>>508208857I am currently in the Quad Cities, grew up here and am back hanging out with family. It's not really disgusting, but it is old and outdated. Lots of poorly-maintained infrastructure. Most people here tend to care more about functionality rather than materialism, i.e. "don't fix what's not broken". Because of that, the area is stuck in a state of perpetual 1990's because no one wants to spend the money to make things better, and no one really cares to invest in the area unless you're from a construction company like Estes or Russel who seem to have unlimited funds due to construction projects.
The Mississippi River is definitely disgusting, but we long as you're not actually in it then it's pleasant. Depending on where you catch fish from, they can either be well-kept or they can taste exactly like the pollutants that are in the river. Catfish is particularly hit-or-miss because of this, since they're bottom feeders and eat everything.
Specifically about Indians, they're mostly here from John Deere and don't really cause problems. They keep to themselves, don't impose their culture upon people... I worked at the Moline Best Buy for years and the only problem with them was haggling. I would have to keep pointing at the price tag and say "this price" until they accept or walk away.
All-in-all, if the area was more modernized, I wouldn't have left. It's definitely one of the most affordable and tolerant places to live if you're not asking for an extravagant lifestyle.