So guys, What's IN like?

Doc · 01-08-08, 07:25 PM

I've got a guy knocking on my door asking me to apply to a job in Bloomington, IN.

First off, it can't be any worse than IA, right? What is the area/ state like? I've only ever driven trough the state, didn't even stop for gas.

Is there local wheeling?

What is public access land like?

Much in the way of outdoor rec? (biking, hiking, etc..?)

Average cost of homes?

Average income?

Right to carry state?

Be honest please!

4rnr · 01-08-08, 09:31 PM

I beleive they are right to carry.

Good wheeling at the Badlands in Attica

The people are well......kinda like trailer trash....who listen to rap

Sorry FIP's

BTW Dont bother ripping on Illinois I like IN better anyway

Gappy · 01-09-08, 04:09 AM

Well, if you were to pick Bloomington, you would be in mine and my wife's favorite city in Ind. We have a cabin in Nashville IN., which is only 30 minutes from Bloomington, so we spend quite a bit of time there. That is where Ind U. is located and this gives Bloomington a great college town feel. Lots to do there. That part of the state is somewhat hilly and definitely more scenic than the northern 2/3 of the state. B-town is only a 30-45 minutes from Indy. They get some snow but not a lot.
Wheeling.......John spoke accurately above and Benji/Ben I believe has some experience in the Hoosier National Forest (curious about that place myself). Ben also lives in B-town so maybe he will chime in.
Hiking and biking.........I have done a lot of both around B-town, great area for road bikes, lots of "get your ass in shape" hills. I can't speak for the mountain biking except that I know there is some nice mountain bike trails in Brown County State Park (located in Nashville). I am sure there are more but I don't look for them. There are 2 beautiful state parks within 30 minutes that have great hiking trails, Brown County and McCormicks Creek. I know that there is a lot more from trail maps I've seen.
Avg home cost......the cost of living in Ind in general is pretty reasonable. Indy is probably the highest in the state but not much higher than else where in the state. Avg home, guessing is around $175K.
Avg income, would be such a guess that I won't even guess.
I believe John is right that there is a right to carry, but I can't give any detail.......or I'd have to kill ya.
Post up or PM if you need more detail.

Gappy · 01-09-08, 04:12 AM

..........also, plenty of sweet corn for your son!!!

Doc · 01-09-08, 05:50 AM

Good info so far guys, Thanks!

What's the average weather like in the summer/ winter? A lot of heat/ humidity? Well below freezing temps?

D'Animal · 01-09-08, 07:01 AM

LOL Doc is in Iowa.

Quote:

Originally Posted by Gappy

..........also, plenty of sweet corn for your son!!!

Gappy · 01-09-08, 07:42 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Doc

Good info so far guys, Thanks!

What's the average weather like in the summer/ winter? A lot of heat/ humidity? Well below freezing temps?

Probably not much different than Iowa. Summer, heat and humidy, yes.
Winter, below freezing, yes but not a lot of snow. I remember just before Christmas '05 they got about 10" of the white stuff at once and they didn't know what to do because they are not use to that much snow at once.

Polak · 01-09-08, 08:21 PM

Hey Doc!

I must say that IN is one of the best states I've ever lived in and here's why: It really makes you appreciate other places. I grew up in NC, an hour from the beach and an hour from the mountains. Took it for granted then, not anymore. The people are great, just the right mix of southern hospitality (called Hoosier Hospitality here) and sophistication. I had a friend that always referred to Indy as the Neon Cornfield.

Bloomington is a college town, and a few years ago IU was ranked #1 party college in the US. But I'm sure like anywhere else, you can choose to live in a smaller town and deal with a little longer commute to avoid that atmosphere. Also you can get a lot more house/land for your $.

What kinda work you into?

Good luck, and keep us posted,
AJ

Gumby · 01-10-08, 05:01 PM

Flat.

Flatter than a mofo.

Straight roads going through the corn so flat you can see the curvature of the earth.

Fawkin' flat

Polak · 01-10-08, 06:05 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Gumby

Flat.

Flatter than a mofo.

Straight roads going through the corn so flat you can see the curvature of the earth.

Fawkin' flat

Of course our green friend here is refering to Kansas not Indiana.

Cruiser Clint · 01-11-08, 03:50 AM

Doc,

I'm from the Northeast originally, but have found Indiana to be a great place to live. Cost of living is relatively cheap in Indianapolis compared to other cities, and the rest of the state is even cheaper. You can get a concealed carry permit by filling out a form and it is good forever, but there's almost no reciprocity outside of IN since other states see us as too lenient

I agree with Gumby that IN is flat, but Bloomington is one of the exceptions to that. Hiking and outdoor activities are probably more prevalent in that area of the state with the nicer terrain. I'm not aware of any real public access land.

Wheeling in IN is pretty much at ORV parks, and there have been more opening in the last few years within driving distance. We're fortunate to have the Badlands Off Road park as one of our options.

I think IN is a great place to live overall. There are four seasons and none of them are normally too extreme, it's cheap to live here and people are nice and friendly. Good luck on the job!

Clint

Polak · 01-11-08, 06:27 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Cruiser Clint

There are four seasons and none of them are normally too extreme

Yeah, they are: Cold, Not too Bad, Hot as hell, and Chilly!

Doc · 01-11-08, 07:02 AM

It's the HOT as hell part I don't like. ...... ugh.

Benji · 01-11-08, 09:51 AM

Hey Doc,

Sorry for not getting back to you sooner. By the way, nice write-up in Trails.

I moved to Bloomington in 2004 so I have had several years of experience in these parts.

