Julio Velasco (they/them)

Company Affiliation: University of Illinois

Languages Spoken: English, Spanish

Stage of Life: Young professional / no children

What brought me to Champaign-Urbana: Career/job

Areas of Expertise: Downtown Champaign, Downtown Urbana, U of I Campus, College & Adult Sports, LGBTQ+, Entertainment, Arts & Culture, Culinary Scene / Local Foods, Nightlife.

Advice for New Residents: Moving here can be challenging because things are not as well marketed as they could be and it can seem daunting to meet new people at first, but there are a lot of amazing things to do here all year long, people are really friendly here, and there’s so many opportunities to make things happen if you don’t see it yet. This is also a versatile community where you can find a mix of things to do from fun nightlife activities, leisure activities, family activities, and even good parks to check out. There are also so many free or well-priced events so you don’t always have to spend a lot of money.