any areas in Indiana that are rural but liberal? (Indianapolis: houses, safe area)

[jerrilea]

I lived in southwest michigan until 5 years a go when i moved to indianapolis(downtown).I managed a hairsalon in castleton and bartended in Fishers.I know that indianapolis is way more liberal than the little s.w.mich towns and villages where i come from!!I worked with a few people whom were gay and they seemed to be very content.as far as the cost of living it just depends on the neighborhood.As a single 20 something girl from farm town i loved indy so much diversity yet not so big you'll get lost.I met my husband there and we built a house in Noblesville/fishers for $115,000 .Subdivisions are poping up fast - everywhere so new homes are cheep however this hurts resale because you can build a new one for the same price as buying one 5 yaers old.This we learned last year when we relocated back to southwest Michigan for a job opportunity.Obviously there are closed minded people here but that is there ignorance.
good luck

[domergurl]

Tell me about how it hurts resales!!! I'm one of them in Fishers. We are taking our house off the market next week because we need a break from the brutality of it all!

[chbartel]

I do have to ask, why is a sign that says "private property" mean it's "Christian like?". I am just curious as to how you came to this conclusion??

Originally Posted by testing123

Dear Forest,

I'm from the D.C. area and consider myself openminded. I've lived in quite a few places, both here and abroad. I moved to Indianapolis two years ago to help my parents who retired and moved here.

Looking at maps, my wife and I were very optimistic to see so many lakes, rivers and "green" areas. The $120,000 home prices seemed wonderful. And having worked for some big companies in D.C., I thought I'd be able to find a job right away.

~~~~~~~~
Two years later, we can tell you this...

There are some very nice people in Indiana.

However, coming to Indiana was the biggest mistake we've ever made. Most of those lakes, streams and green spaces either charge you a $5 entrance fee or have HUGE signs saying "PRIVATE PROPERTY -- KEEP OUT!" (very Christian) --Even around Lake Michigan! The Indiana portion of lake Michigan looks like Buffalo, NY and is equally dirty/polluted. The "Private Beach/Private Property" signs continue around the lake into Michigan. Many of the lakes and rivers in the state are virtually inaccessible. We have to drive 45 minutes to get to a halfway decent state park. But now there are hillbilly hunters running around blasting anything that moves. How charming... And don't even think about eating a fish caught in Indiana waterways!

Homes? Homes in Indiana DO NOT appreciate. Considering inflation, they depreciate. Indiana has the highest rates of home foreclosures in America. They sell plastic-sided houses for $120K (special financing, it's cheaper than rent!) to kids who work at Wallmart, who then run up their credit cards and get foreclosed on.

Indiana is a big RED state. Bush won in a landslide. --Many people here work for minimum wage. Many work as laborers for $9 or $10 per hour and have NO health insurance. Many live in extreme debt. Many live in poverty... But if you dare mention "HILLARY CLINTON" to any of them -- be ready for a fight! They hate 'Librals' since Rush Limbaugh tells them to. An acquaintance recently told me, "I'm still pi$$ed off that France didn't support the presidunt in I-raq." (My wife is French) --I told him I'd call Jacques Chirac personally and let him know. (I kid you not!) This is the mentality here, too often. Liberal bastions here? --I don't think so.

As for work? I've worked in the IT/Media field for over 10 years. The last job I applied for was 1/2 of my previous salary. They received 90 applications for one position. I didn't get it. (I was in the top 3 though!) I've heard nepotism plays a big role here. I think it helps to know people, or at least go to the same church.

So our advice ... unless you like hamburgers, all-U-can-eat steak buffets, booze --they sell hard liquor at grocery and drug stores; but NOT on Sundays!, cornfields, churches, strip malls, 'no trespassing' signs, foreclosures, tornados and gas-guzzling SUVs, you might want to consider another destination.

Oh, and PLEASE TAKE US WITH YOU!!!
(the scream)

[cgballer]

You might want to look into Jasper, IN. The city is about 80 miles south of Bloomington and relatively liberal (at least the Dem's always win). People are religious there and go to church on a regular basis but they accept if one doesn't go to church. Gays are also accepted by most people but abortion is not.
I also lived in Bloomington and I loved it there.

I live in Fort Collins, CO, now and would definitely move back to Indiana. When I visit Indiana, it seems to be much more liberal than Colorado - and the people are much nicer.

[BellaWood]

Can I give a few props for Southern Indiana? I've lived in Evansville for the past 12 years and dearly love it. This is after being born and raised in the Vincennes area of Indiana and living in Jasper for a time. I have lived BIG city too for 7 years (Virginia Beach, Virginia).

My family and I live in a rural area of Vanderburgh county but are within 6 minutes of most everything we need. The job market in our area is good and construction is always going on around the area. We are across the river from Kentucky and just next to Illinois. We are centrally located and from my house it's a 2 1/2 hour drive to either Louisville or St. Louis and a 2 3/4 hour drive to Nashville, TN.

Toyota built their plant just 20 minutes North of Evansville in Princeton. Aztar has a casino on the river, large ethanol plant is being built just west of Evansville about 13 miles in Mt Vernon, General Electric and Bristol Myers are major employers in the area along with Toyota and those companies that support Toyota.

The area supports a large Union labor force and many are employed locally in the construction industry. Many companies have their headquarters in the area including Atlas World Group and Shoe Carnival.

Largest employers

Toyota Motor Manufacturing
Shoe Carnival, Inc.
St. Mary's Medical Center
Deaconess Hospital
Bristol Myers Squibb
Whirlpool Corporation
ALCOA Warrick Operations
Vectren
GE Plastics
T.J. Maxx

FYI - Union workers are for the most part Democrats so you'll find quite a few liberals. My husband still can't stand Reagan (and he's been dead for a while now) because he said he's the reason he didn't get his $1.00 raise one year

[OddTodd]

Yes, Brown County / Nashville would be your best best bet. It was an artist community, but has become rather commercial.

[Micah Girl]

Originally Posted by cgballer

You might want to look into Jasper, IN. The city is about 80 miles south of Bloomington and relatively liberal (at least the Dem's always win). People are religious there and go to church on a regular basis but they accept if one doesn't go to church. Gays are also accepted by most people but abortion is not.
I also lived in Bloomington and I loved it there.

I live in Fort Collins, CO, now and would definitely move back to Indiana. When I visit Indiana, it seems to be much more liberal than Colorado - and the people are much nicer.

Is IN really that much more liberal than Fort Collins? I thought Fort Collins was a progressive town?

[cgballer]

Is IN really that much more liberal than Fort Collins? I thought Fort Collins was a progressive town?

Micah Girl, I think that Jasper is more liberal than Fort Collins, not Indiana. Fort Collins has a weired mixture between liberal (most Professors) and conservative (the farmers, a lot of college students from small town Colorado) thinking. I think that a lot of people in Fort Collins think that they are progressive since a lot of them have money and have traveled or lived elsewhere, but it's more like a facade. Once you get into deeper conversations with the people in Fort Collins, you realize quickly how closed-minded their way of thinking is.

Fort Collins also has very little diversity. The university here has one of the least diverse student population in the U.S., I think it's around 12 to 14%. If you go to IU or Purdue, you have a much more diverse student population and the people are much more accepting to cultural differences than in Fort Collins.

[hoosier4life]

try living in new jersey for a few years after living in Indiana for over 41 years.....big culture shock....what about those hoagies?????...looks alot like a plain ole sub sammich to me lol.

[domergurl]

I have a friend in NYC who calls them Heros ...