Bloomington, IN and Austin, TX (Monroe: real estate market, houses, school)

[arrow_keys]

I live somewhat near Austin, TX. It is the closest larger town that I am most familiar with. How does Bloomington, IN compare? I know they are both university towns and one is hotter than the other, but other than that, can anyone fill me in?

[Uplander]

Bloomington is much smaller and it's green around here from spring until the leaves turn in the fall. Much less traffic!

No Central Market or Whole Foods here. No french toast eggs benedict here like Chez Z makes. No Rudi's, County Line or Salt Lick either.

Still, good food is available; there is good music out and about and it's unlikely to be 95 degrees after 6PM even in the middle of summer, certainly not after the 1st of October.

[arrow_keys]

Ha, judging by the food references, you've obviously been to or lived in Austin : ) Thanks a lot. Here it can be 95 at 10 PM.

[agioe]

Bloomington is Southern Indiana where you get more of a rolling, hilly landscape, a variety of culture since it's a college town, plenty of music and entertainment venues, a very vibrant community, growing, it has had one of the most stable real estate markets in the state during the past few years, Monroe Reservoir, Oliver Winery, etc. There may not be a Whole Foods, but being the college town those type foods are available in other venues. I love Bloomington.

[domergurl]

They have an excellent food-co op called Bloomingfoods!

[plaidmom]

Originally Posted by arrow_keys

I live somewhat near Austin, TX. It is the closest larger town that I am most familiar with. How does Bloomington, IN compare? I know they are both university towns and one is hotter than the other, but other than that, can anyone fill me in?

Perfect thread for me since I lived in Austin TX from the early 80s-the late 90's and went to school there. I currently live ~ 45 min east of Bloomington.

Bloomington reminds me of a smaller early-80s Austin.

It's the hilliest and most liberal part of of an otherwise flat (except for west Texas) and conservative state.

As Austin was in the early 80s, it's very much a "college town". The population seems to shrink in the summer and the pace of life slows (if Austin was not the capitol and if not for the tech-boom, it might still be that way).

Bloomington is more green and lush and more humid, and also colder in the winter.

If you are into outdoor sports, good mountain biking/hiking is nearby in Brown County State Park. It's more East Coast in feel though than the rocky, dry desert feel of central Texas. Lake Monroe ~could~ be compared to Lake Travis I suppose, although more lush and without the rocks and cliffs.

What else? Bloomingfoods is like the old original Whole Foods on Lamar or like the Wheatsville Co-op.

Good coffee and burritos can be had at Laughing Planet (Freebirds) and Soma (Spiderhouse).

Many cute little ethnic eateries in charming old bungalows remind me of Austin. Ditto for the vintage clothing stores and book shops.

Feel free to ask any other questions.

[pjstroh]

Bloomington is very, VERY small compared to Austin. Very small. Bloomington is primarily a college town for most of the year...and a bed-n-breakfast town during the Summer.

Compared to Austin, Bloomington offers cheaper cost of living, a 4 season climate, more humidity, fewer jobs, way fewer high-paying jobs, and a small town feel.

[mdfdfan]

I am living in CT and the short list has come down to Bloomington, IN Marble Falls, TX and Eastport Maine. I Lived in Austin from 73-82 when it was a lot smaller and more college town oriented. I was lucky enough to attend the Armadillo all the other places that started the Austin Music Scene. Willie and a partner owned my apt complex/Austin Opry house complex on S. Congress.

Anyhow that was then this is now I was considering Marble Falls because it is not too far from Austin without having to live in the city, I am considering Bloomington because I have relatives in Indiana and I have heard some pretty nice things about Bloomington area.

I am starting to look for 1 bedroom apt's where in Bloomington would you consider the best area's to look ? What are your thoughts on Marble Falls ?

[arrow_keys]

I think of Marble Falls as a mixture of old Texas Hill Country culture and of new Austin non-Texan influences. Its still mich smaller than Austin of the 70s. I wish I knew a little more about Marble Falls but that about taps me out!

[Nafster]

Bloomington is like a much smaller Austin, Texas in my opinion.

If there is any city Bloomington can be compared to, it would definitely be Austin.

Bloomingfoods is like Whole Foods, it's extremely hilly like Austin but more lush and in my opinion more beautiful (we actually have autumn!!!), great entertainment options and bar scene, great music scene, coffee houses, liberal and open minded, fun.

If you love Austin you'd love Bloomington. Never met someone who liked one but not the other