possibly relocating from Long Island (Indianapolis, Fort Wayne: for sale, crime, houses)

[mbrick]

I have been reading through discussion threads for the past hour with my husband and have a million questions. Of course, I will limit myself.....
I am hearing a mix of reviews. Some are saying the weather is terrible and racism is a problem. And, that food quality is very poor. Living on Long Island, we have excellent food and a diverse population. Schools are great as well. However, there are many downsides. Crime has recently increased, houses are beyond expensive, and with 2 young children and myself trying to get my college education, we cannot do it anymore in a safe area with only my husbands income (he is an electrician). I would really like to know the real deal when it comes to the Indianapolis area. Is is worth the move? Is what the other people are saying rumors or the truth?? To me, Indiana seems like a very friendly and affordable place to move my family. Am I wrong??

[domergurl]

You're not wrong. My advice is to take a week (if you can) and come out and have a visit. Compared to LI, you'll miss the food, the commuter trains, being close to water, NYC life in general. You won't miss the high prices for housing and food. You'll be able to live and save money. Most of your heartstrings will be pulled for emotional reasons, but as far as practicality, you'll do fine. The weather is rollercoaster it seems. Today, it's not even 20 degrees, but it's supposed to be in the 50's in 2 days. Your husband will probably find plenty of work as a licensed electrician.

Schools are a different matter. Indiana is striving to make their public schools better and better, but they are nowhere near the quality of what you are probably used to, but depending on where you live, there are some great schools. 3 of the top school systems in the state are in Fishers, Carmel & Zionsville. Brownsburg, Avon, New Palestine & Center Grove (Greenwood), are also very very good. There are also great private schools available too.

I grew up in a small town in northern Indiana, went to college near Fort Wayne, graduate school at IU in Bloomington, lived in Valparaiso, Fishers and now in Columbus ... whew, I've been around! My opinions are merely my own.

You'll miss pizza ...

[Michelle Morris]

There are positives and negatives to every area you might want to live. I have moved a lot in my life, actually since I was about 16, I have moved 9 times (YOWZA!! And I'm only 31 as of last week!) some of those moves were to different towns in the same state but we have also made big leap-of-faith tye moves into a whole new state where we knew NOBODY. You know what I've found in my experiences? Everyplace is different, and yet there are similarities. People are all different, and yet there are some who are all alike. Bascially, it depends on you! Wherever you go, there you are, it takes a positive attitude and a friendly outlook, and people will reflect what you put out.

[sweetana3]

I have lived here since 1978. Great things have happened to improve Indy in that time. Great restaurants, great shopping (if that is what you do), great schools, great activities. There are a lot of garage/estate sales and thrift stores where you can pick up lots of necessary things like kids clothes, furniture, toys, etc. if that is of interest. You can find first run theaters and also second run theaters where the movies are about $1.50 if you have a large family and not much money.

I have lived in a diverse older neighborhood and now live downtown. I loved both. There are many posters who will give you info on the suburbs. friends sent all their kids to schools in Hamilton Southeastern and were well pleased. All the boys are in or have graduated from college and were well prepared. There are a number of similiar school districts.

It is my personal opinion that crime is very low. As with many large cities and Indy has 1 million in the whole area, there are areas with drug problems and such. If you track crime, it usually happens in areas you should or do stay away from or involve domestic/drug abuse. With its grid streets Indy is an easy place to move around in and find places. The suburbs are booming on all the four sides of Indy. Although the East side shows some signs of a struggle due to stores leaving the big mall there. The wealthiest side of town is the north.

We have an abundance of interesting ethnic eateries, chain restaurants and wonderful chef owned places. I recently ate at an Iraqi kebab place that was fun. We have a French bakery, lots of farmers markets, and all the standard chains like SuperTargets, Trader Joes(2), Walmart/Sams/Costco(lots), Whole Foods, etc. We also have Saks Fifth Ave, Nordstrums, Macys, Cheesecake Factory(2), Pottery Barn, etc etc. We go from one extreme to the other so any income level is represented. Same with housing.

We have a great subscription referral service for providers of home repair and such that is called Angie's List.

Weather: Well, I will take Indy any day over upstate New York where relatives live. We have much less snow. We do have four seasons and the summers can be hot and humid. But they are not 9 months long and fall/spring are lovely. You can grow some terrific vegetables and roses here. Buy an energy efficient house and you will probably pay less for utilities than Texas or Nevada. Probably less than upstate NY too.

Costs: Our housing, utilities, taxes are all substantially less. The cost of living is a true blessing.

Check out mibor.com for the multiple listing service of our area. You can see what types of housing is available to buy in different locations and for different prices. check out feedmedrinkme.com for an interesting blog on food and wine in the area.

