Pros and Cons of Living in Indianapolis (Lafayette, Columbus: 2014, cheap house)

[SciFiNerd1]

My fiancée wants to move to Indianapolis to be near her favorite cousin so badly. I haven't visited the city yet but we will go there soon.


Based on my research, I don't really see anything special or interesting about Indy. I even find Columbus, Ohio to be more interesting. No offense!


I am more into bigger cities, such as Twin Cities (Minneapolis/St. Paul), Denver, and both Austin & Houston in Texas.


Does Indy have anything in common with these cities listed above at all?

I happen to be a well-educated liberal Christian (Mainline Protestant). Are the Christians in Indy more conservative and evangelical in nature as shown in recent state politics with Gov. Pence?

I am fit; I usually eat healthy and prefer all natural grocery stores for food at home. I enjoy jogging, especially on a scenic trail by a lake or any body of water. I also enjoy to keep myself busy during the weekends by doing affordable to free stuff offered in the community instead of staying at home doing nothing. Does it always cost to do anything in Indy that are normally available for free in bigger cities?

What are the pros and cons of living in Indy from your point of view?

[grmasterb]

Rather than listen to biased viewpoints on C-D -- a site on which rational viewpoints are a premium (see City v. City forum) -- I suggest that you come to Indy and form your own conclusions.

[Serious Conversation]

Originally Posted by SciFiNerd1

My fiancée wants to move to Indianapolis to be near her favorite cousin so badly. I haven't visited the city yet but we will go there soon.


Based on my research, I don't really see anything special or interesting about Indy. I even find Columbus, Ohio to be more interesting. No offense!


I am more into bigger cities, such as Twin Cities (Minneapolis/St. Paul), Denver, and both Austin & Houston in Texas.


Does Indy have anything in common with these cities listed above at all?

I happen to be a well-educated liberal Christian (Mainline Protestant). Are the Christians in Indy more conservative and evangelical in nature as shown in recent state politics with Gov. Pence?

I am fit; I usually eat healthy and prefer all natural grocery stores for food at home. I enjoy jogging, especially on a scenic trail by a lake or any body of water. I also enjoy to keep myself busy during the weekends by doing affordable to free stuff offered in the community instead of staying at home doing nothing. Does it always cost to do anything in Indy that are normally available for free in bigger cities?

What are the pros and cons of living in Indy from your point of view?

The four cities you mentioned are all "hotter" cities than Indianapolis in terms of attracting a large number of new people coming in. All but Austin are considerably bigger than Indy, and I'd give the edge to Austin as it's likely to soon overtake Indy, if it already hasn't.

The good thing about Indy is the economy is good and the cost of living is low - it's easily your cheapest option among all the cities, and probably your best value per dollar. Traffic and general day to day ease of life is probably best in Indy.

I don't see Indy having much in common with any of those cities. All are trendier, have better scenery but Minneapolis (even Houston is close to the water), and for your views, probably a better fit.

There are a lot of conservative churches in Indiana, but being from Tennessee, this isn't the Bible Belt. Pence is an exception. Indiana is a fairly conservative state, but I've not seen a lot of evidence of a strong religious right presence.

There are plenty of municipal trails and natural/organic food stores here. There are a couple of little lakes (Eagle Creek Park, Morse/Geist reservoirs) but none of the area lakes are anywhere near as nice as what you'd find in northern or southern Indiana, nor do they came close to lakes in other states.

If you're an outdoors type person, Indianapolis is severely limiting. Yeah, there's some good scenery in southern IN, but you're looking at least an hour's drive from the metro for any real outdoor stuff.

[SciFiNerd1]

For Indy, I have heard that the North side (Zionsville, Carmel, Westfield, Noblesville, & Fishers) and the South side (Greenwood) are most popular.


Hamilton County is very appealing due to close distance to Geist and all amenities but Greenwood is still nice and affordable for most part.


What do you think?

[Toxic Toast]

Originally Posted by SciFiNerd1

For Indy, I have heard that the North side (Zionsville, Carmel, Westfield, Noblesville, & Fishers) and the South side (Greenwood) are most popular.


Hamilton County is very appealing due to close distance to Geist and all amenities but Greenwood is still nice and affordable for most part.


What do you think?

The north side of Indy =/= HamCo. Those are north suburbs.

That's what I think.

[IndyDancer]

Originally Posted by SciFiNerd1

My fiancée wants to move to Indianapolis to be near her favorite cousin so badly.

Uh, what? Perhaps you could elaborate, but this set off some red flags for me.

I happen to be a well-educated liberal Christian (Mainline Protestant). Are the Christians in Indy more conservative and evangelical in nature as shown in recent state politics with Gov. Pence?

There's a mix, but you certainly will find many conservative/evangelical Christians here. Maybe it's because I hail from Michigan (a less religious state), but I was surprised at how open people were about God/faith/religion here, and they can be wary of folks who don't identify as religious.

I am fit; I usually eat healthy and prefer all natural grocery stores for food at home. I enjoy jogging, especially on a scenic trail by a lake or any body of water. I also enjoy to keep myself busy during the weekends by doing affordable to free stuff offered in the community instead of staying at home doing nothing. Does it always cost to do anything in Indy that are normally available for free in bigger cities?

idk, what is normally free in bigger cities that you are concerned about paying for?

Not a ton of "scenic trails by body of water" here, the Monon, Geist, downtown Canal, Eagle Creek are your best bets. Or neighborhood retention ponds.

What are the pros and cons of living in Indy from your point of view?

Pros:
* Low COL.
* People are generally friendly, willing to help.
* Traffic not too bad.

Cons:
* Lots of new, characterless, high density development (esp in Hamilton County) - don't take any scenic spaces for granted, they will probably be housing editions or strip malls in the next 10 years.
* Crumbling infrastructure. Everyone wants low taxes, so things don't get maintained, they just build new ones and leave the old ones to stagnate.


