Info on Carmel (Indianapolis, Fishers, Noblesville: custom home, neighborhoods, buy)

[BlueRover]

May be moving to the Indy area soon. Looking at Carmel/Fishers/Zionsville. I noticed that the City of West Clay seems way more upscale than the rest of Carmel and that it has its own town center. Is this town center separate from the area in Carmel that has the museums, art galleries, restaurants, etc?

If I don't live in West Clay, but remain in Carmel, would I still be in close proximity to the Monon Trail, indoor water park, etc?

How far from all this would I be if I chose to live in Fishers or Zionsville? Also, I understand that the big Greek Orthodox church in Indianapolis is moving its location to Carmel...anyone have any info on the Greek community there?

At this point, we are leaning more toward Carmel...but perhaps we could get more sq footage for our $ in Fishers? Also, a PRIVATE back yard is important to us. I notice that many properties on the MLS look like they share a common yard....is this the usual case or can you get a house with a private, fenced in yard? We'd be looking at the $350-400K price range.

Any info would be great. Thanks!

[domergurl]

You'll be closer to the Monon if you live east of West Clay, closer to Carmel proper. Holy Trinity recently moved out to West Carmel. In your pricerange I'd look in Zionsville too.

I don't think people share yards, per se, but a lot of neighborhoods in that area are very prohibitive regarding fences. You'll need to see the covenants and restrictions before you buy if that's a big concern for your family.

As for Fishers, yes, you will probably get more for the money, but you'll be trekking a long way to get to Church.

[ocexpo]

If you just want to casually look at listings, visit talktotucker.com. I have found it to be amazing and easy to navagate.

Yes, Carmel is an amazing area (my hometown). The schools are really good as well. Look into Westfield (46074) if you like Carmel. Much of this ZIP is actually in the city of Carmel, but the USPS hasn't changed the ZIP code (and it has Carmel schools). You may be stretching it living in West Clay, it costs a bit more than your budget for a family home.

[Mike Taylor]

If a private yard is very important to you, West Clay may not be the best answer for you. West Clay is a neo-traditional neighborhood and therefore homes are very close to one another. Also, it sounds as though you have not visited Carmel or West Clay. I have found that West Clay elicits strong reactions from people almost immediately...you either love it or hate it.

You will have plenty of options in the 350 - 400K range in Carmel, Fishers, or Zionsville. You will get more per square foot in Fishers, and Zionsville actually costs slightly more per square foot than Carmel.

[AliciaKiovsky]

Part of it will depend on what you consider to be a private yard. Many of the newer communities lack mature trees. So you tend to have more open spaces, which allows you to see your neighbors yards. Slightly older communities will have more mature trees to provide you with some privacy.

You'll get more for your money in Westfield or Fishers over Carmel and Zionsville. All four areas have great schools if that's a concern for you. Fishers and Carmel are large schools. Westfield and Zionsville will have a little more for the small town feel.

Holy Trinity holds its services at 106th and Shelbourne Rd, which is south west Carmel.

There is a new water park that will be built in Fishers.

Carmel and Fishers both have great parks and recreation. Carmel has the Monon Center, which is a center that was opened by the city recently. There is a monthly membership fee, that is reduced if you live within the Carmel city border. Members can enjoy basketball courts, indoor and outdoor pools, outdoor lazy river, state of the art fitness center, child care, etc. Carmel has over 500 acres of parks for people to enjoy. Fishers has about 350 acres of parks and over 61 miles of multi-use trails.

Both Carmel and Fishers are centrally located to shopping. Carmel has Clay Terrace which is an outdoor mall. Fishers is very close to the new Hamilton Towne Center which is another large outdoor mall.

If you have any other questions, let me know! I've lived in this area my whole life and would be happy to help in any way I can.

[beth1104]

If you want to be near the Carmel amenities you mention above, parts of Westfield are closer to downtown Carmel than Village of West Clay. (ie. Village Farms for Custom Homes or Merrimac/Centennial for nice production homes). Village Farms is probably the only custom home community in your price range, but there are some newer, more expensive Westfield custom subdivisions as well.

[gotigers]

I would also suggest Noblesville. I currently live in Noblesville which is close to Fishers.