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after researching many college towns, we are relocating to WLAF very soon. my wife is a librarian - so she will likely work at purdue or local school/county library. my 2 teen girls will attend purdue starting '10 and '12. we visited WLAF and we all liked the place.
we had seen some homes in university farm and we liked it, though they were older. i have researched a lot on net on newer homes and lots in established SD. did the routine of google earth/bing maps. i am looking for ~2500 sft, 4 bed, 2-3 bath homes.
I am looking for advice on pro/cons of questions below based on experience o folks living there - things that are not easy to figure out from net research.
1. how do you rate the gocitybus services.
2. your opinion on blackbird farms (opp univ place), the orchards, prophets ridge homes or lots. all these are TSC. i see some lots and homes available there.
3. commute to purdue wife and daughters: is bus commute a good option and if yes what other communities are good for new homes. is driving advisable for students? what about park-ride or park-bike options?
4. pls share your experience of using Indy airport. I travel a lot and we liked the new Indy airport. how is connectivity to major cities. how is commute to airport.
after researching many college towns, we are relocating to WLAF very soon. my wife is a librarian - so she will likely work at purdue or local school/county library. my 2 teen girls will attend purdue starting '10 and '12. we visited WLAF and we all liked the place.
I'm there now and I hate it. But hey, to each their own. I can certainly give advice, since I've lived here for a sum of 24 years and know the in's and out's.
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we had seen some homes in university farm and we liked it, though they were older. i have researched a lot on net on newer homes and lots in established SD. did the routine of google earth/bing maps. i am looking for ~2500 sft, 4 bed, 2-3 bath homes.
University Farms is nice if you want standard suburbia. Good location to Sagamore Parkway (US 52) where there is a limited commercial strip. A bit far to bike into campus, but it can be done. You/daughters/wife will probably end up driving in bad weather (which is 70% of the school year).
There's two big groceries (Payless and Marsh) a long walk, short bike ride away. There's a new Aldi opening up Friday which I am very excited about if you like being frugal. Right next to University Farms. There's also Sorrento's, a "good" Indiana-Italian place, standard strip of fast food, some Chinese, some Japanese, Post office, hardware store, and BMV all within a long walk/easy bike ride. Also some nice big parks on the edges with good fresh empty biking/running paths. You can see the Fowler Ridge Wind Farm mills spinning on clear days.
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1. how do you rate the gocitybus services.
Free to students. Slow with weird stops. I find it faster and more convenient to ride your bike. In bad weather some busses have bike racks. Full of students, so pleasant riders to be around.
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2. your opinion on blackbird farms (opp univ place), the orchards, prophets ridge homes or lots. all these are TSC. i see some lots and homes available there.
Thumbs down. Too far from everything. Connected to town via the road through the Celery bog. The road is constantly sinking and closed for repairs that never work. The alternate connection takes you way out of the way to 52 by Klondike or down into Purdue. Roads are "dangerous" with lots of Purdue Students (and ferry busses) from the half-dozen apartments scattered around the fields in the area. There's a new bike path connecting Blackbird, WalMart, Purdue, and even University Farms if you are an ambitious rider, though, that takes the risk out of two-wheeling it. Can't walk anywhere except to the bog.
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3. commute to purdue wife and daughters: is bus commute a good option and if yes what other communities are good for new homes.
Sokay. I'd suggest living closer within biking distance. It's the best way to get to campus, and to get from class-to-class on time. The campus is pretty big for walking.
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is driving advisable for students?
Not if you can avoid it. It's congested on and around campus.
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what about park-ride or park-bike options?
$100 per semester for a crappy C-permit. That gets you into the stadium lot and the like, which are about a mile from classes. You can actually find free parking on neighborhood streets which are closer. Purdue and surrounding neighborhoods are safe, but a cyclist is safer than a pedestrian just in general.
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4. pls share your experience of using Indy airport. I travel a lot and we liked the new Indy airport. how is connectivity to major cities. how is commute to airport.
Connects to most major US cities for a price. Often cheaper if you hop to a hub. Almost no international connectivity, so you can expect to go through LA, SF, or ATL for international flights. The new airport is more convenient, but it's about 15 minutes farther than the old one. (1 hour 15 mins minimum driving time. Budget an extra hour for constuction/accidents on I-65)
TSC schools were good in 1998. Dunno about now. West Lafayette is the best. I'd suggest living near the West Lafayette HS if you can find a house in those neighborhoods. They're the nicest in town, by my measure. Also close to the stuff I mentioned before AND Purdue.
Houses closer to the Levee (along US-26 between Purdue and the River on Google maps) are more student-y but closer to the Levee and Downtown where there is an anemic nightlife, coffeshop, bookstore, movie theater, sort of scene. But you're probably not into that.
If you want Ex-urbs there are estates available in the countryside out on 50 west near and on a new Golf Course called "Coyote Crossing." It's about a 10 min drive to the University Farms area, 15 mins to Campus. Can't bike or walk to anything, though. Close to Freeway access. I know of a nice neighborhood with big beautiful 2-acre lots and some new construction for sale. PM me if you want details.
No ocean.
No mountains.
No city.
No work.
No good food.
Limited air connections.
Far from major cities/cultural hubs.
Poor public transportation
Not walkable.
Barely bikeable (improving).
Bad Weather
Limited entertainment options.
No fashion.
I always wanted to leave. Then I did.
I've lived on oceans, in big cities, in foreign countries.
Now I'm back for a short time and counting the days until I can leave again.
There are positives:
Good place to raise kids.
Good schools (incl. College)
Lots of room to run amok.
