Let me preface my response: Indianapolis is quite possibly the most underrated city in America. For some reason, people like to make summary judgments about Indy without visiting. Indy isn't Chicago; Indy isn't NYC; but Indy is an awesome city that has a lot more to offer than most people give it credit for...
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Originally Posted by Laurie A
1. The restaurants - are there great restaurants in the area?
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In a word, yes. Of course, that depends on your definition of "great." You can find everything from cheap chains to very high-end steak and seafood restaurants in Indianapolis, as well as a wide variety of ethnic cuisine. Indianapolis is a very new city, so there are fewer of the multi-generational ethnic places you'll find in older cities like NYC or Chicago, but I am quite happy with the dining selection here. Let me put it this way: my wife and I both grew up here, and there are still places on our "list" that we haven't tried.
To get an idea of what there is to eat around here, check out this website:
Best of Metromix Indianapolis | Metromix Indianapolis
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Originally Posted by Laurie A
2. Cultural diversity - racial and religious
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Cultural diversity in Indianapolis depends on where you are in the city. For the most part, I think Indy has a good level of diversity for a city it's size. I run into people from all over the world at places like Starbucks and Costco; like I mentioned before, all but the most exotic ethnic foods are represented in the Indy dining scene, etc. On the other hand, though, there are still some tensions in some parts of the city. As a white guy, there are parts of the city I wouldn't be comfortable in at certain times of day, and there are parts of the city that black people wouldn't be comfortable in as well. That is definitely exception, not the rule, however. Overall, I think race relations are very stable in Indy.
In Carmel, I think you'll find a large number of nationalities represented, but there is a much higher percentage of white people. The city is definitely more diverse than Carmel, but I'd say Carmel is probably the most diverse of the suburbs.
As far as religious diversity, Indy has a good mix: the Islamic Society of North America is headquartered in Plainfield (western suburb), there is a strong Jewish community, there are Buddhist, Baha'i, Hindu, and Sikh presences as well. Bloomington (about 60 miles south of Indy) has a Buddhist monastery as well. For more info, check out this website:
Clergy Notes - World Religions in Indianapolis
There is a high level of diversity among Christian denominations as well. Of course, there are many Catholic churches and schools, and every major Protestant denomination is represented. There is a good-sized Eastern European community in Indy, so there are several Eastern Orthodox churches as well. Actually, St. George's, located on 106th Street in Carmel, puts on an awesome Greek & Middle Eastern Festival every summer which is a blast.
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Originally Posted by Laurie A
3. Schools in Carmel
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Carmel-Clay Schools are perennially among the best in the state, and are often included on national "best-of" lists. Carmel High School is unbelievable; some of the facilities are better than small colleges.
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Originally Posted by Laurie A
4. Universities in Indianapolis
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Indy is home to several universities. IUPUI (Indiana University Purdue University Indianapolis) is definitely the center of higher learning in Indianapolis. It is located downtown, and has about 25,000 in the student body. It used to be mainly a commuter campus, but that has changed a lot in the last decade; now, there is a vibrant campus community in and around the area due to the many students living there. The IU medical, dental, nursing schools are at IUPUI only. The law and business schools are at IUPUI as well as on the main IU campus in Bloomington. The Herron School of Fine Art at IUPUI is an outstanding program as well. Link:
IUPUI: Indiana University-Purdue University Indianapolis
Butler is the other major university in Indy; it is located in the "midtown" area (called Butler-Tarkington), between downtown and Broad Ripple on the north side. It is much smaller than IUPUI, but is a highly-respected school with excellent academic and athletic programs. Butler's campus is more "traditional," with more on-campus housing, a greek system, etc. Butler has very strong performing arts programs - they host events on campus all the time, and often bring in national and international acts as well. Link:
Butler University
University of Indianapolis is a smaller school on the south side. I don't know much about it, but here is a link so you can learn more:
University of Indianapolis: Inspiring Excellence
Ivy Tech is the main community college around Indy; it has an enormous student body, mostly made up of kids that are planning to transfer to other schools.
There are others, like Indiana Wesleyan University, Ball State University's Indianapolis extension campus, and so on. Indiana University's main campus is in Bloomington, about 60 miles south of Indianapolis. Purdue University's main campus is in West Lafayette, about 70 miles to the northwest. Ball State University's main campus is in Muncie, about 60 miles to the northeast.
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Originally Posted by Laurie A
5. Public parks and recreation programs
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The public parks system for the city is called IndyParks. They do an excellent job in my opinion, especially with maintaining parks in the less desirable areas of the city. One of my favorite parks is Sahm Park, on the northeast side...they have an 18-hole golf course that only costs about $25 with a cart, a driving range, a Frisbee golf course, and a public pool. Brookside Park, on the near east side, is in one of the shadiest parts of the city, but they have a Frisbee golf course and take really good care of the grounds. MLK Park on the near north side beautiful, and offers an awesome view of the skyline. Highland Park, on the near east side, also offers an awesome view. Broad Ripple park is nice also, and is one of several bark parks around the city. The Indianapolis Art Museum has a botanical garden on its grounds that is stunningly pretty.
In the downtown area, there are several "parks" that are really the grounds for the many monuments and memorials in the city center. Barack Obama spoke on the American Legion Mall when he was campaigning...I went to see him speak, and the view of 45,000 people packed onto that lawn, with the skyline in the background, was breathtaking.
