Does anyone else not like living in Indiana? (Fort Wayne, Crown Point: crimes, attorney)

[SandyG21]

I don't like the winters anymore and there are just very few jobs - and I have 2 college degrees - but they only want to hire teenagers and young 20 somethings to stand around and do nothing.

[bluebelt1234]

Originally Posted by SandyG21

I don't like the winters anymore and there are just very few jobs - and I have 2 college degrees - but they only want to hire teenagers and young 20 somethings to stand around and do nothing.

I hear ya about the job thing. I have a degree from IU and the only interviews I can get are jobs that pay $800 a month. I am $17,000 dollars in debt from my degree.

[Miserable Midwest]

I was born and raised here, although I was gone for most of my 20s. I don't hate it here except for the climate (thus my screen name), but I don't think it's the utopia some people make it out to be.

So here's a few (mostly minor) things I don't like about living here:

Climate. We have the worst of both worlds. Hot, humid summers (although this year wasn't quite as bad) and long, cold winters. Many parts of the country get one or the other but we're stuck with both. Unfortunately, that's just a fact of life for much of the midwest.

Absurd liquor laws. I don't even drink but my better half loves a good bottle of wine every now and then. I've had a few occasions where we've decided to have friends over on Sunday for dinner and we are one of only three states where you can't buy a bottle of wine on Sunday. This may be changing at some point, but right now that's the way it is. We also don't allow anyone under 21 into nightclubs like The Vogue. I'm well over 21 but many bands skip over Indiana because of this law. They'll go to Bogart's in Cincinnati (which is almost a carbon copy of the Vogue) or other clubs in neighboring states where they can have an all-ages show and still make money from alcohol. A few years ago I talked to a booking agent and asked why so many bands skip Indy and this was the reason given.

Independent Retailers and Restaurants. People here are far more in love with big box stores and chain restaurants than anywhere else I've lived. There are some great independent restaurants and shops here, but most of the people I know here stick with the big box stores and chains. This is definitely more apparent here than anywhere else I've lived.

Lack Of Natural Beauty. This is obviously not the fault of anyone here, just a geographical thing. But I would prefer to live somewhere with mountains and water.


Those things aside, it is dirt cheap to live here. Traffic isn't bad. Crime is low. The people are friendly, although a little too conservative for me.

It's not a bad place to live at all. No place is perfect and there are far worse places to live. Once my daughter goes off to college, I'll probably be somewhere else, but that will be mostly to get away from the heat and humidity.

[analog_kid86]

I'm sure there are much worse places to live in the US. Sure, Indiana isn't anything spectacular, but it isn't that bad either. Weather-wise, I would agree that northern Indiana's weather can get pretty awful, but central and southern don't have it so bad (I've lived in all three parts).

[calitalia]

Zombie, those are my feelings exactly. I've been stuck in Atlanta for the past 6 years and couldn't feel more out of place. Southern hospitality is a Myth! Finding a way back to the Midwest has become somewhat of an obsession. Hope you get back soon.

[SRMunozEdD]

I know one thing: I wouldn't move to Madison, IN, or raise a family there - it is one DANGEROUS place! I'm from Florida, have a doctorate degree, and have never been in any kind of a fight in my life. I came to help my father through the death of his wife of 30 years. While there, I was a victim of a violent home invasion at my father's house and brutal attack by 3 people I've never met before, sustaining injuries that the deputy noted. The Sheriff and Prosecutor's Office turned their heads and wouldn't arrest the people, even though I repeatedly said I wanted to press charges. Three attorneys there said they didn't want to get involved. The 3 came back 2 weeks later and broke into my father's garage, home, and well house. My father is staying with my sister here in Florida, because he is 88 years old, and now he is deathly afraid these 3 people will do it again or worse. He just lost his wife and is afraid to stay in his familiar surroundings because the Sheriff Dept and Prosecutor will not do what's right and protect him! Everyone in town is afraid of one family or bought off by them!

[grmasterb]

Originally Posted by Miserable Midwest

But I would prefer to live somewhere with mountains and water.

Mountains we lack for sure, but how did you manage to fail to notice the Great Lakes?

[fallingwater]

Originally Posted by SRMunozEdD

I know one thing: I wouldn't move to Madison, IN, or raise a family there - it is one DANGEROUS place! I'm from Florida, have a doctorate degree, and have never been in any kind of a fight in my life. I came to help my father through the death of his wife of 30 years. While there, I was a victim of a violent home invasion at my father's house and brutal attack by 3 people I've never met before, sustaining injuries that the deputy noted. The Sheriff and Prosecutor's Office turned their heads and wouldn't arrest the people, even though I repeatedly said I wanted to press charges. Three attorneys there said they didn't want to get involved. The 3 came back 2 weeks later and broke into my father's garage, home, and well house. My father is staying with my sister here in Florida, because he is 88 years old, and now he is deathly afraid these 3 people will do it again or worse. He just lost his wife and is afraid to stay in his familiar surroundings because the Sheriff Dept and Prosecutor will not do what's right and protect him! Everyone in town is afraid of one family or bought off by them!

yikes! Im so sorry to hear about your situation. I'm from the Detroit area and now live outside South Bend. I told my hubby that I actually feel more unsafe here. Detroit has some serious crime and actually made the worst crime list in the nation but South Bend criminals are more brazen. Home invasions are a constant news story. At least in Detroit, criminals wait till you leave the house.

[sponger42]

I was really shocked at how xenophobic and hostile Indiana feels nowadays. With RealID and a bunch of other idiotic red-tape coming down the pipe from the state legislature, this place seems officially unfriendly to outsiders. Even if there were jobs here, I wouldn't stay longer than I have to, and I would definately caution immigrants against moving to Indiana if they have other choices.

[fallingwater]

Originally Posted by sponger42

I was really shocked at how xenophobic and hostile Indiana feels nowadays. With RealID and a bunch of other idiotic red-tape coming down the pipe from the state legislature, this place seems officially unfriendly to outsiders. Even if there were jobs here, I wouldn't stay longer than I have to, and I would definately caution immigrants against moving to Indiana if they have other choices.

I have to agree with this statement but I also want to point out that I have not met a lot of people in Indiana so far. Maybe I will change my views on this the longer I am here. My husband and I had a talk about this very issue over dinner tonight. He has a new manager at his job that is Indian. This person came to the U.S. when he was a very small child, so I would say this person is pretty "americanized". But once he started at the plant, many of the workers give this manager a hard time. He is often told things like "We do things like this, in this country" or "I don't know how they do things from where you are from, but you are in the U.S. now!" These workers have been told that this manager has been in the country for most of his life but they just look at the skin color and go from there. Its kind of sad really.