Considering a Move to Indy?

Indianapolis Metro does have an excellent housing market for buyers and a great cost of living/salary ratio. I don't think there's another city this size in America where I could own, as an unmarried person, an historic Victorian home the size of mine; anywhere else I'd be priced of the market.

For all the qualities you're listing, Carmel and Fishers, which you said you are considering, are a great option. As newer suburbs, they are somewhat bland and lacking when it comes to culture.

The Indianapolis Public School system, however, which serves inner-city/downtown Indianapolis, has some serious problems, by all accounts. For that reason, many parents avoid living in the downtown area, or place their kids in private schools if they do, which perpetuates the problem.

To some extent, we've been pretty critical lately in some of our reviews of Indianapolis events. I don't think that's intentional, just an effect of real people writing about real experiences. We're not the PR department for the City of Indianapolis, so we tend to let it fly if there's something we're grumpy about. But we started this website because we genuinely do like the city we live in and find it interesting.

Agreed - the reason that we knock Naptown sometimes is because we know it could be better and really be the city that it could. So sometimes it helps to play the squeaky wheel and pull the "tough love" card.

Downtown, over the past ... say... 15 years has really come around as a destination. When you say that you want a safe place to walk around downtown, then you'll more than likely find it here. Plus downtown is small enough that a 20 min walk could get you from White River Park for fun to Mass Ave for food. Or even to Circle Center in between.

It is definitely cheap to buy a home in Indy. Even a Davis home in the 120s here, would probably fetch more than three times that elsewhere. I really can't talk about the quality of education, being one of the single unmarried unbred types (that's UNbred darnit!), but maybe someone else can chime in.

And culture - well - it all depends one what you mean. Indianapolis has its share of corporate culture but then it also has its share of living cutlure, such as the Oranje exhibition held recently in the old Herron School of Art.
http://www.oranjeindy.com/

Hopefully that URL works.

And I think it's been discussed enough that Indianapolis is fairly suburban driven and not so much a metropolitan city. Public transportation across town can be tricky and convenience is often had behind the steering wheel and not on foot. Unlike larger cities, such as Chicago, where you might be able to hop a train or a bus into downtown, that's really not the case here. That's either a good or bad thing, depending on your taste and needs.

Your friends will enjoy our many find sports facilities and if they have a company to move here, or a hotel to build, I will be happy to give them massive tax grants for doing so.

If they are poor they'll have to do without adequate police staffing, unsafe schools, inadequate public transportation, and a public health care system that is neart bankruptcy.

Indy is the only city in the US with a Democrat mayor, me, who cares more about the rich and powerful than he does about the average Joe/Josephine. What me worry ?

Hey, no fair pretending to be the mayor. That's my job!

Glad to hear you're interested in moving to the Indianapolis area, it's a great place! Perhaps I can help find the perfect place for you and your family. I relocated myself to Indianapolis seven years ago. I am a California native; born and raised in the San Fernando Valley. Throughout the past several years my family has slowly migrated with various jobs and retirement to the Midwest. So, to answer your question, “Why would I ever move to Indiana?”- My answer is… family. I love California, however, Indiana is simply a great place to live and raise a family.

I happen to be a Realtor. You can check out my Web site www.readyrealtor.com, or my real estate blog www.indianapolisrealtor.blogspot.com for more information about the local area and housing market.

I also worked in my company’s Relocation Division for five years where I served as a dedicated relocation specialist working with families and employees who were relocating both in and out of the Indianapolis area. I’d be happy to personally tour your family throughout our wonderful city. I can also provide you with a relocation package containing several booklets on the Indianapolis area, schools, maps, amenities, etc.

I lived in Indy for seven years, in Louisville before that two years and after that six years, have in-laws in Minneapolis and a best friend in Detroit.

In overall quality of life... Indianapolis is miles ahead of Detroit and Minneapolis. Although it doesn't have the beautiful historic areas Louisville has, the job market in Indy is much better and always has been, thus of these cities I would vote for Indianapolis too.

If you have kids or are planning to have kids, Indy is the place to be (or so I'm told -- I don't have any myself). There are lots of great neighborhoods with nice people, playgrounds, and activities. Downtown there's the Children's Museum and other culture venues like the Eiteljorg Museum. The communte from A to B isn't too bad, no matter where you live (except Fishers, which is overdeveloped and getting worse by the minute). My brother-in-law and his wife and two kids just moved to Zionsville, and they love it. The schools are good, it has a charming town area, and Jeff's commute to downtown Indy is a breeze -- he just hops on 65 and is there in no time. I live in Meridian Kessler, which is full of charming houses from the 1920s and 30s and good neighbors. Only drawback for your needs is that it's in the Indianapolis Public School system, which is considered subpar.

Once you move here, you'll be spoiled by the value you can get for your money. The housing market--while on the same steep increase as the rest of the country--is still a bargain by most standards. You can buy a big-ass house with all the trimmings in a good neighborhood for $400-500K.

Cultural scene exists, but isn't brimming. You'll be able to find whatever you're into, though. There are galleries, museums, parks, concerts, opera, symphony, and various fests and fairs. Not all the big name music acts come to Indy, but a lot of them do (and if you're really jonesing to see someone, you can take the 3 hour trip to Chicago).

Public transportation is inadquate, but last I checked, Scottdale didn't have a subway either.

