Tell me about central Indiana

[inndeeannaaa]

I'm going to get out of debt and move back to Indiana -- not Bloomington, though. I like Bloomington, but I really like Indy. How's Indy? I visited a couple times, but visiting is nothing compared to a couple years of living. Is there a lot of crime up there in Indy? Are the rents cheap? Is there ample opportunity for jobs in Indy? That's all I really need to know. Thanks!

[sallybell]

If you don't have a family I don't recommend living in any of the areas like Carmel or Fishers. It is a very family oriented community and that is great, but if you don't have kids you will feel like an outsider...like me. I am 30+ married and no kids, and I was never welcomed in my neighborhood at all. We lived in Carmel.

Whoever is asking about the weather, I wouldn't worry about tornadoes. However if you are coming from CA or FL or some place warm, be prepared to freeze your you know what off in the winter. The winter is long and grey. The snow can be beautiful but gets old after many months of it. Temps can hover around the teens for days and even get into the negatives.

[domergurl]

I always tell my husband that if we didnt' have kids, we'd be miserable here (Fishers). But again, if we didn't have kids, we'd still be living in a condo in downtown Chicago and I'd still be working. But don't worry, even though we have 3 kids, I'm still not accepted by some folks here ... my politics don't mesh with theirs. I'm an oddball.

[sallybell]

Originally Posted by domergurl

I always tell my husband that if we didnt' have kids, we'd be miserable here (Fishers). But again, if we didn't have kids, we'd still be living in a condo in downtown Chicago and I'd still be working. But don't worry, even though we have 3 kids, I'm still not accepted by some folks here ... my politics don't mesh with theirs. I'm an oddball.

Domergurl, we left two years ago and I have never been happier. My politics and lack of religion and no kids, made me an isolated soul. Carmel is the only place I have lived (and I have lived many places) where I honestly can say I did not make one friend in two years. That speaks volumes for me.

[dennismpat]

Originally Posted by sallybell

If you don't have a family I don't recommend living in any of the areas like Carmel or Fishers. It is a very family oriented community and that is great, but if you don't have kids you will feel like an outsider...like me. I am 30+ married and no kids, and I was never welcomed in my neighborhood at all. We lived in Carmel.

Oh, my, that's not good news for me, then. I'm over 40, not married and no kids, so I'm sure I'd REALLY be like a fish out of water, and would probably be viewed with suspicion. That's too bad that you weren't made to feel welcome in Carmel. I was investigating Fishers and Carmel because they're suburban areas similar to what I grew up in here in Southern California, and I happen to find those kind of areas appealing.

Originally Posted by sallybell

Whoever is asking about the weather, I wouldn't worry about tornadoes. However if you are coming from CA or FL or some place warm, be prepared to freeze your you know what off in the winter. The winter is long and grey. The snow can be beautiful but gets old after many months of it. Temps can hover around the teens for days and even get into the negatives.

In another thread, I asked if there were any transplanted Californians living in Indiana who have successfully made the adjustment, ESPECIALLY the winter weather. At least tornadoes can be predicted and tracked; earthquakes still can't be predicted with any degree of reliability. Definitely gives me something to think about. Thanks so much for the information.

[Spartanacus]

My wife and I "settled" in Fishers for the last 7 years to start our family and it's been great. Unfortunately the lure of getting out of credit card debt and furthering my wife's career is leading us to a new job for her in Lake Forest, IL soon, so we'll be leaving a beautiful "new" house we built in Fishers a couple years ago. It will be missed greatly.

Noblesville and Carmel are other places I'd live if we ever came back.

We love Hamilton County (without kids and with kids), we love downtown Indy, and we love everything in between...Broadripple for when we were younger and childless, Castleton/Keystone for shopping & dining (though not around Christmas time)...and it's got plenty of great things to do to keep you busy (Children's Museum, Zoo, and plenty of other museums and attractions).

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[AshleeMae]

Originally Posted by LadyT

I recently accepted a job position in Greencastle Indiana, but I would like to finish my degree at Purdue (West Lafayette) and I've been looking on the Internet for apartments in West Indianapolis. However the drive from West Indy to Greencastle to Lafayette seems like a lot. My first thought is Crawfordsville, which seems to be midway between Lafayette & Greencastle. Is Crawfordsville OK? I don't want to live on a farm but I also don't want to live in an area where it's too crowded. Is it minority friendly? People will not have a problem if someone doesn't look like them. Is there shopping like Walmart, Target or Malls? Movie theatres, bowling and health food stores?

I've lived in Crawfordsville for my entire life and I really wouldn't suggest moving here. There really isn't much to do and the only shopping is Wal-Mart. Lots of empty buildings. We also have a meth problem and there are a lot of bored teenagers running around causing trouble. Wabash College is here, but it's an all-male school. Lafayette is a nice place to live but that would be quite a drive for you. If you do come to Crawfordsville don't get an apartment at Cloverdale Heights, Waterford, or Campus View. CH and W are filled mostly with people on gov't support and there are always police out there because of domestic disputes or drugs. CV is where I currently live and rent is super cheap but the manager is horrible and the neighbors are mostly obnoxious kids that feel the need to party (loudly) 'til sometimes 5:00 am.