Indianapolis vs. Chicago - what would you suggest for a single mid-career professional? (Carmel: transplants, rentals)

[ryno7521]

I am in my upper 30s, thinking of moving to a big city for the first time. I am in the tech field and have it narrowed down to Chicago and Indy. Surprisingly I have gotten more leads from Indy than Chicago.

What is the job market like for techies?

What is the dating scene like for 30 somethings?

What do you do for fun there?

What part of Indy would you suggest living in?

Would anyone recommend Chicago instead?

Thanks for any information you can provide.

[flamadiddle]

I don't know what you do in IT, but let's look at a mainstream certification like the Cisco CCNP. Chicago is currently showing 144 openings and Indy is showing 12.

Ccnp Jobs, Employment in Chicago, IL | Indeed.com

Ccnp Jobs, Employment in Indianapolis, IN | Indeed.com

or using vmware as an example.

Chicago has 514 openings and Indy has 78 so there's nowhere near the IT activity in Indy vs. Chicago.

Vmware Jobs, Employment in Chicago, IL | Indeed.com

Vmware Jobs, Employment in Indianapolis, IN | Indeed.com


Another thing to consider is salary. In Chicago, the average salary for a CCNP is $114,000, In Indy, it's $82,000

http://www.indeed.com/salary?q1=ccnp...anapolis%2C+in

http://www.indeed.com/salary?q1=ccnp&l1=Chicago%2C+IL


I'd also struggle to call Indy a "Big City".


If you decide on Indy, you'll likely want to look at the North burbs, Carmel, Zionsville, etc. Good Luck!

[ryno7521]

Software Development/Database Administration

The Chicago market is overrun by recruiters it seems (have been trying to avoid them)

Thanks for the info

[Toxic Toast]

I don't directly work in tech, but I know a lot of folks who do. I have, literally, no idea what the tech scene is like in Chicago. It is quite healthy here in Indianapolis based on what my tech pals tell me.

As far as Indy vs Chicago, there are at least 50 bazillion threads about Chicago vs Indianapolis. The bottom line is Chicago is an alpha city, Indianapolis isn't. That is not a good or bad thing either way. Both have positives and negatives. You don't mention a preference for suburbs or city, I live in the city and can tell you all about city life. I've never lived in the city of Chicago, so I couldn't way 100% how living in the city of Indianapolis compares to the city of Chicago. We don't have as many vibrant neighborhoods, but we do have some. If you have specific questions, feel free to ask.

[jarcolem]

Originally Posted by ryno7521

I am in my upper 30s, thinking of moving to a big city for the first time. I am in the tech field and have it narrowed down to Chicago and Indy. Surprisingly I have gotten more leads from Indy than Chicago.

What is the job market like for techies?

What is the dating scene like for 30 somethings?

What do you do for fun there?

What part of Indy would you suggest living in?

Would anyone recommend Chicago instead?

Thanks for any information you can provide.

Man, the two experiences would be so different it's hard to even compare. I think it boils down to whether you want to live in a big city or a BIG CITY. Chicago is so much larger, and has a lot more offerings in pretty much every aspect relative to Indy. No rational person on here will try and convince you otherwise. On the flip side, with the size of Chicago comes problems (or maybe hassles would be the better word) that you won't run into in Indy, as well.

For me personally, I can think of few cooler places to visit and take weekend trips to than Chicago - even in the winter. But for living 365 days a year, I prefer Indy. But that's just ME, and largely the result of where I am in life - married with a kid, a house, and a good job here. I know PLENTY of people who love living in Chicago, and do very, very well there.

I've never lived in Chicago, so I'm not going to pretend like I can give you advice on what life is like there. But to answer your questions regarding Indy:

The job market for tech here is very strong for a mid-sized Midwestern market. I work at a tech company myself (though not in Tech). Salesforce and Angie's List are pretty much always hiring, and there are several promising start-ups currently looking to expand in the metro.

As for living in Indy (assuming you'd be looking to rent), I would absolutely suggest Downtown/Mass Ave, Fletcher Place/Fountain Square, or SoBro/Broad Ripple. Mass Ave (part of it is technically downtown, but it's kind of it's own thing) sort of resembles some Northside neighborhoods in Chicago, just on a less intense level. It's a really fun area, and will surely help with the dating scene. It's been a minute since I was dating (like a decade) so I have no idea. My single friends don't have any problems. I think the key is just to get involved with groups and be social. There are a lot more transplants in the city now who would be in the same boat as you.

We do mostly the same s**t for fun here as people do anywhere. One big advantage for Chicago is the lakefront, which we obviously don't have. But we do have a good bar scene, some surprisingly good breweries/distilleries, a criminally underrated and underappreciated music scene, an ever improving local food scene, and some pretty decent cultural festivals (just took in Irish Fest this weekend and had a great time). We also do large sporting events and conventions very, very well here, and they can make for some fun experiences. I could care less about the BIG 10 football championships (at least until IU fields a competitive enough team to get there), but I always go downtown when they're here because it's just a fun time. Final 4s, Super Bowl, Gen Con, etc...all good times.

Like I said, it's ultimately what kind of vibe you want. I don't think anyone can/should begrudge a person for preferring one over the other. I guess for me it would come down to the job offers. If you get a good enough offer in Chicago...it's hard to argue against it. But if you do wind up in Indy, I think you'd be pleasantly surprised. Best of luck!

[sweetana3]

Young friends have said it is very hard for them to meet others in Indy for dating and just fun. Several have moved away for other opportunities.