What Indy does not have (IMHO) are the random delightful, creative, bizarre, sometimes dangerous but usually interesting happenings that can occur when you throw a diverse group of people into tight quarters. It may be the twelfth largest city in the US, but sometimes it still feels like a really really big suburb.

I mentioned the Indianapolis Public School system having problems, but on a recent discussion list for our neighborhood, downtown parents defended the IPS school system very well. Here's what they said:

"Herron Morton families have so many educational choices. The Center for Inquiry is a great IPS elementary school downtown, now offering an International Baccalaureate program. Some families also go to the Key School (multiple learning styles) and the Montessori Magnet School. Other families go to nearby private schools, The Oaks Academy and St. Richards. You could also find some easy carpooling to Sycamore, The Orchard School, and St. Monicas. There are lots of choices and there are getting to be more and more every year."

IPS (indianapolis Public School) isn't the only school district in the city. I went to school in Washington Township and I consider it a fairly excellent system. Most of the township school disctricts seem to be in that same vein. When I was younger I despised living in Indianapolis, but things have really improved in the past 5-10 years and it keeps getting better. There are tings about the city that bother me, mostly politically, but we're on our way up.

INDIANAPOLIS IS THA SHIT! ITS GHETTO AS HELL!

Looking for info on Washington Township area - crime stats, etc. Possiibly moving there with a young child. Thanks!

Interesting comments.
I grew up in Carmel--thinking of moving back after 4 years in New Orleans and 8 in Chicago. Believe it or not, I would move back to Indy in a heartbeat. My husband and daughter and I are just tring to figure out what the best area for us would be to live. All my folks live in Carmel/Fishers, but that may be a culture shock for us now. Thinking about Herron Morton or other downtown neighborhood, but would appreciate an honest evaluation of the crime rate. Remember that I have lived in New Orleans and also Chicago's Humbolt Park and Rogers Park so I will not be scared easily but now I have a daughter. Are there playgrounds for kids in this area? I couldn't find any maps of info on the net. Thanks!

I'm sorry, I should have started with a reply to the original poster: based on the criteria you listed, I would recommend Carmel or Zionsville. Fishers, maybe not so much.
The Village of West Clay area of Carmel is pretty neat.
Top public high schools in the area would be Carmel High School and North Central High School in Indianapolis' Washington Township.
Check out the Monon Trail.

Things to note about the crime rate downtown, based on my 15 years living in the downtown area:

Most of the downtown neighborhoods (Old Northside, Herron-Morton Place, Fall Creek Place, St Joseph's Neighborhood, Chatam Arch, Lockerbie) have every active neighborhood associations that keep residents in touch with one another. They also have the Urban Times newspaper that's produced by all of them and distributed free to all residents, which is a great way to keep track of what's going on downtown.

All of them also great email mailing lists where residents keep close track of what's going on in the neighborhood and share information back and forth, especially about crime activity.

Most of these neighborhoods are well established by now; houses are all renovated and have residents; there are fewer run-down properties or ed houses. There's LOTS of contruction going on downtown on empty lots, especially with Fall Creek Place booming; new condos are going in everywhere. If you've driven down Central Avenue in the last two years, the transformation is amazing; row after row of beautiful new houses.

Most crime is property theft which can be avoided if you're careful about locking your house and garage and not leaving things conspicuous in your car. Get a good burglar alarm, too, and use it religiously. But I'd recommend these same steps no matter where you live. Most of the property theft is opportunistic; someone's walking by an open garage and swipes a lawn mower. There have been a good number of garage break-ins, but often a sturdy deadbolt on the garage will curb this, along with having a lockable cabinet in the garage.

As far as house burglaries go; they happen once every two years or so, that some break-in crew hits during the day, lets the alarm go off and just grabs what they can. Usually the end up getting caught at the third or fourth house and arrested; people tend to recover property. Break-ins are much more common in houses that are empty or being worked on.

When it comes to physical violence and dangers of mugging; it's pretty rare. There are drug-related assaults and such on the edges of the established neighborhoods.

Don't walk ten block around the neighborhood at night. But going to and from your car and garage, over a block to the neighbors, or out and around your house and you'll be just fine. But again, these same rules apply in the suburbs, too.

Hey before you knock the IPS schools, don't forget The one school that is in a class by itself!!! Center for Inquiry or School #2. A magnet school on New Jersy Street. THere is a two year waiting list to get in at certain grade levels. Look under "Other Schools" on the IPS website. It is a top rated school with an International Baccalaureate Organization designation pending authorization (http://www.ibo.org/) and if you want a tour it is an incredible learning facility. The way kids should learn, talk a bout a dedicated staff!!! THese kids have Spanish. This is a K-8 school that may be one of only four schools in the WORLD with this combintiaion and prestigeous designation. TO see it is to believe it!!!

Anthony Heiter

I may be relocating to Indy from Chicago. I currently live in Wriglyville, which is very young, vibrant, and alot of fun. I am looking for a similar area in Indy. Any suggestions? I am 24, single, and very outgoing. Thanks for your help!

I may be relocating to Indy from Chicago. I currently live in Wriglyville, which is very young, vibrant, and alot of fun. I am looking for a similar area in Indy. Any suggestions? I am 24, single, and very outgoing. Thanks for your help!

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