Yet More Westerners Coming to IN with Questions . . . . (Anderson, Pendleton: environment, job)

[almostidaho]

Hello Hoosiers, from the Theocratic Republic of Zion (Utah)!

My husband has accepted a job in NE Indy starting in 2008 and I hope to finish grad school at Ball State . . . so we’re looking into towns/cities in between, like Anderson or Pendleton . . . or wherever your recommendations take us. We visited in June and not only met some terrific folks, but we liked what we saw. Us: mid-40s, no kids, two dogs, avid walkers/gardeners/tinkerers/readers, fleeing a claustrophobic environment, quirky but quiet people who like to have impromptu happy hours/dinners with neighbors who happen by. In other words, we’re the neighborhood ‘characters.’

We have a few specific questions, however.

1. Why’s everyone so down on Anderson? We’re originally from the northeast, so we’re not unwise/afraid of a bit of gritty blue-collar life. We also are old home fiends, and it seems like there may be a neighborhood or two there with character and walkability. Discuss.

2. Looks like we’re heading for a culinary wasteland in IN – not unlike where we live now – where the Olive Garden is considered ‘fine dining.’ That’s okay as long as we can hit an ethnic market (Mexican, Indian, Middle Eastern, Somali, Bosnian, you name it) once a month that isn’t a two hour drive distant. Any leads?

3. We’re outdoor puttering freaks and we’re THRILLED about locating to a USDA zone warmer that actually has rainfall. Furthermore, we’ve so gotten into the dirt-under-the-nails gig that we want to continue to have some (say, four) chickens and a beehive. So far, the official word from Pendleton is “NO WAY – ONLY IN AG ZONES!!” Are all the towns around there so restrictive/uptight? Or would this be a case of “if the neighbors don’t mind, we’re okay?”

4. We are completely at the mercy of ATVs and snowmobiles here in the west (so much for the wide open spaces . . . ). Whether we try to get some peace in the mountains or in our yard, they make our outside time sheer misery. Will we be subject to this kind of constant aggravation if we locate in a rural area in IN? Anywhere we should avoid?

Whew. Any information you could give us would be greatly appreciated. We are truly looking forward to coming to Indiana and look forward to making an interesting life there!