Moline

Part of an area known as Quad Cities, Downtown Moline is a walkable shopping district with popular retailers and restaurants. Downtown Moline is known for its restaurant scene, and it's common to see locals popping in and out of their favorite spots on weekends. The Mississippi River is also close by, a big draw for those who enjoy views of the water. Residents won't be starved for choice when looking for a bite to eat. Las Salsas Dona Mary, Broken Saddle Saloon and Le Mekong are popular restaurants in the area. Las Salsas Dona Mary has a brick exterior and serves a variety of Mexican dishes. The area is walkable, and the majority of eateries and shops are near each other. Julie's Artistic Rose is a boutique shop that shells flowers, vases and home decor. Residents also have options for entertainment in Downtown Moline, thanks to the Virbant Arena at the Mark, a 12,000-seat venue that draws national acts. Homes in Downtown Moline start at $170,000 and reach around $450,000. Most of the residences in this area are found skirting the proper downtown portion of the area. Residents live along quiet tree-lined streets near Interstate 74, but there are also some homes closer to the businesses that make up Downtown Moline. These houses, in particular, have neat lawns with concrete walkups and share a pre-war bungalow style. It's common to see shotgun houses, bungalows and duplexes in the areas further away from the center of the neighborhood. Residents are friendly here, and while Downtown Moline lacks sidewalks in many places, many locals are out and about in their yards, sharing laughs and good times with each other. The Mississippi River is minutes from Downtown Moline and a draw for residents who like to kayak, canoe, or walk the Great River Trail, which winds along the Mississippi River. For recreation and fun, residents head to 55-acre Riverside Park. Known for its extensive sports courts and fields. The park is a hub for activity, from pickleball and tennis to baseball and a pool for the warmer months. The area is very walkable thanks to its dense layout and sidewalks. It's also next to Interstate 74, and 4th and 6th Avenue cut through the neighborhood, providing easy access to other parts of the Quad Cities. There are also bus stops along those streets, creating a diversity of ways to get around. Learners in the area are part of the Moline-Coal Valley School District, which has a B rating on Niche. Students start their educational journey at Willard Elementary, which has a C-plus rating. Learners continue at C-plus-rated John Deere Middle School and wrap up their secondary educational journey at Moline High School, which has a B-plus rating. Sports are a big part of student life at Moline High, especially the boys' soccer team, which had an undefeated 2023-2024 season. It's common to see the community come out and support the team. The Western Illinois University Quad Cities campus is close to Downtown Moline. The commuter campus has a strong STEM program and serves learners who may be early in their careers or who are looking for a career change. It's a major employer in the area and has been rated "Best Midwestern College" by the Princeton Review and the "Best for Vets College" by Military Times.

A small neighborhood beside downtown Moline, Floreciente is a neighborhood rich with community and creativity. There are free libraries in spots along the streets, and some residents are known for adorning walls around the neighborhood with murals. For a potential homebuyer looking to join a friendly and creative community near downtown Moline, Floreciente has plenty to offer. Homes in Floreciente start at around $50,000 and can reach up to around $100,000. Properties in this neighborhood tend to be closer together with small yards. There are murals painted on the walls of some buildings in the area, lending a sense of creativity to the neighborhood. Homes tend to be bungalows, shotgun houses and colonials. Streets tend to have sidewalks on either side, and mature trees grow in some front yards and show colorful foliage in the fall. Students begin their educational journey at Lincoln-Irving Elementary School, which has a C-minus rating on Niche and continue at Woodrow Wilson Middle School, which has a B-minus rating. Learners wrap up their secondary academic journey at Moline High School, which has a B-plus rating. Sports are a big part of student life at Moline High, especially the boys' soccer team, which had an undefeated 2023-2024 season. It's common to see the community come out and support the team. Residents take in the fresh air at McCandless Park. This simple green space is an open field with two soccer goals, perfect for everything from scoring goals to throwing frisbees. Head across the Mississippi and visit Sylvan Island. It's easily accessible by a footbridge; the island is threaded with walking trails and dotted with old buildings. Grab a seat by the riverbank and watch the water on a weekend afternoon. Stephens Park is also popular and within walking distance of the neighborhood, and it's home to two tennis courts and a baseball diamond. For a bite to eat, head to Old Mexico Restaurant. It's got a pastel red brick exterior and rows of booths inside, with Red, green and white streamers hanging from the ceiling. This is a local favorite for lunch and a cold beer. For groceries, locals head to Downtown Moline is a big draw for restaurants and shopping and is less than a mile from the neighborhood. The Vibrant Arena at The Mark draws in national acts and seats 12,000. It's a big draw for locals who enjoy live performances. Johnny's Italian Steakhouse is a popular option for a night out. This classy spot has moody ambient lighting provided by chandeliers and is filled with booths, round tables and a dark wood bar with two full-sized wine coolers. 4th and 5th Avenues, both major thoroughfares, run through the neighborhood and provide easy access to downtown Moline and beyond. Bus stops for MetroLINK line both roads so that residents can walk to the bus stops. Interstate 74 is less than two miles from the neighborhood and runs through the entirety of Moline and beyond. It also provides easy access to the Quad Cities International Airport.

