: July

The record high is 109° F (43°C) on July 14, 1954.

Coolest month: January.

The record low is -25° F (-32°C) on four(!) occasions: 9 Feb 1899, 13 Feb 1905, 19 Jan 1994, and 5 Jan 1999.

The most precipitation on average occurs in May.
The maximum seasonal snowfall was 67.2 inches in the winter of 1977-78.
The minimum seasonal snowfall was 6.7 inches in the winter of 1953-54.
The greatest depth of snow on the ground was 19 inches on February 8-10, 1982.
The greatest 24-hour snowfall was 15 inches on January 1-2, 1999.
The average date of the first measurable snow (one-tenth of an inch or more) is November 23.
The average date of the first 1-inch snow (1 inch or more) is December 2.
The average date of the last spring frost is April 15.
The average date of the first fall frost is October 17.

[Source: UofI]

38. Candlestick lane in Champaign-Urbana

noreply@blogger.com (Ragib Hasan) — Mon, 22 Dec 2008 04:07:00 +0000

Looking for nice Christmas lights and displays? Then you must visit Candlestick Lane in Urbana.

(image from gct13.com )

Candlestick Lane is located along Grant Place and parts of Eastern Drive and Fairlawn Drive, between Cottage Grove and Philo Road, Urbana. Each year, residents in this neighborhood decorate their homes and yards with many holiday lights and decorations. It is estimated that about 50 homes in this neighborhood display approximately 50,000 lights each year. (Source: Champaign Public Library)

News-gazette reported in 2006 that the tradition started in around 1960.

(another great image from gct13.com)

Unfortunately, the sad state of the economy took its toll this year (2008). On November 12, News-Gazette reported that the people living on Candlestick lane decided to cut back the lighting, at least for this year.

I am still hopeful that they will put on at least some display. So, do pay a visit to the famous street of Urbana, and bask in the light of Christmas.

Happy Holidays!!

37. Churches, Synagogue, and Mosques in Champaign Urbana

noreply@blogger.com (Ragib Hasan) — Mon, 24 Nov 2008 21:11:00 +0000

Feeling the need to pray / worship?

Champaign-Urbana area has a large number of Churches and other religious centers, providing services to people of many denominations and religions.

Besides Christian churches, there are also several Jewish and Islamic religious centers.

Following is a list of the religious centers and houses of worship in Champaign-Urbana area and the nearby region.

[Christianity] [Judaism] [Islam] [Buddhism]

Christianity

ASSEMBLY OF GOD

Crossroads Campus Church
912 W. Springfield Avenue
Urbana 61801
(217) 337-1681

Meadowbrook Community Church
1902 S. Duncan Road
Champaign 61822
(217) 351-3019

Urbana Assembly of God
2502 S. Race Street
Urbana
(217) 344-5455

Rantoul First Assembly of God
1934 County Road 3000N
Urbana
(217) 892-8485

BAPTIST

Bible Baptist Church
201 N. Century
Rantoul 61866
(217) 893-3888

Calvary Baptist Church
W. Bridge at Foothill Road
Monticello 61856
(217) 762-2988

Calvary Baptist Church
2106 E. Windsor Road
Urbana 61802
(217) 367-2262

Crossroads Church
Services at: Best Western Hotel
Office at: 101 N. Market
Monticello 61856
(217) 762-5700

Faith Baptist Church
215 E. Pembroke
Tuscola 61953
(217) 253-2084

First Baptist Church of Arthur
120 E. Park Street
Arthur 61911
(217) 543-2592

First Baptist Church
of Champaign/Savoy
1602 Prospect Avenue at Burwash
Savoy 61874
(217) 352-2240

First Baptist Church
of Rantoul
401 Glenwood Drive
Rantoul
(217) 892-2667

First Baptist Church of Tuscola
300 E. Daggy Street
Tuscola 61953
(217) 253-4231

Garden Hills Baptist Church
1601 W. Bloomington Road
Champaign 61820
(217) 356-0891

Grace Church
800 W. Oak
Mahomet 61853
(217) 586-4331

Temple Baptist Church
1100 Broadmoor Drive
Champaign 61821
(217) 356-5685

University Baptist Church
314 E. Daniel Street
Champaign 61820
(217) 344-0484

BIBLE

Gibson City Bible Church
301 S. Melvin Street
Gibson City 60936
(217) 784-5702

Twin City Bible Church
806 W. Michigan Avenue
Urbana 61801
(217) 344-0641

CATHOLIC

St. Mary's Church
110 E. Edgar Street
Paris 61944
(217) 466-3355

St. Patrick's Catholic Church
708 W. Main Street
Urbana 61801
(217) 367-2665

CHARISMATIC

Curtis Road Church of God
2604 W. Curtis Road
Champaign 61822
(217) 359-8285

CHRISTIAN

Christian Life Community Church
300 N. Maplewood
Rantoul 61866
(217) 892-8620

Church of Christ
at St. Joseph
226 E. Sherman
St. Joseph 61873
(217) 469-2207

First Christian Church
3601 S. Staley Road
Champaign 61822
(217) 356-1649

CHRISTIAN REFORMED

Hessel Park Church
700 W. Kirby Avenue
Champaign 61820
(217) 356-3177

CHURCH OF CHRIST

Church of Christ at Kemp
132 W. Kemp Street
Arcola 61910

Philo Road Church of Christ
2601 S. Philo Road
Urbana 61802
(217) 344-1659

River Valley Church of Christ
17 Owl Creek Lane
Fisher 61843
(217) 897-1260

CHURCH OF THE NAZARENE

New Day Community Church
2611 W. Springfield Avenue
Champaign 61821
(217) 356-4747

Tuscola Church of the Nazarene
1001 Egyptian Trail
Tuscola 61953
(217) 253-3541

EPISCOPAL

St. John the Divine
1011 S. Wright Street
Champaign 61820
(217) 344-1924

GREEK ORTHODOX

Three Hierarchs
Greek Orthodox Church
2010 Three Hierarchs Court
Champaign
(217) 352-3452

INTERDENOMINATIONAL

Calvary Temple
700 E. Main Street
Arcola 61910
(217) 268-4605

Covenant Fellowship Church
1203 W. Green Street
Urbana 61801

Grace Community Church
2901 Watterson Court
Champaign 61822
(217) 373-1271

The Masters House
214 W. Flessner
Rantoul 61822
(217) 892-1900

LUTHERAN

Friendship Lutheran Church
3601 S. Duncan Road
Champaign
(217) 355-0454

Good Shepherd Lutheran Church
2101 S. Prospect Avenue
Champaign 61820
(217) 352-1732

