Which is a better choice, Indianapolis or Louisville, KY? (neighborhoods, property taxes)

[patrickmich]

These are the two areas I am considering moving to. I know quite a bit about
Indianapolis due to four weeks of Internet research. But I have recently noticed
Louisville, and wonder what it might be like compared to Indianapolis. What are
the property taxes like, for example? What is the housing market like?
Any comparisons to the two cities, or insights into Louisville, is greatly
appreciated.

[Brssplr]

Not sure if you're still looking at this or not after almost two years, but I'll take a stab at it.

I think Louisville has more of an urban vibe to it than Indianapolis. Louisville has the Highlands and Crescent Hill areas, as well as Old Louisville. Indianapolis has six designated "cultural districts," consisting of Broad Ripple, Fountain Square, Mass. Ave., Indiana Ave., the Wholesale District, and the White River State Park district. IMO, none of them equal the vibe in the Highlands or Crescent Hill, but each of them is nice in their own right.

Sports: Louisville has one professional sports team, the Louisville Bats AAA baseball team. Indianapolis has the major league Colts and the Pacers, and the AAA Indians teams.

Arts: I think Indianapolis wins in this category hands down, for classical music offerings. Louisville is a big dixieland-style town though, a holdover from the heydays of the river boat traffic many years ago.

So, it depends on what one is looking for!

[stx12499]

Originally Posted by Brssplr

Not sure if you're still looking at this or not after almost two years, but I'll take a stab at it.

I think Louisville has more of an urban vibe to it than Indianapolis. Louisville has the Highlands and Crescent Hill areas, as well as Old Louisville. Indianapolis has six designated "cultural districts," consisting of Broad Ripple, Fountain Square, Mass. Ave., Indiana Ave., the Wholesale District, and the White River State Park district. IMO, none of them equal the vibe in the Highlands or Crescent Hill, but each of them is nice in their own right.

Sports: Louisville has one professional sports team, the Louisville Bats AAA baseball team. Indianapolis has the major league Colts and the Pacers, and the AAA Indians teams.

Arts: I think Indianapolis wins in this category hands down, for classical music offerings. Louisville is a big dixieland-style town though, a holdover from the heydays of the river boat traffic many years ago.

So, it depends on what one is looking for!

Louisville dixie-land? hmmm never heard that one. I would say the arts in the two cities are equal, if not better in Louisville. Indy has nice museums, but as you noted, Louisville is more of an artsy, eclectic city, with distinct, old urban neighborhoods. Indy has a nice downtown....and then it is hollowed out until you get to Broad Ripple, which cannot match Louisville's Highlands.

Both are solid towns, but I would choose Louisville, as I have lived in both. Louisville is a little bit more "soulful" and eclectic, while Indy is more "corporate" and spread out. Indy is a decent clip bigger due to having large suburbs like Carmel, Fishers, Avon, and Plainfield (all of which you can flush down the toilet as far as I am concerned, but then again it is clear I hate suburbs).

[fuge530]

I've only been to Indy a couple brief times, but, to me, it seemed very midwestern and sprawly compaired to Louisville's hip, artsy, urban vibe.

[sarahcatherinejohnson]

Louisville is hip artsy and urban??? I'm an artist and I've never heard anything more laughable, of course for a hick-town maybe that's true....and using the highlands as an example just points out how pitiful it is to call Louisville a hip, artsy, urban place.

[eightiesfan]

Originally Posted by sarahcatherinejohnson

Louisville is hip artsy and urban??? I'm an artist and I've never heard anything more laughable, of course for a hick-town maybe that's true....and using the highlands as an example just points out how pitiful it is to call Louisville a hip, artsy, urban place.

What are some cities that you would consider hip, artsy& urban?

[JefferyT]

Louisville is hip artsy and urban??? I'm an artist and I've never heard anything more laughable, of course for a hick-town maybe that's true....and using the highlands as an example just points out how pitiful it is to call Louisville a hip, artsy, urban place.

Welcome to Louisville, now go back to where you came from.

[Roguewave]

Really, I mean, I'm hoping that was a troll.... "hick-town." You know, everyone here in Florida thinks that too, and let all the seething hoards keep believing that so they'll stay the hell out of the nice places in the country, like Louisville. The fact that the pervasive stereotype, so keenly demonstrated earlier, is that Louisville is full of a bunch of hayseeds sitting on a log talking about their tractors is comical to me. Any attempt from local artists to deviate from the lame bourgeois-friendly starbucks ascetic is attacked as being provincial and not "hip". I say, "Let everyone keep thinking that." Part of the charm of the place is that its not winning any popularity contests around the world and annoying superficial people tend to go to places like Bend, Oregon or Sante Fe, NM to ruin them. Just read up on their forums about it. I will end my rant.......now.

[stx12499]

Originally Posted by Roguewave

Really, I mean, I'm hoping that was a troll.... "hick-town." You know, everyone here in Florida thinks that too, and let all the seething hoards keep believing that so they'll stay the hell out of the nice places in the country, like Louisville. The fact that the pervasive stereotype, so keenly demonstrated earlier, is that Louisville is full of a bunch of hayseeds sitting on a log talking about their tractors is comical to me. Any attempt from local artists to deviate from the lame bourgeois-friendly starbucks ascetic is attacked as being provincial and not "hip". I say, "Let everyone keep thinking that." Part of the charm of the place is that its not winning any popularity contests around the world and annoying superficial people tend to go to places like Bend, Oregon or Sante Fe, NM to ruin them. Just read up on their forums about it. I will end my rant.......now.

One of the best posts I have seen on here in a long time....

The troll's post was so laughable it doesn't even deserve a response. I live in Florida now and despise. If I don't move to Austin next, it will be back to Louisville. Louisville is so hip that many of its own residents, especially in the burbs, cannot even see it. And that is just the way the hipsters like it!

[bw87a]

Originally Posted by stx12499

One of the best posts I have seen on here in a long time....

The troll's post was so laughable it doesn't even deserve a response. I live in Florida now and despise. If I don't move to Austin next, it will be back to Louisville. Louisville is so hip that many of its own residents, especially in the burbs, cannot even see it. And that is just the way the hipsters like it!

haha your comment is so true.
but don't move to austin; it is a traffic nightmare and very very sprawly too!