Friendly folks.
But the general pattern of life here is to stay in your (big) house or your workplace, maybe venturing out of either for an hour or two a day for exercise, classes, and/or to shop at a megastore (the contents of which never changes). Cultural events like TFOTHM or TTC are fun, but only occur bi-monthly. You have to drive everywhere and drive your kids everywhere.
You mean the edge of the Wabash River Valley, right? Except for where the rivers (Wabash, Tippecanoe, and to some extend Wildcat Creek) have worn away the land, there's little variation to the flat terrain. South River Road winds along the river valley (maybe 150' elevation change being generous) and provides some nicer scenery than the endless cornfields. Fort Ouiatenon (yes, slaughtered the spelling) is out that way and provides a pretty backdrop for the Feast of the Hunter's Moon.
When you do move to Lafayette, be sure to go to the feast. It's fun.
I like Lafayette a lot and think it is a great city to live in (as is West Lafayette) Here are my replies
1. how do you rate the gocitybus services.
I haven't ridden the bus since I went to Purdue. It is fairly convenient if you live in the older part of Lafayette (right now I live near 18th st) but then again a 20 minute bus ride to work vs a 7 minute drive--so yes I drive. I think it can be done--but I can't imagine anyone moving here that wouldn't have a car at all to use??
2. your opinion on blackbird farms (opp univ place), the orchards, prophets ridge homes or lots. all these are TSC. i see some lots and homes available there.
I think that University Farm would be decent as you the homes there are custom built and they have a good homeowners association--and generally considered a 'better' subdivision. The orchards are nice but I worry about the water levels there--(we had looked at building there)--and the lots are priced high for what they are--however I am sure there are plenty of nice existing homes there--I personally find that past Purdue on Hwy 26 to be really nice--I lived near Montmorenci and it was so quiet and dark at night and just beautiful walking/biking/enjoying being outside scenery. Prophets Ridge is Tempest which is a big box builder--and the homes are close together--it is a good area though and I would consider it if your budget is low--but if you are looking at the other two you probably have the money to do better.
Also out that way is Harrison Highlands--the lots are also close together here but you can get a better custom built home--also accross 43 is Hawks Nest which I liked the lots and homes there as well--but then again no bus service if you are looking for this.
We currently are building in Raineybrook which is really nice--it is around 5 miles from Purdue down Hwy 231--nice lots, nice custom homes--but this is technically Lafayette 47909
3. commute to purdue wife and daughters: is bus commute a good option and if yes what other communities are good for new homes. is driving advisable for students? what about park-ride or park-bike options?
Driving is no problem--parking is the problem--although if you don't mind walking a bit there are plenty of options--I don't mind walking at all so I never found it to be a problem--you could definitely park bike if you'd like no problem--just have to find a street to do so on--plenty of free parking on west lafayette streets--just farther from campus
Like I said for other communities I also recommend you look at Raineybrook (also Raineybrook Pointe and Raineybrook Estates--it's all the same but the newer is Pointe and older Estates)--also I liked Hawk's Nest--I also think there are wonderful neighborhoods down Eisenhower Rd but that is rather far from Purdue--but then again depending on where you are from nothing is really far--maybe just a 15-20 minute drive.
4. pls share your experience of using Indy airport. I travel a lot and we liked the new Indy airport. how is connectivity to major cities. how is commute to airport.
If you hop on 65 (would be easily accessible from Hawks Nest, Harrison Highlands etc)--it will take you about 1hr 15 min to new airport--easy peasy--it took me around an hour from my home right off exit 176.
If you want any more info or I can help message me!
sponger42--I'm curious as to where you have lived before--large city? I used to be from a small town and Lafayette has a ton of things for me compared to where I came from:
No ocean.--true--but also no hurricanes! LOL
No mountains.--true--but also no giant icy scary mountain roads (although I do find mountains very beautiful so you are right there)
No city.--city as in Chicago or Indy--I travel to both probably Chicago more often for the weekend at least once every two months.
No work.--my husband and I are Purdue grads and had no problem finding work--I was HTM and he was photography
No good food.--I think while a bigger city does have more options there are great places:
Italian: La Scala
Mexican: El Meson
French/Fine Dining: Bistro 501
Tapas: Adelinos
Sushi: Blue Fin
Thai: Basil Thai/Thai Essence
Limited air connections.--this is true--however Indy is around an hour a way--however if commercial air came back to Purdue it would be great.
Far from major cities/cultural hubs.--2 hrs to chicago region, 1 from Indy--I don't think this is too bad however I wish Chicago was the closer of the two.
Poor public transportation
The bus system isn't bad for a city of our size--I love the L and what not however we just don't have the population to call for it--every notice how many city buses are empty running their routes--if more people (and I include myself in this) were more public transportation minded and used it we'd get more routes etc.
Not walkable. I can walk from my apt on 21st st to the downtown restaraunts, to large grocery stores to (if I'm feeling really ambitious) to campus--but then again I like walking.
Barely bikeable (improving).
I don't bike so not sure here.
Bad Weather--I suppose as compared to Florida or California--but not any worse than anywhere else in the midwest
Limited entertainment options.
movies, plays, purdue convocations, art walks, farmers market, friends of bob music, improv, decent parks, dog park etc--it all depends on what you want to do
No fashion.--this is true--however great deals can be found at TJ Maxx--in fact besides the occasional find at Macy's most of my shopping is done here--or when I go to Nordstrom Rack in Chicago 2-3 times a year.--however if you ever do see something cute you can bet it will be on sale as no one in Lafayette will buy it (fun skirts, tights etc)
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