Need neighborhood/suburb recommendations for Indianapolis (Fishers, Carmel: middle-class, apartments, condos)

[severina]

My fiancee and I are moving to Indianapolis in the fall. We have no children, one cat. We are looking for an extremely safe area because he is gone for two weeks at a time. I will likely be working downtown, and prefer a commute of 30 minutes or less. We are saving up for the wedding so don't want to spend a ton of money, but can comfortably afford middle-class safe areas. I do not want to live in a dangerous neighborhood or have to hear rap music outside my house. I need to be able to walk around the neighborhood without fearing for my safety. I hate hot weather and sun, so somewhere with plenty of trees and shade would be a perk, but not necessary. Any ideas?

[Coogles]

30 minutes or less? That rules out all of the northern suburbs save maybe the very western edge of Zionsville since you can stay on 65 all the way out there. Brownsburg/Avon on the west side are over that too with rush hour traffic. You can get downtown from greenwood in that amount of time if you're closer to I-65. Basically, though, if you want to live in an upper middle class type suburb in Indianapolis (assuming that based on the rap music comment), you'd better love your car, because you'll be spending a lot of time with it.

If you're open to city living there are tons of great options in the Broad Ripple/Meridian-Kessler/Warfleigh/Butler-Tarkington areas that are quiet and very safe. A commute downtown will be more in the 20 minute range from those neighborhoods.

[Toxic Toast]

Fun fact: I live on the near east side of Indianapolis in a neighborhood called Englewood and I've never heard loud rap music outside my house unless it was the bass of a passing car. This is no different than what I hear from time to time when I am in Fishers. Same thing when I lived in Fountain Square. Actually, my neighbors in Fountain Square were louder.

[indybail]

I live on the Indianapolis south side and love it. Check us out.

[severina]

I don't mind loud music as long as it's not rap. I don't mind living downtown at all if it was a safe neighborhood, but where I come from there is no such thing as a safe downtown neighborhood, after dark anyway. I guess I'm just mainly trying to find areas that aren't too far from downtown (work), and that aren't dangerous for a woman whose hubby is on the road a lot.

I am hearing that Fountain Square and Broadripple are good places for the young or the young at heart. Many people mention that Broadripple is full of hipsters, but I lived in Portlandia for four years, hipsters I can deal with.

[grmasterb]

Originally Posted by severina

I don't mind loud music as long as it's not rap.

I'm not a rap music fan either, but you may need to get beyond this hangup. Even white suburban kids listen to rap. You can't identify a neighborhood anywhere that will enable you to avoid rap music.

[Southside Shrek]

What's wrong with rap music? I play it all the time mowing my lawn and I play it loud so I can hear it above the roar of the lawn mower. There's nothing finer than roaring Rap.

[caddy93]

Fountain Square is a fun neighborhood, but as for safety, you're probably looking for something a bit safe and more middle class than Fountain Square. It can get a tad sketchy at night when youre not on the main streets. I would suggest Meridian-Kessler for you. Also South Broad Ripple is a great area, and its closer to downtown. South Broad Ripple is still very cool, but much quieter and residential than Broad ripple Village, and less hipsters.

[sweetana3]

The historic areas downtown are very safe. I love our brick street with Single FAmily homes, condos and now new apartments. We have a great paved alley and we all sit out and watch the fireworks. I walk over for all the parades and walk downtown all the time. What I like is that there is always traffice and people meaning "eyes" to see what is going on. Of course, I stay out of dark and unknown alleys and pretty much am not walking around late at night.

We have a happening area around Starbucks, a great winter and summer farmers market, a good grocery and hardware store and on and on. Lots of new apartments are being built downtown which indicates a lot of interest. We have lived here for around 12 years and I have never regretted it. In fact, if I had won the lottery, I would buy an apartment at 3 Mass Ave or the top of the Conrad.

[vzx]

We are moving to Indy this July and are also looking at some safe areas. I'll be a physician at IUPUI and wanted to go to a place which is safe and also has some nice mature neighborhoods. I've heard that Carmel and Fishers are nice burbs (esp if you have kids that go to school). Since we don't have any, we are looking someplace close to broadripple. We settled for washington township around the fashion/castleton mall area. What do you guys think about that area?

What I love about that area is that the homes are all unique, trees are all mature and neighborhood feels safe. Can anyone comment on the safety issues in washington township?