Looking to move possibly to Northwest Indiana... (Indianapolis, South Bend: theater, catholic schools)

[valpoguy]

According to City Data, Munster has a median age of 42.9 to Valpo's 32.7. Yikes!

All I can say is Valpo must have a bimodal distribution, like lots of 0-22-year-olds and lots of 40-70 year olds to average out to 32.7, because I'm very close to the median and I see very few people near my age here.

[artemis]

Originally Posted by valpoguy

Does Munster have more of a younger/single/moreliberal/artsy/hipster/whatever kind of scene than Valpo, or is it similar?

If it's similar, it probably makes more sense for me stay where I'm 10 mins. from work and an hour from downtown, rather than move to where I'm 30-40 mins. from work and 30-40 mins. from downtown, since I go to work 5 days a week and play 1-2 days per week.

If Munster would be more my style than Valpo, though, it might be worth the commute to work.

Munster is in Lake County, so you're going to get some of the smell just from its location. Hammond, East Chicago & Whiting are heavily industrial. You could move to Chicago to find the kind of lifestyle you want, but I think you're going to find the same thing.

Your best bet is where you're at. I'd rather be close to work myself, but thats because I hate a long commute.

Have you ever heard of the old saying ... "Bloom where you are planted" ?
Maybe you should get something going in Valpo that is younger, single, liberal, artsy, hipster?

[valpoguy]

I actually hate the word "hipster" and the connotation it has now, but I didn't know what other word to use, I guess. I have actually helped in getting a few things going, but there's only so much you can "get going" when there aren't the right types of people for it. Also, I have to balance that with time spent visiting place where I "fit" better (to keep myself sane) and doing career things I need to do to position myself to move to such a place soon.

Believe me, I've always followed the "bloom where you're planted" mentality, or I wouldn't have come here in the first place. I've lived most of my life in places generally considered undesirable by many, and have made them all work for me. This place is really pushing even my limits, though. I knew it wouldn't be paradise or anything, but there are certain basic things I expected from a college town in the Chicago metro. I guess the college just isn't big enough to overcome the small town and suburban influences? I dunno. I'm still trying to figure it out. It's been a learning experience. I've decided in the future I won't move anywhere strictly for a job, but will move places I want to live and just find a way to make it work with the job.

[valpoguy]

I would add that I didn't at all understand before I moved here the huge cultural differences between NWI and the rest of the Chicago metro. I've been to several cities (KC, St.L., Portland, NYC, Memphis, El Paso, etc.) whose suburbs cross into multiple states, and in none of those places does the culture magically change so radically at the state line. I'm fascinated by that, too. I feel like I might as well be on a different planet though I'm 50 miles from the Loop.

[artemis]

Originally Posted by valpoguy

I would add that I didn't at all understand before I moved here the huge cultural differences between NWI and the rest of the Chicago metro. I've been to several cities (KC, St.L., Portland, NYC, Memphis, El Paso, etc.) whose suburbs cross into multiple states, and in none of those places does the culture magically change so radically at the state line. I'm fascinated by that, too. I feel like I might as well be on a different planet though I'm 50 miles from the Loop.

I think Lake County is more in tune with the Chicagoland area. The hustle & bustle, the traffic, etc. Valpo is definitely more of a "bedroom community", no heavy industry to speak of. The kids at VU aren't nearly as rowdy as other universities. IU in Bloomington comes to mind. I live in Nashville where Vanderbilt is located, and those kids are very active & into the music scene here. Valpo is a quiet town, which is why it attracts so many families, especially the ones looking to get out of the Chicagoland area.

I wish you luck, and hang in there !

[valpoguy]

Thanks! I think the fact that you referred to places within the Chicago metro area as not being part of Chicagoland just because they're across the state line reinforces exactly what I was saying about the culture changing at the state line, though! Most cities that cross state lines don't draw a distinction like that, in my experience.

I don't care about "hustle and bustle" and "traffic". In fact, I see those as negative things but often necessary evils to being someplace where things are going on. I'm also not looking for "rowdy". In fact, there's actually a fair amount of that on weekend nights at places where the 21-year-olds hang out here. That annoys me.

I just want that cool intellectual diverse artsy bohemian kind of vibe that college towns have (and most larger cities have in certain neighborhoods). You know, like an original music scene or a strip of bars and record shops and indie film rental places and non-starbucks coffee shops that are open past 7 PM where people of different races and sexual orientations with crazy clothes and hair speak different languages and have meaningful conversations with old retired philosophy professors at all hours. I always thought even the most conservative college towns had SOME element of that. (I would know, I've lived in a couple of them!)

