Does anyone else not like living in Indiana? (New Albany, Connersville: low crime, private school)

[domergurl]

Originally Posted by rayneinspain

Rotfl!! Yes, I saw Thomas last year for a whopping 30 seconds, then dashed to the nearest spot of shade. That was my first taste of Indiana humidity--holy schnikeys!!

We went to Columbus and Brown County in November, actually. That's one of the areas I would give my right arm to move to! BEAUTIFUL.

Well come on down! We can argue about tornados v earthquakes!

[citybilly]

Exploring other places is good, but I suggest making sure you have yourself together first. If you are negative or hostile, or not honest with yourself, moving won't help. It's not easy to fit in as a newcomer. There is no "really cool place" out there where everyone will "get" you and not think you're a jerk. Also, the place you left might realize it is happier without you, and not want you back. Something to think about. Good luck.

[Teacher40]

Chicken_Man,
I believe you are sorely mistaken about the Indiana population. you are ignorantly taking a portion of the individuals that you have chosen to associate or work with, and called it a day. I understand your stereotypes of Southern Indiana, as I have been referenced to the same factoids. However, have you spent a long period of time in Indianapolis, their suburbs, or any other towns or cities (yes, farther North)? Not that it is Chicago, and we definitely do have our share of small-town type of people even in Indy. However, there is definitely way more culture and city-life, as well as diversity, that you have failed to recognize. I am personally ready to move on, being raised in Indianapolis. However, that is a choice I have made, not because I don't think Indy is not a great place to live and raise a family; but, merely because I want to try something new. - Something that you said Hoosiers are afraid to do. Oh, and my average commute to work in general has always been about 45 minutes or so. Also, I have traveled extensively to global destinations. So, no, we are not afraid to travel. And, we are intelligent people, as I have personally attended private schools all of my life, taught in the excellent school districts of suburban and urban Indianapolis.

Try to open your mind up a bit. I am sorry that you have lived in an area about which you have thought less. You can move, can't you? It seems that you have been so hardened by the people you've lived near within, yes, smaller towns in Southern Indiana, that you haven't given a fair assessment and chance to anywhere and anyone else thoughout the state. I could say way worse things of Kentucky (I am sure you know of the numerous, horrible stereotypes of Kentucky), if I were to base my thoughts just on stereotypes. But, I don't. Watch what you think and say to others without learning about them personally (i.e. not just what they sound like or wear. etc.) first. You might find that you might learn a little from them; and surprisingly, that they can show you a little culture.. THEIR unique culture. (Not to be rude, just practical and hopefully thought-provoking.)

Originally Posted by Chicken_Man

If you were born in Indiana, then you'd probably like it, because it's more likely that you'd fit in. I came here from Kentucky, and I can't say that I like it much.

It's been my experience that people in southern Indiana are generally backwards, unintelligent, uneducated, unsophisticated, xenophobic, reactionary prigs, many of whom have never left the county in their entire lives, and for those who have, going 15 minutes up the interstate is considered a journey of epic proportions. If you go more than one county away (much less out of state) then you may as well have traveled to the moon--you certainly have entered the area of the (flat earth) map denoted by the warning "there be dragons." Unless you have lived here for 6 generations, and your great grandparents went to school with their great grandparents, you will be an outsider for as long as you stay here. If you have anything over a room temperature IQ, look anything other than corn-fed and of germanic descent, are not Lutheran (there's two Lutheran churches here, and there's a serious rivalry between them) or hardcore Evangelical/Pentecostal Christian (bordering on being a snake handler), you will be ostracised and, at times, publicly derided for being different than the local norm. Conformity is not optional, it's an absolute requirement. The oft-touted "Hoosier Hospitality" is a joke--there's no such thing....

I've lived here for 16 years now--Columbus, Franklin, and Seymour, and I've worked in Indy, Columbus, and Seymour, in both private industry and for the government. I've not spent much time in northern IN, so I can't speak for people there, but having traveled extensively in southern IN, I feel like I have a very good handle on the culture (or lack thereof) and people in the southern half of the state.

There are exceptions to my generalizations, as I have met a few Hoosier natives that are kind, decent, friendly, intelligent, hard-working people, but, by and large, they are marginalized by the rest of society, same as me...

[CountryGal05]

Originally Posted by Interpol76

Is Indiana a boring cesspool of nothingness?? For the most part, yes. I used to live in Missoula, Mt and Santa Cruz, Ca and it just seemed like everyone was out doing something (running, playing frisbee in the parks, riding bikes, playing sports, hanging out in shops) With the exception of a few towns in Indiana (most notably, Bloomington) it seems as if people here live in caves.....I currently live and go to school in Muncie, and even though it is just as podunk as the rest of the state, people are exceptionally nice here. Which definately makes up for the podunk-ness, and the backwards conservatism.

Well it doesn't help you are living in muncie. I am from there. Born and Raised there and I hate it! I can't stand the people there. They are rude. Well you said they were nice, what part of town do you live on? I was from the Southside and it sucked. Its getting worse also. So I understand why you may wonder why no one is outside, your in muncie. haha I mean i still go there, my family is there but i am glad I moved when i was in the 6th grade.

[ME-Evergreen]

Indiana was definitely not our cup of tea and we have since moved but there are some very nice things to be said about Indiana. It has some of the prettiest farms in the midwest and has some of the nicest people as well. Also Indiana University, Purdue, and Notre Dame are some very good universities.

