Pros and Cons of Indianapolis? Indianapolis or Madison? (Columbus, Marion: low crime, house)

[M TYPE X]

I just visited Madison. Now, I can objectively compare both per your question.

Madison = college town with a state capital
Indianapolis = large city with a state capital

I feel like we are comparing Ann Arbor versus Columbus here, the difference is between chocolate and ****!

[csloop]

Deciding which area to move into has several factors to consider. . . Which ones are the most important for you and your family will help. Your profession will most likely make it fairly easy to find a job at either place.

So, how much snow and cold do you like? If you are into winter sports than Madison maybe of interest. One thing I have learned moving from lower Michigan to Indianapolis is the Indianapolis Area has at least 4 more weeks of warmer weather. There's also more days of sunshine in Indianapolis in comparision.

It's true, Indy does not have the lakes and water. Although, we do have Geist Resevior and Morse Lake in the area. There's bike/walking trails avilable, like the Monon Trail. You can choose to live in the downtown area or out in a more rural setting of Indy. We have airports and traffic jams like many big cities do. I will admit, our traffic jams do not seem as bad as the Chicago Areas. Getting around is not difficult to learn and Indiana has several interesting places to visit as for day trips.

Housing is very affordable. Taxes, well there's some new adjustments coming and all of us living in this area are awaiting the numbers. At the moment, it just depends on which county you choose to live in. Hamilton usually being a little higher than Marion and Hancock.

I think Indianapolis, Indiana is a great place to live. I've enjoyed my relocation to the area.

[Vagus]

Originally Posted by domergurl

You could very well be miserable in both places.

Nothing like a little optimism to brighten your day, huh? . . . .

[Jodi McGinley]

Hi dtimm28!

I do not have much experience with Madison except for that it is a nice college town. Winter's are worse there (Madison) though.

My husband is in the same career field as you and there is a lot of demand for that field in Indianapolis, which has been wonderful for us! Plus, Indy's standard of living, in the respect of income vs. affordability, is very affordable compared to most big cities. We are about to have a bit of a property tax hike, but compared to most states across the country, it is very small on the grand scale.

[Streetchie]

Both cities are cool, but I think that Madison is more progessive and, well, worldly. I'm sure this is because it's an overgrown college town which also happens to be the state capital. I like Indy also. You can buy one hell of a house there for 200k. People are very nice, polite, and conservative. There are good bars and cafes, pretty nice downtown, good ariport. You really can't go wrong in either city, but I would choose Madison. As for the argument about weather being better in Indiana, come on, winter in crumby in all of the Mid West.

[MainStreet]

I lived in Michigan 25 years and have lived in Indianapolis 20 years....pick Madison...Madison is often in the top ten places to live on many lists based on quality of life, health, variety of activities and recreations. Indy isn't even close.

[Future Trooper]

Originally Posted by dtimm28

My wife and I are looking into moving from TX soon. I'm considering the Madison, WI and Indianapolis, IN areas due to various reasons, including my IT (networking) career. What are some pros and cons of the Indianapolis area?

PROS AND CONS OF INDIANAPOLIS 1. YOU ARE BETTER OFF MOVING TO PLAINFIELD,INDIANA.

PROS.1 GREAT INFRASTRUCTURE FOR THE FUTURE, THATS REALLY ALL ABOUT IT

CONS. HIGH CRIME, UNDESIRABLE SCHOOLS, RESPONSE TIMES FOR EMERGENCY RESPONDERS, LARGE SCALE CONSTRUCTION PROJECTS EXP.(starting sometime before years end indot is closing 465 in both directions from i-65 to state route 67 until 2014) for construction, lack of recreations, water shortages in summer and winter, high property taxes, large amounts of abanded houses, lack of community organizations, high traffic volumes in certain areas, get back with me if u would like to know more

[exploreja]

Hello All,

I am relocating to Indy in mid August or September. I'm hoping to find a job at least starting at $30K. I've heard the Northside of Indy is the place to look. Can anyone tell me where I can find nice, affordable rentals. Looking for 3 bedrooms--preferably a duplex, townhouse, or apt. I am a African American female looking for diversity but not a high crime area. A good school is important also. Any help would be greatly appreciated.

[Future Trooper]

Wow Exploreja the post right before yours was my first post I ever made on City Data! You just brought back some good memories.


Well to your question. The Northside of Indianapolis( Washington Twp Lawrence Twp,Carmel and Fishers are excellent places to live with great schools,affordable housing,and low crime.Also check into the West side of Indy (Avon,Brownsburg,Plainfield)They are also low crime areas with great schools and afordable housing

I would recommend you to check out this site. Apartments For Rent in Indianapolis | Indianapolis, IN Apartments For Rent | Apartments.com

Hope you find what your looking for.

[Gus0123]

Great discussion. I also work in IT and have been considering these cities. I am also considering Chicago....but I don't care much for traffic.

Which would be a better location for singles? Madison, Indy, or Chicago?