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A lovely place to live - 6/8/2005 |
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| We relocated to Bloomington -(from Glenview, IL) seven years ago, and are very happy here. We live in an intellectual oasis, and are surrounded by the arts: symphonies, amazing opera, theatre, galleries, museums, and more. The cost of living IS higher than we expected (especially utilities), and the job prospects for a porfessional are limited (and underpaid) but once we freed ourselves from the constraints of the local economy, that all turned around: We provide professional audio services to a global client base, and thanks to the internet, our client is as easliy served in Thailand as he is in Indianapolis.)
If you enjoy/need/crave natural beauty, you;d be surprised at how lovely this part of Indiana is! We have several state parks and a national forest -- all within 30 minutes. The rolling hills of central Indiana are a shock to those who think this is the prairie. We have the state's largest lake (Monroe), located 20 minutes to the south, with excellent fishing and boating.
The weather, to be fair, can be GHASTLY. Summers can be HOT, HUMID and miserable for days at a stretch. Winters are mild and not terirbly snowy (but I'm a Colorado girl, so my benchmark is pretty high!). Spring and fall are perfection, though.
I can't speak to schools, as we have no kids, but I've heard mixed reports re Bloomington public schools.
As I said earlier, the job market in this area is grim: there are few "good" jobs, and those that do exist are poorly paid. We can thank Indiana University for that, which sets the wages for this area -- and considering that IU is notororious for underpaying its people, that is the core of the problem. There are plenty of low-paying service jobs (fast food, retail, and the like), but the average, experienced admin asst here is LUCKY to pull down $12 an hour, for example. Weep for the future.
Housing costs are VERY VERY affordable, and property values are improving. We built our 4 BR, 2,800 SF home in 2001 for just shy of $130K, and it appraised at $165K in 2004. Rents can be pricier, but a recent GLUT of downtown "luxury" apartments (priced WAY above market and too many of them) should level out in the next few years.
If you enjoy eating out, look no further. Bloomington has THE best variety of restaurants I've ever encountered, especially international foods. We have not one, but TWO TIbetan restaurants (thanks to our large Tibetan population -- we have a monestary and a cultural center here, and the Dalai Lama's b
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| Cute and liveable - 2/27/2013
I have lived in Bloomington for the last 3 years for law school. It is a cute town, especially in the spring when the trees are in bloom. It has a nice college town vibe. However, it is also in the middle of nowhere so it feels a little isolated.[read more...]
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| We love Bloomington - 7/5/2012
My husband works for the government and as a result, we have lived all over the United States. Some places are definitely better than others and Bloomington is definitely one of those better places.
The town is diverse with a thriving arts community. There is a "real" downtown, filled with eclectic shops and fine restaurants. The locals are friendly and the atmosphere is socially liberal. The public school system is very highly rated and good mass transit is available.
Indiana is a 4-seasons state and as such, the summers can be quite hot and the winters quite cold, but the winters do seem to be a bit milder in Bloomington and points south than in other parts of the state. Summer and autumn are spectacularly beautiful. When you think of Indiana, you think of of flat prairie, but Bloomington isn't like that. It's hilly and there are some beautiful state parks within close proximity. Lake Monroe, located nearby, is clean and offers boating, swimming and fishing.
Home prices are a little higher than elsewhere in the state and the proximity of IU makes traffic a challenge at times, but those are minor issues in the grand scheme of things. Bloomington reminds me a lot of Austin, TX as far as culture, opportunity and friendliness. However, the area isn't immune from the general economic conditions in the US, so if you plan to move here, make sure you have a job lined up. Also be prepared to pay a bit more for housing than you would in other areas.[read more...]
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| Considering a move to Bloomington, IN - 6/9/2012
I currently live in Wheeling, IL but my wife and I are considering a move to Bloomington, IN. We're looking for business opportunities to finalize our decision, but we are drawn by the quality of life in Bloomington compared to the Chicago Suburbs.[read more...]
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| no title - 2/15/2010
Don't have a thing against B-town, just want to move on to somewhere,anywhere else.[read more...]
