Yet another Cali transplant- with questions! (Indianapolis, Mooresville: apartment complex, house, job market)

[CaleeGirl]

Hi everyone,

I'm getting ready to move out there in about 3 months, and I've been doing all the research I can to find out about living in the midwest! I've lived 10 minutes from the beach my entire life and am used to walking around in flip flops year round... I know that's gonna have to change. I guess most of my questions are weather related, but some more city-related too.

Let's talk about winter. I've heard a bit about it but not too much. How cold does it get? And for how long? Does it snow a lot? Should I be expecting to have to shovel my driveway? Snow tires, yes or no? Carry a windshield scraper around? Get a parka and bundle up? See, I've never, ever lived anywhere where it snows, and I've only seen it snow a handful of times (but loved it every time.) So I literally have NO idea what to expect for the winter.

Alllsooooo... do you get tornadoes in Indy? Any other rain/wind/issues I should know about? I know the summers are hot and humid, and I can deal with that... I'm from San Diego. Its probably going to be more humid than I'm used to... but at least it will be sunny!

Anyways... what else would you suggest/tell to a mid-twenties girl? I found a nice house near UI but I actually know nothing about the area or anything like that. So common'... tell me what you know!!!

Thanks for the help.

[cesar79]

I just moved from Miami, FL. Indy is a great city, Lots of things to do, so far I love it. I dont know about snow or winter yet, so I can help you on this. Really nice people

[sweetana3]

1. Summer, hot and humid. We keep a fan in the living room and bedroom with the windows closed even with Central Air to keep the cost down and air moving. Nothing special but it is humid and hot.

2. Great fall and spring. Changeable. Right now in the 40s but will be in the 70s by Friday. Leaves coming out and the spring flowers were great. Last day of average frost has passed but most dont plant until early May.

3. Winter. Wet and can be snowy but it ends. Hubby puts on snow tires for me because of a skid I had once but hubby can drive with just good tires and front wheel drive. A homeowner needs snow shovel for sidewalks and driveway. Yes, you need to carry a brush and windshield scraper. If you park outside and go to work, there can be a few days of snow or ice on the car. There are days when you will need a nice coat and you can layer up under it to avoid parkas. In fact, you can buy too good a parka and never be able to wear it. Layering is much better. There are a few times of bitter cold but it doesnt last long.

Guess we just have four different seasons and it would be best for you to just experience them.

Tornados. I have lived here 30 years and while we do have some, they avoid downtown for most part. Good siren system for warning.

[BU191433]

The biggest change you will notice during winter is not the cold, not the snow, not the ice, (although there is all of that) but you will be surprised maybe shocked at how cloudy and gray winter is. It is not uncommon for a week to go by without seeing any sunshine especially during the month of December. So be prepared for that. Typically we have maybe 3 or 4 weeks of what I call hard winter - where the temperature never (or rarely) rises above freezing and several nights deep below 10 degrees. But unlike states to the north this doesn't last much more than a few weeks and then we have a nice rest.

I think it will really help you that you are moving out here in late summer (as opposed to moving in the middle of winter where the shock would be almost too much) but if you get here in August or September (IMO September and first half of October are the best months of the year) but the cold will hit you gradually. And trust me what you think is really cold in November which is typically a windy rainy 41 degrees will seem warm to you by the time January comes around. In other words you do get used to it. You'll also learn that the temperature isn't the most important thing it is the wind. 15 degrees with no wind feels a lot warmer than 31 and windy.

But the cloudy days will be by far the biggest shock for you. Another thing I would suggest is don't let the weather keep you inside too much - some people hibernate in the winter. get out as much as you can.

ask any other questions you wish

[Risikio]

BU191433 has pretty much hit the weather right on. One thing about Indianapolis is that if you give it five mintues, the weather will change. I would recommend keeping an ice scraper in the car and purchasing some sort of winter outerwear. As far as snow tires, you probably won't need them if you are in the city. The City does a good job of keeping the streets clean.

