Moving to Indy- advice about downtown apt. buildings would be greatly appreciated (Indianapolis: fit in, apartments)

[Kesstrain]

Hi there everyone,
I'm going to be moving from Long Island to Indy in the next couple of months and I'm going down next week to make a final decision about an apartment. I visited the city for the first time a couple of months ago and feel that I saw all of the apartments that fit my initial criteria. After some thought, and research, I have narrowed it down to 3 possibilities with one that is almost out of consideration.
Anyway, since I don't know anyone who knows anything about the downtown area, I was hoping that there might be some people on here with first hand info who might be able to chime in about personal feelings about these places and/or validate or answer my questions and concerns (I have concerns about each of them).
The Block (this is the one I'm strongly leaning against) Riley Towers, Waverly, Cosmopolitan

Anyway, I think that I was looking to be in a place where I am both pretty easy walking distance from Downtown activities but yet also able to quickly and easily get "out" of downtown by car whenever I need to/want to.
That was the biggest concern I had about the first building that I otherwise liked- The Block- I really didn't like the fact that it was so centrally located- even having retail space below the apartments. It also gives me an urban "feel" which I am desperately trying to run away from but I have to say I saw the most amazing apartment there- it was so interesting and the building does have the amenities (w/d, indoor parking etc) that I need. I was in Indy in late August from Wed-Sun and it seemed there was almost no traffic at all, however, I could imagine getting "trapped" -not literally, but inconvenienced from time to time during events. It is very important to me that I not feel discouraged from going places by car whenever the mood strikes me because it becomes inconvenient -I know it might sound odd- but I am still in recovery from several years of living in NYC and I apparently have not yet regained a healthy attachment when it comes to my feelings about the security of my car .

Riley Towers was good for me location-wise, however, I actually crossed it off after visiting and only put it back on my list for a second look now that I realize that my other options are so problematic. I didn't have any major problem with this place except that I really didn't want to live in a high rise. I have lived in a building with 8 floors and one with 30 and really disliked the high-rise experience. I am trying very hard to escape an urban feeling and high-rises give me that feeling. Also, the construction was quite "old" compared to all of the other places I had seen and the apartments seemed so -almost generic and "cookie-cutter". However, in retrospect, I feel I may end up taking maybe a 6 month lease there because, unless I hear otherwise, I didn't feel there was anything really "wrong" with the place- it just didn't particularly excite me and I am worried that the buildings where I thought the apartments themselves were actually nicer or more comfortable or otherwise a better fit, might end up having other issues.

The Cosmopolitan was one of the first buildings I saw and I (initially) loved the location. However, although I saw little evidence of it, I'm extremely concerned about the university and the liklihood of groups of loud, drunk, college students living in and hanging around my apartment building. Am I right to be worried about this? I was there on a weekday and again on a Saturday afternoon- there were definitely about 6 what looked like perhaps college age guys at the pool but walking by the back of the building Fri and Sat night, there didn't seem to be any signs of much going on. However, since it was Mid- August, perhaps the students had just not arrived yet?

Finally, the Waverly- I almost didn't even see these apartments- As far as the actual apartments themselves, I absolutely loved them- I currently live in a townhouse and I really liked the
townhouse-style construction. I noticed the heliport and the freight trains, but don't have very strong concerns about that type of noise-it tends to be like white noise to me. The area is a bit desolate- which is actually what leads to my biggest concern/question. Unlike the Northern part of downtown, I didn't get much of a chance to see what the South or I guess SouthEase corner of Downtown was like, especially at night. Based on memory- it seemed like there was a span of parking lots or office biuldings with large open lots that stood between the Waverly apartments and the more "populated" parts of downtown. I'm a single woman in my 30's and I have lived in several major cities including NYC and DC - but, like I mentioned above, I want to have the option of being able to walk to or from my apartment. I generally felt comfortable walking at night (although I wasn't out that late) both along the canal and by Mass Ave and in the center of downtown, but I am unsure about the area where the Wavery apts are located.

So, that's the story- Any thoughts or advice would be greatly appreciated.