Grace Lutheran Church
313 S. Prospect Avenue
Champaign 61820
(217) 356-6232

St. Andrew's Church
909 S. Wright Street
Champaign 61820
(217) 344-1593

St. John Lutheran Church
509 S. Mattis Avenue
Champaign 61820
(217) 359-1714

St. Matthew Lutheran Church
2200 S. Philo Road
Urbana
(217) 367-1189

Trinity Lutheran Church
701 E. Florida Avenue
Urbana 61801
(217) 367-8923

MENNONITE

East Bend Mennonite Church
702 CR 3300 N
Fisher 61843
(888) 269-5963 or (217) 897-6386

First Mennonite Church
902 W. Springfield Avenue
Urbana 61801
(217) 367-5353

PRESBYTERIAN

First Presbyterian Church, Champaign
302 W. Church Street
Champaign 61820
(217) 356-7238

First Presbyterian Church, Gibson City
401 N. Church Street
Gibson City 60936
(217) 784-5422

QUAKER

Urbana-Champaign Friends Meeting
PO Box 34
Urbana 61803
(217) 328-5853

UNITARIAN UNIVERSALIST

Unitarian Universalist Church
309 W. Green Street
Urbana 61801
(217) 384-8862

UNITED CHURCH OF CHRIST

Community United Church of Christ
805 S. Sixth Street
Champaign 61821
(217) 344-5091

St. Peter's United Church of Christ
905 S. Russell
Champaign 61821
(217) 356-3635

UNITED METHODIST

Faith United Methodist Church
1719 S. Prospect Avenue
Champaign 61820
(217) 359-3631

First United Methodist Church of Champaign
210 W. Church Street
Champaign 61820
(217) 356-9078

First United Methodist Church of Rantoul
200 N. Century Boulevard
Rantoul 61866
(217) 892-2130

First United Methodist Church of Urbana
304 S. Race Street
Urbana

Gibson City United Methodist Church
206 E. Tenth Street
Gibson City
(217) 784-5452

Grace United Methodist
2004 Philo Road
Urbana 61802
(217) 328-1414

Loda United Methodist Church
200 S. Locust Street
Loda 60948
(217) 386-2626

New Horizon
United Methodist Church
3002 Bloomington Road
Champaign 61822
(217) 359-8909

Rossville
United Methodist Church
116 Maple
Rossville 60963
(217) 748-6760

Savoy United Methodist Church
402 Graham Drive
Savoy 61874
(217) 352-3993

Shiloh United Methodist Church
352 County Road & 2700N
Mahomet
(217) 897-1325

Tuscola United Methodist Church
901 N. Prairie Avenue
Tuscola
(217) 253-4232

Wesley United Methodist Church
1203 W. Green Street
Urbana 61801
(217) 344-1120

UNITED PENTECOSTAL

Apostolic Life, UPC
2107 High Cross Road
Urbana 61801
(217) 367-5433

VINEYARD

The Vineyard
1500 N. Lincoln Avenue
Urbana
(217) 384-3070

WESLEYAN

First Wesleyan Church
408 E. Illinois Street
Urbana 61801
(217) 367-4566

WORD/FAITH

Harvest Church
2118 N. Cindy Lynn
Urbana 61802
(217) 328-7711

Judaism

JEWISH

Hillel Foundation of the
University of Illinois
503 E. John Street
Champaign 61820
(217) 344-1328

Sinai Temple
3104 W. Windsor Road
Champaign 61821
(217) 352-8140

Islam

ISLAMIC

Central Illinois Mosque &
Islamic Center
106 S. Lincoln
Urbana 61801
(217) 344-1555

Buddhism

BUDDHIST

Clear Sky Zen Group
(217) 355-0070

Prairie Zen Center
515 S. Prospect
Champaign 61821
(217) 355-3835

36. Fast Food Restaurants in Champaign Urbana

noreply@blogger.com (Ragib Hasan) — Sun, 16 Nov 2008 08:53:00 +0000

Are you craving for a burger or a sub?

If you are an aficionado of greasy burgers and fries, Champaign Urbana has a ton of offerings for you. While I don't recommend fast food for their obvious health repercussions, I have found a fast food place in Champaign-Urbana / UIUC at almost every block in campustown!!

So here is the list. Note that the list may miss some chains ... I can remember only so many fast food chains right now :(

McDonalds

501 N Mattis Ave, Champaign, IL - (217) 359-0588
2909 W Kirby Ave, Champaign, IL - (217) 359-3856
1812 N Neil St, Champaign, IL - (217) 359-5251
1605 S Neil St, Champaign, IL - (217) 356-6679
4910 N Market St, Champaign, IL - (217) 643-7918
601 N Cunningham Ave, Urbana, IL - (217) 367-3722
1705 Philo Rd, Urbana, IL - (217) 337-6599

Burger King

211 W Clark St, Champaign, IL - (217) 356-5464
2005 W Springfield Ave, Champaign, IL - (217) 398-8906
2110 N Prospect Ave, Champaign, IL - (217) 398-7801

Arby's Roast Beef Restaurant

1913 W Springfield Ave, Champaign, IL - (217) 356-0622
1502 N Prospect Ave, Champaign, IL - (217) 353-0744
2310 S Neil St, Champaign, IL - (217) 398-5677
509 N Cunningham Ave, Urbana, IL - (217) 367-5624

Hardee's

1703 S Neil St, Champaign, IL - (217) 355-0946

Dairy Queen

3602 N Mattis Ave, Champaign, IL - (217) 373-2412
911 W University Ave, Urbana, IL - (217) 344-4108
1501 Lyndhurst Aly, Savoy, IL - (217) 356-3065

Wendy's Old Fashioned Hamburgers

(Note: All 3 Wendy's have been reported to be closed now!!! )

1905 S Neil St, Champaign, IL - (217) 352-3289
2033 N Prospect Ave, Champaign, IL - (217) 355-9484
410 N Race St, Urbana, IL - (217) 367-9581

Culver's

2302 S Neil St, Champaign, IL - (217) 352-1699
903 W Marketview Dr, Champaign, IL - (217) 356-8132

Taco Bell

1707 S Neil St, Champaign, IL - (217) 403-9803
10 E Anthony Dr, Champaign, IL - (217) 398-2159
2000 N Neil St # 706, Champaign, IL - (217) 378-5054
1910 W Springfield Ave, Champaign, IL - (217) 356-7526
3303 Kimberly Dr, Champaign, IL - (217) 403-9803
1003 W University Ave, Urbana, IL - (217) 367-2871