White River State Park, west of downtown, is a really nice too. The Indy Zoo is part of that complex, as well as an awesome outdoor music venue (OAR played there last summer).
There are some good options in the suburbs as well. Carmel Parks are really nice; they have several mini water parks, playgrounds, etc. The Monon Trail, an old railroad that was converted into a walking/jogging/biking trail also runs through Carmel. It starts downtown and runs north through Broad Ripple and up into Carmel. It is really fun during the summer months, especially if you live close enough to ride down to Broad Ripple, walk around, eat, drink, and ride back.
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Originally Posted by Laurie A
6. Commuter traffic for someone going from Carmel to Indianapolis
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That's a tough question to answer because it depends on where in Carmel you're starting and where you're commuting to. The city limits end and Carmel begins at 96th Street. It is possible that your commute could be under 10 minutes if you live close to 96th Street and your office is on the north side.
On the other hand, if you live in northern Carmel and your office is downtown, you could be looking at a 45-minute commute. Carmel is not served by a freeway; you have to take either Meridian Street or Michigan Road south into the city from Carmel (those are the two busiest streets, anyway. There are several other options.), so your commute depends a lot on your circumstances.
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Originally Posted by Laurie A
7. Are the people friendly like the connection to midwest people being the friendliest?
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I've always thought it works like this: people in the south think people in the Midwest are jerks, and people in the Midwest think people on the coasts are jerks.
Overall, I think people in Indianapolis are friendly, but that is pretty subjective. In general, if you treat people well, they will return the favor.
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Originally Posted by Laurie A
8. Do you feel safe in the suburbs, is there a lot of crime?
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The suburbs are very safe. There is some crime, but in general it is property crime, not violent. Over the past six months, I can recall only four incidents: a car theft at one of the dealers in Carmel, a burglary in Noblesville, the investment banker that tried to fake his own death in Fishers, and an accidental shooting in Fishers (the wife thought her husband was a burglar and shot him by accident. When she realized who he was, she killed herself. He survived.).
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Originally Posted by Laurie A
9. What is there to do?
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There is lots to do. What kind of things do you enjoy? Here are some examples:
- the summer cultural festivals
- nearly all A-list concerts come here
- the state fair
- plenty of high-end shopping (downtown, the Fashion Mall, Clay Terrace)
- Sports! Two major-league sports teams (Colts football and Pacers basketball) and minor league baseball
- the Indy 500 and various other racing events
- Indy hosts plenty of other major sporting events like the Final Four and Big Ten Tournament and will be hosting the Super Bowl in 2012
- the art museums
- Mass Ave art galleries
- Indianapolis Symphony Orchestra
- Symphony on the Prairie (annual outdoor symphony performance series)
- The Indianapolis Repertory Theater
- two ballet companies
- events put on by Butler's art department
- national events (like Cirque du Soleil)
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Originally Posted by Laurie A
10. How are the youth sports programs (both my daughters play competitive soccer)
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Excellent, especially in the suburbs. The high school sports programs at Carmel (and other township and suburban schools) are excellent as well.
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Originally Posted by Laurie A
11. How is the cost of living? I am looking at spending up to $500,000 for a home in Carmel.
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Indianapolis was named the most affordable major city in America by Forbes in 2007 or 2008 (I forget). You'll get a straight-up mansion for $500k.
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Originally Posted by Laurie A
12. Is the weather really awful?
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It's the Midwest...if you don't like the weather, just wait
It's nasty and snowy right now, so I'll try not to be biased. You definitely get four seasons; spring and fall are awesome. Summer is fine, especially in the beginning. August and the beginning of September are usually pretty hot, but you'll likely be OK coming from the south. Winter is nice during November and December because it's the holiday season and most people like to have winter weather during that time. January through March are miserable unless you're a winter weather lover. I've concluded that there are very few places where the average person won't have to be miserable about three months per year (either too hot, too cold, or some combination of the above).
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Originally Posted by Laurie A
13. How's the shopping? Do I have to go into the city or are the suburban malls new and nice?
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The shopping is decent. You can get all the latest fashions, either in the city or in the suburbs. Clay Terrace Mall, in Carmel, and the Keystone Fashion Mall on the far north side, are the highest-end malls. Clay Terrace was built in the 2000s; the Fashion Mall is a little older but is very well maintained and was recently remodeled. Both are excellent. Circle Center mall, downtown, is the another high-end option.
The only thing Indy doesn't have is individual storefronts for each designer. There are boutiques in Broad Ripple and on Mass Ave, but I don't know anything about them. I'd have to ask my wife LOL.
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Originally Posted by Laurie A
14. Is there anything beautiful about the area?
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Geographically speaking, Indianapolis is fairly vanilla. It is very flat and (obviously) there is no coastline. Southern Indiana has rolling hills that are beautiful in the spring and fall, and there are some state parks and Hoosier National Forest that are all within day-trip distance.
As far as urban beauty, I like downtown a lot, but it's architecture is sub-par compared to older cities. You can find beauty in everything, though, and I think if you come with an open mind, you'll be pleasantly surprised.
I hope this is helpful...feel free to PM me if you need more info. Welcome to Indy.
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The previous posters pretty much have the positives covered.
