How do Chicago transplants like Indy? (Indianapolis, Salem: 2013, crime, neighborhoods)

[smoking357]

It depends on how Chicago you are.

If you live out in nowhere and cook at home, Indy won't bother you. If you spend any amount of time in the city, love Chicago food, look at that skyline with pride and enjoy driving LSD, Indy will hit you hard. This is a place. It's not a horrible place. It's not a great place. It's just a place. This is Anywhere, USA, and we eat at Applebee's and Friday's.

If you're true Chicago, you'll always feel like a little bit of a putz for moving here.

When someone here wants to get over on you, they always drag out "what, couldn't make it in Chicago?"

You can get a good corned beef at Shapiro's, since the meat comes from Chicago, but you can't get a beef or sausage here. From Chicago, a legitimate move is to NYC, Houston, San Fran or Florida. If you go anywhere else, it's too much of a downward move with not enough upside. You'll always feel like you traded down. You'll never have to explain to a Chicagoan why you moved to Florida. They'll understand. Move to Indy or Des Moines, and people back home will always look at you funny.

If you're even scraping by, stay in Chicago. Overall, you'll be happier.

[domergurl]

Nancy's pizza in Fishers is a Chicago franchise, so all their ingredients are from the city. There's also a Chicago guy in North Vernon who makes beefs and sausages and combos. There's also a great Chicago style eatery in Brownsburg, Sweet Home Chicago, yummy ... went there last spring.

Whenever I talk to friends in the city, they totally understand why we left Chicago. It's just too blasted expensive to live there anymore. And more and more Chicago people are hoping the border into NW Indiana.

[benjaminooo]

Originally Posted by smoking357

From Chicago, a legitimate move is to NYC, Houston, San Fran or Florida. If you go anywhere else, it's too much of a downward move with not enough upside.

Why Florida or Houston? Because of the weather? Florida as a whole is a hell hole (just my personal feelings) and Houston, good lord.. you couldn't pay me to live there. NYC is a huge step-up. I definitely agree Indy is a step down, but give me Indy over Florida or Texas any day. The cities I put in the same category with Chicago are Philly, Boston, DC, Seattle, Portland and San Fran.

Also Indy and Des Moines aren't really comparable at all. I'd compare Indy to Minneapolis, Milwaukee, Clevo, Columbus, Cincy or St. Louis.

I live in Indianapolis and I don't eat at Applebee's... I eat at good local restaurants and enjoy my city.. Suburbian living isn't how you should judge Indianapolis.

[WildWestDude]

Remember you are comparing a much larger city with a smaller one.
Anything is bound to be in smaller #'s in Indy.

[TheProf]

Originally Posted by benjaminooo

Why Florida or Houston? Because of the weather? Florida as a whole is a hell hole (just my personal feelings) and Houston, good lord.. you couldn't pay me to live there. NYC is a huge step-up. I definitely agree Indy is a step down, but give me Indy over Florida or Texas any day. The cities I put in the same category with Chicago are Philly, Boston, DC, Seattle, Portland and San Fran.

Also Indy and Des Moines aren't really comparable at all. I'd compare Indy to Minneapolis, Milwaukee, Clevo, Columbus, Cincy or St. Louis.

I live in Indianapolis and I don't eat at Applebee's... I eat at good local restaurants and enjoy my city.. Suburbian living isn't how you should judge Indianapolis.

I'd put Cleveland ahead of Indy. Indy has a bit of a more lively downtown than Cleveland (at times), and lots more retail, I'll give it that. But overall, Cleveland's a much more cultural, diverse and flat out more interesting place than Indianapolis. So, no, I don't consider the 2 cities on the same plane at all.

[sweetana3]

Indy seems more quiet, relaxed, even friendly. If you investigate, you can find interesting gems of restaurants, shops, galleries, music venues, book stores, etc.

Yes, we are too small to support a bookstore like Strands in NYC or another huge pizza chain, but for family life, indy if fine.

In Indy, you can have time for a family life because the vast majority of us commute a much smaller % of our day or week than most of those big cities mentioned. Something a lot of us care about.

You can live as an urban pioneer, a gentrified historic neighbor, a suburban family, a city apartment dweller, high income or affordable and all be close to everything.

I live downtown to be very very close to work but can still enjoy everything in the outlying areas in mere minutes. Tonight we are going to Carmel for a book signing, dinner, shopping and an easy drive home down Meridian or we can go down I65 and stay interstate.

I will take our winters over those with lake effect winters anytime.

[chitownwarrior]

Originally Posted by benjaminooo

Why Florida or Houston? Because of the weather? Florida as a whole is a hell hole (just my personal feelings) and Houston, good lord.. you couldn't pay me to live there. NYC is a huge step-up. I definitely agree Indy is a step down, but give me Indy over Florida or Texas any day. The cities I put in the same category with Chicago are Philly, Boston, DC, Seattle, Portland and San Fran.

