Looking for advice on moving to downtown Indy / Mass Ave / Old Northside (Indianapolis: real estate market)

[Mssny]

Hi there. My Fiancé and I may be moving to Indy early next year due to his job relocation. We are moving from Atlanta, but are originally from Milwaukee. In Milwaukee, we loved living on the east side which was young, safe and walking distance to bars, restaurants, etc. In Atlana I like the quaint downtown neighborhoods but the crime is worse than we were used to in Milwaukee. It seems as if Mass Ave or Old Northside would be a similar neighborhood and the location works for his job. My main concerns are safety and property values as we would want to buy. How is the real estate market in these areas? How is the crime? Are these neighborhoods pretty close to some "bad" neighborhoods?

Thanks for your help!

This question might necessitate a separate post, but I'm also wondering what the public charter school environment is like in Indy?

[msamhunter]

Originally Posted by Mssny

Hi there. My Fiancé and I may be moving to Indy early next year due to his job relocation. We are moving from Atlanta, but are originally from Milwaukee. In Milwaukee, we loved living on the east side which was young, safe and walking distance to bars, restaurants, etc. In Atlana I like the quaint downtown neighborhoods but the crime is worse than we were used to in Milwaukee. It seems as if Mass Ave or Old Northside would be a similar neighborhood and the location works for his job. My main concerns are safety and property values as we would want to buy. How is the real estate market in these areas? How is the crime? Are these neighborhoods pretty close to some "bad" neighborhoods?

Thanks for your help!

This question might necessitate a separate post, but I'm also wondering what the public charter school environment is like in Indy?

Well can't tell you anything about the charter schools but Downtown Indianapolis right now is doing great. You will be safe. As far as access to "bars", your closest options will be either Mass Ave, Lockerbie or Fletcher Place as they are the closest to the bars/clubs on South Meridian. Of course Mass Ave does have Cafe's, restaurants and coffee shops. South of Mass Ave is Lockerbie and North of Mass Ave is St. Joseph's. The Old Northside is furthest away and strictly residential for the most part. Very nice homes and historic apartment buildings and can get pretty expensive. Lockerbie IS expensive and St. Josephs is kind of priced in between the two.

As far as shopping etc, Lockerbie is your best bet as you have grocery/drug/hardware/dry clearners right there in Lockerbie Square. The Old Northside has a Kroger, but it's not the best Kroger you will find. St. Joseph's is close enough to walk to the Marsh at Lockerbie and the entire area is very walkable with scores between 98-100 (Max 100).

As far as being close to "bad" neighborhoods, Downtown heading east is separated by an expressway so while the neighborhood to the immediate east of downtown is still undergoing gentrification, it is completely separated. Old North Side has some integration as you head north into Midtown where there are some less desirable areas but eventually will meet up at Fall Creek Place which is a little further north and once completed will be great from Fall Creek all the way into Downtown.

If you are looking for that historic feel and don't mind paying that historic price, it will be well worth it. There are also newer townhomes, etc. on the east end of Downtown as well that might suit you.

Fletcher Place is right on the SE portion of downtown and gives you access to Fountain Square which is kind of artsy, not run of the mill type.

If you are not dead set on the east end and just want to live downtown, there's also the Canal on the West end. A lot of development going on there, IUPUI right there as well as NCAA, Indiana State Museum, Eiteljorg, White River State Park, etc. Homes there are newer and of course to live on the canal is a nice price bump because it's the canal. You should probably visit the city first to get a feel for the neighborhoods as they do have a different feel to them. As far as bad neighborhoods heading West, well you'd have to traverse an entire campus as well as a river so it to is completed separated from the neighborhoods on the West end of downtown.

Each area has their own neighborhood association
Lockerbie Square: Lockerbie Square People's Club
Old Northside: The Historic Old Northside
Fletcher Place: Fletcher Place - Main Page -
St. Joseph's: Under Construction but, St. Joseph Historic Neighborhood
Chatham Arch: Chatham Arch Neighborhood Association | Home
Cole-Noble: Cole Noble District of Indianapolis > Home

[luzclara]

We live in the Old Northside and love the neighborhood and the location. It’s one of the original “suburbs” of Indy, so many of the houses are roomy with large lots. There are also condos, apartments, and carriage houses, so there’s a good mix of housing…something for everyone. We have 3 parks in the neighborhood – a playground, a Victorian walking park, and a soccer park. The Monon trail borders the eastern edge of the neighborhood and connects to the new Cultural Trail, which is a fabulous urban trail.

There is petty crime. You learn not to leave valuables in the car, doors unlocked, or the garage door open. Do those three things, and your likelihood of ever having to call the police goes way, way down. As for personal safety, I’m petite and am always wary. I do a lot of biking and running, daytime and after the sun goes down. I have never felt unsafe in my neighborhood, although I have had situations in other parts of town (guy approaching me AT an ATM, guy confronting me on my bike).

I’m not a realtor, but I watch the real estate market pretty closely. It’s been really slow for the past few years, but activity picked up this year. It feels like we finally have established a floor under the prices.

As for schools, there is a good selection of charter, public, and private schools nearby. The Project School is a K-8 charter in Martindale Brightwood (The Project School - Indianapolis ). Herron High School is a charter high school located in Herron Morton, just north of the Old Northside (•*HERRON HIGH SCHOOL*• ). The Oaks Academy is a private school located in Fall Creek Place (The Oaks Academy :: Indianapolis, Indiana ). IPS offers the popular CFI magnet schools (Center for Inquiry - IPS: CFI News ) and Montessori programs (356N: 356 ). I have either had personal experience with these schools or know people who do and can recommend them all.

[Lmichael21]

Wow--now is a grand time to move to Indianapolis!! There are some great public schools and some with some challenges as everywhere. Magnet schools are focused on medical, engineering, etc. There are several private schools around the city area some are associated with churches and some not. What price ranges are you looking at in the area? That will help direct where you are wanting to look. Fountain Square, I think is a great location and convenient to city center. It is just on the east side of I65/I70, but is walkable via the cultural trail to downtown by bike or walking. Some of the best views of the city are from the Fletcher Place/Fountain Square areas. Lots of good and interesting restaurants in Fountain Square. The city has invested lots of funds in the SE, N & Near Eastside neighborhoods---lots of opportunities--Happy to help!

[msamhunter]

k, wouldn't recommend Fountain Square as of yet. It's coming back but still have some seedy areas.