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| Bloomington is Lovely! - 10/7/2009
I read a negative review of Bloomington IN that was full hatred and great misgivings. Something about 6 inch bugs??? I hope everyone can read that sentence and then justifiably discredit the rest of the paragraph. Bloomington is beautiful. The people in my opinion or friendly and outgoing. Lots of people are active in the community both politically and socially. One year I ate a different restaurant once a week. That's 52 restaurants and I only scratched the surface of what the town has to offer. It is cultured beyond belief with an eclectic ethnic diversity, as well as eclectic ways of making a living from being an artist, to professor, janitor, banker...pharmaceutical companies thrive here, medical, marketing companies abound, sports opportunities for careers are everywhere...this town is nothing short of an oasis. I personally never want to leave...oh, and before this...I was a New Yorker...office in Times Square and everything...New York City is GREAT...but so is Bloomington IN and every bit as much so...just....different, but just as wonderful.[read more...]
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| Bloomington Indiana climate - 10/4/2009
I guess you would say we have a moderate 4 seasons climate. There is snow in the winter - usually not more than a few inches at a time. The summers are warm with just a few hot days a year. Autumn and spring are gorgeous.[read more...]
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| Get me outta here - 9/30/2009
Bloomington, Indiana is the worst place in the world for a city-slicker factory worker who loves clouds and rain. The sun here is hot, bright and will melt the flesh off your face. The rent here is very expensive for what you get. The jobs... fastfood and one or two factories are left. This town is dirty and half of its population is rich and snobby college kids who go to IU. The rest of Bloomington, Indiana is hill-billy rednecks who ignore any one who isn't from Bloomington or Indiana. The restaurants here have the nastiest kitchens in the world. Do you like 6-inch praying mantices flying in your face? You'll love Bloomington -- they have bugs by the ton! The water is polluted by PCB's and there is a high incidence of brain cancer in south central Indiana because of the nasty water in Lake Monroe. About 75% of Bloomington is on one or more psych meds, credits to Centerstone behavioral health and Bloomington Hospital. There are only two high schools in this small town -- Bloomington South and Bloomington North. Oh by the way, this town has a huge ego; that's why everything here has the great name of Bloomington stamped on it. Fortunately, I will be leaving this pit very soon. Thank God! I would never wish living in phoney-as-a-three-dollar-bill Bloomington, Indiana to my worst enemy.[read more...]
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| re - 7/25/2009
I guess its because you are all from somewhere else and have money or something but Bloomington is not a great place to live. Its expensive and crowded there is always construction and litter. People are rude. Jobs are low paying and hard to find. Apartments are way over priced along with houses really. Help is hard to find as well. I wouldnt go back there for anything.[read more...]
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| Recreation - 7/3/2009
Bloominton, IN is a great place to live, raise a family and enjoy the outdoors. Lake Monroe is a beautiful recreation site for boating, swimming and fishing located just 10 minutes from the heart of Bloomington. Bloomington is also the home to the IU hoosiers, a gorgeous university campus full of culture and a high level education.[read more...]
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| A Beautiful, International Growing Town - 2/11/2008
Bloomington is a college town. Driven by the diversity of the many backgrounds which come to Bloomington this town has many celebrations and events that can not be found in other college towns. The campus is set in the middle of Bloomington and is very beautiful. Activities for teens are lacking Bloomington however college students and adults will always find something fun to do. The summers and springs are my favorite with the vast amount of outdoor activities available. Bloomington is also continuing to grow. Construction is continuous as new businesses come and others continue to grow.[read more...]
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| Great College Town for Arts and Music and Restaura - 12/26/2007
I moved to Bloomington about 2 years ago from Sunnyvale, CA where the housing costs had skyrocketed to astronomical levels. Because Bloomington is in the midwest and a college town to boot, the affordability index here (ratio of median income to median house price) is very favorable to anyone wishing to relocate. I bought a very livable house here for about one fifth what I would have had to pay in Sunnyvale, and Sunnyvale is not even near the top rung Bay Area California housing. In addition, because IU has an outstanding music department, I get to see free concerts and recitals and master classes for classical music, opera, jazz, and early music. The town also has a very high concentration of high-quality affordable restaurants.[read more...]
