Relocating Advice - Lafayette Area (West Lafayette, Frankfort: for sale, how much, houses) - Indiana (IN) - City-Data Forum

lindy01 · 01-17-2007, 01:13 PM

I'm hoping to get some advice from some of you. I currently live in the south suburbs of Chicago (near NW Indiana border) and recently learned that my husband's company is closing and he is being offered a transfer to their plant in Frankfort, IN. We are considering taking the offer, but know we would have a difficult time adjusting to the slower pace of life, especially considering we don't know a soul in the area.

Anyway, we were looking at the Lafayette/West Lafayette area...we don't want to go much further south than that, as we are sure we'll be making somewhat frequent trips up to NW Indiana to visit family and friends and stay in touch with everyone. We figure that this area isn't quite as "rural" as the other surrounding towns, so we'd have some semblence of the suburbia life that we are leaving behind...hoping to make the adjustment smoother.

We are also concerned about the schools...we are hoping that this move will be our last, and we're hoping to have children in the near future. We'd like to find a safe, friendly community that can bridge the gap between easy country living and the convenience of restaurants/retail of suburbia and can offer a quality education.

My husband is hoping to find a home with a little bit of property (he loves to garden in his spare time) - nothing HUGE, just maybe a third or half of an acre, so we're hoping to find something that's not your typical "squashed in a cookie-cutter subdivision" home. As far as price range...probably around $185,000 at the most.

Any ideas/opinions about communities/areas where we should start our search....we'd like to drive down and check things out before we make our final decision to move, but frankly, just not sure where to begin!

Thanks so much....your thoughts are most appreciated!!

domergurl · 01-17-2007, 01:55 PM

SS Shrek is from the Chicago area and now lives in the area ... oh Shrek!!!

Southside Shrek · 01-17-2007, 03:21 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by domergurl

SS Shrek is from the Chicago area and now lives in the area ... oh Shrek!!!

I hear ya! I hear ya!!! I was hibernating because it's soooooooooo cold outside.

domergurl · 01-17-2007, 04:46 PM

Oh come on! As long as the wind isn't whipping around, it's pert-near pleasant!

Southside Shrek · 01-18-2007, 08:03 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by lindy01

My husband is hoping to find a home with a little bit of property (he loves to garden in his spare time) - nothing HUGE, just maybe a third or half of an acre, so we're hoping to find something that's not your typical "squashed in a cookie-cutter subdivision" home. As far as price range...probably around $185,000 at the most.

Any ideas/opinions about communities/areas where we should start our search....we'd like to drive down and check things out before we make our final decision to move, but frankly, just not sure where to begin!

Thanks so much....your thoughts are most appreciated!!

I would say one of the best areas for easy access to Interstate 65 and daily trips to Frankfort would be on the east side of Lafayette. There are many 3 BR homes for sale in some nice subdvisions just off I-65 and close to State Road 26 East which offer an abundance of stores and shopping. A few subdivisions within your price range you may want to look at are: 1) Maplewood Heights (just off Creasy Lane on the east side) and 2) Potter's Hollow.

lindy01 · 01-19-2007, 10:46 AM

Shrek...thanks so much for your advice...I've wanted to write back a little sooner but my schedule here at work has been unforgiving the past few days...my apologies!

We're hoping to drive out this weekend or next and do some snooping around!

Thank you again, so much! I'm sure you'll be hearing from me again if we decide to make this leap!!!

irongrl77 · 01-20-2007, 06:41 PM

Hello,

I've basically grown up in Lafayette so I can tell you pretty much all you want to know about it. I'll try to give you my opinion on some of your questions.

If it were me, there is no way I'd let my kids go to school in the Lafayette School Corp. I know there are alot of drugs and it is very overcrowded. I would say put your kids in the Tippecanoe School Corp. I graduated from McCutcheon High School in 2004 and I loved it. It is getting crowded as more and more families move to the area but they will be building new schools soon enough.
Since I grew up on the south side of Lafayette, I'm partial to the area. There is soooo many houses going up in that area that you will def. be able to find something in your price range. That's another plus of Lafayette, you get alot of house for your money. Lafayette has a large choice of good dining and lots of shopping. How many other towns (including West Lafayette) have 3 Walmarts? That just shows how much the area is growing.

Let me know if you'd like any other information!

Ashley

Southside Shrek · 01-22-2007, 05:09 PM

here's an alternative to the Lafayette School Corp. There's always Faith Baptist Christian school out on State Road 26 East on Lafayette's east side. they have an excellent elementary and high school. You don't have to be a Baptist to send your child to school there but they do expect families to be connected to some sort of a Christian church. Lafayette also has several Catholic elementary schools as well as Central Catholic H.S. In addition, there is Lafayette Christian School and also St James Lutheran. I believe that pretty much covers it.

lindy01 · 01-23-2007, 11:37 PM

Thanks so much, Shrek & Ashley...you guys have really given me some great information about the area. Unfortunately, my husband's company just pushed back the estimated transfer dates for several months, so I doubt we'll be making any real decisions for quite some time. But that is actually a good thing, because it gives us so many opportunities to make some weekend trips to the area and get a better grasp of what the communities are like, and maybe a chance to visit with a realtor and get some feel for housing prices/taxes/cost of living.

Thanks again...I'm bound to have lots more questions in the coming months...I appreciate everything you've told me so far!

AKF · 02-02-2007, 09:30 AM

Hi Lindy,

I would suggest you make LOTS of trips before you move down to Lafayette/West Lafayette area!

If you have lived in Chicago (yes! even the suburbs!) I cannot imagine you being able to transition here. It's absolutely comparing apples to oranges!
The only thing I love about this place is my house...I wish I could move it along with me. We moved here 9 months ago from the East Coast and absolutely hate it! We are in the process of moving as I write this and with any luck it will be sooner than later. While it is true that you may be able to buy more for your money, please, PLEASE consider EVERYTHING you would be giving up in the process! Family, friends, a city like CHICAGO! As I have mentioned in my previous posts, this place is all about PURDUE! So, if you are not actively involved in PURDUE you might as well just give it up. There is absolutely NOTHING here in terms of recreation, arts, muesums, LIFE for that matter! You will find that once you move, you WILL be taking more trips back home just to keep your sanity! The only thing that works for me IS visiting Chicago at least once a month!

Good luck!

p.s. I wish more people...shrek...err...sorry...would be honest about their true feelings of this dumpy place!