Jersey to Bloomington, IN or better city? (Indianapolis, Columbus: fit in, insurance)

[frankie_russ]

Moving to Bloomington or ..., IN never been there. I have a wife and 2 boys 2y7m and 6m. I've been looking into the area's and need guidance, please. My concern is good neighborhood, with excellent school system. Where would there be an ideal area for my family? $ isn’t a real issue. Any Italians in Bloomington? Actually I plan on working near crane, IN so if there's a city closer.

Please help! Thanks again!

[domergurl]

For Crane .. go Bloomington! rrah ... paging rrah.

[frankie_russ]

where about in bloomington, whats rrah? lmao

[domergurl]

rrah is our resident Bloomington resident/expert. She'll pop in at some point.

[rrah]

And pop in she does/did....

Some quick basics on schools--Most of Monroe County, including Bloomington, is the same school district. Monroe County schools are very good. I think the two high schools are probably in the top ten in the state (at least according to recent SAT scores.) MCCSC is the website for school info.
The exception to the school district is the NW part of the County--which is the Richland Bean Blossom District. If you will be commuting to Crane, I wouldn't think you would want to live that way given the drive.

I live in the Southern end of Monroe County. Quite a few of my neighbors commute to Crane. It's about a 30 minute drive for them. The far west side of Monroe County might also work for you, but it's a bit more rural and less "neighborhoody."

Bedford is a town in the county south of Monroe, but it is considerably smaller than Bloomington. With the smaller size comes less ammenities, etc. Same thing with Bloomfield to the west---very small.

I think the best bet for schools overall is in Monroe County.

I'm not aware of any Italian organizations in Bloomington, but wouldn't be surprised to find out the university has some sort of group. My understanding is that the Italian Dept at IU is excellent. I do know that when we lived in suburban Chicago there was an excellent Italian grocery I loved greatly. I've not found anything similar here, but a couple of specialty markets, and even the larger grocery stores, carry a wide variety of Italian food products.

Other questions?????

[frankie_russ]

The preceived perception is that the "flatland" is just corn and farmland. That i will not fit in at all and my wife will stick out like a sore thumb. You seen My cousin vinnie, well its not that extreme but close. LMAO! (Friends and Family) From what i hear it's a beautiful area, everything looks great, is it true your adverage income is 25-35k? Is there grocery stores close or a commute, Good doctors, Dentist? Do people carry arms in indiana besides home? Nightlife any good? I know there's bars and stuff for the college crowd - any casinos? What kind of common animals roam around, (racoons, bears, mouse, bears?) Is hunting big?

[Uplander]

Most of south central Indiana was not affected by the glaciers. Try a search on "Crawford Uplands" to learn more. There are some farms, but I would venture few full time farmers. In Bloomington you will find a large variety of ethnic resturants and groceries. Some of the Dentists and Doctors are also adjunct faculty at IU, neurologists,cardiologists and such practice locally.

You won't have to worry about bears or moose in the area, but deer are a royal pain. Many folks have guns and hunt, many don't. There's a casino in French Link and more along the Ohio River. A few local bars have an older crowd, more so as you get farther from campus. Also IU sports, culture, state parks. Indianapolis, Louisville, Cincinnati all within 2 or 3 hours. It's not Manhattan, but it's pretty good for the midwest.

If you do decide on the Monroe County area check with an insurance agent before you buy in the southwest part of the county. There's an ongoing feud about fire protection that may affect your insurability.

Many of the top high school students will take classes part time on campus. It's not uncommon for them to have a semester or more of college credit when they graduate from high school. The Monroe County Public Library is a gem. Monroe County Public Library

[domergurl]

Originally Posted by frankie_russ

The preceived perception is that the "flatland" is just corn and farmland. That i will not fit in at all and my wife will stick out like a sore thumb. You seen My cousin vinnie, well its not that extreme but close. LMAO! (Friends and Family) From what i hear it's a beautiful area, everything looks great, is it true your adverage income is 25-35k? Is there grocery stores close or a commute, Good doctors, Dentist? Do people carry arms in indiana besides home? Nightlife any good? I know there's bars and stuff for the college crowd - any casinos? What kind of common animals roam around, (racoons, bears, mouse, bears?) Is hunting big?

Bloomington is one of the most liberal, if not THE most liberal communities in Indiana. You will not stick out like a sore thumb! Bloomington is not like My Cousin Vinnie. The scenery is beautiful and if you come visit, do it in October when the leaves are turning. Yes, there are grocery stores, Target, a nice mall and the campus of Indiana University. I'd live there if the commute to Columbus wasn't so horrible (it takes about an hour to go 35 miles .. 2 lane roads up and down big hills.

Indiana University has one of the best medical schools in the nation too, so chances are that any doctors you choose will not only be fantastic, but IU educated.

Nightlife, it's a college town. There's also a lot of high cultural festivities as well with IU's music programs being what they are.

Lots of hunting too. Bloomington is a very interesting place. A fantastic HUGE public university in a rural/blue collar area. You'll really see a contrast of folks.

[coltsfaninjax]

I lived on the west side of Bloomington for 5 years and LOVE Bloomington. There are some neighborhoods near 37 and Tapp that would be a quick easy drive to Crane.

[gimme it]

Bloomington is a great town. Coming from NYC, I see Bloomington as a place with a lot going on. In fact there seems like there isn't enough time to do all that is offered. We hope to live there in the near future. Schools are a big issue for us, and it seems that Bloomington has some well-regarded schools. Several of them are brand-new and beautiful, fwiw.