Has anyone here been to both Lawrence, KS and Bloomington, IN? (Overland Park: apartment complexes, rent)

[gimme it]

The reason I ask is that I have seen Bloomington and loved it, but haven't been to Lawrence yet. I was wondering if the towns were similar. How do they compare? tia

[thriftylefty]

I have been to both cities, they are comparable being fairly liberal , they both are sort of on "Islands" I have spent alot of time in Lawrence, lived near it ,visit it regularly and of the two cities I liked Bloomington more, because after all you are either in Kansas or Indianna, in Lawrence you got the I-70 corridor Denver-Kansas city-Omaha-St louis. Bloomington you got the I-65 corridor which is basically Chicago-Indianappolis-Louisville to Nashville. That affects both cities. I tend to prefer the I-65 culture. Lawrence is a progessive town (for Kansas) , lots of old(1850's) buildings. it has turned into a bed room community for Topeka and Kansas City so rent can be high (for Kansas) for most young people in Kansas Lawrence is the destination, In has a very youthful older population, since there is a lot to do for people who's children are all raised up. I think the only complaint against lawrence is the lack of diversity ,even though it started out as a free state, and was sacked and burned for being so in the(1860's?) but it is Kansas so don't expect a lot of diversity.

[Mercator Projection]

I've been to both as well. I live in Lawrence and have visited Bloomington a couple of times. I think the populations are comparable, but Bloomington is a little more isolated and seems to have a slower pace. Bloomington had a more down to earth feeling, whereas Lawrence tries too hard to be the center of the universe (IMO).

A good friend of mine went to grad school at Indiana and he told me that his rent actually went down several times. He said that there were more apartments than residents with more housing being built, so rent was cheap.

Of the two, I think I prefer Bloomington as well. But I never lived there so maybe its just a case of the grass being greener on the other side of the fence.

[thriftylefty]

Originally Posted by Mercator Projection

I've been to both as well. I live in Lawrence and have visited Bloomington a couple of times. I think the populations are comparable, but Bloomington is a little more isolated and seems to have a slower pace. Bloomington had a more down to earth feeling, whereas Lawrence tries too hard to be the center of the universe (IMO).

A good friend of mine went to grad school at Indiana and he told me that his rent actually went down several times. He said that there were more apartments than residents with more housing being built, so rent was cheap.

Of the two, I think I prefer Bloomington as well. But I never lived there so maybe its just a case of the grass being greener on the other side of the fence.

You'er right I didn't want to use the word "Pretentious" to describe Lawrence but it is nowadays , the high earners from Topeka and KC changed the vibe from what it was in the 60-70's, not to mention alot people go there to become Lawyers, not artist, like they think

[gimme it]

Thanks for the feedback. How do the towns compare physically? Is one prettier than the other? Does one have more trees? Is one cleaner? Does one have better restaurants, shops and recreation? Thanks so much.

[thriftylefty]

Lawrence is sort of a river town (the Kansas or Kaw river as it is called) the river and its valley are vital to the landscape, you will find lawrence hilly, lots of trees, Parks close to the down town, it has a mall on the river front, I found it to be clean as its inhabitants tend to be More "Green " than other parts of the state, water as in lakes are part of the recreational activities, Music is also a big park of the lawrence scene, National acts Love the city, nothing out of the ordinary for food, but it is a college town so there are lots places to eat and some Kitchens stay open late I 've eaten at a Brazilian place there once and the kitchen was still open well after nine, free state brewery is also hot spot, the down town is easy to entertain in, The Eldridge Hotel ,a historic old hotel is walking distance from a major concert venue, Liberty Hall, and free state Brewery, the public library is also in the area, most people can do the whole down town on foot,

[Mercator Projection]

Physically... its hard to say because I know Lawrence really well, but not Bloomington - that is to say I've seen only parts of Bloomington, so the comparison might not be fair.

I thought Bloomington was more lush in green grass, trees, foliage in general. Surrounding areas of Bloomington were more forested than here - the areas outside of Lawrence are more open space. I thought IU campus was more natural and prettier than KU, which is a pretty campus in its own right.