Also Indy and Des Moines aren't really comparable at all. I'd compare Indy to Minneapolis, Milwaukee, Clevo, Columbus, Cincy or St. Louis.

I live in Indianapolis and I don't eat at Applebee's... I eat at good local restaurants and enjoy my city.. Suburbian living isn't how you should judge Indianapolis.

I would say Indy is two steps down from chicago, if not three. And I'd put minneapolis, cleveland, and stl on a step ahead of indianapolis ANY DAY. They are just far more interesting / character cities with their own unique cultures and there share of diversity. If you disagree, go to those cities and spend some time there, you'll realize how much indy is missing out on.

I went to school close to indy for a while, and visited on weekends. I really couldn't wait to get back to chicago to be honest with you. Indy just lacks character and really fits the Anywhere, USA mentallity. Just not my kind of city...i prefer urban cities with character.

[Davachka]

Originally Posted by chitownwarrior

I would say Indy is two steps down from chicago, if not three. And I'd put minneapolis, cleveland, and stl on a step ahead of indianapolis ANY DAY. They are just far more interesting / character cities with their own unique cultures and there share of diversity. If you disagree, go to those cities and spend some time there, you'll realize how much indy is missing out on.

I went to school close to indy for a while, and visited on weekends. I really couldn't wait to get back to chicago to be honest with you. Indy just lacks character and really fits the Anywhere, USA mentallity. Just not my kind of city...i prefer urban cities with character.

This post says it all. I have met many who moved here from other cities and most could not wait to move back. If you are used to NY or CHicago, you may find the slow pace of life charming and appealing for a short while. But then the stagnancy will set in, and reality hits you, that unless you like life as bland as the Applebee chains, this place is not for you.

[chitownwarrior]

Originally Posted by faina00

This post says it all. I have met many who moved here from other cities and most could not wait to move back. If you are used to NY or CHicago, you may find the slow pace of life charming and appealing for a short while. But then the stagnancy will set in, and reality hits you, that unless you like life as bland as the Applebee chains, this place is not for you.

And its' not just the slow paceness, there a ton of smaller cities than NYC and Chicago that have unique urban living experiences and add their own flare to the mix of cities the US has to offer -- Indy is just not one of them, IMHO.

In the midwest, if youre looking for somehwere cheaper in chicago I'd choose:

Minneapolis: yes the winters are cold, but with a population over 3 milliion, this city boasts beautiful urban lakes and parks, quirky artistic scene, great urban neighborhoods, Uptown, fine arts, diversity and variety, clean and unique urban setting. amazing nightlife and friendly interesting far from typical midwestern blah people. no need for urban revival because it is "revived". attractive modern downtown, far more modern than any other city in the midwest.

St. Louis: old, yes it gets hot as a mo-fo in the summer, population approaching 2.9 million, this city offers unique and beautiful urban brick row neighborhoods pre WWI, diversity, forest park (one of the most parks i have ever been to in the world), city life, geographic diversity, cool music, experiencing a huge urban revival in the next five years. once one of the largest cities in the country. a lot of young college age students and young 20s. baseball town. southern influences w/ decent bearable winter. great nightlife. suffers sprawl problems. downtown not center focus of city and therefore kind of bland.

Cincinatti: old, river city with beaaaautiful downtown. Hilly landscape makes it a unique midwestern gem. has its fair share of dense urban neighborhoods. found nightlife not as eccentric as previous cities, yet still cool. Winters aren't as brutal as northern brother cleveland. Has a really cool vibe going for it. economically speaking successful with companies like procter and gamble. baseball town. probably one of the prettier cities in the midwest. southern influences. truly beautiful city.

Detroit: although having the perception of dying and decaying, parts of the city are actually very cool, and definatley a must see for those wanting a taste of the urban midwest. once one of the largest cities in the country and impacted heavilly on american cutlure: music, automobiles. The largest border city in the nation and busiest commercial center on the border of the US. Great places for nightlife and some cool neighborhoods to live in. Not as dangerous or disgusting as people make it out to be. Far more culture that indy could even dream of offering.

Cleveland: also gets a horrible perception from the masses, but actually not as bad as people say. compared to chicago, yes, its no where as good of a lake city and not quite a "mistake". warehouse district is a must see, and there are some great urban neighborhoods as well. decent public transportation...but crummy weather .

Comparing Indianapolis to these cities isn't fair to indianapolis.

[citylife]

Chicago?, we would go back in a minute. We are doing a rehab in Downtown indy, only place to go. Been to the burbs already, Mooresville, Brownsburg, Noblesville, Speedway, we are working our way around the loop, but downtown is the place to go. Too much to offer. Maybe not now, but it will be there soon enough.