Subway Sandwiches & Salads

616 E Green St # A, Champaign, IL - (217) 239-0108
45 E University Ave, Champaign, IL - (217) 239-3030
SPC 714, 2000 N Neil St, Champaign, IL - (217) 355-9437
1401 S Neil St, Champaign, IL - (217) 359-8565
610 E Daniel St, Champaign, IL - (217) 383-1033
1713 W Kirby Ave, Champaign, IL - (217) 351-8565
706 W Marketview Dr, Champaign, IL - (217) 352-3600
1814 Glen Park Dr, Champaign, IL - (217) 356-4565
2610 N Prospect Ave, Champaign, IL - (217) 352-9437
100 S High Cross Rd, Urbana, IL - (217) 328-2215
205 E Main St, Urbana, IL - (217) 328-4100
701 S Gregory St, Urbana, IL - (217) 239-7329
802 W University Ave, Urbana, IL - (217) 367-1400
407 N Dunlap Ave, Savoy, IL - (217) 373-1000
1319 N Dunlap Ave, Savoy, IL - (217) 373-1000
505 S Dunlap Ave, Savoy, IL - (217) 398-4115

Quiznos sub

703 S Neil St Ste A, Champaign IL 61820 - 217-355-5750
1501 N Lincoln Ave, Urbana Illinois 61801 - 217-344-0289
114 N Vine St Urbana Illinois 61802 - 217-337-1916
407B N Dunlap Ave Savoy Illinois 61874 - 217-403-9880

Niros Gyros

905 S Neil St, Champaign, IL - (217) 352-6476
301 E Green St, Champaign, IL - (217) 365-9271
2001 W Springfield Ave, Champaign, IL - (217) 355-6760
1007 W University Ave, Urbana, IL - (217) 328-6476
1505 E Washington St, Urbana, IL - (217) 344-1100

And finally, Our local chain!!

Jimmy John's
Jimmy John's Gourmet Sandwich

43 E Green St, Champaign, IL - (217) 344-6200
1811 W Kirby Ave, Champaign, IL - (217) 359-9100
1511 N Prospect Ave, Champaign, IL - (217) 359-6700
2212 Fox Dr, Champaign, IL - (847) 888-7206
601 E Green St # B, Champaign, IL - (217) 344-4443
807 S Lincoln Ave, Urbana, IL - (217) 328-3100

So, Enjoy!!!

35. Drugstores in Champaign Urbana

noreply@blogger.com (Ragib Hasan) — Sun, 02 Nov 2008 19:43:00 +0000

There are several Walgreens and CVS drug stores in Champaign Urbana area.

Walgreens

407 E Green St, Champaign, IL - (217) 344-0121
(24 Hour Location) 1713 W Springfield Ave, Champaign, IL - (217) 356-2529
1509 S Neil St, Champaign, IL - (217) 351-1516
841 Bloomington Rd, Champaign, IL - (217) 356-8209
2402 Village Green Pl, Champaign, IL - (217) 398-2764
302 E University Ave, Urbana, IL - (217) 344-7201
Ste A, 1809 Philo Rd, Urbana, IL - (217) 367-5486

CVS/pharmacy -

107 West Green Street, Champaign, IL - (217) 355-8123
243 South Mattis Avenue, Champaign, IL - (217) 352-9665
1818 South Philo Road, Urbana, IL - (217) 337-1192

Besides these, you can get prescriptions filled up at Meijer, Schnucks, Walmart and Sams Club locations.

34. Hospitals and Clinics in Champaign - Urbana

noreply@blogger.com (Ragib Hasan) — Mon, 13 Oct 2008 23:18:00 +0000

Need to see a doctor? Have to visit the emergency room, or just have to get a prescription?

In Champaign-Urbana, you are in good hands. The area has some very good hospitals with great reputation in the East Central Illinois region. Following is the list of medical centers, hospitals, clinics in Champaign Urbana area. Note that, today, I'll just write about the Big 3 hospitals / Clinics in the area.

Carle Foundation Hospital and Clinics
Carle Foundation Clinic and Hospital [website] is the biggest one in the area. It has numerous clinics and out patient services, cancer institute, and pediatric facilities. The main facility is located at
611 W. Park Street, Urbana, Illinois 61801. Phone (217) 383-3311. They recently expanded a lot, and have buildings on either side of University Avenue.

Here is how you can get to the main facility from various directions / Interstates.

Here are their clinic locations:

Carle Clinic – Urbana on Windsor
1818 E. Windsor Road, Urbana
(217) 255-9500

Carle Clinic – Champaign on Curtis
1701 W. Curtis Road, Champaign
(217) 365-6200

Carle Clinic Association
602 W. University Avenue, Urbana
Breezeway at Carle Foundation Hospital
(217) 383-3077

[The Mattis and Kirby locations are now closed for renovations, so check out the above addresses for the particular service you are looking for]

And here are some useful Carle Phone numbers

Patient Rooms (217) 383-6000
Patient Advisory Nurse (217) 383-3233
Emergency Department (217) 383-3313
Patient Accounting (217) 326-2900
OB Services (217) 383-3140

Provena Covenant Hospital / Clinic

This is a Catholic hospital system with facilities in many cities [Website]. In Urbana, they have a big hospital, located right next to the University (esp. the Computer Science department at Siebel center).

"Provena Covenant Medical Center in Urbana, Illinois, is where a tradition of clinical excellence and service to others come together to create powerful healing. A 254-bed regional hospital serving 13 east central Illinois and western Indiana counties, Provena Covenant continues to be honored for its achievements in advancing patient care. "

Address: 1400 W. Park St, Urbana, Illinois 61801

Phone numbers

General Information (217) 337-2000
PRO Ambulance (217) 337-2911
PRO Medivan (217) 337-2911
Emergency Department (217) 337-2131
Family Maternity Center (217) 337-2122
Home Health Care (217) 337-2433
Hospice Care Center (217) 337-CARE
Pharmacy (217) 337-4545
Rehabilitation Center (217) 337-2109
Volunteer Services (217) 337-2378

Christie Clinic
In Champaign Urbana, Christie Clinic has several locations. [web]

Christie Clinic on University
101 West University Avenue
Champaign IL 61820
217.366.1200

Christie Clinic on Windsor
1801 West Windsor Road
Champaign IL 61821
217.366.8000

Christie Clinic at Provena Covenant
1400 West Park Street
Urbana IL 61801
217.366.1200

Christie Clinic in Urbana
1710 East Windsor Road
Urbana IL 61802
217.344.9440

Christie Clinic at County Market - Corner of Kirby & Duncan
2901 West Kirby Avenue
Champaign IL 61821
217.366.8130

Christie Clinic at County Market - Glenn Park Drive
1914 Glenn Park Drive
Champaign IL 61821
217.366.8130

Christie Clinic Cancer Center
109 West University Avenue
Champaign IL 61820
217.366.5180

Christie Clinic at C U Sleep
1207 South Mattis Avenue, Suite #3
Champaign IL 61821
217.355.1684

And of course we do have the good ol' ...

