1/14/2007
I lived here for a summer doing a research internship and other small things, and from what I saw I was impressed by Indy. I've lived in Chicago as a university student for the past four years and though Indy lacks the cultural opportunities and nightlife of Chitown, Indy has a nice, laidback vibe to it. People here are very friendly, traffic is very light for a city this size, the city is affordable, and it is easy to navigate. Crime, though on the rise, is still quite low in comparison to other Midwestern cities I've lived in such as Chicago and Cleveland. Put it this way: I never felt unsafe at night downtown and only a few neighborhoods would I consider not walking around at night. The best thing I liked about Indy is what I got for what I paid for an apartment. In Chicago, I pay 650 a month for a very small studio with a kitchenette, but in Indy I paid roughly the same amount for a one bedroom with a full kitchen and cable included! Parking even downtown is very easy and I've never seen bumper to bumper traffic as I have every day on the Dan Ryan up here. IUPUI and the IU grad schools dominate higher education here and though I hear the public schools leave something to be desired, some private schools like Park Tudor are very very good. Outer neighborhoods like Carmel and Fishers are great places to raise a family and have many Eli Lilly employees
Perhaps the only thing that irked me was the lack of nightlife for a twenty something like me. All the bars are restricted to Broad Ripple and the downtown area doesn't have much in the way of entertainment or really upscale restaurants. Other than that, I enjoyed my stay in Indy and wouldn't mind living here to raise a family. As a younger student, however, I prefer the bright lights of Chicago for now.