[Broadrippleguy]

well i cant answer all your questions but i will tell you that youll love how vibrant and active Downtown Indianapolis is.
You just cant go wrong with one of the best downtown's in America

[sweetana3]

Riley has a good reputation. Some of their maintenance crew has worked there for decades. It is one of the few properties that shovels the sidewalks after every snow! Well located to get out of town with the Delaware and the Illinois Street exits onto the interestate. Grocery and Starbucks plus the Mass Ave experience only two/three short blocks away. Downtown close enough to walk (which we do when we want to have a margarita or beer) but far enough to have quiet. Well located but I would say that since i live about 2 blocks further north.

Waverly is close but requires much longer walk to grocery and a darker more desolate walk to downtown. There is another thread about the Waverly I think.

You are potentially right about the Cosmopolitan since the rent is only affordable with groups of students. I checked the crime map for the city and found some burglaries and larcenys around 300 W. Michigan. Personally, I dont want to live on the canal due to the lack of good "eyes" when walking. I prefer walking on the well lit city streets around Delaware.

[Kesstrain]

Thanks for the welcome broadrippleguy- I'm excited for the move it's just all happening really fast!
sweetana3-Thanks for your comments. I am not sure why I got such a sad feeling about Riley. I know it might sound crazy but I really think I developed some form of PTSD from living in Manhattan (not because it was overall a terrbile experience, but because certain aspects of it just drove me nuts). One thing was being forced to rely on the elevator (whereas in buikdings with fewer floors, often used the stairs), because high floors are always so much quieter. I lived on the 29th floor and when I was running late to work or really needed to get home to catch a phone call or because I had a massive migraine or whatever, it was just the worst waiting for and in the elevator with the assortment of people, dogs, food deliveries, etc. ( see- I'm clearly still traumatized by elevators ) I think I was so in denial that I never even thought about groups (more than 2) of college students. I just pictured spoiled college students whose rich parents would pay for exorbitant rent even though their children exhibited no responsible adult behavior.
So, I guess my gut was right about that stretch from the Waverly to downtown requiring crossing through some sort of "desolate" space. That's disappointing. I'm not concerned about things like grocery- I would prefer to drive for that, but would like to be able to walk to get a drink or coffee or something to eat when the mood strikes.
I will look for the thread about Waverly although i think I saw it after my last trip and it only had a couple of posts.
do you have any other ideas that I might not have considered (other buildings that I might have missed that would fit in with what I am looking for- relatively upscale, safe, downtown-ish )?
I'm feeling a bit ambivalent. I feel like I am going to end up at Riley - I talked to my friend who was with me in Indy and she told me that I threw the brochure out as soon as we left the building, I didn't even consider it for a minute (I didn't remember that). Anyway, that's why I am going back--I'm giving myself Friday and Saturday to get a really good sense of the different areas. I do need to decide though. I also hope to put down a deposit since they seem to generally get 2 months notice and I am looking at end of November as a move-in, so ....we'll see

[Kesstrain]

Sorry if it's obnoxious to respond to myself, but I just went through some older posts and saw some recommendations for other buildings in the downtown-ish area. I'm pretty sure I looked at most of them and eliminated them but perhaps I missed something. One of my big "musts" is an attached enclosed parking garageThanks sweetana for the thoughts. I didn't get that feeling myself when I walked along the canal but I can see how it's less "open air" around there and less populated at night than near Riley. I definitely felt, at least with the Cosmopolitan, that it seemed feasible to make a path down south in a safe way- basically that there were sufficiently well lit- and/or busy streets you could choose to get into the center of the cityThanks sweetana for the thoughts. I didn't get that feeling myself when I walked along the canal but I can see how it's less "open air" around there and less populated at night than near Riley. I definitely felt, at least with the Cosmopolitan, that it seemed feasible to make a path down south in a safe way- basically that there were sufficiently well lit- and/or busy streets you could choose to get into the center of the city. (I actually forgot that i put a deposit on a corner unit on a top floor corner unit at the harness factory lofts but won't even consider it unless I get off the waiting list for the parking garage.) I also liked the Maxwell very much but it was too far away and remote to central downtown.
That said, if anyone thinks I might have missed a possible option, please chime in because it couldn't hurt to check it out. Thanks again!!

