Asians in Greensburg (Indianapolis, Bloomington, Terre Haute: fit in, sale, real estate)

[mikeandcora]

Hi There,
My wife is from the Philippines. We have 2 great kids ages 9 and 3. We are considering moving to the Greensburg area from the Bay Area in California.
We have been searching for a nice place to move to get out of the Bay Area rat race.

We have never been to Indiana, but found a home we really like listed online. We are planning a trip to the area to check it out soon.

I have checked out city profiles and the like for the Greensburg and other areas. Asians are almost non-existant. Would my wife and kids fit in? Would they be teased?

If we made the move to Greensburg, I would hate to place my kids in an unfovorable environment.

One last question... Does anyone know how property taxes are deternined in Greensburg or Decator county?

[domergurl]

I don't mean to bash Greensburg, but you really need to rethink this. If you are set on Southern Indiana, try Bloomington or Columbus. If you want to move a little north, try Indianapolis and it's burbs. The Asian populations are bigger there. Greensburg is getting a huge Honda auto plant, that may bring a little more diversity, but I'm not sure. I'm sure the home in Greensburg is lovely, but you may be setting yourself up for a very depressing existence, especially moving from the Bay area. Get in touch with a fella named Digdug on this forum. He and his family are north of the Bay area and are researching moving out this way. Pm him if you like.

[mikeandcora]

Originally Posted by domergurl

I don't mean to bash Greensburg, but you really need to rethink this. If you are set on Southern Indiana, try Bloomington or Columbus. If you want to move a little north, try Indianapolis and it's burbs. The Asian populations are bigger there. Greensburg is getting a huge Honda auto plant, that may bring a little more diversity, but I'm not sure. I'm sure the home in Greensburg is lovely, but you may be setting yourself up for a very depressing existence, especially moving from the Bay area. Get in touch with a fella named Digdug on this forum. He and his family are north of the Bay area and are researching moving out this way. Pm him if you like.

Domergurl,
Have you spent time in the Greensburg area? Do you feel people there are intolerant of non-whites or mixed races?

What attracted me to Indiana was the specific property I saw listed. It is (price wise) at the top of the market, and would not be a quick sale should we later decide to move. I guess it is as close as we have seen to our dream home.

For me it's a strange thought that my family would not be accepted in the wholesome mid west. Here in the heart of Silicon Valley, being accepted is not even a passing thought.

[jacksoj1]

I think you would enjoy Greensburg. Our son in law is doctor (ENT) and has an office in Greensburg. We just bought property on Santee Lake not far from Greensburg as an investment with the expectation that the area is really going to grow.

Columbus, IN is not too far and they have a good size Asian (Japanese) population and a fair number of Hispanics. Nothing like California but Indiana does welcome and is friendly to foreigners in most cities and town. That is why we have quite a few foreign companies located here.

I work for Roche Diagnostics (a Swiss company) here in Indianapolis. Write if I can offer more information.

Jim

Originally Posted by mikeandcora

Hi There,
My wife is from the Philippines. We have 2 great kids ages 9 and 3. We are considering moving to the Greensburg area from the Bay Area in California.
We have been searching for a nice place to move to get out of the Bay Area rat race.

We have never been to Indiana, but found a home we really like listed online. We are planning a trip to the area to check it out soon.

I have checked out city profiles and the like for the Greensburg and other areas. Asians are almost non-existant. Would my wife and kids fit in? Would they be teased?

If we made the move to Greensburg, I would hate to place my kids in an unfovorable environment.

One last question... Does anyone know how property taxes are deternined in Greensburg or Decator county?

[partslady]

Im from Seymour, Indiana. I used to live in Greensburg, and you would enjoy Seymour... Alot of different people, and beautiful country. Taxes, depending on how much land and property you own, around $1200.00 a year, thats $600.00 aevery fall and spring

[arossi]

Hello MikeandCora, I have sent you a private message concerning Greensburg.

[syntaxburn]

Ill be forward with you...there are very few asians in the whole state of indiana, and even less in Greensburg. True, there is a little japanese commerce in Columbus, but outside of Indianapolis, you would be lucky to spot one Asian, except maybe wandering around the Indiana Univesity campus in Bloomington, during the summer, when all the foreign students stay put. Honestly, it would not be a surprise in the least if your kids were a little razzled, but thats not to say it would definately happen, or that it would be anything very bad...it is just human nature to smirk and tease others for their differences especially when we're talking about school children. Indiana has wild weather: humid summers, violent spring storms (tornadoes are common) and bitter cold winters with snow (amounts depend on weather patterns and location in the state) with highs in the 30's, lows around 15F...you would be lucky to find more than a few days in a row where the temp was a constant comfortable one, no matter what season. It is just typical midwestern weather..Indiana is sooo much different than California it isnt even funny, so while I encourage you to come check out the Hoosier State and hope it suits you, be cautioned of the inevitable culture shock!

[carp46120]

I lived in Greensburg from 1970 til the early 90s. Greensburg is basically a small factory town with extreme blue collar attitudes. I don't think that the Honda plant will impact that much. They have big problems with drugs and crime. The town is growing too fast and the local government just can't keep up with it. Real estate prices are spiralling upward. Indiana is a wonderful place to live if you appreciate traditional values and four seasons. If it were convenient to my work, I would prefer Bloomington over any other town that I have seen here. It is the home of Indiana University and has diverse population and lots to do. Lake Monroe is close with sailing, powerboating and fishing. Indianapolis is 50 miles away, just far enough to be accessable without sharing their problems. There is ample shopping with many good restaurants.

[Shell71]

I too got out of Ca. as soon as I could I lived in Terre Haute for about 4 years my kids too are bi-racial and were a two mom family..I never had one problem there its a very nice down homey city I seen quit a few asians while I was there probably becuase its a college area I never had racial problems until I moved to Ca. (sacramento area )and it was not the whites that made it hard Ca. pretends to be very open but thats only if you fit in with what everyone else thinks and racial problems there were getting worse when I left ..Goodluck in Indiana were looking to move there next year ourselves.

[midwesterngal]

My husband and I were both born and raised in Greensburg, and still have family there. There are minorities, but not many. When we were growing up (70's and 80's), there was one large Vietnamese family, a couple of doctors from the Philippines, and a few Korean families in town. We had a black priest for a couple of years, but he was not well received.

Obviously, the town has grown and will continue to grow with the addition of Honda. It's a charming small town, but with that tends to come racist, blue-collar attitudes (including our own family members). A good source of information for you is the local newspaper web site (Greensburg Daily News, Greensburg, IN - Homepage). The reader comments will give you a good idea of the mindset of the citizens.

Go visit before you get your heart set on the town or a house. If you like that area of the country, I think you'd do well to explore Columbus, Bloomington, or Cincinnati, as well.