McKinley Health Center

Well, this is actually a clinic for U of I students. [web]
Location 1109 S. Lincoln Ave. Urbana, IL 61801
Phone: 217-333-2701

For difficult cases, they will invariably refer you to the other locations. Still, for students, it's quite convenient to go to ... it's located on Lincoln, and on or near several bus routes.

------------

That's all for today, may be I'll write about smaller clinics and convenient care facilities in Champaign Urbana area.

33. Car Towing services in Champaign - Urbana

noreply@blogger.com (Ragib Hasan) — Thu, 25 Sep 2008 22:35:00 +0000

Towing? You either hate it (when your car gets towed), or love it (when your broken down car needs towing), but either way, it's good to know how you can get access to towing services in Champaign-Urbana. Nobody knows when they might need towing ... or to find out where their car has been towed!!

So, let's take a look at the towing companies in Champaign-Urbana area:

Reynolds Towing Service Inc -
210 E University Ave # B, Champaign, IL , (217) 352-3063
304 E Anthony Dr, Urbana, IL - (217) 337-0913
http://www.reynoldstowing.biz
Andy's Towing - 515 N Market St, Champaign, IL
http://www.andystowingandlimos.com - (217) 352-6969
Tatman's Towing - 727 S Mattis Ave, Champaign, IL -
http://www.tatmanstowing.com - (217) 355-2368
Road Ready Truck & Tire - 51 E Leverett Rd, Champaign, IL - http://www.roadreadytruckandtire.com - (217) 643-2800
Acme M & K Towing - 1207 Hagan St, Champaign, IL - (217) 398-1199
R & S Towing & Auto Repair - 215 S Locust St, Champaign, IL - (217) 352-9584
Don's 24 Hour Towing Recovery and Repair Inc - 2810 N Lincoln Ave, Urbana, IL - (217) 344-2676
Feldkamp's 24 Hour Towing - 304 S Anderson St, Urbana, IL - (217) 367-7888
CU West Auto Repair & 24 Hour Towing - 209 N Prairie View Rd, Mahomet, IL - (217) 586-2729
Joe's Body Shop & Towing? - 403 N 4th St, St Joseph, IL - (217) 202-9997
Mike's Garage & Towing 703 N 4th St, St Joseph, IL - (217) 469-2018
Joe's Body Shop Towing & Recovery - 200 E Grove Ave, Rantoul, IL - (217) 892-8200

Note that: I don't have any experience with any of them, so don't know about their rates. Please call their numbers to ask about their rates, locations etc.

32. Skating in Champaign - Urbana

noreply@blogger.com (Ragib Hasan) — Sun, 21 Sep 2008 09:04:00 +0000

Are you interested in Skating? Looking for a place to do so in bone-dry Chambana area? Though we don't have any good sized lakes here, there are some places where you can go to enjoy skating.

1. University of Illinois Ice Arena

This is perhaps the best venue for skating in Champaign-Urbana area. The Arena is located at 406 East Armory, Champaign (between Fourth and Fifth Streets).
Phone: (217) 333-2081

Public Skate General Admission

(Does not including skate rental_

UI Student or Campus Rec Member (with valid i-card): FREE
Children (under 3): Free
Youth (4-12): $4.00
Adult (13 and older): $5.00
Family Pass: $20 (good for 5 family members and skate rental)

Group Passes

For groups of 8 or more skaters.

$4/person when payment is made at least one day in advance*
$5/person for groups paying at the door

* Prices include admission and skates.

Credit cards are accepted over the phone, (217) 333-2212, or stop by to purchase passes in person.

Discount Public Admission Cards

For individuals.

$30/youth (10 session pass without skates)
$40/youth (10 session pass with skates)
$40/adult (10 session pass without skates)
$50/adult (10 session pass with skates)

Skate Rental

UI Student or Campus Rec Member: $1.00
Public: $2.00

Skate Sharpening

$5/pair of skates
$8/new or custom skates

UI Ice Arena Fall 2008 Hours

Monday-Friday: 11:15 am-12:45 pm (Noon Skates)
Wednesday: 7-9 pm
Friday: 7:30-10 pm (when no Illini Hockey games)
Saturday/Sunday: 1:30-4 pm

2. Skateland

This is a facilty located at 208 W Curtis Rd, Savoy
Phone: (217)359-3335

Here is the rate info+schedule

Wednesday

Family night: 6:30 - 8:30 PM $5.00
FAMILY PRICE $15.00
(SKATE RENTAL EXTRA, UP TO 6 IMMEDIATE FAMILY MEMBERS
WITH A PARENT SKATING)

FAMILY SPECIAL $25.00
(SAME AS ABOVE PLUS
A 16" - 1 TOPPING PIZZA & 2 LITER OF POP)

THURSDAYS
AVAILABLE FOR PRIVATE PARTIES

FRIDAYS
7:00 - 11:00 PM $8.00

SATURDAYS
1:00 - 4:00 PM $5.50
7:00 - 11:00 PM $8.00

SUNDAYS
1:00 - 4:00 PM $5.50
EVENINGS AVAILABLE FOR PRIVATE PARTIES

SKATE RENTAL
REGULAR SKATE RENTAL $2.00
SPEED/ INLINE SKATE RENTAL $4.00

Enjoy!!!!

31. Indian Restaurants in Champaign Urbana

noreply@blogger.com (Ragib Hasan) — Sun, 14 Sep 2008 04:20:00 +0000

If you are looking for spicy Indian curry and other food, there is, sadly, only One option now in Champaign-Urbana area. And that option is: Bombay Grill on 403 E Green St, Champaign, IL 61801.

There used to be the Basmati Restaurant and Buffet, but they closed down recently. But on the bright side, Bombay Grill owners bought the site, and are going to open a spacious second location for Bombay Grill there.

