Believe Creative via Flickr
Does your state have a Springfield? Mine does and it happens to be the capitol. There is also a Springfield, Missouri; Springfield, Massachusetts; and there’s at least five Springfields in Wisconsin alone. I found the thought of there being so many Springfields so amusing, that I decided to delve into the deeps of the web to discover the most interesting tidbits about select Springfields. So head down to the Kwik-E-Mart, grab a Squishee, and get ready to put the Spring in Springfield!
I’m going to start our tour of Springfields in good old Springfield, Illinois. Springfield is the capitol of Illinois and has tons of fun things to do around town if you like Abraham Lincoln. And who doesn’t like Abraham Lincoln? Springfield is actually the third Illinois State Capitol, being preceded by Kaskaskia and Vandalia, and I am lucky enough to have visited all three. Springfield is home to about 113,000 people, 15 museums, and Abraham Lincoln. If you didn’t know, Abraham Lincoln is kind of a big deal in Springfield. You can tour two museums devoted to Him, you can tour his home, see his tomb, and wear around top hats and beards. If you decide to visit you’re going to get hungry. I would suggest hitting up Cozy Dogs for lunch and trying a place that serves up horseshoes for dinner. If you haven’t heard of horseshoes, they are a type of open faced sandwich that originated in Springfield. Think cheese sauce on top of fries on top of a burger. If you then decide you love Springfield so much that you want to live there, you are in luck! Average rent for one, two, and three bedroom apartments are all under $1,000. However, you won’t be able to live on Evergreen Terrace next to Homer, as this street doesn’t exist in Springfield, IL.
Marshall Astor via Flickr
Show me Springfield, Missouri! This Springfield happens to be the most populous Springfield in the United States with approximately 160,000 happy Springfielders residing within its borders. If you want to visit them, be ready for some sweet outdoor action. You won’t be able to jump the Springfield Gorge or anything, but there are tons of other cool outdoor things to do. If bike riding is your thing, you can check out the Ozark Greenway, a network of bike trails. There are also wineries and distilleries to visit, you can watch the Springfield Cardinals play some ball, and my personal favorite, shop your brains out at the huge Bass Pro Shops headquarters. If you are remotely interested in any outdoor activity, you will have a blast just walking through this place. My personal favorite is looking through all the campers and dreaming about vacation. So what do you do if Springfield, Missouri is calling your name? Well, rent isn’t bad there. One bedrooms average around $450 a month and three bedrooms averages just under $800. Not bad at all!
acme401 via Flickr
Our last Springfield on the tour of Springfields is Springfield, Massachusetts, population 153,000! Since I have never visited this Springfield, I had to do a little extra digging around on this Springfield. So I got a little help from my good friends, The Simpsons. I disappointedly found out that Jebediah Springfield didn’t found Springfield, MA, but I did discover that it was the first Springfield of the New World, which was pretty cool. Being the oldest Springfield in the States has its advantages, sight-seeing wise. There is plenty to see if you are at all interested in anything history. There is the Springfield Armory, which was first authorized for use by George Washington and is also where Shay’s Rebellion took place. If guns and founding fathers don’t suit your fancy history-wise, maybe you’ll prefer the Titanic museum. Now is also the perfect time go, as 2012 marks the 100th anniversary of the sinking. And if by some remote chance you’re not into 18th century US history or massive ship wrecks, there is also basketball. Springfield, MA happens to be the birthplace of basketball. This means that you can visit the basketball hall of fame and bask in all of the dribbling, shooting, and passing goodness. So before you pack up your bags and head east, you may want to know that out of the Springfields surveyed, this Springfield had the highest average rent prices, which range from $800 to $1,250 on average.
Springfield Rent Comparisons
Sadly, I was not able to discover every single fun thing to do in every Springfield in the US, but I hope that I gave you enough of a taste of some Springfields to whet your appetite to give them a visit. If I didn’t, don’t have a cow, man! If you want more Springfields, I can give you more Springfields. Let me know what you want to read or if you have any questions or comments and I can see what I can do!