Early 20th-century homes, colorful trees and landscaped yards set Forest Hill-Highland apart from surrounding neighborhoods. Located just south of downtown Moline, this quiet residential community offers easy access to all the city has to offer. “This area is full of homes built in the 1920s and '30s that have lots of character — inside and out. It’s also very conveniently located. You’re right next to Interstate 74 and the Avenue of the Cities, which are the main roads in Moline,” says Realtor Kate Howard of Exp Realty, who has worked in the area for a decade. Cottages, bungalows, American Foursquares and steep-pitched Tudor Revival homes can all be found here. While the housing stock may be older, many of these homes have been well-kept, and some have been renovated to include modern amenities. Homes are typically on the smaller side, with floorplans ranging from around 1,000 to 2,000 square feet, while lot sizes vary in size from 5,000 to 8,000 square feet. Grassy lawns extend out to sidewalks with tall, mature trees that provide plenty of shade in the summertime. The neighborhood is laid out on an urban street grid with alleyways that are lined with unattached, two-car garages. Home prices can range from as low as $100,000 for a tiny bungalow to upwards of $250,000 for larger homes. “There are a lot of older, well-maintained homes here, and wide variance of prices. It’s got a lot of charm,” Howard says. The Avenue of the Cities borders the southern edge of Forest Hill-Highland, offering residents easy access to shops, restaurants and grocery stores. Quad City Pizza Co. is the perfect place to pick up a pie, while those in the mood for an ice-cold beer might make a pit stop at Harley’s, a local dive. Major grocery chains like Hy-Vee, Jewel-Osco and Aldi are less than a mile from the neighborhood, and everyday essentials and home goods can be found about 2 miles south at Walmart and Lowe’s. For a night out, locals love the independent shops and eateries in Moline’s cozy downtown district. It's also home to the Vibrant Arena, a riverside sports and entertainment venue. Students can attend Logan Elementary School, Woodrow Wilson Middle School and Moline High School, all of which hold B ratings from Niche, an online school review site. Logan Elementary is at the center of the neighborhood, walking or biking distance from many homes. Moline High School offers plenty of options for aspiring artists and musicians, including a wide array of bands, ensembles and choirs. In 2019, the school opened the Bartlett Performing Arts, a state-of-the-art theater with 800 seats. At the center of the neighborhood, the community gathers at Optimist Park, a small green space with a playground and fields for picnicking. It's a great place to enjoy the sunshine on a nice day. Residents are also only a mile from the city’s popular Riverside Park and Aquatic Center, a large, urban park with athletic fields, tennis and pickleball courts and an outdoor swimming pool where people cool off during the sizzling summer months. Forest Hill Highland's location near Interstate 74 makes it a great place for those who need to commute — it’s about a mile to downtown Moline, 5 miles to Rock Island and about 7 miles to Davenport. The neighborhood is also served by a bus route on Avenue of the Cities for those who prefer public transit.

With midcentury homes on leafy, residential streets, Greater Homewood residents enjoy a comfortable suburban lifestyle near parks, shopping plazas and public schools. Though most entertainment can be found outside the neighborhood, The Playcrafters Barn Theatre, a local playhouse with seasonal shows, lies at the center of Greater Homewood. “This is a classic, middle-class American neighborhood. A lot of people around here work for John Deere, which has its headquarters in Moline,” says Realtor Andria Henning of Exp Realty, who grew up in Moline and has five years of real estate experience in the city. “It’s an older, midcentury neighborhood with tons of giant oak trees, as well as some homes that back up to woods and meadows,” says Henning. Mature trees provide a cover of shade over the community’s quiet streets and sidewalks, while some backyards extend out into the wooded hillsides. Lot sizes typically range from one-quarter to half an acre, providing plenty of room for landscaping, gardening and back yard barbeques. Home styles consist of split-levels, Colonial Revivals and ranch-style homes. Built mainly in the 1970s and '80s, houses here have been maintained through upgrades that modernize while retaining the home's original charm. Home prices range from around $150,000 to $350,000. For those looking for something with less upkeep, apartment rentals are available at Pine Ridge Apartments, situated along the western edge of the community. The Moline Unified School District No. 40 serves the residents of greater Homewood. Students can begin their education at Jane Addams Elementary School, which scored a B on Niche. “Jane Addams Elementary is right there in the neighborhood. It’s really convenient for families,” Henning says. Students can continue their education at Woodrow Wilson Middle School, which received a B-minus on Niche. Students can also attend Moline Senior High School, which was named No. 1 in Best Public High Schools in Rock Island County, scoring a B-plus on the site. Moline High offers plenty of options for aspiring artists and musicians, including a wide array of bands, ensembles and choirs. In 2019, the school opened the Bartlett Performing Arts Center to the public, a state-of-the-art theater with 800 seats. Greenvalley Park is about a mile and half to the south, featuring 358 acres that include Old Greenvalley Park, Greenvalley Dog Park, Greenvalley Sports Complex, Greenvalley Nature Preserve and Veterans Park. Amenities include miles of paved and gravel trails, rolling meadows, playgrounds, athletic fields and a boat launch on Rock River. For indoor activities, the Moline-East Moline YMCA is about 1 mile north of the neighborhood and offers many programs, from swim lessons and group exercise classes to youth and adult sports. Moline Public Library is close by, serving as a gathering place for the greater community. Playcrafters Barn Theatre, a non-profit community theater, is a neighborhood staple, producing both original works and established plays since 1929. Though there is little in the way of shopping or dining within the neighborhood, Pancheros Mexican Grill, a popular chain specializing in Tex-Mex fare, is located right in Greater Homewood on 38th Avenue. For shopping, residents can head just a few miles away to several shopping areas, including Rock River Plaza, which offers everyday essentials at Walmart and Lowe’s, as well as fast-food chains such as Chick-fil-A and Panda Express. Residents can also head north along the Avenue of the Cities to find shopping at the Hy-Vee Grocery Store and Aldi, as well as casual dining like Uncle Pete's Gyros. This family-owned establishment has served classic Greek food staples to the community for over 40 years. The world headquarters of John Deere, the maker of ubiquitous green and yellow tractors and other farm equipment, is less than four miles from the center of the neighborhood, just to the east on John Deere Road. In addition to its connection to one of the area's major employers, the thoroughfare that borders Greater Homewood to the south also links to Interstate 74 and U.S. Route 6, placing residents within 9 miles of Rock Island and 10 miles of downtown Davenport. Though most use a car to get around, the Quad Cities MetroLINK serves the neighborhood through several bus stops along 41st Street, 34th Avenue and 38th Avenue. For longer-distance travel, The Quad City International Airport is 3 miles south.

