Indiana University Bloomington question (Indianapolis, Hope: schools, live, restaurants)

[katerinaver]

hello,
I am considering going to this university.
Can someone tell me how that area is. is it safe for kids?
Please list any pros/cons that you have about area.
I am from cA and have never been there so just want to get a feel for the area.
Thanks
P.S. also do you think one needs a car there to get around?

[rrah]

Before you even consider the university you should get the name correct. It's INDIANA UNIVERSITY. It's not now, nor has ever been, the Univ of Indiana.

Yes, it's safe for kids.
Whether you need a car or not depends upon where you live. There is a fine public transportation system that runs within the city limits, but it does not go our into the county areas.

I've written lots of responses to posts regarding the pros/cons. Use the search function.

[katerinaver]

I apologize for getting the name slightly wrong but there is no need to be rude. i am from California so I am not familiar with Indiana at all.
I searched other posts but didn't come up with info.
In the future I would suggest to be more polite!!!

[domergurl]

rrah, like myself are Indiana University grads. If you go to IU's website, you'd see it as well, www.indiana.edu . I get irked when people say Notre Dame University too ... there's alumni pride in this state.

There are many threads regarding Bloomington/IU, here are a few to peruse:

http://www.city-data.com/forum/searc...rchid=14484120

[chalcedony]

Katerinaver, don't mind the people getting upset about you saying "University of Indiana" and I'm sorry they weren't exactly diplomatic--however, it is a local pride thing and considering that even the national media routinely botches it, people do get touchy. It's the same when people often think that Stanford University is one of the Ivy Leagues. Or when folks get Penn State and University of Pennsylvania mixed up, thinking they're both big state schools (the latter of the two actually IS an Ivy League).

Bloomington is a generally very safe and welcoming place, and many of IU's programs are top-ranked. I'm sure someone else can answer better than I can, but if you are moving to be a student, I don't think a car would be necessary at all (it might even be discouraged or outright forbidden for the younger undergrads). It's a bike friendly city and the campus is right next to the downtown; even the more suburban outer areas tend to have good sidewalks and trails though a car of course would be useful for large-scale shopping out there.

[katerinaver]

thanks all for your comments!
It was a big help!
yes I am a student graduate though!

[Snd485]

I just graduated from grad school at IU. I loved Bloomington. Hope you decide to go!

For a small city, Bloomington has a lot of cultural events and a variety of good restaurants. Cons are that its not a great place for shopping and difficult to get out of the city without a car (no bus or train station and the nearest airport is an hour away).

I think you will need a car to get around, especially if you have kids. It is difficult to park on campus so its easier to take the bus to class (and its free!)...but bus service ends at 6pm on the weekends, some city buses only run once an hour and you can't ge everywhere by bus.

[Uplander]

Actually, it's pretty easy to get from Bloomington to the Indianapolis Airport. There are a couple of shuttle services that make the trip several times daily with multiple pick-up points downtown and on campus.

[katerinaver]

thanks , any more comments about this area?

[domergurl]

I went to graduate school at IU and it was the best 2 years of my entire education experience. It's very family friendly ... it's beautiful, especially in the fall ... I don't know ... I'd move back to Bloomington in a heartbeat if I could.