[CountryGal05]

Originally Posted by ME-Evergreen

Indiana was definitely not our cup of tea and we have since moved but there are some very nice things to be said about Indiana. It has some of the prettiest farms in the midwest and has some of the nicest people as well. Also Indiana University, Purdue, and Notre Dame are some very good universities.

I will agree with you. The people here are pretty nice, compared to other places. But not everyone is. Like when I go to muncie, the people there are a little different than where i live (Indianapolis.) I have never really seen the farms here. There aint none in Indy, but like in FarmLand and Modoc there are some ones.

[alvist]

I'm "living the dream." When I say that, I mean I'm living in Southern California, typing this from a condo on a rocky bluff overlooking the Pacific (can't see much of it from here, but I have a little sliver and that's enough!).

It's fine to believe that this is where you belong, but don't kid yourself that being here means you're "bettering" yourself. Bettering yourself doesn't involve changing your zip code. It involves changing your life in positive ways. Here, there are people I run in to that can't believe I left a skyrise condo in downtown Chicago overlooking Lake Michigan to live in Del Mar, CA.

We're relocating back to the Chicago area (Munster most likely!) for family reasons, but there are other issues involved as well. Let's take this one for instance: Enjoy renting. You're either making very serious money (two people at six figure incomes, no single wage earners unless you've doubled up the six figures), or you're living beyond your means if you try to buy a home anywhere close to the coast.

If you don't buy close to the coast, you're living in a desert pure and simple. It's no different than moving out to the middle of nowhere in IL or IN except the scenery is brush and dust. There is no enlightened populace out in the desert, they're rednecks just like you find everywhere else. There you can afford a home (by afford, I mean pay $350k for a small place). Or, you can move to a crime infested neighborhood and still pay ridiculous sums of money for real estate.

Did I mention the 9.8% income tax from the State? The $4.25 a gallon gas?

In the area I'm in now, I can't even find a single family home under seven figures. Seven.

Yes, the weather is beautiful. Yes, the people in San Diego are actually pretty laid back and friendly (Irvine was another story altogether), but no, it's not some magical paradise where suddenly the enlightenment washes over you like waves of insight and wisdom and all your most noble dreams come true.

It's a place where the jobs pay more, but not enough to cover the cost of living increase and not enough to write home about and really if you're good at what you're doing, you can get the same pay in Chicago. On top of that, if you're a programmer, your life is your job. Period.
There is no such thing as 9-5. There is no such thing as 9-7.

We could stay if we wanted to, but we want to start a family. This isn't the place to do that imho. Not for any puritanical reasons like ethics or morality (this state is more conservative than people tend to believe looking at the metro areas like SF and LA), but because it's actually much easier to lose your way here as a kid. Parents don't have enough time to spend thanks to their insane mortgages and expenses and are mostly raising themselves. On top of that, you have the rich "bunnies" and "sugar daddies" that are infusing their children with the most materialistic world view imaginable. This isn't about morals, it's about growing up to be more than a little E! TV watching consumer.

Again, it's fine to say you want the life style. No problem. Just don't try to pretend your choosing the West over Indiana or Illinois makes you better than you were before or better than those who don't share the feeling. It's all about what is important to you, and frankly I enjoyed my vacations in CA much more than my life here. I'll be back, but for a nice long week and then back to my affordable home with my family where they know me as more than the guy that pays the bills.

[alvist]

Originally Posted by Jakehorror

Just remember, most high cost of living places pay more also. It may not quite be equivalent to the COL increase, but life is usually of better quality.

That's unfortunately not the case, at least not in the tech industry. Wages are ~%10 higher, cost of living is 30-40% higher. The quality of life for your spouse and children may go up, but your quality of life will be wasted away working to earn that extra %10.

I mean, I wish you all the luck in the world, but I made the move from Indiana to Chicago, and from Chicago to Irvine (LA area), and from Irvine to San Diego. Don't kid yourself about the wages keeping up with expenses. If you're not from downtown Chicago, the cost of living there is going to hit you like a ton of bricks. It's not just in one small area, it's the accumulation of all of those small increases that really, really add up.

[sanjose]

wow, that's one long thread. we're in the process of moving from norcal to indianapolis and i found this thread pretty entertaining... not sure if i want to stay or go at this point (joking).

for those looking for paradise in cali, alvist hit the nail on the head. we're fortunate enough to have the multi six figure income and multi seven figure house... but that all comes with a price. we still live paycheck to paycheck with little time to spend with the family.

cali was great when we had no children. beatiful climate, geography and culture. took weekend trips all the time to tahoe, napa, SF, ocean, hawaii, etc. but once we had kids, our weekend trips dropped dramatically. not complaining, i love spending the little free time i have with the family vs. exploring.

it's not "too" hard to find a decent paying job and to enjoy some of the nicer things... but you'll definately be a renter... and rent isn't cheap! and in my opinion, the higher wages don't come close to offsetting the higher expenses.

outside of the humidity and mosquitoes awaiting us in indi, i'm looking forward to returning home after having experienced life outside of indiana for the past ten years. whether our children decide to remain in indiana forever or explore the world, they'll have our support. each person should be encouraged to follow their heart. my only caution would be that a new location may not be the answer to all of your problems... but then again, maybe it is.

good luck to everyone moving away from indiana, hopefully you all find what you're looking for. i know i did and i'm thankful for all that i was able to experience.

[sanjose]

also, cali isn't the easiest place to assimilate and make new friends (based on my experiences and observations). your best bet is to work at a large company.