student moving from CA to bloomington? (Indianapolis, Austin: apartments, rentals, crime)
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Hello all,
I'm currently completing my bachelor's degree at UC Santa Cruz and am interested in attending grad school in Bloomington. I grew up in Southern CA just north of Los Angeles, and I currently live in Central CA just south of San Francisco, so needless to say Indiana would be quite a change. I guess my overall question is what is Bloomington like?
How much is rent? I've been looking online but none of the listings post the price which is different from what I'm used to.
Is it hard to find a part time job while I'm in school?
Is the city pet friendly or not so much?
Is there public transportation? Is parking bad (expensive or hard to find)?
Are they concerts or many music shows? Or would I have to go elsewhere for that?
What sorts of things are popular to do in town? And what is nearby Bloomington?
What is the farmer's market like? (I love the one here in Santa Cruz)
What political events are there? Or what is the political scene like?
And should I be worried about tornadoes? Do they happen often or is it like earthquakes and its just every few years?
Also how much does it really snow? The coldest it gets where I live is high 30's at night in the winter, and no snow.
That's a lot of questions but I'm really interested in moving out there but I'm not sure I'll be able to afford a visit before I move.
Hello all,
I'm currently completing my bachelor's degree at UC Santa Cruz and am interested in attending grad school in Bloomington. I grew up in Southern CA just north of Los Angeles, and I currently live in Central CA just south of San Francisco, so needless to say Indiana would be quite a change. I guess my overall question is what is Bloomington like?
How much is rent? I've been looking online but none of the listings post the price which is different from what I'm used to.
Prices have been going up but are not that bad around $300-$400 for a studio $350-$450 for a one bedroom and usually $450+ for a two-bedroom apartment. Although it's been a few years since I looked at pricing. ten years ago I had a studio for $285/mo with all utilities it was around $350/mo. Realistically I think you are looking at around $400-$600 before utilities.
Is it hard to find a part time job while I'm in school?
There are so many young people there it can be hard at times, try looking for a job on campus first.
Is the city pet friendly or not so much?
Lots of parks and such so I see no problem with pets.
Is there public transportation? Is parking bad (expensive or hard to find)?
There is a city and campus but that runs from around 7am to at least 9pm.
Are they concerts or many music shows? Or would I have to go elsewhere for that?
Lots of local concerts and bands, for big name bands you most likely will have to go to Indianapolis which is only an hour drive.
What sorts of things are popular to do in town? And what is nearby Bloomington?
It's a big party type college town so the local bars a very popular, often filled with college students. Sometimes live bands and such. Otherwise not a whole lot. It's a laid back liberal party college town with lots of people that like to "hang out" but other than the bars and parties there's not really a whole lot to do.
What is the farmer's market like? (I love the one here in Santa Cruz)
Never noticed one here but I never looked.
What political events are there? Or what is the political scene like?
Never looked for one, probably mostly Liberal, Democrats but not sure.
And should I be worried about tornadoes? Do they happen often or is it like earthquakes and its just every few years?
I always wanted to see one and been through alot of warnings where one might have touched down some miles away but really a direct hit almost never happens.
Also how much does it really snow? The coldest it gets where I live is high 30's at night in the winter, and no snow.
It gets pretty cold in winter and some snow but not usually alot.
That's a lot of questions but I'm really interested in moving out there but I'm not sure I'll be able to afford a visit before I move.
If you want to know anything else, I lived there all my life till 5yrs ago and I'm going back in 2 months.
Thanks AzraelDarkangel! Wow rent is way different than here! In Santa Cruz a studio is about $900-$1,200 and each house has like 50 rental applications each, so its hard to find housing here. Would it be just as hard in Bloomington? Are there any areas I should avoid when looking for a place, from the stuff I've found it seems likes a pretty safe town, so I'm not too worried.
Thanks AzraelDarkangel! Wow rent is way different than here! In Santa Cruz a studio is about $900-$1,200 and each house has like 50 rental applications each, so its hard to find housing here. Would it be just as hard in Bloomington? Are there any areas I should avoid when looking for a place, from the stuff I've found it seems likes a pretty safe town, so I'm not too worried.
It's relatively safe, mostly petty crime and bar fights and date rape. Some drug/wannabe gang violence but not much and not really an issue unless you are involved in that scene and it's nothing compared to any big city. Just use common sense and you should be fine. I never really felt unsafe but I know a couple cases of girls getting raped late at night on the street, but that is really uncommon.
