Moving to Indianapolis area looking for nice area (Fishers, Carmel: middle-class, real estate)

[Navyshow]

Hello!

My husband and I will be moving to the Indianapolis area in a year or so. We are looking for a safe suburb with a reasonable commute to downtown Indianapolis.

This is what we are looking for:
1. Safe area
2. Health clubs or gyms (we are both very active in our late 40's) this is important to us
3. good schools
4. middle class feel
5. Condominiums or townhomes that are nice but in the 100,000 range or so. We would like to retire here and want a neighborhood that caters to retirees. Because we are older, we do not want to be tied to an expensive mortgage. We are very budget conscious and would like to be freed up to do other activities. A quaint neighbor hood is great with us. We want access to health club facilities and we are happy.

[sweetana3]

What is a "reasonable" commute?

There are a large number of large fitness studios all around town and one right downtown. LAFitness has even opened entirely new facilities all over (Broad Ripple, Avon, Southport, etc). Cardinal Fitness has smaller ones. The National Institure of Fitness and Health has their main site downtown on the IUPUI campus. There are Gold's Gym, etc. Carmel (suburbs above Indy) has the Monon Center for fitness, swimming, activities.

So schools will be determinative as well as the price you can afford. If you can determine from research which fitness company you would prefer, take a map and draw a circle around the various ones and a circle for your commute area and see where they intersect to give you a starting point.

I will repeat what I have said in previous threads, Indy is large and even more so when you add in the suburbs. You can get almost anything you want with some searching. However, your wants and needs will not be the same as others and it is hard to pinpoint one specific neighborhood with such generalities. Best to pick your general area and sit down with a real estate person familiar with that area and see what is available.

[krock1dk]

Pretty much all Indianapolis suburbs are safe, family-friendly and a reasonable distance from downtown Indianapolis (no more than 30-minutes). The most expensive suburbs are in the north in Hamilton County: Carmel, Fishers, Noblesville, and Westfield. Zionsville, adjacent to Carmel in Boone Co. is also a bit pricey. But Indy's suburbs to the west (Plainfield, Avon and Brownsburg) and definately south (Greenwood, Beech Grove, Franklin) are much more reasonable in price. You will find heath clubs, townhomes and a safe and middle-class areas all over the Indy area. Just do the research to know which one is best for you.

[hapaleeretired]

Check out the area of Southport and Bluff Roads. Wide variety of housing, extremely convienent with a nice straight shot at downtown via Bluff Road.
Everything you want including health clubs within one mile radius.

[Navyshow]

Thank you so much for your input and replies. I will research the areas each of you listed.

[donnie fl]

greenwood franklin carmel avon are very nice places to live