There was the East West Fast food on Green Street, it was a vegetarian dining place, but it too closed down last year.

So, now, the only option is the bombay Grill. Their owner is, interstingly, a nepalese guy who has been in India for long time. The food is great, you can get vegetarian dishes as well as spicy lamb/chicken dishes. Being an Indian place, I don't think they serve any beef, but they do serve Goat dishes. I recommend their Biriyani (rice) dish. You can either have the mutton or the chicken one, or a vegi one. Their vegetable pakora is also a nice starter. The only problem with their current green street locaton is lack of space ... but I hope once they open their other site, it will be much better/spacious there.

Links:

Bombay Indian Grill,
403 E Green St, Champaign, IL 61801
Phone: (217) 344-3380

Website: http://www.bombayindiangrillcu.com

Menu: http://bombayindiangrillcu.com/fullmenu.php

30. Weather forcasts / links for Champaign Urbana

noreply@blogger.com (Ragib Hasan) — Sun, 24 Aug 2008 22:35:00 +0000

Well, given the fickle weather of Chambana, it always helps to find out the current weather condition. So, here are some assorted links that will take you right away to the current weather condition of Champaign-Urbana, as listed in various websites.

Bookmark this post ... you never know when you've got to check out the weather!!

Enjoy!!

UIUC Weather

Detailed weather info from UofI CropSci dept.

Weather.com

IlliniWeather.com

National Weather Service

FindLocalweather

Weather Underground

29. Emergency phone numbers in Champaign - Urbana

noreply@blogger.com (Ragib Hasan) — Sun, 24 Aug 2008 21:21:00 +0000

If you have an emergency, and need help from Police, Fire or Medical personnel, call 911
From a campus phone, dial 9-911

If you need help, but it's not an emergency, use the following numbers for police

Champaign Police - 217-351-4545
Urbana Police - 217-384-2320
University of Illinois Police - 217-333-1216
Champaign County Sheriff - 217-333-8911
Danville Police - 217-431-2250
Vermilion County Sheriff - 217-442-4080

28. Newspapers in Champaign - Urbana

noreply@blogger.com (Ragib Hasan) — Sat, 23 Aug 2008 18:22:00 +0000

If you are looking for a local newspaper in Champaign Urbana, you have two options :

The Daily Illini
The News-Gazette

The Daily Illini: The Daily Illini is the student newspaper of the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign. The newspaper was founded in 1871. Twenty-thousand copies are produced each weekday during the university's fall and spring semesters and distributed free at more than 250 locations throughout Chambana.

Where can you get it? Most campus buildings have a newsstand where you can pick one up. Also, there are boxes around the campus, for example, near the bus stop at the Illini Union, where you can get a copy. Besides campus news, it has national and International coverage, as well as a good classified ads section.

Website: http://www.dailyillini.com/

The News-Gazette: This is the regular newspaper of Champaign-Urbana-Danville area. This is a pretty old one ... tracing its origins to the 1850 "Urbana Union". After a series of mergers, the current incarnation of the paper started under its current name in 1919.

If you are looking for a regular print news paper, this might be the best option for you. Weekday issues cost 50 cents, while the sunday edition is $1.50. But, you get a lot of store coupons with the sunday edition. Besides the regular subscription, you can get a weekend subscription only too.

Website: http://www.news-gazette.com/

27. Asian / Chinese/ Korean ethnic groceries in Champaign Urbana

noreply@blogger.com (Ragib Hasan) — Mon, 18 Aug 2008 22:30:00 +0000

Besides the Indian ethnic grocery I mentioned in #20, there are several other Asian grocery stores in Champaign - Urbana. These are mainly Chinese groceries, but also carry other Asian cuisines such as Korean, Vietnamese, Filipino etc.

Following is a list of Asian Grocery stores in Chambana.

AM-KO Oriental Food : Located at the corner of 1st and Springfield in Champaign, this Korean Grocery store carries a huge collection of Asian grocery items. They have seafood, Kimchi, noodles, Indian spices/groceries, rice, herbs,tea, fresh vegetables etc.
Chang's Oriental Mart : This is located between Neil and Randolph, and on Green. Right next to Annapoorna ... and the Champaign Public Library. This family run store has a lot of chinese grocery items. Even better, they have the best Butter fish (my favorite). You also get milk powder, vegetable, and different kinds of fish.
Euro Mart : Located at the corner of 1st and Springfield in Champaign (diagonally opposite to Am-Ko), this is more of a Mediterranean grocery, and carries mostly middle eastern items. They do have Halaal/kosher meat, lamb, beef, chicken etc. A huge collection of Cheese, Olives and other such, items.
Far East Market : The store doesn't give a good impression from the outside, but the moment you step inside, you'll be surprised. This store has perhaps the largest collection of Asian food items. The aisles are narrow, as they have a lot of different types of spices, canned food, fresh fish, vegetables, pickles, and what not! I especially like their seafood collection, but you've got to go there and see it for yourself.
Green Onion : I haven't been there, but they are supposed to have organic and asian food/veggies.
Lee's Oriental Foods : This is at the corner of Neil and Kirby (right next to the Walgreens). They carry Korean groceries.
Maligaya's Store : I have not been to this store, but it is listed as a Filipino grocery.
World Harvest International & Gourmet Foods : Like Euro-Mart, this is a Mediterranean grocery store. They have middle-eastern, arab, European stuff. Lamb/beef/chicken, kosher/halaal. Also a lot of cheese, olives etc. Good collection of exclusive items, chockolates etc. But the prices are a bit high.

26. Monsters and the law in Urbana

noreply@blogger.com (Ragib Hasan) — Wed, 13 Aug 2008 02:19:00 +0000

While reading about funny laws throughout the world, in particular the "funny Illinois law" section, I suddenly came across this interesting entry:

It is against the law for a monster to enter the corporate limits of Urbana, Illinois.

I felt intrigued and safe ... wow, the city is off limits to monsters!! So if the day comes when Godzilla or Freddy or Chucky or other monsters wander around the cornfields (so typical hang-out place for monsters), all I need to do is to cross Wright street to the East side and enter Urbana. The monsters should obey the law, and stop dead on their tracks ... honest law abiding monsters won't have the "courage" to come after the citizens of Urbana. (How lucky that I've moved from monster friendly Champaign to Urbana a few years ago!!)

But seriously, is it really a law?