Tornadoes. Outside of the city and in the suburbs, yes. We had one near us when I was growing up in Mooresville (SW suburb). In the city though, you usually don't get them as much. I only know of one time that a tornado actually hit in the city in my thirty years of living there and that was on the far eastside of town about 10-12 years ago. I had to move out of town about 8 years ago and I really miss it there. Nice people, always something to do, decent healthcare. The thing I likeed best was the way the city is laid out, you can get from one side to the other in about fifteen minutes, yet it is the 12th largest city in America.

[BU191433]

I generally like snow too, especially the first 24 hours right after a snow storm, but what I hate is as the days go by - the snow gets dirty and they use so much salt around here everything is wet with a salty film. I wish for once they would just let it go - I know they can't. Yeah you will need to shovel you're driveway

[jsmiles83]

i've been visiting indy a lot. i was there last summer, last fall, early january and then again in march. i actually love that there are 4 seasons!

i'm another cali-girl looking forward to moving to indy. i'm just trying to figure out if i should be looking for a job now or just wait till i get there. it's just so scary with the way the job market is. i suppose it wouldn't be too bad if i temped around for a bit.

love all the people that i've met so far during my travels to indy. very friendly and helpful.

[plaidmom]

Originally Posted by BU191433

But the cloudy days will be by far the biggest shock for you. Another thing I would suggest is don't let the weather keep you inside too much - some people hibernate in the winter. get out as much as you can.

I'm a native of San Diego....and I agree with those statements.

In fact, I'm fine with "winter", especially the snow, in December and January. It's actually "early spring" as the cold and grey seems to drraaaaag on and on into Feb. and March that I find most depressing. Save your vacation days for those months when you will really need some warmth and sunshine.

I'm "outdoorsy" so it's important for me to suck it up and get outside to run and ride and hike, and when possible, XC ski. I love my down coats; I have three. I also love Polartec fleece, wool sweaters and socks and mittens. Mittens are the best invention ever IMHO. You'll also want some sort of waterproof footwear for tromping through the slush. Oh, and you know how Californians wear scarves to look stylish? Well,they are actually very useful here.

Don't think of it as moving, think of it as an excuse to go shopping!

[Risikio]

If you are the "outdoorsy" type, check out post #19 in this thread. It has a lot of the nearby state parks.

http://www.city-data.com/forum/india...ey-help-2.html

[twofishblu]

I've lived in the midwest most of my life, and to answer your weather questions:
It's going to get cold...quite cold. And it's going to unpredictable. You MUST carry an ice scraper with you, and my mom always told me to keep a spare hat and set of gloves in the car...just in case something happened while I was out (like sliding off the road in a new coat and having to wait for a tow truck).
You'll want to have a pair of waterproof boots that are insulated and come up probably six inches, because you will have to shovel your driveway and/or sidewalks (you'll get fined if you don't shovel the walk). This year we had over sixteen inches of build-up, then the snowplows plowed my driveway in...it was over 3 feet deep! I have ski/snowboarding pants that I wear for shoveling show, for skiing (once a year...it's Indiana!), and for sledding.
It's almost worth it to live in an apartment complex just because somebody else shovels the walks and plows the lot for you.
You'll probably want to budget for one really warm, utilitarian Columbia or The North Face type coat, and one dress coat (wool or something)...I have like 12 coats now, and I LOVE them. If you're into fitness but find that the cold is just to much to tolerate during the coldest, snowiest weeks, you might want to get a gym membership. I love the YMCA and Jewish Community Center because they have indoor pools, indoor tracks, spinning, yoga, pilates, aerobics, and dance classes. In the summer I'll bike and run outside then go to yoga and pilates studios, but in the winter I want to only have to drive to ONE place!
All in all, it's nice here, just be prepared for a little culture-shock. It's not super exciting, and it's not as diverse, but the people are nice, and if you give the place half a chance I think you'll like it.

Are you going to school at UI? I've lived here for 3 years now, and there are areas I would recommend before I sent someone down there. It's not a BAD area really, it's just not quite as much fun and with as much personality as other parts of town.

Also, you'll want to carry an umbrella in your car.