Bloomington is, by far, one of the coolest places (in all respects) I have ever lived. In fact, it is one of the coolest small college-town-like places I have ever been.

Bloomington is NOT flat. From Bloomington south to Kentucky there are all kinds of beautiful hills; especially in Monroe and Brown Counties. This part of IN has the Best hiking, some of the best fishing, and excellent hunting lands. Lake Monroe, for instance, is the largest reservoir in the sate (John Mellencamp lives on the lake). There is plenty of state and national parks. There is also the Charles C. Deam Wilderness area located in the Hoosier National Forest. The Hoosier Forest system links up with yellowwood sate forest (yellowwood lake is an awesome fishing spot) and extends south to Kentucky. One can easily do multiple day backpacking trips in this area. I do not need to stress anymore how awesome this part of IN is. In fact, everyone I talk to from IL comes to this area to camp. The cool thing too, is that I can have my boat on Lake Monroe or be hiking in the Hoosier National Forest within a 5-10 min drive from downtown Bloomington. You can’t say that about many places. I also don’t want to forget about Lake Griffey. This is a city-owned park 1 mile north of the town. There is plenty of great hiking, a dog park, and great fishing. I caught 9 bass over 12” in 2hrs one afternoon.

Aside from outdoor activities, there are many community/family activities in Bloomington; most of which are free. For example, there is the infamous farmer’s market twice a week in the spring/summer. There is music, movies, and other free activities that occur in the many city parks. We have two kids (3yo and 1.5 yo) and there is never a lack of activities that are hosted by the city or other organizations. By the way, my graduate student colleague has a 2 yo boy named Leif. Bloomington has a lot of arts and music entertainment. IU draws many famous people to give public lectures. The Dali Lama has been several times (his brother owns a Tibetan eatery in town). If your into old-time country music and bluegrass etc., we have the Bill Monroe music festival and many other local acts that play regularly. There is a smorgasbord of ethnic food restaurants and grocery store. Bloomington, by far, is the most liberal town in IN. I have yet to see any problems with that.

Go here: Miller Interests

Click on ‘family’ and ‘mushrooms’. Most of the scenery in the pics are from the Bloomington area. I have consumed over 7 different wild mushrooms found in the surrounding area.

What kind of job were you applying for?

Overall, I think Bloomington IN is a GREAT place to raise a family. Unfortunately, I will have to move in a few years.

Good luck.
Give me a PM or email if you need any more info. Miller.benjamin@gmail.com

Cheers,
ben

Benji · 01-11-08, 09:54 AM

Posted are pics of the Bloomington area.
Griffey Lake in autumn.

Benji · 01-11-08, 10:02 AM

Cuiser in the Hoosier National Park

Benji · 01-11-08, 10:09 AM

Pic from the fire tower in Hoosier National

Benji · 01-11-08, 10:13 AM

More Hoosier National

Benji · 01-11-08, 10:21 AM

More scenery.

Benji · 01-11-08, 10:22 AM

Also Indianapolis has one of the best rated children's museums in the country.

Moreover, there is a great children's museum in Bloomington.

The Indy zoo is also quite good.

...and the Colts.

Benji · 01-11-08, 10:28 AM

Also there is plenty of mountain biking trails.

Don't forget road biking. Can you say "Little 5"? Indiana University Student Foundation

Another great thing is that you can ride your bike anywhere in town. There are plenty of bike lanes etc.

Unfortunately, there are no shooting ranges close by. There is always blasting in the forest though.

There are also plenty of pheasent/chukar farms around the state.

Gappy · 01-11-08, 11:07 AM

Nice job Ben! Nice pics, great looking family!

tonyota · 01-13-08, 05:47 PM

In. rules. Lived here 43 years. I love it. Tony.

Doc · 01-14-08, 03:11 PM

Do you guys get lots of 100+ degree days in the summer?

Gappy · 01-14-08, 03:17 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Doc

Do you guys get lots of 100+ degree days in the summer?

No.
Very occasional, maybe a handful per summer.

Doc · 01-21-08, 01:43 PM

Ok guys- inteview is scheduled for the 29th at 1pm your time!

Polak · 01-21-08, 03:01 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Doc

Ok guys- inteview is scheduled for the 29th at 1pm your time!

What's yer travel schedule Doc? You stayin' the night or making a quick 180 home after the interview?

If yer stayin' the night I'll PM you a # and we'll round up a few fellow cruiserheads to grab some eats and

!

AJ

Benji · 01-21-08, 05:15 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Polak

What's yer travel schedule Doc? You stayin' the night or making a quick 180 home after the interview?

If yer stayin' the night I'll PM you a # and we'll round up a few fellow cruiserheads to grab some eats and

!

AJ

Same here Doc. Let us know your schedule.

ben

Doc · 01-21-08, 05:18 PM

Sounds good guys! I'll take you up on the offer when I actually make the trip....

Next Tuesday is the pre-lim phone interview, I suppose if they like what they hear then I'll make the trip over there physically to check out the facility and maybe poke around the housing market. I imagine, if all goes well, and they 'want' me, then I'll be making a few trips out for housing purposes.

Polak · 01-21-08, 07:07 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Doc

Sounds good guys! I'll take you up on the offer when I actually make the trip....

Next Tuesday is the pre-lim phone interview, I suppose if they like what they hear then I'll make the trip over there physically to check out the facility and maybe poke around the housing market. I imagine, if all goes well, and they 'want' me, then I'll be making a few trips out for housing purposes.

Right on!

Good luck Doc!