Why Lafayette-W.Lafayette

[Brian]

Spoiled kids in Lafayette/West Lafayette? I am trying to understand. I have some relatives in that area (SW Lafayette, Westpoint, Crawfordsville, Odell, Winamac and Lebanon).

[Southside Shrek]

the 'spoiled kids' comment is probably in reference to the kids in the West Lafayette school system. There are many children of professors, doctors, and other professionals.

[AKF]

we moved here because when checking this area online it seemed to be a "city" with lots of things to do...unfortunately, west lafayette and lafayette are all about purdue and if you are not...then you are pretty much outta luck!

[Southside Shrek]

Originally Posted by AKF

we moved here because when checking this area online it seemed to be a "city" with lots of things to do...unfortunately, west lafayette and lafayette are all about purdue and if you are not...then you are pretty much outta luck!

AKF
what's wrong with the emphasis on the Purdue Boilermakers? Living in a university town definitely has its advanatges including but not limited to Big Ten football and basketball games.

[AKF]

it's not the fact that it's a university town...it's the overemphasis of purdue! EVERYTHING is purdue!
my point was that when you search online to look at lafayette/west as a possibility for relocation, the web pages and any other sites related to the area for that matter, showcase a "city" that is full of a variety of things to do. i am just expressing that in my opinion there's plenty to do if you love a campus lifestyle which we DON'T! unfortunately, none of the sites i checked out before relocating here were upfront about what this place is truly like.

take a look at your own response...i rest my case.

[Southside Shrek]

Originally Posted by AKF

it's not the fact that it's a university town...it's the overemphasis of purdue! EVERYTHING is purdue!
my point was that when you search online to look at lafayette/west as a possibility for relocation, the web pages and any other sites related to the area for that matter, showcase a "city" that is full of a variety of things to do. i am just expressing that in my opinion there's plenty to do if you love a campus lifestyle which we DON'T! unfortunately, none of the sites i checked out before relocating here were upfront about what this place is truly like.

take a look at your own response...i rest my case.

AKF
I live in a Boilermaker oriented community and admit it. However that doesn't make me a Boiler. I just happened to land here.

[Zig'sbird]

I grew up in Lafayette and really liked it. However, I have not lived there in about 18 years and I've heard that the Lafayette high school (Jeff) is not a nice school any more

However, for the area I would not think twice about moving back there. Lafayette is growing like crazy, but the cost of living is still fairly cheap.

Have you asked your business associates these questions?

[Southside Shrek]

Originally Posted by Zig'sbird

I grew up in Lafayette and really liked it. However, I have not lived there in about 18 years and I've heard that the Lafayette high school (Jeff) is not a nice school any more

However, for the area I would not think twice about moving back there. Lafayette is growing like crazy, but the cost of living is still fairly cheap.

Have you asked your business associates these questions?

You heard right about Lafayette Jeff. it definitely is no longer a 'nice school', at least not in my opinion.

[irongrl77]

Zig's and Shrek,

You are both very right about Jeff High School. You couldn't pay me to put my kids (if i had any) in the Lafayette School System. I graduated from McCutcheon High School in 2004 (Tippecanoe School Corp.) and I absolutely loved it there. McCutcheon and Harrison are def. the better schools in the area.

[earlyjp]

Greetings,
I'm a new visitor to this site/forum, primarily because I am job hunting. However, I noticed this message and thought I would comment as I will be departing West Lafayette this summer. I will miss WL very much. Here's why.

I moved here in the summer of 1998 to attend graduate school at Purdue. We'd lived in Baltimore for 15 years prior, and I grew up in Philadelphia. My wife is from NYC. You might think that east-coast big-city people would be out of place here, but we felt very comfortable from day one.

For Mule, you didn't say whether you have school-age children. If so, I can highly recommend the WL public schools. Our daughter started in the 4th grade and will be graduating this year. Students are very well prepared, score highly on standardized tests, and go off to the best colleges in the country. Something on the order of 98% of WLHS grads go to college.

The housing in Tippecanoe county is very affordable, in my opinion. We prefer to live within walking distance to Purdue, and a 3BR home can range from $189K to >$600K (Chauncey Village on the low end and Hills and Dales on the high end). University Farms is another popular WL development. There is a lot of new development on the south side of Lafayette, and I think that has created a housing surplus. My friends who are selling homes tell me it's a buyer's market.

Politically, it's a conservative place, although both WL and Lafayette have Democratic mayors. It's probably a bluish-purple town in a red state. People in the surrounding areas (Benton, White, Clinton counties) consider themselves very consevative.

I am sorry to hear that AFK does not enjoy living here. I have heard comments like these on occasion -- there's not enough shoping and entertainment, everything centers around Purdue, etc. It all depends on your expectations. Purdue's size brings a lot of touring concerts and shows (see Purdue Convocations web site). Also, there are some very nice summer festivals in Lafayette (Taste of Tippecanoe, Dancin' in the Streets, etc.). For me, I'm content to enjoy walking my dog through quiet neighborhoods, going to a Purdue basketball or football game, and the general pace of life. Indy and Chicago are within reasonable drives if I want big-city excitement.

As I mentioned, I will be leaving WL this summer, and I will miss it very much. I consider my time here to be the happiest of my life. I hope to find a new community where I feel as comfortable.