Moline is a town that was built from the top down. Starting along the banks of the mighty Mississippi River, settlers founded lumber mills and, eventually, factories as they created residential areas on the bluffs above the water. The Karstens-City Line neighborhood was started a little later than Old Towne and has a mix of homes from the turn of the century through today. It’s a primarily residential area with its own green space but also contains the City Line Plaza shopping mall, grocery stores and eateries. It’s also adjacent to a medical park and Saukie Golf Course. Bordered on one side by the city line between Moline and Rock Island, the neighborhood is centrally located in the Quad Cities and near roadways like 19th Avenue and Interstate 74. The Karstens-City Line neighborhood has a mix of established homes and newer builds, including several condo complexes. Depending on a resident’s needs, they can choose from duplexes, split-levels, ranch-style houses, bungalows and Cape Cods ranging from 1,000 to 1,700 square feet of living space. Houses are set back from the street, and well-kept sidewalks rest outside nicely sized yards with mature trees. Prices range from $85,000 for a two-bedroom condo to $385,000 for a three-bedroom ranch-style house. Students might attend schools like Eugene Field Elementary, John Deere Middle or Moline Senior High. John Deere Middle earned a C-plus from Niche, while Field Elementary and Moline Senior High have a B and B-plus, respectively. Eugene Field Elementary is known for its incredibly active Parent Teacher Association. It sponsors ice cream socials, book fairs and a family trivia night. John Deere Middle participates in the Lights on for Learning program, which tutors children before or after school and on Saturdays. Moline Senior High began as a two-room schoolhouse in the late 1800s. Today, it’s a one-to-one technology school where each student receives a Chromebook for classroom use. “Karstens Park is a real neighborhood park with a baseball diamond, basketball court and new playground. It was the oldest playground in Moline, but it was replaced in 2021. There’ve been heavy investments made in the past few years to revitalize the spaces,” says Eric Griffith, the Director of Parks and Recreation for Moline for the past four years. “Stephens Park is a regional park and is much larger. It draws people from all across Moline, and there’s a Belgian Fest that happens every year that brings people from around the Quad Cities. They also have different activities like Rolle Bolle (a Belgian form of bowling). There are leagues and some tournaments here.” The neighborhood’s shopping and dining can be found along 19th Avenue. City Line Plaza shopping mall contains a Family Dollar, the Jewel-Osco Market and Thai Flavors. The Jewel-Osco Market offers customers groceries, a pharmacy and a fuel station, while Thai Flavors restaurant is known for its generous portions and inviting atmosphere. It has lunch specials, vegetarian options and an extensive menu, including bubble teas, curries and spicy volcano ramen. Right across the street, Village Inn serves breakfast all day, along with award-winning pies sold whole or by the slice. Near roadways like 19th Avenue and Interstate 74, Karstens-City Line has more than one way to get around. Moline is a bike-friendly town, and the neighborhood is no different. There are numerous bus stops around the area to take commuters to the Rock Island Arsenal or John Deere headquarters, two of the major employers in the Quad Cities. The neighborhood is centrally located and is just two miles from downtown Moline and the Mississippi River. Just over 2 miles away, residents have UnityPoint Health-Trinity Moline medical center. It’s 5 miles from Quad Cities International Airport, 6 miles from Black Hawk College and 175 miles from Chicago.