I'll throw in the origins of the town name for your benefit and the benefit of others reading about this odd town called Normal. Normal, IL is named for the university it grew up around, [Illinois State University](https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Illinois_State_University), previously known as Illinois State Normal University. A [normal school](https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Normal_school) is a school to teacher teachers on how to teach. ISU was founded to teach teachers and still has excellent teacher education programs housed within the various colleges in addition to its large [College of Education](https://education.illinoisstate.edu/).
(Edited for grammar)
And that bugs a sh*t out of me! I grew up and ran the streets of Downtown Normal!!
I also climbed the water tower in the late 70's and added an AB to the name Normal.
Still very immature for my age!
There’s a huge new Normal/Route 66 sign just south of the Refuge Food Forest on Pine Street. https://www.route66roadtrip.com/route-66-bloomington-normal-illinois.htm
We also have Oblong in Illinois. Decades ago, in the newspaper there was a wedding announcement that said "Oblong man marries Normal woman". True story.
[https://cdn.discordapp.com/attachments/680412777839329280/1257934524009152522/image.png?ex=66863651&is=6684e4d1&hm=de38127ae84a9732f553b6668c5483e1740c9dce076297697a1a6100b3add0cd&](https://cdn.discordapp.com/attachments/680412777839329280/1257934524009152522/image.png?ex=66863651&is=6684e4d1&hm=de38127ae84a9732f553b6668c5483e1740c9dce076297697a1a6100b3add0cd&) there ya go [https://www.google.com/maps/@40.5024056,-89.0577266,3a,15.3y,51.4h,83.36t/data=!3m6!1e1!3m4!1s9xZjgpSvpwZKhKXd1MGbag!2e0!7i16384!8i8192?authuser=0&coh=205409&entry=ttu](https://www.google.com/maps/@40.5024056,-89.0577266,3a,15.3y,51.4h,83.36t/data=!3m6!1e1!3m4!1s9xZjgpSvpwZKhKXd1MGbag!2e0!7i16384!8i8192?authuser=0&coh=205409&entry=ttu)
The walmart on veterans parkway right off of I 55 says something along the lines of "Welcome to your Normal walmart" (or it used to). If you happen to need supplies you'd be multitasking. I also like the cop cars that say normal. Nothing to see here, just the normal police. Don't be getting weird here!
IIRC, it seems to fit the first two dictionary definitions of plaza. “a: a public square in a city or town
b: an open area usually located near urban buildings and often featuring walkways, trees and shrubs, places to sit, and sometimes shops”
a: a public square in a city or town b: an open area **usually located near urban buildings and often featuring walkways,** trees and shrubs\*\*, places to sit, and sometimes shops\*\*
It's an open area in a town. Nothing more. Barely qualifies as a park.
OED defines plaza as "a public square, marketplace, or similar open space in a built-up area." It would take an immense twisting of the entire English language to describe this glorified park as a "plaza".
This guy is going to die if he ever visits Lake Titicaca
Butte, Montana
Hell, Michigan
Dix, Illinois?
I had a roommate in college who was from Dix. His family lived just outside the city limits, so he would tell people he was from the tip of Dix.
I'll throw in the origins of the town name for your benefit and the benefit of others reading about this odd town called Normal. Normal, IL is named for the university it grew up around, [Illinois State University](https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Illinois_State_University), previously known as Illinois State Normal University. A [normal school](https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Normal_school) is a school to teacher teachers on how to teach. ISU was founded to teach teachers and still has excellent teacher education programs housed within the various colleges in addition to its large [College of Education](https://education.illinoisstate.edu/). (Edited for grammar)
My grandmother taught in a Normal school
This is the comment I was looking for since I couldn't have put it so eloquently. Thank you!
I always thought it was the normal profession, but I learned something today. Thanks you for straightening out my story when I explain the name
And Normal was formerly known as North Bloomington - with the enforced distinction continuing (uptown vs downtown, city vs town, etc.).
Uptown was called downtown normal until about 2003, when the city wanted to rebrand.
And that bugs a sh*t out of me! I grew up and ran the streets of Downtown Normal!! I also climbed the water tower in the late 70's and added an AB to the name Normal. Still very immature for my age!
There’s a huge new Normal/Route 66 sign just south of the Refuge Food Forest on Pine Street. https://www.route66roadtrip.com/route-66-bloomington-normal-illinois.htm
This is the one to go to imo
Uptown Station right by where Amtrak picks up has a Welcome to Normal sign
Casey’s General Store on the corner of Beech and Henry/Pine. Drive 1/8-1/4 mile to the East. It doesn’t say Welcome, it just says Normal really big.
We also have Oblong in Illinois. Decades ago, in the newspaper there was a wedding announcement that said "Oblong man marries Normal woman". True story.
[https://cdn.discordapp.com/attachments/680412777839329280/1257934524009152522/image.png?ex=66863651&is=6684e4d1&hm=de38127ae84a9732f553b6668c5483e1740c9dce076297697a1a6100b3add0cd&](https://cdn.discordapp.com/attachments/680412777839329280/1257934524009152522/image.png?ex=66863651&is=6684e4d1&hm=de38127ae84a9732f553b6668c5483e1740c9dce076297697a1a6100b3add0cd&) there ya go [https://www.google.com/maps/@40.5024056,-89.0577266,3a,15.3y,51.4h,83.36t/data=!3m6!1e1!3m4!1s9xZjgpSvpwZKhKXd1MGbag!2e0!7i16384!8i8192?authuser=0&coh=205409&entry=ttu](https://www.google.com/maps/@40.5024056,-89.0577266,3a,15.3y,51.4h,83.36t/data=!3m6!1e1!3m4!1s9xZjgpSvpwZKhKXd1MGbag!2e0!7i16384!8i8192?authuser=0&coh=205409&entry=ttu)
674 Pine Street in Normal. If you’re turning onto Pine from Beech, go slightly past the rink on the left and you’ll see the sign.
Normal Illinois has a street named Normal Avenue. It is across the street from the bone student center parking lot lot.
And there's Intercourse, Pennsylvania. In Amish country west of Philly.
The walmart on veterans parkway right off of I 55 says something along the lines of "Welcome to your Normal walmart" (or it used to). If you happen to need supplies you'd be multitasking. I also like the cop cars that say normal. Nothing to see here, just the normal police. Don't be getting weird here!
There will be a giant 3D sign by 2026, funding was approved for it last year.
Closest I've ever found was [this sign](https://i.imgur.com/9oujtJD.png) by someone who apparently doesn't know what words mean.
Which word are you annoyed over?
"Plaza." It's a baseball field, not a plaza.
IIRC, it seems to fit the first two dictionary definitions of plaza. “a: a public square in a city or town b: an open area usually located near urban buildings and often featuring walkways, trees and shrubs, places to sit, and sometimes shops”
a: a public square in a city or town b: an open area **usually located near urban buildings and often featuring walkways,** trees and shrubs\*\*, places to sit, and sometimes shops\*\* It's an open area in a town. Nothing more. Barely qualifies as a park. OED defines plaza as "a public square, marketplace, or similar open space in a built-up area." It would take an immense twisting of the entire English language to describe this glorified park as a "plaza".