After some googling, I came across this page, which gives the following explanation, an act from 1872,

Third. Circuses, menageries, caravans, hippodromes,side-shows and concerts, minstrel or musical entertainments given under a canvas, exhibitions of freaks of nature or monsters, and all exhibitions that may be given in the open air or under a canvas, not herein specifically mentioned, shall be known as entertainments of the third class.

Sec. 2. No person or persons shall give any entertainment mentioned in this chapter, within the corporate limits of the city, for gain, without a license therefor, first had and obtained from the City Clerk, under the corporate seal, under a penalty of not less than ten dollars nor more than
two hundred dollars for each offense.

So, there you go ... its TRUE!!! Monsters can't just walk into Urbana doing their usual Monster stuff ... they need to get a License!! Otherwise, they have to pay a fine between $10 and $200!!

So, next time the Chidlren of the Corn or Godzilla start heading towards Urbana, you can just whip out this statute, and tell them it's illegal for monsters to enter Urbana sans a license ...

[Image: Domo kun , from Commons]

25. Movies and movie theaters in Champaign Urbana

noreply@blogger.com (Ragib Hasan) — Sat, 09 Aug 2008 17:43:00 +0000

Champaign Urbana has several movie theaters.

My personal favorite is Boardman's Art Theatre in Downtown Champaign (126 W Church Street, Champaign, IL [Map] [Phone: (217) 355-0068] ). While this is a very small movie theater, it brings many indie films and foreign movies (such as Indian Hindi cinemas) from time to time. You can buy tickets online, or at the movie theater. There is meter parking available on the streers nearby, and also several restaurants.

Next comes Goodrich Savoy 16 . They have $1 movies for kids all summer, and also discount tickets during the afternoons. This is a big movie theater, and regularly brings the latest Hollywood Blockbusters. The theater is located at 232 W. Burwash Savoy, IL 61874 [Map] [Phone: (217) 355-3456 ]

The other big movie theater is Carmike Beverly Cinema 18 in North Prospect, Champaign. It is also a multiplex, and located right next to Meijer. Address: 910 Meijers Drive, Champaign, IL 61821 [Map]. [Phone: (217) 359-5687 ]

There is another small theater catering to the Indie movie circuit. Virginia Theater - Champaign
((217) 356-9053) 203 W Park Ave, Champaign, IL 61820

And there are occasional film screenings in the University too.

Note

If you are a student, be sure to present your student ID when purchasing a ticket. Most movie theaters will give you a discount on ticket prices.

24. Busey Bank locations and hours in Champaign Urbana

noreply@blogger.com (Ragib Hasan) — Mon, 04 Aug 2008 23:02:00 +0000

Busey Bank is one of the many banks of Champaign Urbana, but the main distinction is that this is a local bank, and one of the oldest in the area. It was established in 1868 by Dr. W. R. Earhart and the Busey brothers - Simeon Busey and Colonel Samuel T. Busey of Urbana.

Through various mergers and acquisitions, the bank has grown a lot. Most recently, in 2007, it merged with Main Street Bank and Trust.

This was my first bank in Champaign-Urbana area. The advantages are clear: the locations are quite convenient ... there is a branch right at the center of U of I campus (6th and Green), and also many other locations around the area. They also have a lot of ATMs, and so you don't have to pay any ATM fees when you use their ATMs. You get a Mastercard check/debit card which doubles as the ATM card.

The bank also has a nice rewards program, and you get points for referring new customers as well as making purchases on debit cards. I received an Ipod Shuffle recently after cashing in my 800 points.

Following are the locations of the bank branches, and the hours. A more updated list can be found at the Bank's site.

Champaign

Busey Bank, Champaign 217-384-3400
909 W Kirby, Champaign, IL 61820 24-Hour ATM Available
Lobby: Mon - Fri - 8:30am to 5pm | Sat - 9am to 12pm
Drive Up: Mon - Fri - 7am to 7pm | Sat - 7am to 4pm
Busey Bank, Champaign - Campus 217-365-4552
614 S Sixth St, Champaign, IL 61820 24-Hour ATM Available
Lobby: Mon - Fri� 9am to 5pm | Sat - 9am to 12pm
Busey Bank, Champaign - North 217-355-1580
907 N Marketview, Champaign, IL 61822 24-Hour ATM Available
Lobby: Mon - Thur - 9am to 5:30pm | Fri - 9am to 6pm | Sat - 9am to 1pm
Busey Bank, Springfield & Country Fair 217-351-2854
2011 W Springfield Ave, Champaign, IL 61821 24-Hour ATM Available
Lobby: Mon - Fri - 9am to 5pm | Sat - 9am to 12pm
Drive Up: Mon - Fri - 7am to 7pm | Sat - 7am to 7pm
Busey Bank, Springfield & Randolph 217-351-2700
314 S Randolph, Champaign, IL 61820 24-Hour ATM Available
Lobby: Mon - Fri - 9am to 5pm | Sat - 9am to 12pm
Drive Up: Mon - Fri - 7am to 7pm | Sat - 7am to 7pm
Busey Bank, University & Randolph 217-351-6500
100 W University, Champaign, IL 61820
Lobby: Mon - Fri - 9am to 4pm
Busey Bank, Windsor & Duncan 217-351-2820
3002 W Windsor, Champaign, IL 61821 24-Hour ATM Available
Lobby: Mon - Fri - 9am to 5pm | Sat - 9am to 12pm
Drive Up: Mon - Fri - 7am to 7pm | Sat - 8am to 12pm

Urbana

Busey Bank, Urbana 217-365-4500
201 W Main, Urbana, IL 61801 24-Hour ATM Available
Lobby: Mon - Fri - 9am to 4pm
Drive Up: Mon - Fri - 7:30am to 6pm
Mini Bank: Mon - Fri - 7:30am to 6pm | Sat - 8am to 1pm
Busey Bank, Urbana - Sunnycrest 217-367-6633
1717 Philo Rd, Urbana, IL 61801 24-Hour ATM Available
Drive Up: Mon - Fri - 8am to 4pm | Sat - 8am to 1pm
Walk Up: Mon - Fri - 8am to 4pm | Sat - 8am to 1pm
Busey Bank, Urbana - The Pines 217-365-4930
2710 S Philo Rd, Urbana, IL 61802 24-Hour ATM Available
Lobby: Mon - Fri - 9am to 5pm | Sat - 9am to 12pm
Drive Up: Mon - Fri - 7:30am to 6:30pm | Sat - 7:30am to 1pm\

