Thinking about BLOOMINGTON, IN...What is there to do for KIDS?

[rrah]

When one mentions that the visitor's center website has a link to a Gay Bton website, and then ends the sentence with an "!" it's very easy to interpret that as homophobic. Couple that with the words conservative, good, and family and it's pretty easy for a reader to jump to that conclusion. Discrimination on an open forum like CD often leads to negative reactions.

Someone else asked in the past year if a conservative would feel comfortable in B-ton. I don't recall the poster's name unfortunately. I gave her a very polite and complete answer to that question because it was posed in a way that didn't indicate judgment.

If it wasn't for the need for ready made indoor entertainment, I would suggest looking a little farther south than Monroe County-eg Bedford--definitely more conservative.

And in the name of equal opportunity indignation I'll defend the college students and teens.
Unless one lives within a couple of blocks of campus any antics of the college students don't impact day to day life. The rest of the teen population that lives in Bloomington is no different than teens in most places: some work, some study hard, some drink or do other drugs, some participate in sports, etc.

[domergurl]

want2move ... what we are saying is that just because there's a gay bloomington website, it doesn't mean that Bloomington is some kind of sodom and gommorah place. It's quite the opposite. Friends of mine from Indy are moving into their new home as I type ... 3 young kids too and she's a purdue graduate (ha!!). It would have been fine if you would have left it at "conservative".

Wonderlab's dollar day is coming up on August 30th ... why not take it in on that day ... I know I am! Then go for a stroll down Kirkwood and see how it all feels.

But ... seriously, I really think that you'd be more comfortable in Columbus.

[mkat321]

Originally Posted by domergurl

want2move ... what we are saying is that just because there's a gay bloomington website, it doesn't mean that Bloomington is some kind of sodom and gommorah place. It's quite the opposite. Friends of mine from Indy are moving into their new home as I type ... 3 young kids too and she's a purdue graduate (ha!!). It would have been fine if you would have left it at "conservative".

Wonderlab's dollar day is coming up on August 30th ... why not take it in on that day ... I know I am! Then go for a stroll down Kirkwood and see how it all feels.

But ... seriously, I really think that you'd be more comfortable in Columbus.

Thanks for the reminder of dollar day! I'm sure it was in the last newsletter from the moms group but it totally slipped my mind! We'll be there as well I'm sure. Time to get a new annual pass now that life is settling down.

[domergurl]

I'll be in my usual pink ND hat!

[mkat321]

Cool. I'll probably have my pink army wife hat on unless dh is with me [he's wicked uptight about hats on inside buildings]

[Dappleganger]

Originally Posted by Want2LiVEinFLasap

To Dappleganger: I UNDERSTAND THAT BLOOMINGTON, MONROE COUNTY, AND BROWN COUNTY ARE ALL GEARED TOWARD THE OUTDOORS...GOT IT. WHAT I WAS ASKING WAS WHAT THERE WAS TO DO INDOORS, ON RAINY DAYS, WHEN YOU CAN'T TAKE A ONE YEAR OLD OUTSIDE TO PLAY. I HAVE NEVER HAD A BAD EXPERIENCE AT CHUCK E CHEESE AND AS FOR MALL PLAYGROUNDS, THEY ARE SO SO, UP HERE IN THE INDY AREA (CASTLETON) THEY ARE REALLY NICE. THANKS THOUGH.

You don't need to be rude by using all-caps, OP. Get a grip.

[YeahMon]

I have lived in Bloomington for 40 years. It can be a lot of fun for the college kids who like to party, the liberals who like to be active in politics, the folks who spend every free moment at a church, or a homebody that likes to live in the country. If you don't fall into one of those categories, you will be bored in a few months time. Some have replied that we have outdoorsy things, and yes we have an abundance of state parks and national forest, even a 10,000+ acre lake (that is a giant toilet IMO) but that's it. No summertime outdoor music festivals (except world music Lotus Fest, which sucks), no indoor playgrounds unless you want to go to the Ellettsville McDonalds. For anything fun, you have to travel to Indy or Louisville or elsewhere.

Bloomington used to be fun, until we started becoming nationally recognized on a yearly basis as one of the top college party towns. The liberal city and county councils soon shut down all of the fun stuff there was to do.

Also, if you don't have a household income of $75,000 or more, you will not find nice housing and will succumb to the slums of Monroe County.