moving to indy area in july and need info on franklin (Indianapolis: to rent, homes)

[mike0618]

looking at a possible home in franklin and would like some input on the area and schools. How close to expressways and a comparison to north of indy. I will be driving alot and working all over the area from bloomington to muncie. I have flexable drive times so traffic during rush hour is not a big concern.

[BoilerUP09]

I do not know much about the school system in Franklin, but I know that it is extremely easy to get to the Interstate from this area. I-65 is about 7 minutes east of downtown Franklin. And as a side note, if you do move there, you have to try Richard's Pizza Kitchen on Main Street. Delicious brick oven pizzas and calzones! Hopefully you can check it out!

[dave.dawsn]

Just to clarify:

Franklin is a small town south of the city. It is technically a part of the metro area, but is distant from the city itself.

Franklin Township is in the southeastern corner of Marion County, and is part of the city. However, it is definitely the least urban, least densely populated of Indy's townships.

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Now, if you're seeking a recommendation, it depends what you're looking for in a place to live. If you want an urban or even suburban environment, Franklin might be a bad choice. Like I said, it is a small, semi-rural town on the outer fringes of Greater Indianapolis.

It also depends on whether you'd like to rent or own, whether schools are important to you or not, what your price range is, what kind of parking you'll need, and so on. I (and any other potential responders) will need more info to give an adequate and helpful response.

However, here is what I can tell you:

If you're into the urban scene, look into downtown. That is the most central place you can live; you'll have access to interstates in every direction as well as the entire city. Downtown Indianapolis is a great place to live, it's safe, it's affordable compared to other big cities, and there's a bunch of stuff to do and great places to eat.

If you want to live in a less urban, more residential environment, I would stick to the north side, but that is purely a matter of opinion. (For all the thin-skinned southsiders, re-read my sentence slowly before flaming me) The north side vs. south side thing has been going on in Greater Indianapolis for a long time, and you'll get as many different answers as people you ask. I grew up on the north side, ergo I prefer the north side. It usually works the same way in reverse. The south side is generally cheaper, but the north side is a little more upscale. Take your pick. Both sides of town have excellent freeway access, so you should be good either way. If you do pick the north side, I'd stick to the Castleton area (46250 and 46256 zip codes) because you'll have excellent access to I-69 for trips to Muncie, you'll be close to I-465 to head south to Bloomington, and it's a really nice area to live.

[charisma_classic]

I went to college in Franklin. It's a small, semi-rural town. There are a few nice neighborhoods in the developments off of US-31, and there are a lot of nice older homes in the "downtown" area. I'm not sure about the school system ratings, but you should be able to look that up. However, I can tell you that there just is not a lot to do. Not a lot in the way of restaurants and shopping (especially if you're not into chain restaurants). There are major chains (a Lowes and a Walmart), but you will rely heavily on Greenwood and areas further north.

You do have great access to the interstate.

Dave.dawsn gives an excellent overreview of the city. I have lived in many areas over the years (Greenwood, southside, Fountain Square, Fishers, Broad Ripple) and my favorite is Broad Ripple - except that it has terrible access to the interstate.