Help!! Need motivation to make the move to Bloomington. (Indianapolis: best city, sales)

[sundance67]

rrah, thanks for all the ideas for my kids. They are athletes, and also into writing, and improv. They're also into martial arts. I'm sure that once we get out there, they'll find their niche. As far as the keeping up with the Jones' mentality, that's exactly what I'm tired of where I'm at right now. The get together that you described is a wonderful example of what kind of what kind of neighborhood we'd like to live in. Thanks again

[janie0517]

I moved from the burbs of Chicago down to Bloomington 10 years ago. It's the best thing I ever did. No traffic and people are friendly. The cost of housing is about half of what it is in Chicago. Granted, the nightlife isn't quite the same, but everything else makes up for it.

You can always drive back for a visit, as it's not that long of a drive (I even drive up for business meetings and drive back the same day).

A great realtor in Bloomington made my life easier. She's honest and will find the house you're looking for without trying to sell you on one of her listings. Her name is Barbara Howell and she works for ReMax. Give her a call. You won't be sorry.

[sundance67]

Thanks for the info. Just the traffic relief itself is a great incentive. The prices of houses & taxes are ridiculous out here, so I'll definitely keep your realtor's info.

[sundance67]

Took a quick trip to Bloomington.....it was a very last minute, quick kind of trip, but at least we got to check out IU. It is amazing. Now I know why everyone raves about the beautiful campus. I also noticed how much more relaxed everyone out there seems as compared to Chicago. I had one question though; we came into town from the North (College Rd.) We drove down Walnut and some parts of town seem to be kind of rough. Is that the side of Bloomington that should be avoided? We also stopped for a fast coffee at that Denny's although some in the car considered it kind of questionable.
Anyway it was a nice taste of Bloomington, and it's only our first trip!

[Indyjones]

Originally Posted by sundance67

Took a quick trip to Bloomington.....it was a very last minute, quick kind of trip, but at least we got to check out IU. It is amazing. Now I know why everyone raves about the beautiful campus. I also noticed how much more relaxed everyone out there seems as compared to Chicago. I had one question though; we came into town from the North (College Rd.) We drove down Walnut and some parts of town seem to be kind of rough. Is that the side of Bloomington that should be avoided? We also stopped for a fast coffee at that Denny's although some in the car considered it kind of questionable.
Anyway it was a nice taste of Bloomington, and it's only our first trip!

Glad you finally made it down. A glorious weekend eh? Did you happen to stop in to the farmers market or the Lotus Festival?
The near west side is the rougher side of town for sure. I don't think it compares with some areas of Chicago, but definitely rougher.
Out by Denny's, the north side, is not bad. Still mostly students, but if you go a little further north you hit some nice affordable subdivisions, and some a bit more expensive.

[rrah]

If you drove all the way down Walnut, you probably drove past an older section of Walnut. (If you made it all the way to the Dairy Queen) Most of the houses there are now rentals and a few are businesses. You may have even ventured into some of the student housing sections on the southside of campus. I recall when South Walnut was only one lane in each direction. When they pulled down the old beautiful trees that used to be down there to expand it to 2 lanes, it really changed the appearance. College and Walnut are primarily commericial streets now.

It was a beautiful weekend here! I have a feeling the weather's not going to last much longer though.

Denny's is really fine, although I don't know about the coffee there I'm not a Denny's fan unless it's the only option available.

[sundance67]

We took a last minute drive to look at a property; didn't have enough time to explore, had to work that night....we did check out the basic locale. We're planning on staying out there a few days to really get enough time to take in a lot more. We also checked out the fair that was going on. My teenagers were surprised at the sheer size of IU, and I'm glad that we got a little peek at the town. Someone said Bloomington is a nice little town in the middle of nowhere....my kids have never seen so many cornfields in their lives

[gab1977]

Originally Posted by rrah

Denny's is really fine, although I don't know about the coffee there I'm not a Denny's fan unless it's the only option available.

HEY!! dont diss denny's!!!

IMO, Denny's is better than Mickey D's, there aren't that great of restuarants in Bloomington. Trust me.

[MsLissa]

As a Bloomington Native, I thought I might have something to offer this thread since most of those posting are temp residents or transplants.

I grew up in Bloomington and south central Indiana. I have seen the town go from being a comfortable blue collar town that happened to have a university in it to one that caters to the university and it's money and treats residents very poorly.

If you do not happen to work for IU or are a student, frankly the town councils, committees and governments really are not interested. They have blocked opportunities that would have brought jobs here, turned money better used for the town into university spending and much more. Not overnight, of course, but a gradual trend over 25 years or more.

Students are encourage to vote on both county and city business, causing far reaching issues well beyond their 4 years here, to the detriment of the community. One example being property taxes. Our high school are turning out graduates that can run a football, act in a play, and march in time but do not know what the Bay of Pigs was, who can't name 5 US presidents if they are not the last 5 or have the ability to write a resume or other document without using test-speak. Granted these are extreme examples but only a very few of those I have personally witnessed from students coming from our local schools.

The cost of living is very high in comparison to wages. Few jobs are left unless you work for IU, low wage restaurant/retail or commute to another city 1-2 hours away.

The university is a good one, absolutely. It has a wonderful school of music, business school and active sports teams. It is too bad that is has done so on the backs of and to the detriment of the very community around it.

If you are planning to come here to school it is a wonderful town. The areas you see/saw and call rundown, questionable, etc ...those are primarily people just trying to scrape by in a town that has forgotten them. No, I do not live in one of those areas. I am lucky enough to have inherited land near the lake. But I know them from years passed, from living here for 40 years.

Just my two cents worth.

Melissa

[sundance67]

Originally Posted by MsLissa

I grew up in Bloomington and south central Indiana. I have seen the town go from being a comfortable blue collar town that happened to have a university in it to one that caters to the university and it's money and treats residents very poorly.

The university is a good one, absolutely. It has a wonderful school of music, business school and active sports teams. It is too bad that is has done so on the backs of and to the detriment of the very community around it.

If you are planning to come here to school it is a wonderful town. The areas you see/saw and call rundown, questionable, etc ...those are primarily people just trying to scrape by in a town that has forgotten them. No, I do not live in one of those areas. I am lucky enough to have inherited land near the lake. But I know them from years passed, from living here for 40 years.

Hey, I'm really grateful for your honesty & appreciate the fact that you have a deeper perspective than some others possibly do. I know that when people I encounter ask me about living in Chicago I don't portray it to be a perfect place; sometimes people just want to believe their quixotic notions about a place. I do plan on taking my time, taking weekend trips as often as possible, etc. I'm kind of shocked to hear that the University has had that kind of impact on the community, it sounds like something only a lifelong resident would understand......it reminds me of the way I look at Chicago. I've watched the changes happen, the neighborhoods getting worse, the stress that people here have; it's something I know because I've been here 40 years. Anyway, I'm hopefully getting some time off soon, so I won't be rushed. I'm definitely going to be taking your comments into consideration. Thanks