Other cities

Busey Bank, Mahomet 217-586-4981
312 E Main, Mahomet, IL 61853
Lobby: Mon - Thur - 9am to 4pm | Fri - 9am to 5pm | Sat - 9am to 12pm
Drive Up: Mon - Fri - 7am to 6pm | Sat - 7am to 1pm
Busey Bank, Rantoul 217-892-2181
200 E Sangamon, Rantoul, IL 61866
Lobby: Mon - Fri - 9am to 4pm
Busey Bank, Rantoul 217-892-4121
1231 E Grove, Rantoul, IL 61866 24-Hour ATM Available
Lobby: Mon - Fri - 9am to 5:30pm | Sat - 9am to 12pm
Drive Up: Mon - Fri - 7:30am to 6pm | Sat - 7:30am to 12pm
Busey Bank, Savoy 217-384-3424
108 Arbours, Savoy, IL 61874 24-Hour ATM Available
Lobby: Mon - Thur �8am to 5pm | Fri �8am to 5:30pm | Sat �8am to 12pm
Drive Up: Mon - Thur �7:30am to 6pm | Fri �7:30am to 7pm | Sat �7:30am to 1pm
Busey Bank, St. Joseph 217-469-7631
104 N Main, St. Joseph, IL 61873 24-Hour ATM Available
Lobby: Mon - Fri - 9am to 4pm | Sat - 9am to 12pm
Drive Up: Mon - Fri - 7:30am to 6pm | Sat - 7:30am to 12pm
Busey Bank, Thomasboro 217-643-7836
101 Main St, Thomasboro, IL 61878
Drive Up: Mon - Fri - 7:30am to 6pm | Sat - 7:30am to 12pm
Busey Bank, Tolono 217-485-6021
128 E Holden, Tolono, IL 61880
Lobby: Mon - Thur - 9am to 4pm | Fri - 9am to 5pm | Sat - 9am to 12pm
Drive Up: Mon - Thur - 9am to 5:30pm | Fri - 9am to 6pm | Sat - 9am to 12pm
Walk Up: Mon - Thur - 4pm to 5:30pm | Fri - 5pm to 6pm

23. Dollar Stores in Champaign-Urbana

noreply@blogger.com (Ragib Hasan) — Wed, 30 Jul 2008 23:29:00 +0000

These days, the economy is not doing so good, and gas prices are rising sky high. To beat all these economy blues, many folks are re-discovering Dollar Stores.

Good old Dollar Stores are discount stores which sell many items for a dollar or a few dollars. Some of them are "pure" dollar stores, where everything is only a dollar. In good times, many people kept away from dollar stores as they associated it with shame, poverty, etc. But when you have to pay $4 for a gallon of gas, you can't be so choosy. And many items in Dollar stores are just as good as regular chains. Do note that, you shouldn't buy cosmetics, food, or toothpaste from Dollar stores, as often they carry cheap imported makeup, food, toothpaste that are not safe. But for things like paper plates, mugs, and many other small items, dollar store provides the best price.

There used to be a large number of Dollar stores in Champaign-Urbana, but unfortunately, in the recent years, many of them closed. Right now, only a few are left. Below is a list of the names and locations of the dollar stores of Champaign- Urbana, Savoy and other nearby places.

Dollar Tree
2009 N Prospect Ave, Champaign, IL - (217) 351-3143

Dollar Tree
1333 Savoy Plaza Ln, Savoy, IL - (217) 352-4390

Dollar Tree Stores Inc
503 S Dunlap Ave, Savoy, IL - (217) 351-1852

Dollar General
2004 W Springfield Ave # B, Champaign, IL - (217) 351-3013

Dollar General
817 Bloomington Rd, Champaign, IL - (217) 355-6726

Family Dollar Store
1506 N Cunningham Ave, Urbana, IL - (217) 367-4042

Dollar General Store
1506 N Cunningham Ave, Urbana, IL - (217) 384-2269

Dollar General Store
2012 Philo Rd, Urbana, IL - (217) 337-0127

Dollar General
507 N Long St, Tolono, IL - (217) 485-5484

Deals-Nothing Over A Dollar
245 S Mattis Ave, Champaign, IL - (217) 356-4036

Circle Of Deals - Everything $5 & Under
45 E. University Ave., Champaign, IL - (217) 359-1624

22. Ordering Pizza in Champaign Urbana

noreply@blogger.com (Ragib Hasan) — Wed, 30 Jul 2008 15:59:00 +0000

Do you have a sudden craving for a slice of Pizza? Here are some info that might help you. There are many places where you can get a pizza in Champaign Urbana area. Most of them have delivery services available for

Champaign

Papa Del's Pizza E Green St, Champaign, IL -(217) 359-7700 206
Papa John's Pizza 106 E Green St, Champaign, IL - (217) 355-5858
Second Story Pizza 901 S 4th St, Champaign, IL (217) 239-2001
Monical's Pizza W Kirby Ave, Champaign, IL . (217) 356-4243 103
Domino's Pizza 102 E Green St, Champaign, IL - (217) 355-0717
Gumby's Pizza 1409 S Neil St, Champaign, IL - (217) 355-3278
Prime Time Pizza 505 E University Ave # B, Champaign, IL - (217) 355-9100
Papa John's Pizza 2104 W Springfield Ave # A, Champaign, IL - (217) 351-7272
Pizza Hut 411 E Green St, Champaign, IL - (217) 344-2218
Garcia's Pizza In A Pan 108 E Green St, Champaign, IL - (217) 359-1212
Heartland Pizza 1803 W Kirby Ave, Champaign, IL - (217) 398-6800
One World Pizza 508 E Green St, Champaign, IL - (217) 344-4000
Village Inn Pizza Parlor 1801 W Springfield Ave, Champaign, IL - (217) 359-1736
Antonio's Pizza, 619 E Green St, Champaign, IL - (217) 365-9500
Papa Murphy's Pizza: Champaign, 1753 W Kirby Ave, Champaign, IL - (217) 356-8000
Boston's Gourmet Pizza, 2501 N Prospect Ave, Champaign, IL - (217) 355-0005
Pizzeria Uno 2000 N Neil St, Champaign, IL - (217) 398-4242
Pizza Planet and Beyond 508 E Green St, Champaign, IL - (217) 344-0632