Both cities are attractive - I can't say that one is really moreso than the other. I would call them both fairly clean. Both have student ghettos, both have dive bars and seedy areas. Both have sterile looking mcmansion neighborhoods and cookie cutter apartment complexes. And both have a style and uniqueness that one only finds in a college town.

I think restaurants are probably comparable. I remember there being a cluster of really good ethnic restaurants near the IU campus - one being a Tibetan place owned by the Dalai Lama's brother! - but I think I might give Lawrence a slightly higher grade in eating and entertainment. There's just more choices and more to do. The music scene here is really big if here you're into that (I am not). Shopping is a question mark because I didn't look for it in Bloomington. Again my feeling is that there are a few more choices here in Lawrence. Suburban KC is probably a little more accessible from Lawrence than Indy is from Bloomington, so that increases the options too.

[Bunkalicious]

Lawrence is [SIZE=2]<A HREF="http://www.lawrence.com/">awesome!</A>[/SIZE]

[immortal3]

I've lived in Bloomington (grad school) and have been a frequent visitor to Lawrence. I'll just offer quicks thoughts and answer any specific questions if asked.

Towns-Lawrence>Bloomington (Both are very liberal, Lawrence LOOKS better as a town IMO, Bloomington is a lot more diverse, IMO). One big difference, 5 miles in any direction outside of Bloomington are some very intolerant types, whereas 5 miles E or W from Lawrence and you're headed towards Topeka or KCMO (and the KCMO burbs)

Campuses-KU>IU (KU's hilltop location gives it the nod over B-Town, IMO)

Dining-Bloomington>Lawerence (More ethnic dining options in Bloomington, but with that said, nothing beats Free State Brewery and Rudy's Pizza in Lawrence though. Upland Brewery in Bloomington is pretty solid too)

Shopping-Bloomington>Lawrence (For the record-Lawrence has NO mall, but is only 15 minutes away from 'The Legends' shopping complex in west Kansas City, KS, which is a HUGE outdoor mall and entertainment complex, only 35 mins from Oak Park Mall in Overland Park, KS, and 45 minutes from the Plaza in KC, MO. Bloomington has a mall, but the next nearest good shopping is Indianapolis, one hour north).

Atmosphere of campus/town-Bloomington>Lawrence (Both towns have a ton of North Face, Uggs wearing frat/sorority types which are counterbalanced with the far left, earthy liberal hippie types, however Bloomington is a TON more diverse in terms of cultures and the types of people you encounter on a day-to-day basis).

Recreational-Bloomington>Lawrence (Both are near large reservivors for boating, water skiing, etc, Bloomington wins due to it's hilly, tree lined location in Southern IN which provides ample opportunities for hiking, rock climbing, etc.

Wildcard- IU=KU for basketball loyality. The fans are fanactics. I wish I could have went to a game at Allen Fieldhouse, but was in Lawrence when KU went to the final four. Mass Ave was nuts. Assembly Hall in Bloomington is a wild scene for a big game as well.

Overall, both are great towns, and I personally feel privileged to have lived in one and visited the other on a consistant basis. If you like liberal college towns, you can't go wrong either way.

Originally Posted by Mercator Projection

I've been to both as well. I live in Lawrence and have visited Bloomington a couple of times. I think the populations are comparable, but Bloomington is a little more isolated and seems to have a slower pace. Bloomington had a more down to earth feeling, whereas Lawrence tries too hard to be the center of the universe (IMO).

A good friend of mine went to grad school at Indiana and he told me that his rent actually went down several times. He said that there were more apartments than residents with more housing being built, so rent was cheap.

Of the two, I think I prefer Bloomington as well. But I never lived there so maybe its just a case of the grass being greener on the other side of the fence.

Bloomington is more isolated and down to earth, and IU has a more diverse student base than KU, IMO (I was appalled when I saw how like 30% of the KU undergrads were from Johnson County, Kansas, a lot of people called in Shawnee Mission or Blue Valley West University). Bloomington's bar scene is a little liver than Lawrence's as well.