We have a great hospital selection thruout the whole area. There are nine downtown including Riley's Hospital for Children which is nationally known. IUPUI is the downtown college campus with a full set of degree programs. Plus there are other educational choices around town.

After writing this I figure Indy is perfect. It is a little run down, Marion county has a budget problem (but has for years), taxes have gone up (but not nearly as much as other states), some services are not fully funded (promised programs for elders and children), donut area around town that is rundown (people moving to suburbs).

But the good outweighs the bad. Have a job first.

Let us know what specifics you are interested in. Hubby and I have decided to retire and stay right here. Great senior citizens center, good international airport and we like our doctor, dentist, vet, etc.

[ImGibby]

Ditto whats already been said. You will find Indy is not as diverse and may lack the abundance of fine dining establishments you may be used to, but thats not to say it does not exist here, you just have to look a litttle harder.

Your Hubby will no doubt find work if he is an electrician, plenty of comercial and residential construction going on to keep him busy, not to mention the mumerous factories etc. here that keep electricians on staff. That would be the least of my concerns if I were you.

It may be somewhat of a culture shock compared to what your used to, but many places would be compared to LI. This is a good place with good people, and if what you are looking for is a place to settle down with your family, Indy should certainly be on the top of your list to look into. Most people that complain on these threads have other issues or agendas, to each their own. I find single people do most of the compalinign about this city/state (as I did when I was young) but once you get out and experience life in other places, you find out it's not so bad, particualrly when you are ready to buy a house and raise a family.

As far as racism, i've said it before, and I'm saying it again, it still exists EVERYWHERE, sasdly, to some extent. But I know people from all walks of life and various countries, races, etc. here, and they get along just fine.

And before anyone even tries to chime in with "No jobs" or "Not affordable" comments, look up the stats yourself, you will find Indiana in general is at or better than the national avg.'s, even more so for the Indy metro areas.

Good Luck!!!!

[Jane.d]

I have traveled back and forth from England and australia ,and now i live in Australia.Been here for 14yrs.It's hard finding the right place to settle.But i love this small country town Tatura,its quiet and the people are friendly.You can't walk down the street without someone knowing you.If you sneeze they all know it....ha ha.Would love to visit america,sometime.

[mbrick]

I wanted to thank everybody for their quick responses! It is nice to see the caliber of people in the Indianapolis area. I have to say that where Long Island is clearly lacking, it seems Indianapolis is not. I love Long Island so much it would be hard to leave, however, it seems this may be a way for us to go. Thank you again! I fully intend on researching and possibly visiting in the near future!

[sweetana3]

Just remember whereever you go, you take yourself with you. If you are friendly, people are usually friendly back. Indy is not a small town. The suburbs are generally stratified by house price and therefore income. There are many diverse parts of each area if that is what you want. So set some realistic goals and see if Indy and would help you reach them.

I moved out of state for a few years and it took 2 full years before I felt "comfortable" and "at home" and by then we moved back. So anyplace can be home if you work at it. I am now perfectly happy to stay in Indy. The grass may be greener but the bugs exist everywhere.

Be clear about why you are moving and what your goals are and why the move will make them work. You will have many compromises and it will take some time to get that comfortable feeling, but this is the same no matter where.

[Stretchad]

Hi There!
I've lived in Indianapolis my entire life and I'm getting ready to move out of state for a fantastic job opportunity that I can't pass up. But, I'm sad to leave this city. Its SO affordable. It's easy to get around, its got a lot to offer to all different types of people in different situations. If you want an urban experience, you can get it. Rural - Check. Suburban - check.

I built a home in 2003 on the northwest side of town near eagle creek park. Indianapolis city limits, but Brownsburg schools. I really like my neighborhood - i feel its more diverse than similar neighborhoods on other sides of town. It's also less expensive than say, the north side. I grew up on the north side, went to washington township schools. Of all the city schools, I'd say that Washington Township are the best. Suburb schools of Carmel, Zionsville, Hamilton Southeastern, and Brownsburg are very good.
In general, I have always felt that Indianapolis was a pretty neutral city in terms of viewpoints, housing, getting around, etc.

I'd get on MIBOR | Metropolitan Indianapolis Board of REALTORS® and check out home listings. Brownsburg schools (where my house is up for sale in Lincoln Township) are in Hendricks county. Zionsville Schools are in Boone County (eagle twp I think). Carmel, HSE, and Fishers are all in Hamilton County I believe. If you're interested in seeing my house specifically, let me know.

[TraderJack]

I think you'll find Indy a pretty comfortable place to live. This is 'Middle America', so life is not as fast or as complicated as east coast living, just prepare youself for a bit of 'culture shock' and you should be fine.

domergirl's advice is priceless. Come spend a week before you decide. It's the only real way to find out for yourself.