It's weird both for a college town not to have that, and for a region of 700,000 that is part of the 3rd largest metro area in the country not to have that anywhere. Oh well, it's just not my kind of place, obviously. Live and learn! Thanks for the chat.

[domergurl]

Valpo is heavily conservative Lutheran ... see VU. It's filled with people who have lived there for generations. Only in the recent decade has it turned into a bedroom community for those fleeing Lake County and Chicago. When I lived there, whenever I would mention how I think they should swing the South Shore into Valpo, the looks of absolute horror I would get from the natives because (and I'm not kidding) "it would bring in lower income people". That's the mentality and that won't change anytime soon.

You need to be in Austin, Athens, RaleighDurhamChapelHill, Seattle, Berekely, Bloomington, Ann Arbor, Minneapolis, Nashville, Cincinnati ... didn't you visit Valpo before taking the job?

[olive228]

I grew up in Crown Point. I don't know about the median age, and its probably considered pretty conservative or snooty by most people that live in neighboring towns... I haven't lived there for many years.

When I visit now from the West, it seems really quintessential midwestern small town-ish but with the added bonus of being close to Chicago. If I had to choose a town in NW Indiana I would choose Crown Point or Valpo for their small-town appeal. However, if you want cultural diversity, Crown Point is definitely not your place, although I think it is changing.

I'm kind of curious about what people think about Crown Point. It's been awhile and I wonder how things have changed since I was there. I am not at all defensive about it, I know we had a reputation of sorts.

BTW I never thought of "The Region" as pretentious, more like a discriminatory remark from rural Hoosiers that didn't want to associate with us "city folk" This is the feeling that I got back in college whenever someone would single out my accent being from "the region". I hated that.

[artemis]

Originally Posted by valpoguy

Thanks! I think the fact that you referred to places within the Chicago metro area as not being part of Chicagoland just because they're across the state line reinforces exactly what I was saying about the culture changing at the state line, though! Most cities that cross state lines don't draw a distinction like that, in my experience.

I don't care about "hustle and bustle" and "traffic". In fact, I see those as negative things but often necessary evils to being someplace where things are going on. I'm also not looking for "rowdy". In fact, there's actually a fair amount of that on weekend nights at places where the 21-year-olds hang out here. That annoys me.

I just want that cool intellectual diverse artsy bohemian kind of vibe that college towns have (and most larger cities have in certain neighborhoods). You know, like an original music scene or a strip of bars and record shops and indie film rental places and non-starbucks coffee shops that are open past 7 PM where people of different races and sexual orientations with crazy clothes and hair speak different languages and have meaningful conversations with old retired philosophy professors at all hours. I always thought even the most conservative college towns had SOME element of that. (I would know, I've lived in a couple of them!)

It's weird both for a college town not to have that, and for a region of 700,000 that is part of the 3rd largest metro area in the country not to have that anywhere. Oh well, it's just not my kind of place, obviously. Live and learn! Thanks for the chat.

You should be in Nashville, you just described my neighborhood.

[artemis]

Originally Posted by olive228

I grew up in Crown Point. I don't know about the median age, and its probably considered pretty conservative or snooty by most people that live in neighboring towns... I haven't lived there for many years.

When I visit now from the West, it seems really quintessential midwestern small town-ish but with the added bonus of being close to Chicago. If I had to choose a town in NW Indiana I would choose Crown Point or Valpo for their small-town appeal. However, if you want cultural diversity, Crown Point is definitely not your place, although I think it is changing.

I'm kind of curious about what people think about Crown Point. It's been awhile and I wonder how things have changed since I was there. I am not at all defensive about it, I know we had a reputation of sorts.

BTW I never thought of "The Region" as pretentious, more like a discriminatory remark from rural Hoosiers that didn't want to associate with us "city folk" This is the feeling that I got back in college whenever someone would single out my accent being from "the region". I hated that.

I graduated high school in Crown Point. My folks lived there 35 yrs, but I never felt like it was "home". Gary is home to me. I always thought it was funny when the downstaters turned their nose up at our part of the State.
There were stories floating around for years about us becoming part of Illinois, specifically Chicago. Can you imagine the horror the politicos in Indy felt about losing our tax $$$ ?

I still get looks sometimes for the Chicago accent. Especially when I say something like 'you guys', or pop instead of Coke, Pepsi, or soda. My husband is Southern, so everything here is Coke, even if you want a 7 Up.

Crown Point has a new high school that opened a few years ago, the old high school has been torn down and a new Junior high is being built in its place. Lots of subdivisions and building going on, but the streets are still horrible! You'd think the Mayor would get some re-paving done.

If and when I move back, it will be to Porter or LaPorte County. I have no desire to live in Lake County at all. Just a personal preference.