We asked our students to tell us what made Bloomington a remarkable place to live, and were surprised by the range of answers we received. Whether you are into nightlife, the arts, sports, good food, nature, or just want to live in a great community, Bloomington is known as one of the best college towns in the country.

Rand-McNally selected Bloomington as one of the eight most desirable places to live in the United States, based on economy, personal safety, climate, housing, services, and leisure activities. And it is affordable: Periodic surveys conducted by the American Chamber of Commerce Researchers Association have shown that the cost of living in Bloomington is consistently at or below the national average.

The Banneker Community Center houses a variety of community programs and activities for kids and teens. At this and a previous location, Banneker School was a segregated school for Bloomington’s African American residents from the early 1900s to 1955. It then became the Westside Community Center. The name was changed by the Bloomington City Council in 1994 to reflect the contributions of Benjamin Banneker, a prominent person in African American history because of his accomplishments as a scientist, inventor and architect.