Commute from Indy to Bloomington (Indianapolis, Greenwood: to buy, school, subdivisions)

[MissingIndiana]

I'm currently a student in the healthcare field and am hoping to move back to the Indianapolis area staring next June or July. At that point I will be beginning my final year of school which consists entirely of various 1 month rotations at various sites. Most of these will likely be done in the Indy area. However, I would like to spend perhaps 2 months over that period of time at sites in Bloomington.

My question is this: Has anyone ever commuted from downtown Indianapolis to downtown Bloomington or vice versa? What are your thoughts on the feasability of this?

I've made the drive up and down 37 between the two cities more times than I can count so I am fairly familiar with the area and the distance, but I have never driven from one downtown to the other during rush hour times.

As a side note, I've also considered in the long run living a very rural lifestyle in the areas of Monroe county perhaps 10-15 miles northeast of Bloomington. Does anyone have any experiences in this area? Do you think there is much potential for growth in this part of the county (a negative for me)? Any thoughts in general?

Thanks all.

[Grandma(in waiting)]

It's all going to depend on where you are in Indy. If you're on the south side, it's going to hack quite a bit of time off of your commute. Anywhere else and you're going to run into gridlock on the freeways and main feeder roads.

Once you get out of Indy and the suburbs (past the Greenwood area exits) it's going to be pretty smooth sailing. There's no way of really predicting your commute time because there are so many variables, but I'd say add anywhere from an extra half hour to 45 minutes depending. Bad weather and/or accidents can easily double that time.

There's just not much 10-15 miles northeast of Bloomington and nothing that I know of in the works going in there, so it's probably going to remain rural for some time. Are you talking about somewhere around the Morgan Monroe State Forest? If so, it's a lovely area.

[MissingIndiana]

Thanks. I'm thinking I would probably be driving from downtown Indy to downtown Bloomington so I'll just have to make sure to give myself plenty of time. Concerning the future living arrangements, yes, I was thinking about the Morgan Monroe State Forest area. Possibly somewhere around the west or south side of Lake Lemon. I've also considered the area SE of Btown near Lake Monroe, but that seems like it could add a lot of time to the Indy commute.

To be a bit more descriptive, I'm looking for a place that is currently very rural and will stay that way in the future. I'm from Paoli and would love to be near there because my family is there and I love Orange County, but I also want to be close enough to Indy that I can see my friends there and possibly commute to work there for the better opportunities in my field. It's a hard decision to make, not knowing anyone in Bloomington and thinking about moving to an isolated area to be inbetween the two different aspects of my life (Indy/Paoli). If you live in the area and have any other thought you think might be good to know, I'd be glad to hear them. Thanks again for the reply.

[Grandma(in waiting)]

You're welcome. Paoli is a pretty little town and the people are friendly. We've skied at Paoli Peaks a few times and always enjoyed it.

I don't think I'd enjoy that commute every day, but I know people who do it. Have you considered finding a place in one of the small towns north of Martinsville? That would put you about half way from each town.

There are never any guarantees as far as any given area staying rural, but with the economy the way it is, I doubt that you're going to see much of a population explosion anywhere in the state at present.

[rrah]

I live in the SE area of Monroe County. It takes me about 75 minutes to get to downtown Indianapolis. From downtown B-ton I would expect an hour more or less. From the NE side of the county I would anticipate about 50 min to an hour also. It's quite a drive to get to 37 from the Lake Lemon area. Although both areas are more rural, I wouldn't characterize them as very rural in comparison to places in Greene County or even Paoli. SE Monroe county is even less rural than the NE part of the county. The SE part of the county has experienced the most growth in the last 10 years or so. The northern half of the county grows more slowly.

Just my two cents, but I wouldn't do this commute. I understand you want to be closer to your family, but consider how many days you drive to work versus how many days you drive to see family. My guess is the work commute is more significant.

[Grandma(in waiting)]

It always took me a little less than an hour and a half to get from Bloomington to the heart of Indianapolis, but then again, I drive like a grandma.

[MissingIndiana]

Thanks again guys. I guess I'll try the commute for a month or two of my rotations and see if it's something I could do in the long run. I like SE Monroe county because I feel that Lake Monroe and all the land that is owned by the National Forest is going to inhibit growth and keep it fairly rural, although there will probably be more growth near the 37 corridor and around Eagle Pointe. If I decide to commute to Indy I would probably look more at the north end of the county.

And to answer your question Grandma(in waiting) I did consider the areas north of Martinsville but I feel like there's a much greater chance of growth and development in that area and in my opinion it's not nearly as scenic as the area around Bloomington. Plus there's that giant orange glow over Indy that blocks out the stars

[Grandma(in waiting)]

Bloomington is lovely. With your job in healthcare, you can most likely pick and choose where you want to live/work after you graduate.

I concur with your thoughts about property around the national forests. Another area to consider would be Spencer/Gosport. You can "go rural" right outside of town and rents/home prices are a little more reasonable than they are in Bloomington and Monroe County in general. McCormick's Creek State Park is on 46 between Spencer and Bloomington, the hills around the area are very nice and you'd be a little closer to your parents. Grandpa(in waiting) and I were intending to buy some land in that area when we retire and build our "cabin in the woods", but our son's imminent move to Spokane, WA threw a monkey wrench in those plans.

One more thing before I forget, please do watch your speeds on 37 between Bloomington and Indy. It's pretty closely watched and a lot of the locals consider it one long speed trap. There are changes between the various subdivisions and lots of curves in the road where police will watch.

[MissingIndiana]

Yeah, I'm familiar with most of the places the cops sit on 37. I've been up and down that road more times than I can count. I usually run about 70 between Bedford and Indy and slow down in certain spots. Never spent much time in Spencer, but I have been to McCormick's Creek SP which is awesome. Thanks for the suggestion, I'll look into that more.

[MissingIndiana]

As a side note, I was thinking that once they transform 37 into I-69, that might help improve the commute to Indy. The only thing would be figuring out where the access points/exits would be that could get you into the rural areas. Anybody know what year they are planning on finishing that project?