Urbana

Rosati's Pizza 701 S Gregory St # H, Urbana, IL - (217) 328-2334
Domino's Pizza 1108 N. Cunningham Ave, Urbana, IL - (217) 328-6800
Domino's Pizza 1106 S Vine St, Urbana, IL - (217) 384-6400
Papa Murphy's Pizza 114 N Vine St # C, Urbana, IL - (217) 344-7700
Papa John's Pizza 1307 E Florida Ave, Urbana, IL - (217) 384-7272
Monical's Pizza, 2720 South Philo Road, Urbana, IL 61802 (217) 367-5781
Little Caesars Pizza 1901 Philo Rd # B, Urbana, IL - (217) 328-9360
Manolo's Pizza & Empanadas 1115 W Oregon St, Urbana, IL - (217) 365-0110
Sbarro 1401 W Green St, Urbana, IL - (217) 337-0100
Casey's Carry Out Pizza 2108 E University Ave, Urbana, IL - (217) 328-0505
Kraft Pizza 1502 Airport Rd, Urbana, IL - (217) 337-0328

21. (AM/FM) Radio Stations in Champaign Urbana

noreply@blogger.com (Ragib Hasan) — Fri, 25 Jul 2008 04:52:00 +0000

There are a number of Radio stations in Champaign Urbana. Most of them are FM, but there are also some AM radio stations. Among them WILL also offers Digital HD radio broadcast.

University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign operates WILL via the college of communications. Parkland College also has its own radio station.

Following is a list of AM and FM radio stations in and around Champaign Urbana.

AM Radio stations in Champaign Urbana

WILL 580 AM
300 N. Goodwin Avenue, Urbana
(217) 333-0850

WBCP 1580 AM
904 N. 4th Street, Urbana
(217) 359-1580

WDWS 1400 AM
2301 S Neil St., Champaign
(217) 351-5300

WKJR 1460 AM
Rantoul, IL
Spanish

FM Radio stations in Champaign-Urbana

WPCD 88.7 FM
Parkland College radio
2400 W.Bradley Avenue, Champaign
(217) 351-2450, alternate: (217) 373-3790

WGNJ 89.3 FM
Religious

WGNJ or WGNN P.O. Box 12345, Champaign
(217) 367-7777

WEFT 90.1 FM
Variety / World music

113 N. Market Street, Champaign
(217) 359-9338

WILL 90.9 FM
Classical

Campbell Hall for Public Telecommunication 300 N. Goodwin Ave., Urbana
(217) 333-0850, alternate: (217) 333-0853
WIXY 100.3 FM
603 West Bradley Avenue, Champaign
(217) 352-4141, alternate: (217) 355-3333

WBGL 91.7 FM
Christian Contemporary

2108 West Springfield Avenue, Champaign
(217) 359-8232, alternate: (217) 351-9245

WCFF 92.5 FM
Adult Hits
2603 West Bradley, Champaign
(217) 352-1256, alternate: (217) 355-9250

WEBX 93.5 FM
Alternative
4108 Fieldstone Road, Suite C, Champaign
(217) 367-1195, alternate: (217) 239-9350

WLRW 94.5 FM
Hot AC
2603 West Bradley Avenue, Champaign
(217) 352-4141, alternate: (217) 351-9494

WQQB 96.1 FM
Top-40
4108 Fieldstone Road, Suite C, Champaign
(217) 328-9600

WHMS 97.5 FM
Adult Contemporary
2301 South Neil Street, Champaign
(217) 351-5300

WWHP 98.3 FM
(309) 928-9876

WXTT 99.1 FM
80's Rock
2603 West Bradley, Champaign
(217) 352-4141

WHPO 100.9 FM
Hoopeston, IL
Country, Radio

WDNL 102.1 FM
Danville, IL
Hot AC,

WGNN 102.5 FM
Fisher, IL
Religious

WPXN 104.9 FM
Paxton, IL
Adult Contemporary

WGKC 105.9 FM
Classic Rock
4108 Fieldstone Road, Champaign
(217) 367-1195

WCZQ 105.5 FM
Monticello, IL
Hip Hop, Radio

WGKC 105.9 FM
Mahomet, IL
Classic Rock

WGCY 106.3 FM
Gibson City, IL
Easy Listening

WPGU 107.1 FM
Alternative
24 E Green St. Suite 107, Champaign
(217) 337-3100, alternate: (217) 337-1071

20. Ethnic Indian grocery in Champaign-Urbana : Annapoorna Stores

noreply@blogger.com (Ragib Hasan) — Tue, 22 Jul 2008 04:27:00 +0000

Image: courtesy of Annapoorna stores website

Besides the regular groceries, there are many ethnic grocery stores in Champaign - Urbana. But there is only one Indian grocery store in Chambana.

The Annapoorna stores is located in Champaign, 505 South Neil Street, Suite 11, Champaign, IL 61820 . It is right opposite to the Champaign Public Library, between Randolph and Neil, Healy and Green. (You can take the 5 Green bus or 25 loop to reach near it).

Store items/collection
The store contains a rich collection of Indian and South Asian groceries, spices, and many other food items. For example:

Frozen food: Both north and south Indian specialities, such as Paratha, Roti, Nan, Idli, Dosa, Uttappam. The ready to eat food section has specialities such as Dal, Bhendi Masala, Chole Chatpate, Pongal Rice, etc.

Frozen snacks: Khaman Dhokla, chili paneer, punjabi samosa, veg. spring roll, chicken samosas, chinese appetizers/meals.

Spices: Chili, cumin, garam masala, coriander, turmeric, spices, pickles, cinnamon, cardamom.

Food grain: Basmati rice, boiled rice, Sona masoori rice, dal / lentil, flour,

Fresh vegetables: The store brings fresh vegetables from Chicago every Friday. You can get fresh okra, green peppers, singa, radish (muli), mangoes, guavas etc.

Fresh sweets/snacks : The store brings fresh sweets like ladoos, jalebis, rasmalai, samosa, kachori, and mirchi pakora.

Meat - The store will take orders for poultry, and other kind of meat. It will bring those meat items from Chicago. Pick up can be made on Thursday evenings when their delivery van arrives from Chicago. (the store is closed at that time though, so you can only pick up the meat order at that time).

Video rentals: The store carries a rich collection of Hindi, Tamil, Bengali, Kannada, Malayalam, Telugu, and other Indian language films/cinemas. VHS tapes/cassettes cost $1 to rent, and DVDs are $2. The store brings new releases almost every week.

The store takes Cash, Debit and Credit cards.

Store Hours

Mon - Wed : 11:00 AM to 8:30 PM
Fri - Sat : 11:00 AM to 9:00 PM
Sun : 12:00 PM to 8:30 PM
Closed on Thursday