[wh15395]

Just out of curiosity, have you looked anywhere in Indianapolis outside of downtown? Two places that come to mind are Broad Ripple/Meridian Kessler and Carmel. In the Broad Ripple area, you can walk to a lot of restaurants, local stores, and even the Fresh Market grocery store depending on where you live. It's also a pretty easy drive downtown. Carmel is suburban and far North, but if you live in the Arts and Design District or City Center area, it's becoming more urban and walkable. The only reason I suggest these places is because it seems like you're trying to escape the city life, but choosing the most urban part of Indy.

As far as the buildings you mentioned, I'd imagine that the Cosmopolitan would have far less college students than Riley Towers. They're a lot pricier, so if anything I'd imagine they would attract mostly graduate students and business people. I know for a fact that a good number of college students live in Riley Towers, though. I looked at the Block before and it was one of the coolest buildings I have seen. The only reason I didn't move in was because I needed to move sooner than their first apartment became available. It's probably the most centrally located building downtown and would definitely be considered the busiest area.

[Kesstrain]

Wh15395- thanks so much for the response. From everything I had heard, my impression was that Broad Ripple was sort of "the it " area for the young 20 something crowd, not really my scene. Although I will be telecommuting at first and it's not clear where I will work, I am likely to end up working downtown. The urban thing- I might have been unclear- coming from NY there was not one part of even downtown Indy that felt objectively "urban" to me- that's why I loved it and why it is the only city I've ever been to where I could even consider living "downtown" at this point. I guess there are just particular things that I personally associate with my experiences living in much more "urban" environments which, in those places, are unavoidable, but seem not to be so in Indy, thus, ideally, I would prefer not to experience them.
I drove around Broad Ripple on my last trip- it felt very suburban to me- however, I was just wandering. If I came across any particular really nice apartment buildings, I might consider a second look. Am I wrong about the demographic? If so, where is a good place to "check out" what is going on on a fri or sat night? Thanks!

[sweetana3]

If you like Blocks, there is little activity that would block you in. We have a couple of big parades but they are a one day affair (and a lot of fun). Think very tiny version of the Macys parade. I dont even think the parade goes near the building block. The foot races dont go there. The SuperBowl may have affected the area but people will be allowed out of their parking garages or know ahead of time. The SuperBowl zip line was on Capitol.

The Block building used to be a big department store and was converted. I remember shopping there and the wonderful art deco details. It is truly within walking distance to so much. If it meets your needs, it would be a fun place to live. The others I can think of dont have attached parking garages. You might call a couple of downtown realtors to see if there are any carriage house apartments with garages in Lockerbie, Chatham Arch, or a couple other downtown historic areas. I would live in Lockerbie in a heartbeat. Many great people with an active organization, close to downtown and beautiful.

Our busyness is nothing at all like NY. I think you will wonder how anything can be so quiet on weekends. Even conventions are usually full of quiet people walking around wearing name tags. Well, except for GenCon when they might be wearing costumes.

[blueturkey12]

I lived at The Gardens of Canal Court for a few years as a single girl in my mid 20's (2007-2009). I loved living on the canal and never felt unsafe. I also never had any trouble with students or partying. I found that most people in my building were either young professionals like myself or were med students. I got the impression that most of the younger students lived at home (as IUPUI is largely a commuter campus) or lived in the cheaper places.

I had looked at Riley, but like you, crossed it off my list even though I didn't have a specific reason. It just didn't seem like I got good bang for my buck I suppose. If I were in your position, I would choose the Cosmopolitan. It's practically brand new and I would imagine the clientele would be similar to what I experienced. You'd be outside of the main downtown hub, but still close enough to walk to it when you wanted to. Best of luck to you in making your decision!

[wh15395]

Originally Posted by Kesstrain

I drove around Broad Ripple on my last trip- it felt very suburban to me- however, I was just wandering. If I came across any particular really nice apartment buildings, I might consider a second look. Am I wrong about the demographic? If so, where is a good place to "check out" what is going on on a fri or sat night? Thanks!

No, you pretty much hit the nail on the head with the demographic. On Friday and Saturday nights, it is mostly young to mid 20's at the bars. The age definitely goes up during the day with more people out shopping and grabbing lunch or dinner. The biggest problem with the area to me is the lack of nice apartment buildings. A lot of people rent houses, but there really are very few apartment buildings in Broad Ripple. In fact, the only parts of the Indy area that I've seen apartment buildings that I would consider living in are downtown and Carmel. That's mostly due to the fact that they are the only two walkable areas with nice apartment buildings.