Indiana small towns (Evansville, Gary, Bloomington: fit in, sale, rentals)

[kyle19125]

I live in Philadelphia, formerly Washington DC and before that a resident of North Carolina and Florida....and always at the very least in a crowded, traffic filled suburb. I'm officially through with all of that and ready to live someplace quieter, more affordable and simpler.

A few caveats are that I am looking for a somewhat liberal town (not Bloomington) and a place where there seems to be interest in the downtown area from a development/redevelopment perspective. I would be conceivably opening a small organic food business and would be obviously wanting to be in a place where people care about organic/local food and the benefits of buying it.

Additionally a low housing cost from a buyer's perspective is a must. My leftover equity from my home sale (after paying cash for my new home in IN) would fund that. I have some ideas but don't want to sway the responses. Thanks.

[aj128]

Originally Posted by kyle19125

I live in Philadelphia, formerly Washington DC and before that a resident of North Carolina and Florida....and always at the very least in a crowded, traffic filled suburb. I'm officially through with all of that and ready to live someplace quieter, more affordable and simpler.

A few caveats are that I am looking for a somewhat liberal town (not Bloomington) and a place where there seems to be interest in the downtown area from a development/redevelopment perspective. I would be conceivably opening a small organic food business and would be obviously wanting to be in a place where people care about organic/local food and the benefits of buying it.

Additionally a low housing cost from a buyer's perspective is a must. My leftover equity from my home sale (after paying cash for my new home in IN) would fund that. I have some ideas but don't want to sway the responses. Thanks.

I believe Lafayette would really fit the bill for your interest in a strong downtown development/redevelopment environment. Lafayette has one of the first historic preservation programs in the state and has a strong downtown economy. More than 50 downtown buildings have been completely restored over the past 28 years and now there is new infill construction. Like some other strong downtowns, we have begun to see rentals converted to condos - a very good sign to me. There is a real need for a decent grocery downtown and I know there are others interested in opening a food coop, but I don't know if they are ever going to get there. There are several new restaurants opening including a new vegan one opening up in the near future. Lafayette has a strong local music scene and it is finally being marketed well. I don't think Lafayette is considered to be extremely liberal, but you will certainly be able to find liberal and progressive-thinking people here. Check out the city's website at www.lafayett.in.gov (broken link) and for good information on the local arts and cultural scene, check out culturecast.org. Good luck.

[Alt Dach]

IMHO you will not find somewhat liberal place in IN except Bloomington.
The are a few(very few) in WI and MN.

[kyle19125]

Originally Posted by aj128

I believe Lafayette would really fit the bill for your interest in a strong downtown development/redevelopment environment. Lafayette has one of the first historic preservation programs in the state and has a strong downtown economy. More than 50 downtown buildings have been completely restored over the past 28 years and now there is new infill construction. Like some other strong downtowns, we have begun to see rentals converted to condos - a very good sign to me. There is a real need for a decent grocery downtown and I know there are others interested in opening a food coop, but I don't know if they are ever going to get there. There are several new restaurants opening including a new vegan one opening up in the near future. Lafayette has a strong local music scene and it is finally being marketed well. I don't think Lafayette is considered to be extremely liberal, but you will certainly be able to find liberal and progressive-thinking people here. Check out the city's website at www.lafayett.in.gov and for good information on the local arts and cultural scene, check out culturecast.org. Good luck.

Thanks for the input, though puzzled by the omission of West Lafayette. Is it just student wasteland?

[domergurl]

Come to Columbus .. we love it here. You could also look at Madison.

[Interpol76]

I'd say West lafayette is 95 percent college students. And, 65 percent of the population there are males. So if you enjoy being around drunken frat boys, West Lafayette is definately your gig. The only liberal towns in Indiana that I am aware of are Bloomington and Gary, and possibly Valporaiso???. Lafayette and Muncie are somewhat liberal, but not really.

[Cold in Indiana]

Take a look at Auburn, Indiana.

[Candy T]

Originally Posted by Interpol76

I'd say West lafayette is 95 percent college students. And, 65 percent of the population there are males. So if you enjoy being around drunken frat boys, West Lafayette is definately your gig. The only liberal towns in Indiana that I am aware of are Bloomington and Gary, and possibly Valporaiso???. Lafayette and Muncie are somewhat liberal, but not really.

I can't believe you would point someone to Gary!!! I'm not speaking of liberal here, but personal safety.

[domergurl]

Originally Posted by Interpol76

I'd say West lafayette is 95 percent college students. And, 65 percent of the population there are males. So if you enjoy being around drunken frat boys, West Lafayette is definately your gig. The only liberal towns in Indiana that I am aware of are Bloomington and Gary, and possibly Valporaiso???. Lafayette and Muncie are somewhat liberal, but not really.

valpo is on the conservative side.

[javahoe]

In Southern Indiana, two communities come to mind.

Newburgh, which is located directly on the Ohio River. While the area has grown tremendously into a suburb of Evansville, the downtown area still retains it's charm and is home to quite a few unique and quirky businesses. A store as you described seems to be a great fit in there and would be able to draw from a sizeable population base.

The other town is New Harmony. New Harmony is substantially smaller and more removed from the Evansville area. The downtown area houses several unique shops and the town would probably be the most liberal within the area.