[Serious Conversation]

The absolute number in job postings should be taken with a grain of salt. Chicago has several times more residents than Indy, so you'd assume it to have several times more openings. I worked in tech at a software company and a bank's IT department and the job market is strong in Indy.

For dating, I would say Chicago hands down. As a transplant from outside the Midwest, many people in their late 20s and on in Indy are married with kids. It's a pretty conservative social scene.

Basically agree with jarcolem on the rest.

[indy_317]

Originally Posted by ryno7521

I am in my upper 30s, thinking of moving to a big city for the first time. I am in the tech field and have it narrowed down to Chicago and Indy. Surprisingly I have gotten more leads from Indy than Chicago.

What is the job market like for techies?

Three relatives and five friends are what I consider techies. Ages are mid-30s to early 40s. All raised here in central Indiana, went to school in Indiana (IU/IUPUI). They all have had success in finding jobs, goods jobs as well. Pay is likely $60K, maybe $70K on the low end, with $125K on the high end. The high end folks likely have some sort of supervisory or manager role. Benefits from what I've been told are great. These are all private companies of some sort. Jobs seem to be plentiful, as many have jumped between non-profits, large corporations, contract work, and public higher ed. One of my biggest regrets is choosing my line of work over in-depth IT work.

Originally Posted by ryno7521

What is the dating scene like for 30 somethings?

Not sure. The vast majority of the young people I know were together with their now spouse in their 20s. However, most of the single people I know in their 30s (very few) usually have a personality where they want to be single, have never put down roots anywhere, are divorced with kids, and likely won't date too seriously until they do, etc.. There are definitely plenty of single 30 somethings out there, but that being said, I don't know how many you would find attractive, if more want to date seriously or just hookup, etc..

Originally Posted by ryno7521

What do you do for fun there?

Depends on the person. I know drinkers and non-drinkers. The drinkers usually tailgating at football games, or doing stuff related usually related to drinking (ie; Boating, going to bars or clubs, etc., mostly depends on their age). Outdoor recreation is on a lower tier in Indiana. We have some nice state parks in the central Indiana region, about a 70 min or so drive from downtown Indy. Local parks are nice, with some basic hiking. There is Eagle Creek Park (city park) that has a smaller scale lake which I believe is available for some water activities. There are numerous larger lakes again within 45-70 mins drive, and I think all of them have boat rentals available. Mountain bike trails have become popular here over the last decade or so. Biking in general is popular in the region. We have lots of festivals both in Indy and all over the state. For alcohol fans, breweries have been popping up left and right.

Originally Posted by ryno7521

What part of Indy would you suggest living in?

Depends what you want. Does your life revolve around drinking and thus you want to walk to bars and clubs? If so, Downtown, Broad Ripple, Mass Ave (short for Massachusetts Ave.), or Fountain Square would serve you well. Broad Ripple is a tiny village/town type area about six miles north of downtown Indy. All those other areas are basically downtown Indy anymore. Rent can be high or low, depending on amenities. I know people who lived downtown with decent places for around $700/month, but also know that many of the newer places or places with canal access or some other special amenities (pool, workout facilitates, etc.) are upwards of $1,200/month. There would be more homes to rent in the greater Broad Ripple area.

If you don't care too much about the club/bar scene and want cheaper rents, then there are a lot of options. The burbs are fairly decent, some being nicer than others. The growth and money burbs are to the north and NW, then swinging around to the west side all the way to the south side is populated, but more middle income. The Keystone/Castleton area in the NE side of Indy/Marion County has some housing options as well, close to lots of stores and restaurants. Rush hour traffic can be horrible, especially on the north side of town, but during the core rush hours, most of the interstates will just be busy and congested for the most part.

Originally Posted by ryno7521

Would anyone recommend Chicago instead?

Chicago and Indy are two totally different places. The outdoor rec stuff is likely similar, though with much larger Lake Michigan, there might be a higher level of boating stuff, not really sure. Chicago might be closer (though with traffic it might take just as long) to the nicer beach areas along Lake Michigan on the Michigan side of the lake. I know some 30 something women that live up there, one has a boyfriend, the other is single from what I can tell. Not sure if the dating game is all that great in larger cities. Transit is another thing. Indy has a mediocre transit system, but will likely have at least one BRT line up and running within a few years or so? Chicago obviously had a much more robust transit system.


The only downside to this region as a whole is that if you like oceans and mountains (or more remote type back-country activities like camping and backpacking), this wouldn't be the area for you. From Indy you can be in the Smoky/Blue Ridge Mountains within about a seven hour drive. Add about three hours if you were heading down from Chicago. The Atlantic and Gulf of Mexico are going to be at least a 12 hour drive away.

All I can say is that if you are able to do some in depth IT stuff, you should be able to get a good paying job. If you are reasonable with your rent, you can likely save some cash as well, if that is important to you. Mostly as someone else said, get involved the best you can.

[Serious Conversation]

Couple things here.

I think you'll find salaries are generally lower than what Indy quoted. Some people will make that, but there is also a lot of mid level IT work in the $50k range or so.

Also, Lake Monroe is the only lake of decent size in the near area and it's an hour or more from most of the metro. Sure, you can host at Geist, Morse, or Eagle Creek but they're small and Geist and Morse are heavily developed

[ryno7521]

Thanks all for the information! Still trying to decide whether to go Indy, Chicago, or stay put in the burbs. I like visiting cities but not sure if I'd like to live in one.