I'd second the suggestion to actually visit and see what you think.

[Serious Conversation]

Originally Posted by SciFiNerd1

For Indy, I have heard that the North side (Zionsville, Carmel, Westfield, Noblesville, & Fishers) and the South side (Greenwood) are most popular.


Hamilton County is very appealing due to close distance to Geist and all amenities but Greenwood is still nice and affordable for most part.


What do you think?

These are all suburbs. Zionsville is extremely expensive, Carmel's expensive, but will have a wider range of homes in different price ranges than Zionsville, Fishers and Noblesville are more expensive than Greenwood but cheaper than the other two.

Why are you so focused on Geist? You better be ready to pay big money if you want to live there.

[indy_317]

Originally Posted by SciFiNerd1

Columbus, Ohio, Twin Cities (Minneapolis/St. Paul), Denver, and both Austin & Houston in Texas.

Does Indy have anything in common with these cities listed above at all?

I would say that Indy likely has more in common with Columbus than the others. Houston and the Twin Cities are likely on another tier as they are larger than Indy. However, their weather patterns are completely different from each other and Indy. I've always heard that Denver is similar to size as Indy. Denver though has a completely different landscape than Indy.

Originally Posted by SciFiNerd1

I happen to be a well-educated liberal Christian (Mainline Protestant). Are the Christians in Indy more conservative and evangelical in nature as shown in recent state politics with Gov. Pence?

My personal belief is that liberal Christianity just means make-your-own-morals Christianity. Christianity is becoming like this more and more, which is why I'm not a religious person, and definitely not a church goer. You will find plenty of so called liberal Christians in larger cities in the state. Our alternative newspaper ran a story within the last couple of years. They interviewed a preacher who was moderate to left leaning (at least to me). He described how many of the older churches in smaller cities and towns are dying off. As the WW2 generation continues to pass, and now the older baby boomer generation, I think the country as a whole will see a sweeping change in morals and values. There will always be a right of center Christian sect, but I don't think they will be as far right as past generations.

Originally Posted by SciFiNerd1

I am fit; I usually eat healthy and prefer all natural grocery stores for food at home. I enjoy jogging, especially on a scenic trail by a lake or any body of water. I also enjoy to keep myself busy during the weekends by doing affordable to free stuff offered in the community instead of staying at home doing nothing. Does it always cost to do anything in Indy that are normally available for free in bigger cities?

There has been an explosion of natural grocery stores, the bulk of which are on the north side of the city, with many actually being in the cities of Fishers and Carmel, located in Hamilton County (the county north of the Indy). I don't know what you want to do, but there is always something to do in the metro area. Many of the suburban cities and towns will have stuff like festivals, town square car shows on the weekends, concerts in the park, etc.. Indy will also have these events. If your willing to drive, there is almost always something to do somewhere within a couple of hours drive, usually even within an hour. You can check this website for just an idea: Indiana State Festivals Association :: Home

Click on their festival guide to get an idea of what is going on around the state. The bulk of these festivals are free. Museums, larger concerts, etc. will cost. Many of the city parks are free, but I think the larger, Eagle Creek, has an entry fee. The state parks also cost money, but there is a yearly pass you can purchase.

Originally Posted by SciFiNerd1

What are the pros and cons of living in Indy from your point of view?

My view point comes from someone who is almost 40 and lived in the metro area my entire life. 90%+ of my immediate and extended family have stayed here. I lived here during college (mistake) and only went away for one summer for a program at one of our colleges (best time of my life actually). The cost of living is reasonable, if not on the cheaper end for the benefits I think one gets. Decent enough jobs are available, not just in Indy, but within an hours drive if need be (I'm thinking factories that are in Greensburg and Lafayette).

I will warn you though. I'm also in shape. I work out, but mostly at home. There are plenty of gyms though, if that is your thing. If you want outdoor recreation, this is where Indy suffers depending on what type of outdoor recreation one wants. I like day hiking, but I like hiking in mountains, or areas with drastic elevation changes. A huge part of Indiana is fairly flat. The southern portion of the state has some OK hills, but nothing all that great. There are a few reservoirs in the metro area, and a few others within about a 90 min. drive if one is into water recreation. Nothing all that fancy though. One of my relatives actually has a very basic, cheap house boat down in TN/KY area and he keeps his speed boat down there and pretty much skips Indiana lakes. The outdoor recreation thing is such an issue, that I once read a quote from someone who said that the bulk of the couples that she knew who left Indy left solely due to the limited outdoor recreation we offer. The article quoted her as saying they all left for Denver. They loved Indy, the affordability, the people, where the state was heading, but these are people who want to be able to drive just an hour or so and be in the mountains, lakes, rivers, mountain bike trails, etc. and Denver offers just a lot more of that on a much higher level. The offerings almost become unlimited out west when you talk about taking a long weekend. The Rocky Mountain Front Range area combined with the Colorado Plateau just offer an endless stream of outdoor rec opportunities that are hard to find elsewhere in the country.

It is just me and my wife, we don't have kids. I wouldn't be against moving, but it would be very hard for us to find jobs that pay what we make now (we aren't rich, and both of us have very specialized jobs) and to leave family behind.

[grmasterb]

Originally Posted by McdonaldIndy

That's an American Problem. not an Indianapolis problem.
Every major city in America has plenty of decaying and failing infrastructure.
You can blame Washington D.C for that

Yes, but Indiana is exceptionally sucky in this regard.

[GraniteStater]

Infrastructure is being addressed in southern Indiana adjacent to Louisville, only 30-40 years behind schedule. That is mostly due to job growth and completion of the East End Bridge project.