I don't think housing is that hard to find but it's been a few years since I've been there. I have alot of friends there so I often stay with them since I've been traveling alot the last few years. I might stay with a friend when I go back since I'm not planning on staying there. I'm thinking of relocating to Eugene, OR or Austin, TX after a short stay in Bloomington. BTW, unless you are a vegetarian you should check out the Irish Lion restaurant, best food in Bloomington I think. Although the great thing about Bloomington is that there are so many different types of ethnic restaurants you can find almost anything you want to eat.
Although the great thing about Bloomington is that there are so many different types of ethnic restaurants you can find almost anything you want to eat.
Awesome! And thanks for the restaurant suggestion. I love sushi, and I found out that Bloomington has a few sushi places. Is the fish really fresh? Or how does that work not being near an ocean?
Also that housing website is perfect, just the info I was looking for. I kept finding all of these websites that didn't list prices...not very helpful.
Awesome! And thanks for the restaurant suggestion. I love sushi, and I found out that Bloomington has a few sushi places. Is the fish really fresh? Or how does that work not being near an ocean?
Also that housing website is perfect, just the info I was looking for. I kept finding all of these websites that didn't list prices...not very helpful.
I'm not a seafood fan so I can't comment on the fish there. I've liked most of the restaurants I've eaten at which include: Irish, Tibetan, Chinese, Greek, Indian, Japanese, Mexican, Italian, etc.
The summer there is so much fun although the winter can be a little boring. I'm looking forward to going back there for the summer, probably be there by early June. I might leave again in September/October for Eugene, Oregon. Not sure yet. If you want me to show you around town let me know.
Hello all,
I'm currently completing my bachelor's degree at UC Santa Cruz and am interested in attending grad school in Bloomington. I grew up in Southern CA just north of Los Angeles, and I currently live in Central CA just south of San Francisco, so needless to say Indiana would be quite a change. I guess my overall question is what is Bloomington like?
How much is rent? I've been looking online but none of the listings post the price which is different from what I'm used to.
I found the previous rental prices too low (although the poster said they were 10 years old.) I would anticipate closer to $800 for a one bedroom apartment close to campus.
Is it hard to find a part time job while I'm in school?
I don't really know.
Is the city pet friendly or not so much?
It's pretty pet friendly, but don't assume your apt. will allow pets.
Is there public transportation? Is parking bad (expensive or hard to find)?
The city and campus bus systems are good and operate well after 9:00 pm. Parking near campus is always difficult and take patience. I don't know the current cost of a permit that allows one to park in the football stadium lot and then take a bus to campus, but that will be your best bet. It's relatively inexpensive compared to cities.
Are they concerts or many music shows? Or would I have to go elsewhere for that?
Bloomington is pretty well know for it's vibrant music scene. Not many major headliners, but a few bigger groups a year. My daughter is going to see Feist (?) over Little 500 weekend. Also a wonderful world music festival every fall known as "Lotus World Music Festival"
What sorts of things are popular to do in town? And what is nearby Bloomington? I think the question should be "what do you want to do?" There are plenty of outdoor and indoor activities in and near Bloomington.
What is the farmer's market like? (I love the one here in Santa Cruz) It's grown tremendously over the last 20 or so years. It's a fun little market, held year round to some extent. One of my favorite Saturday morning activities in the summer. Lots of great fresh veggies, organic meats and cheeses, flowers, etc.
What political events are there? Or what is the political scene like? The town tends to be liberal, the surrounding areas more conservative. A fairly active political scene overall.
And should I be worried about tornadoes? Do they happen often or is it like earthquakes and its just every few years? Tornadoes are not a major concern for midwesterners. We hear a warning and take appropriate action.
Also how much does it really snow? The coldest it gets where I live is high 30's at night in the winter, and no snow. We get some 20's and rarely into the teens. Snow and ice amounts vary tremendously from year to year.
That's a lot of questions but I'm really interested in moving out there but I'm not sure I'll be able to afford a visit before I move.
Thanks rrah for your thoughts! It's helpful to get more opinions. I have a cat right now, but it doesn't seem impossible to find places that will accept her so that's a relief.
I suppose, we don't worry about earthquakes here at all and it sounds like tornadoes aren't treated much differently. Anytime I talk to my family about moving to Indiana I keep hearing about tornadoes, so I had to ask lol.
I'm originally from the Los Angeles area so I'm assuming parking won't be that horrendous which is comforting.
The only thing you are going to have to adjust to is some snow and ice during the winter. The change of seasons in Bloomington is spectacular.
And I guess we'll be callin' ya Hoosier instead of Banana Slug.
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