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| Bloomington - 11/8/2007
Its a good town, has a lot of ethnic restaurants. The bars are fun but can be really crowded. It seems like there is more crime here than before.[read more...]
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| More than corn in Indiana - 8/6/2006
The rolling hills and forests of Bloomington are beautiful and with the college nearby, the cit offers a variety of cultural experiences from music to food.[read more...]
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| Bloomington is my favorite place in Indiana. - 6/12/2006
Rusty is right. Bloomington is fantastic. I now live in Fort Collins, CO which is often named one of the great places to live. It's nice here but Bloomington has alot more to offer and it is half the size. Lots more water and culture and it's easy to get around to surrounding cities like Chicago, Indy, and Lousiville. The woods around the area are great and little known fact......southern Indiana is really pretty. (I don't know why Indiana gets a bad wrap.) I lived in B-town for five years and will probably move back someday when I'm ready to settle down. Only downside is like most college towns, it can be very difficult to get a good paying job theat isn't in the service industry.[read more...]
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| nice place to live, no work though - 5/12/2006
Bloomington is a nice place to live but it's very hard to find work.[read more...]
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| A top notch college town - 9/23/2005
I have lived in Fort Collins, CO and Madison, WI- two great college towns that actually get credit as such. I currently live in Bloomington, IN and I have to say that Bloomington is an amazing college town. Although you rarely see it at the top of the 'best' lists of various magazines, Bloomington has a great mix of cultural offerings, college town style, affordability, and midwest charm that is hard to match. It's probably good that Bloomington has kept a low profile, as it would likely get overrun as so many of the other great college towns have.[read more...]
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| A lovely place to live - 6/8/2005
We relocated to Bloomington -(from Glenview, IL) seven years ago, and are very happy here. We live in an intellectual oasis, and are surrounded by the arts: symphonies, amazing opera, theatre, galleries, museums, and more. The cost of living IS higher than we expected (especially utilities), and the job prospects for a porfessional are limited (and underpaid) but once we freed ourselves from the constraints of the local economy, that all turned around: We provide professional audio services to a global client base, and thanks to the internet, our client is as easliy served in Thailand as he is in Indianapolis.)
If you enjoy/need/crave natural beauty, you;d be surprised at how lovely this part of Indiana is! We have several state parks and a national forest -- all within 30 minutes. The rolling hills of central Indiana are a shock to those who think this is the prairie. We have the state's largest lake (Monroe), located 20 minutes to the south, with excellent fishing and boating.
The weather, to be fair, can be GHASTLY. Summers can be HOT, HUMID and miserable for days at a stretch. Winters are mild and not terirbly snowy (but I'm a Colorado girl, so my benchmark is pretty high!). Spring and fall are perfection, though.
I can't speak to schools, as we have no kids, but I've heard mixed reports re Bloomington public schools.
As I said earlier, the job market in this area is grim: there are few "good" jobs, and those that do exist are poorly paid. We can thank Indiana University for that, which sets the wages for this area -- and considering that IU is notororious for underpaying its people, that is the core of the problem. There are plenty of low-paying service jobs (fast food, retail, and the like), but the average, experienced admin asst here is LUCKY to pull down $12 an hour, for example. Weep for the future.
Housing costs are VERY VERY affordable, and property values are improving. We built our 4 BR, 2,800 SF home in 2001 for just shy of $130K, and it appraised at $165K in 2004. Rents can be pricier, but a recent GLUT of downtown "luxury" apartments (priced WAY above market and too many of them) should level out in the next few years.
If you enjoy eating out, look no further. Bloomington has THE best variety of restaurants I've ever encountered, especially international foods. We have not one, but TWO TIbetan restaurants (thanks to our large Tibetan population -- we have a monestary and a cultural center here, and the Dalai Lama's b[read more...]
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