I've read 'em all but...........Bloomington? (real estate market, sublease, apartment complexes)

[shenbob]

Thanks for all the Bloomington comments but I still want to ask...................... I'm a 70 year old widowed male, retired in Florida, very bored with the vapid surroundings. I seek: 1) upbeat environment, 2) live classical music, 3) access to functioning brains, 3) affordable ( $600 rental?) housing, 4) public transportation, 5) hiking/biking trails nearby. Bloomington looks good from here, but many of the posts are pre-recession. Has Bloomington survived intact?

[rrah]

Bloomington has survived and thrived. Because of IU, we don't experience the ups and downs in the local economy quite as severely as many places.

It's consistently listed as a top retirement community and has all that you have asked about. The exception maybe affordable housing. If you live farther from downtown and the campus area, $600/month may be possible. With the large number of renters in this town, B-ton is a pretty pricey place to rent or own. It's one of the more expensive real estate markets in the state because it is a fantastic place to live.

[shenbob]

rrah.................thanks for the positive (and fast) response. The $600 is a target, but I understand the student rental issues - I will pay for peace and quiet. I love being around those who make the area fun, but not sharing a common wall!

[rrah]

Actually, the peace and quiet is likely to come at a lower price than the student areas. There are a few apartment complexes I would not recommend. Can't think of the names off the top of my head, but stay away from anything on Walnut Street Pike and anything on, or near, Henderson. There are a couple of places near those streets that are constantly in the local paper because of one thing or another--drugs, domestic violence, theft, bed bugs, etc. Look at Google Maps and see how close it is to those streets. If one part of the complex looks like it backs up to either street, keep looking. One name is Acadia Court Apartments--lots of less than moral people living there (and it's not students).

If you come up with some names, post them here. I can try to let you know what I know.

[summer22]

I think that if you're patient, and commit EARLY, you will find what you're looking for at the right price in Bloomington.

I've found that with college towns, if you wait until the last minute, the selection of apartments will be gone and you won't have much choice.

But you can really win financially and get something great if you sign early. Another approach is to shop the Sublease section on craigslist and negotiate a sublease from a graduate or faculty member who suddenly got a job in another state and has to move ASAP.

If you are in a complex or on a block that has graduate students or faculty members, you will be just fine.

You might feel a little out-of-place (because of the noise and the activity) if you are in an undergraduate neighborhood, but even if you wind up on such a block, you'll survive, and you can use the time to get to know the city and shop for your next apartment.